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, strychnine, etc. Everybody knows their astringent action, which makes them give rise to such obstinate constipation that there are patients in whom it is often necessary to suspend their use. There is no such objection to Coca; it never constipates, and practically its use may be continued indefinitely. [Illustration: COCA LEAVES. (Branch in natural state.)] [Illustration] CHAPTER V. OUR VARIOUS PREPARATIONS OF COCA. Immediately after the importation of the Coca leaf into Europe, we conceived the plan, the outcome of the request of many physicians, of making preparations from Coca. _Vin Mariani._—_Elixir Mariani._—_Pâte Mariani._—_Thé Mariani._—_Pastilles Mariani_, etc. (The author's name was kindly added to his preparations by the medical profession, who had recognized the superiority of his products.) These different preparations had been used by our greatest practitioners long before the discovery, or rather the application of Cocaine. The results obtained were marvelous, and the innumerable letters which were addressed to us by physicians who experimented with and used our products and rendered accounts in the medical journals in all parts of the world, would fill several large volumes.[21] Under the esteemed patronage of our greatest medical celebrities, our preparations are known all over the world; they have reached all classes of society and everywhere, in the large cities as in the small villages, men, women, children, in fact, convalescents of all ages now know the name of the salutary plant, which it is and has been our effort to popularize, though strictly so according to the code of medical ethics and by those channels approved of by the entire medical profession. We shall now consider the different ways in which we use Coca, and which under the well-known forms of _vin_, _élixir_, _pâte_, and of _thé Mariani_, have received such universal recognition. We will show incidentally the esteem in which these preparations are held by the highest medical authorities. VIN MARIANI. This is the first of the preparations of Coca and the one most generally adopted; to the tonic and stimulant action of the drug there is added that of a choice quality of wine. Vin Mariani contains the soluble parts of the Coca plant. The combination of Coca, with the tannin and the slight traces of iron which this wine naturally contains, is pronounced the most efficacious of tonics. The fresh Coca leaves that we employ, after careful selection, come from three different sources and are of incomparable quality. It is this that gives to our _wine_ that special taste and agreeable aroma which renders it so acceptable to the sick.