Where did we leave off boys and girls? Oh yes, now is the time to delve into the spread of the coca leaf. According to Wikipedia, the coca leaf was first brought to the land of the people-rapers (AKA Europe) in the 16th century. The Europeans doubted the supernatural powers that the Native South Americans claimed the leaf had at first. They quickly found out about one of my favorite old sayings, "don't knock it 'til you try it."
In a previous post we discussed how the Incas reserved the pleasures of the coca leaf to the nobility and members of the favored classes- court orators, couriers, favored public workers, and the army. The Spanish people-rapers recognized the potential of the coca leaf in its capacity to aid in the colonization process. They lifted the social restrictions on consumption of the coca leaf and made it available to everyone, specifically the slave laborers they employed to till the fields and work in mines. It was the economically rational thing to do- the people-rapers could feed the the slave laborers as little as possible so long as they kept them drugged up. Here's a plant that the Incas used primarily in a distinguished manner that was then turned into a tool of subjugation by colonists. It was a total 180. I'll stop here before we go off on a tangent about the miserable existence that these people were forced to live in under imperialists.
"You see this land you live on? It's ours now. Oh... by the way, we'll take the coke too."
It was in the mid-16th century that the people-rapers begin a "scientific" analysis of the coca leaf. Various essays and poems made their way back across the Atlantic during the next three centuries as scientist, physicians, clergymen, and laymen studied the leaf and its effects on the natives, some even dabbling in the Inca tradition themselves.
By the middle of the 19th century people in Europe were using the coca leaf (or a variation or an extract of it) as a medical substance. Various ailments and diseases such as asthma, colic and irritability were "cured" by the magical elixir of the coca. 19th century medicine as a whole is similar to a "What's What" list of the DEA's banned and controlled substances in America today.
This led to many scientists attempting to isolate the alkaloid responsible for the magic of the coca. The alkaloid, cocaine (FINALLY), was isolated in 1858 by an German chemist named Albert Neimann.
If you haven't fallen asleep yet, kudos. Don't be mad at me. We're exploring one subject for 30 days, not everything is gonna be fun and exciting. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some things to do.
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