1890 Coca and its Therapeutic Application by Angelo Mariani

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then neutralized this with sulphuric acid and evaporated it over a water-bath. The residue was then treated with water,which caused the separation of the rest of the chloro phyll and of the sulphate of Cocaine that it contained,and which was precipitated by means of the carbonate of sodium. He separated it finally with ether and purified it by several re-crystallizations in alcohol. This process was modified by Lassen,who precipitated the aqueous solu tion with the subacetate of lead. In this way he was able to obtain about six grammes of Cocaine from a, kilogramme of Coca leaves. Moreno y Mai'z proposed a third process. He mixed intimately,slaked lime with finely-pulverized Coca leaves, letting the mixture stand for nearly twenty-four hours,in order that the lime might react suitably on the alkaloid, imitating in that,the Indian who mixes with his quid the llipta, of which we have already spoken. He afterward lixiviates it with alcohol at 40°. We have reviewed the works of the different authors who occupied themselves with Coca; their various labors, although very interesting, did not reach the famous dis covery of local anaesthesia,and it is to Koller,of Vienna(1), that the honor belongs of having brought to light the re markable effect ofCocaine when applied to the conjunctival membrane. This soon awakened general curiosity. From all quar ters came works on the subject. Reuss, Koenigstein, Jellinck,Schrotter, Knapp and others hastened to give tO' the profession the result of their researehes. In France enthusiasm was not less strong, nor less (i) Soc. imp. royale des m^decins de Vienne, Oct. 17, 1S84. II.—PHYSICAL STUDY.