On 17th century "cocaine"

Chemical evidence and tropane alkaloids

• Early skepticism questioned whether detected compounds might come from other tropane-alkaloid plants (e.g., nightshades).
• Commenters point out the paper reports hygrine, said there to be unique to Erythroxylum (coca).
• Another commenter notes Wikipedia suggests related alkaloid cuscohygrine is in belladonna and biosynthetically derived from hygrine, but this is contested.
• Others argue there is no strong evidence hygrine itself occurs in nightshades; possible explanations include low concentration or alternative biosynthetic pathways, but this remains unclear.

“Coca” vs. “cocaine” – semantics and framing

• Large subthread debates whether it’s accurate to say historical coca-leaf users were “using cocaine.”
• One side: cocaine the molecule is the active ingredient in both coca leaves and modern powder; difference is only dose and concentration, like beer vs. grain alcohol or coffee vs. caffeine pills.
• Other side: in ordinary language “doing cocaine” refers to refined powder (and often excludes crack); calling coca-leaf chewing “cocaine use” is seen as misleading.
• Disagreement extends to whether crack counts as “cocaine” colloquially and whether legal categories (e.g., DEA distinctions) should drive word usage.

Subjective effects of coca leaves/tea

• Multiple travelers report coca tea and leaf chewing in the Andes.
• Most describe effects as mild: comparable to or weaker than coffee/tea or nicotine; often no euphoria, sometimes slight mood lift or “focused single-task” feeling.
• Some find it helpful for altitude sickness or headaches; others notice no benefit. Several mention numbness in the mouth.
• Sensitivity to caffeine and individual variation are emphasized.

Legal, commercial, and policy issues

• Many criticize current drug laws; some explicitly wish coca leaves were legal outside South America.
• Discussion notes coca-based historical beverages (e.g., Vin Mariani) and modern coca liqueurs and teas in some countries.
• Several comments detail that Coca-Cola still uses decocainized coca leaf extract via a single licensed US importer; this is used as an example of unequal or “grandfathered” legal treatment, though how many others have sought similar licenses is disputed.

Medical use of cocaine

• Cocaine is noted as still Schedule II in the US and used occasionally as a topical anesthetic and vasoconstrictor (e.g., some nasal procedures).
• Some argue it’s a superior local anesthetic with low allergy risk and wish it were more available (e.g., in advanced first-aid kits).
• Others counter that comparable anesthetics exist without cocaine’s addiction potential, making broader availability unjustified.