In Peru, the natives use the leaves of the =Coca= plant (_Erythroxylon coca_), which must be carefully distinguished from cocoa. It is chewed somewhat in the same way as the betel-nut. It contains two alkaloids—cocaine and hygrine, as well as tannin. In its stimulant action it resembles tea and coffee. The active principle of this plant, =Cocaine=, is a valuable local anæsthetic. Internally it has been taken as a stimulant and restorative. Various wines containing Coca, with vaunted restorative powers, are advertised. They are mischievous when taken frequently. Nature’s remedy for fatigue, whether mental or body, is rest and recreation. Stimulants of this class, even though they enable work to be continued for awhile, eventually increase the exhaustion for which they are taken. The =Kola-nut= is used in some parts of Western Africa as a stimulant. It is about the size of a pigeon’s egg, and has a bitter taste. The natives of Guinea generally take a piece of the seeds before each meal, and sometimes nibble it throughout the day. =Kava= is prepared from the root of a kind of pepper. The natives of the Fiji islands commonly indulge in it. Its effects resemble those of coffee. In large doses, it destroys the power of walking, and may possibly produce impairment of vision. The leaves of the _Ilex Paraguayense_, _Ilex Gongorrha_, and _Ilex Theezans_ are made into the beverage commonly known as =Paraguay tea= or maté. The leaves of the =Hydrangea Thunbergii= are made into a beverage, which is designated in Japan “the tea of heaven.” Among certain nations of Asia, the =Betel-nut= (from a palm called _Areca Catechu_) is chewed, after mixing small fragments with pepper and quicklime, and rolling in a palm leaf. The saliva is tinged blood-red, and a narcotic effect is said to be produced. The dried flowering tops of the =Indian Hemp= (_Cannabis Indica_) are smoked by the Malays and others, or made into a beverage, called haschisch, which produces a kind of intoxication, in which murder has often been committed (hence, _assassins_ equals haschascheens). The Kamtschatkans drink an infusion made from a fungus, known as the =Fly Agaric= (_Amanita Muscaria_), thus producing an intoxication similar to that from haschisch.