1890 Coca and its Therapeutic Application by Angelo Mariani

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Dr. H.Libermann recommends the use of Coca,in the form of Vin Mariani, against morphinomania, nicotinism and alcoholism. "In general diseases it is to the stimulating properties of the plant that recourse is oftenest had. These properties make it the tonic par excellence whenever the object is to build up a system that has been enfeebled from any cause. Its preparations, accordingly, may be ordered in convales cence from all grave fevers,in anemia and chloro-ansemia, in all diathetic or cachaetic conditions, whatever may have been their original cause (chronic rheumatism, gout, genito-urinary affection, cancer, etc.), in short, in all cases where the system is debilitated from any cause whatever." But it is, above all, in diseases that have a depressing action on the nervous system that the effect of Coca is truly marvelous. Gubler, in his Commentaires de thdrapeutique, shows himself its warm champion. "Coca,"says he,"very much like tea and coffee,lends to the nervous system the force with which it is charged, after the manner of a ful minate, but with this difference, that it yields it gradually and not all at once." The theory of the fzilniinates, invented by M.Gubler,tal lies so well with observed facts, that Mantegazza,without generalizing and without pretending to form a theory,but limiting himself to describing by simile what he had seen, truer probably than he himself supposed, said; "Under the influence of Coca,it seems that a new force is grad ually introduced into our organism, like water into a sponge." (A. Dechambre.) This opinion has been corroborated by all authors who have given attention to the question,and it may be looked upon as one of the least contestible in therapeutics. We will add, what is quite important, that as a tonic Coca has been found far superior to cinchona,iron,strych nine, etc. Everybody knows their astringent action,which