1890 Coca and its Therapeutic Application by Angelo Mariani

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and probably an increase of the secretion of gastric juice ; on the intestines,an increase oftheintestinal secretions,etc. These manifold physiological effects upon the digestive tube unite in a specific action,so to speak,in the numer ous functional troubles, so varied and so ill-understood, of the organs that compose it." The same author cites a great number of cases of this sort in which Coca"has never failed to exert an admirable action, often even marvelous." And he concludes(page 65):"It seems to me useless to bring forward more ex amples; these are enough to justify this positive general conclusion; Coca is the remedypar excellence for diseases of the digestive tube." Beugnies-Corbeau (1) prescribes it in chloro-ancemia, not only for gastralgia, but for the frequent desire to eat which patients feel, disappearing as soon as the first mouthful has been taken, only to return a little while afterward. Prof. O. Reveil ends his article on Coca as follows: "Much remains to be done in the physiological and clinical study of Coca; it is known that it acts on the motor and sensory nervous system. This substance is destined some day to take an important rank in therapeutics." In irritability and various affections of the cerebral cen ters, Dr. J. Leonard Corning makes use of Coca, which he prefers to the bromides. In a very remarkable essay on Erythroxylon Coca, pub lished at Ixelles, in 1885,a perusal of which we urge upon all who are interested in the study of Coca,Dr.A.Feigneau says(page 61); There can be no mistake that,to a certain extent. Coca stimulates the cerebro-spinal activity by suspending or re tarding the destruction of tissue in the economy,and that its action may modify the functions of the nervous centers, (l) Bulletin gen. de The,ap. 1884.