PAGE PREFACE iii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER I. EARLY HISTORY 2 The accounts given by Cieza de Leon, Nicholas Monardes, Augostin de Zarate, and Joseph Acosta. CHAPTER II. SUPERSTITIONS IN REGARD TO COCA 5 Mode of use by the Incas—Von Tschudi on its use in Peru—Pöppig on its use as a viaticum in Huanuco—Effects produced by the Spanish conquest of Peru—Condemnation of its use—Owners of mines encourage its use—Continued increase in production. CHAPTER III. COCA IN LITERATURE 8 Unnoticed by modern pharmacologists—Extract from Abraham Cowley, the poet. CHAPTER IV. ACCOUNTS OF MODERN TRAVELLERS 10 Von Tschudi, “Travels in Peru”—The custom of masticating Coca—Facilitates mountain ascents and any hard labour—Pöppig on average yield—Intemperate use of Coca—Coca-craving among the Peruvians—Sufferings of _coqueros_. CHAPTER V. DR. WEDDELL’S ACCOUNT 15 Mode of cultivation—Amount of crop—Suitable soils—Mode of collection and drying—Mode of use by Peruvians—Description of the leaves—Effects of the leaves—Relief of hunger, a nutriment, effects of habit. CHAPTER VI. SCHERZER, FUENTES, AND OTHERS, ON COCA 24 Carl Scherzer’s narrative—Fuentes on its value to miners, travellers, and those exposed to wet and cold—Flores on its use by the Indians of Bolivia—Martius on its use in Brazil—R. Spruce on its use on the Amazon—Fitzroy Cole describes its use in Peru. CHAPTER VII. THE CULTIVATION OF COCA 28 Dr. Rusby on its modern cultivation in Bolivia—Quality of the leaves—The harvest—Diseases of the Coca-plants—Mode of drying and exporting the leaves—Probable results of the exportation of the culture to Mexico, East and West Indies, and Jamaica. CHAPTER VIII. DR. MANTEGAZZA’S EXPERIMENTS 37 Résumé of its uses and abuse in Peru—Personal experiments—Summary of results. CHAPTER IX. BOTANICAL SOURCE AND DESCRIPTION 42 Synonyms, habitat—Description of the plant—Description of chromo-lithograph frontispiece—Practical hints on choosing leaves—Deterioration by exposure and keeping. CHAPTER X.