The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-25

tnet persons unused 10 It's properties suffer
| from severe headaches II they fan asleep
| near them. Prescott. the explorer speaks
| of the. coca as an article of so invigorat-
ing nature that with a small supply
of IL in the pouch and a handful Of roast
| ed maize. the Peruvian Indians Of our
| time performs his wearisome Journeys,
| day after day, without fatigue, or at least
| without complaint" Under the Incas it
| IS said to have been exclusively reserved
| for the noble orders The statement OF
| Mr.. Whitall, r. y, made public by DIT.
| Thomson. in his "Cyclopedia Of Chem,r-
| try confirms the account of its giving
| wonderful powers of endurance the In
| dams under its influence working twenty
and thirty hours together without sleep.
| They travel on foot from La Paz TO Sucre.
| seventy leagues, in three days consuming
| little food. but chewing constantly the
| coca carrying II ia a small bag over their
shoulder. together with a bottle of quick
| lime The miners of Peru, mostly In
| dams, are furnished with provisions by
| their employers, everything. excepting
coca, in limited quantities. OF this how
ever they are supplied with all they
want, some consuming fully a pound a
week.
As nerve stmulant coca has been used
lmmemorially by the Peruvian and Boliv-
ian natives In 1853 DR.. Weden stated
mat II produces a gently excitant effect
with an indisposition to sleep, in these re-
| spects resembling tea and coffee: also that
II VIII support strength for a considerable
time in the absence OF food, but does not
supply The place of nutriment and probably
IN this respect also acts like the two sub
stances referred TO. The Indians while
chewing it, mixed with some alkaline sub
stance, as the ashes of certain plants of
lime pass whole days in travelling or work
ing without food. Il is however, clearly
proved that these leaves do not take the
place of nutriment, but simply put off The
sense OF fatigue and hunger, the Indian
making uD at his evening meal for The
days abstinence. 1t is probable that they
prevent hunger simply by their local be-
numolng influence upon the nerves of the
stomach. Their moderate habituai use
docs not seem to be injurious, but the hab-
II IS said readily to grow upon the person
and finally the inveterate excessive coca
cheWer can be recognized by his uncer-
tain step, general apathy. sunken eyes
surrounded by deep purple aureoles,
trembling lips, green and encrusted teeth
and excessively fetid breath with peculiar
blackness about the corners of the mouth
An mcurabe insomnia is apt to be devel-
oped, emaciation becomes extreme dropsv
appears and even death results i'm a con-
diuon of general marasmus of wasting
away. When cocoa is taken In a single
large dose 1t produces a condition of pecu-
liar physical beatitude and calm. follow
ed by a sensation of excessive power
which is affirmed to be accompanied nv
a real increase of physical ability DR.
Mantengazza took in the course of two
hours about geo grains of the coco leaf.
with the result of great increase in the
number of the heart beats. and a condi-
ton of intoxication resembling that pro-
duced by hasheesh. He was possessed
htr %, . f.s,
a succession of visions and phantasmago-
ria, most brilliant in form and color,
rrooped rapidly before his eyes. He then
passed into a condition of delrious ex-
element, which was succeeded by a deep
sleep lasting three hours.
The symptoms which have just been de-
tailed are those which have been record
ed by various writers as produced by the
coca leaf in the land of it's growth, and es-
pecially upon the natives of the country
The action of the alkaloid cocaine, and
even of the drug coca, upon North Amer
leans and Europeans, differs, however, es-
sentally from these effects. Among
these numerous cases of poisoning have
occurred from the alkaloid. In mild cases
the symptoms have been great restlessness
and nervous excitement, but no sense of
5eatitude rather condition of fear and
terror With this state come usually dis
tnctly accelerated pulse, increased fire.
quency of respiration, and, perchance,
muscular twitching or even mild convul-
sions.
1t may be interesting to note in con-
nection with the strengthening quality
of coca leaves that therein is possibly
found an explanation of some facts, fire.
quentiy disputed in Darwins "Voyage
of II. NJ. S. Beagle" which Is a journal
of researches into the natural history and
geology of the countries visited during
voyage around the world of that vessel
which sailed from Davenport, Dec. q, 1881
for the purpose of completing the survey
Of Patagonia Terra del Fuego, of survey
ing the shores of Chile and Peru and of
carrying a chain of chronometrical meas
| uTements around the world. In the dis
| tinguished authors account of a visit to
the Yaquil gold mines of Central Chile
he says: "When we arrived at the mine
was struck by the pale appearance of
many of the men, and inquired from Mr.
Nixon respecting their condition. The
mine is $50 feet deep, and each man brings
| up about 200 pounds weight of stone With
| this load they have to climb up the alter
nate notches cut in the trunks of trees.
| placed In a zigzag line up the shaft Even
| beardiess young men, IS and 20 years old,
| with little musular development of their
/ bodies 0hey are quite naked excepting
| drawers) ascend with this great load from
nearly the same depth. A strong man,
| who is not accustomed to this labor, per-
| spires most profusely, with merely carry
| ing up his own body"
Later, in describing a visit to the mines
of Northern Chile, the distinguished au-
thor of the "Origin of Species" gives this
| description of the wonderful burdens car
ried by the laborers: Capt Head has
described the wonderful load which the
| apires, truly beasts of burden, carry up
| from the deepest of mines. / confess /
| thought the account exaggerated, so thai
was glad 70 take the opportunity 10
| Weighing one of the loads which I picked
| out by hazard. 1t required considerab bic
| exeruon on my part when standing d.
rectly over it, to lift il from the ground
| The load was considered under weight
when found to be 1871 pounds. The apire
had carried this up eighty perpendicular
yards-part of the way by a steep pass.
age, but the greater part up notchci
poles placed in a zigzag line up the
shaft. According to the general regula.
ton the apire is not allowed to halt fol
hrea th except the mine is GOO feet doc n