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1550
Colonial south America and first contact with the cocoa plant
When the Catholic Church in colonial south America first saw the indigenous use of the cocoa plant within spiritual, mystical, religious and social practices, there was a belief that this could potentially undermine the spread and the validity of Christianity. Bishops urged the Peruvian government to prohibit its use and aimed to have the substance banned. Ultimately, restrictions were placed on the amount of land that could be used for cacao cultivation. -
Period: to
the history of cocaine
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Isolation of cocaine from the cocoa plant in Europe
Although conquistadors didn’t originally like the look of the cocoa plant, once they discovered its power it became not only legalized but also taxed, occupiers, taking a 10th of every crop. Changing attitudes of curiosity due to scientific and enlightenment ideals encouraged Europeans to begin exploring the potential the plant held. Based on these notions, In 1860, German chemist Albert Neiman successfully isolated cocaine from cocoa leaves, permanently altering the future of pharmaceuticals. -
Popularization and widespread use of cocaine, for example, “Vin Mariani”
Infamous Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud became a huge advocate for the substance, publishing its praise in 1884 in his writing “Uber Cocoa”. Freud specifically applauded a product of the name “Vin Mariani”. Vin Mariani was a cocoa wine created by Corsican chemist Angelo Mariani in 1863. This medicinally marketed wine product made a great contribution to the widespread popularization of cocaine and cocaine products in Europe. -
World War I and “Forced March”
World War 1 saw a great increase in the use of cocaine specifically within the military. The British army distributed pills containing cocaine under the tabloids brand name “Forced March” to enhance performance, suppress appetite and increase endurance. Furthermore was “self-prescribed” consumption on the frontlines, soldiers utilizing the drug to numb the pain that was trench warfare.