Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-05-21

Il
these names Cocoa, which is but chloe
olate with the fat extracted, is the well
known drink and food made from the
cacao bean. the fruit OF the tree known
botanically as theobroma cacao, while
coca is the extract of the leaves Of the
coca plant, or shrub, whose technical
name is erythroxylon coca, and from
which that powerful alkalod known as
cocaine Is derived. Both products are
Indigenous to certain Latin American
countries, both were in common use by
! the natives of these regions for centur-
! les before n western world was dreamed
| of in the eastern, and both were first in
troduced into Europe by the returning
Spanish explorers. Their place of origin
is about the only thing common to both
plants
| The medicinal properties of the coca
leaves are manifold. That remarkable
property possessed by the alkaloid. CO.
| caine, of producing local anaesthesia has
made the plant boon to suffering hui
| manity and a wonderfully benefcent
| agent in the hands of the surgeon. even
II there were no other uses for 1t as u
! curative. Coca, however, has many 9TH
It was known as the divine plant" be-
cause Of these varied properties In the
May issue of the Bulletin of the Pan
American Union, Washington, d. c.,
William A. Reid deals with the history
of coca-thc wonder plant of the Andes,
| and tells OF many strange customs of the
| Incas in connection with their veneration
of the coca plant, its peculiar proper
| ties. and describes the plant itself in its
wild state and the methods of cultiva-
tion He writes
MANY years ago when Inca civilization
reigned over a vast section of the west
ern part of South America. the young
men Of the tribes engaged in athletic
contests and among the most coveted
rewards the victors could expect were
little pouches filled with certain dry
leaves Each pouch perchance bore the
handwork of some dusly maiden, mar
velously wrought in accordance with the
teachings Of Mamma Ocllo, the famous
character who tradition says came forth
from mysterious Lake Titcaca to teach
the world the art of spinning and weav-
ing. Accompanying the pouch of leaves.
or chuspa. as they call it, was a small
lime; the leaves had been carefully
pluckcd from the divine plant coca,
while the lime served to make thelh more
pleasing to the taste. The two sub
stances combined formed a strength-pro-
ducing element of wonderful power Sub
jects of the Incas who thus fortified
themselves by chewing coca leaves be-
lieved their bodies possessed super-hu-
man endurance.
THE leaves were used at offerings to
the sun; to make the smoke AT sacrifices;
tide up in packages they were thrown in
to streams and the faithful followed them
for days as a demonstration of their
fidelity; and at death a supply of the
leaves was always placed with the body
of the deceased"
The original home of the coca plant is
in parts of Colombia Ecuador Peru, Boz
liva, and Brazil while 1t is now culti-
waited in the West Indies, Ceylpn, India
Java, etc. The plant erythroxylon coca
somewhat resembles the backthorn bush
OF the United States. and grows to a
height OF six to eight feet, according to
altitude and climatic conditions. In
southern Colombia, at an altitude of 5000
feet, and in some other sections Of the
Andes it occasionally measures 1G feet
In height, but as elevation increases the
bush degenerates into small shrub.
The branches are straight and the leaves
are green, thin, opaque. oval, and taDer-
ing at the ends. The pretty little flowers
form in clusters on short stems The
Towering season is followed by the pro-
auction of small red berries. When grown
on the coca plantations, or cocales. the
seeds are sown in December and Janu-
airy on small plots Of land sheltered from
the sun. When the plant reaches height
OF two feet it is transpanted to larger
spaces, and 1t becomes productive in
about two years and remains so for 40
years or even longer The leaves are
gathered by pluckors who are skilled in
their work. Both hands are used and
usually only the best leaves are gathered.
These are carried to sheds and spread
upon stone beds or hard ground to dry.
The drying process is completed in about
10 hours and the leaves are then packed
into bales and are ready for shipment.
In pound packages the best leaves are
worth from 80 to As cents at the seaport
In 1912 Bolivia exported 5000 600 worth Of
coca leaves, while Peru, where cocaine
Itself Is manufactured, exports annually
bout 100000 Of that product