Erythroxylon coca : a treatise on brain exhaustion, as the cause of disease

Preface

This work is brought out at the urgent request of a large number of my patients and friends. The principles enunciated herein are the result of study and practice conducted during a long series of years, with I assure the reader, an unwavering and earnest desire to benefit my fellow creatures. The principles laid down may be at variance with received notions; yet, if the reader, untrammelled by all pre-acknowledged dogmas, carefully studies those principles and the applications of them, he will come to the conclusion that they are right. Extended experience has demonstrated to myself that the regular system of medicine, if honestly, and disinterestedly considered, is, to say the least, empirical — a destroyer of the vital forces of the patient, — and that the only sure means of restoring diseased persons, is by aiding nature fa PREFACE.

in her efforts to regain an equilibrium of action, by increasing the quantity of nervous energy, or vital force. Tins is. my distinctive and fundamental principle which is in direct accordance with physiological ated pathological laws.

Perfection is not claimed for this Book ; but, conscientiously my aim has been to render the best possible information upon the cajis^s and treatment of disease, and to furnish the public with such information as can be acted upon by any one who has the management of children or adults.

In the words of Southey I now dismiss this volume :

"Go little book, from this my solitude: I cast thee on the waters. Go thy ways; And if, as I believe, thy vein be good, The world will find thee after many days."

W. TlBBLES.

Introduction

Man, the Book says, was formed of the dust of the earth, by an Almighty power, perfect in all his parts: every bone so arranged as to be perfectly moveable according to the various required positions — muscles adapted for all purposes — every organ formed for purposes of either secretion, absorption, or excretion — arteries to supply blood to every part, with veins as return pipes — and over all was placed the Brain with the various branches of nerve-fibres, diverging from it to govern every action and movement of the whole machinery — every part is now ready and adapted, the whole forms one complete organism. God now breathes into man life — not merely atmospheric air, dilating the nostrils and inflating the lungs, but imparting to him vitality, spiritual, intellectual, and animal life, in short, man, when created was a perfect being, morally, mentally and physically. But, sad to relate, man did not continue in this perfect state. There came a time when man, not content with the amount ol pleasure that naturally devolved upon him, sought to obtain, outside his ordinary sphere of life, by imbibing from external objects a larger amount of that pleasure — which was mere excitement, this unnatural pleasure, or excitement gradually brought retributive suffering, morally and physically, and thus created in and by himself the first germ of disease, due to the

VI INTRODUCTION.

depression which constantly follows excitement. And thus commenced, by man's own act, that process of defective Brain power, which has been transmitted from generation to generation, in which successive generations a predisposition has been generated, which when aided by external exciting causes produces visible disease. Thus it is quite obvious that if the force of the fountain head, or the reservoir becomes low, shallow, or impure, the branches or streams supplying the various depots or organs of the body, must likewise be impaired : that when the fountain head or reservoir is rendered partially unfit for supply, the various organs are supplied with depressed nervous force.

Man is fearfully yet wonderfully made ; we may examine the working of the whole machinery of man: we may examine and analyze the various secretions of the Liver Stomach, and Pancreas, and tell their functions, but when we look to the Brain, the medium through which our mind operates, we are at a complete loss, here the physical of our nature ends, and commences the distinction between the lower animals and the mind of man, — here begins the compound or double nature of man.

The bird may build her nest, and the ape look after its mate, but who has ever seen any deviation from the laws of their nature : as was the nest of the bird in the beginning, so it is now, and will ever be without alteration or improvement — and who has ever known the ape to change its nature, it was an ape to begin with, and it will end an ape. But the mind of man is ever changing, and as the Book says " man has sought out many inventions," yes, and is ever improving and expanding his capacities — is ever diving into the deeps and bringing to light riches and wealth — he soars aloft and examines and records various things relating to the starry heavens — the

INTRODUCTION. VU

thoughts of man's mind may, by his ingenuity be recorded upon paper, which may be read, in after ages, by his followers — the wildest of the lower orders may be subdued, but who can chain the mind of man ! We must pass on. In this, the latter part of the nineteenth century, civilized society is living far too fast; but very few indeed estimate the bad effects produced by a life of such rapid speed, especially when the young continue habitually to live in such an atmosphere of excitement so fatal to the higher and deeper life. The subtle poison which iB infused through the whole system, saps the foundation and strength of the mind, and daily exhausts and destroys the sensitive organization of the Brain; thus slowly but by sure gradations, carries them towards a mental and physical condition which may justly be pronounced unsound. It will thus be seen that the body becomes exhausted by the lack of Brain power. The following analogy will illustrate the above: the grand orb of day, (the sun,) by the fiat of the Omnipotent Creator, influences the whole material universe so far as the solar system is concerned. So the power of the Brain affects the whole of the complicated machinery of the human body. Or, in other words, what the influence of the sun is to the material world, so is the influence of the Brain to man's physical nature. For instance, the whole creation depends upon the sun's influence, should that influence be diminished, the life, health, and vigour of the physical world must suffer proportionately. So, in like manner, exhausted or depressed Brain power, affects the life, health, and vigour of the human body. Thus over excitement produced by joy or sorrow, will, by depressing Brain power, debilitate a healthy system. The Brain may be weakened by continued study or physical exertion, exhaustion will be the effect. Now to restore the Brain to

Vlll INTRODUCTION.

its normal condition, it must be relieved from a portion of its labour before it can be accomplished. It will, therefore, be clearly seen that in order to cure disease we must have a correct appreciation of the Brain and nervous system, which is the most important study of the practitioner of medicine. The centre of life, of vitality, of existence is in the nervous centres, and in all diseased conditions there is impairment of these parts.

In support of this assertion we could refer to many forms of disease bearing on this point. Fever is known to be a condition of imperfect reaction, and is most successfully combated by administering such stimulants as assist the nervous centres and increase vital energy. Improvement in inflammation of the lining membrane of the bowels speedily takes place when the nervous system is thoroughly stimulated by medicines having a direct action on that organism. In Consumption, that terrible destroyer of our race, we have, at the commencement, an impaired, or weakened, or deteriorated nervous system, which is so common in our civilized condition, whether this condition is due to the vices of civilized life we do not say ; but we do say that this impaired nervous system deteriorates nutrition, lowers the physical and mental growth of the system, impairs the fountains of life, impedes the formation of perfect blood corpuscles; thereby causing the albuminous white cell condition of the blood, and, afterwards the deposition of this albuminous matter in the Lungs, glands, &c.

The primary cause of cancer is traceable to a peculiar condition of nervous structure, under which a peculiar disease is elaborated in the blood. Asthma and chest affections are due, less or more, to impairment of the Brain and nervous system. Anemia, or deficiency of

INTRODUCTION. ix

red corpuscles in the blood, is generally due to want of tone in the nervous system. The red globules are by far the most important part of the blood, and a high state of mental vigour is conducive, above all things, to a healthy condition of that fluid.

The exciting causes of fever are the inhalation of poisonous gases, arising from decomposing matter, bad water, &c. People are attacked by such things in proportion to their powers of vital resistance, in proportion to the strength of the nerve centres; for it is only on an enfeebled or predisposed body that morbid poisons operate.

The chief characteristic effect of all poisons is on the nervous system, to destroy or induce partial death; but the blood and tissues of the body may become so saturated with the poison of a fever, that there may be an almost instant destruction of organic life.

When nervous power is depressed or weakened, by any cause whatsoever, the action of the stomach is enfeebled, and its power of secreting gastric juice is diminished, and we have one or more forms of disease produced. Excessive mental labour diminishes nervous influence and by this means debilitates the stomach and capillary system.

The world is more exacting in its demands from all mental labourers. Success in public, professional, and commercial life depends upon a more strenuous and exhausting toil, sterner concentration, and a more harsh and rigid sacrifice of the amenities of life than was formerly the case. The eminent lawyer, the physician in active practice, the minister, the politician, even the literary workman, and eager man of science, are now condemned to such an amount and severity of exertion which forces one after another to break down in, what

X INTRODUCTION.

should be their prime of life, shattered, paralyzed, exhausted and reduced, prematurely, to inaction or senility. What study does for the ardent worker in science, and the learned professions, anxiety and solicitude does for the merchant and manufacturer. Physical and cerebral toughness are the prime requisites for success in life; thuis this ceaseless and severity of toil gives the prizes of life to men of exceptional physique.

When the mind is over energetic, nervous force is withdrawn from the stomach, and that organ lacks power of digestion, consequently the body pines through want of nourishment — the blood does not receive that amount of nutritive blastema, necessary for the sustenance of the various systems or organs of the body — and all the functions of the body become, in turn, enfeebled, and the reaction is again on the nervous system, and there is further exhaustion, and if this state continues, nervous depression becomes greater and finally life becomes extinct.

Whatever be the external exciting causes of disease, in obedience to the governing law of man's nature, the primary effect is upon the Brain and nervous system. The patient has a feeling of heat or cold. The muscular movements are less under the control of their respective influences, become tremulous, spasmodic, or wearied, the functions of particular muscles ceasing. Hurried breathing on slight exertion ; or it is maintained slowly and at intervals, and with long occasional inspiration and expiration — sighing. The heart is quick, palpitating ; or languid and remittent in its beats ; appetite craving, capricious, or lost. Secretions either hurried and increased ; or sluggish and diminished. The body shows a partial waste or general emaciation ; or becomes, locally or generally, preternaturally tumid or bloated. Alive to the slightest

INTRODUCTION. XI

stimulus, easily impassioned or depressed ; the mind comprehending in its various relations every shade of unreasonable sadness or gaiety, prodigality or cupidity, vacillation or pertinacity, suspicious, cautious, or too confident security; with every colour of imagination, from highly intellectual conception to the dream-like vagaries and reverses of hallucination. Light and sound affect him, variably. Change in temperature affects him — the smallest increase makes the patient uncomfortably hot; the slightest breeze shivers and discomforts him; or, as may be observed in some cases of old age or imbecility, the patient may become equally insensible to excess or decrease of light, sound, heat and cold. And it is by predisposition, either inherited or acquired, by predisposition is meant, the readiness or fitness of one part of the body more than another, to be influenced or acted upon by an external cause; in this way, we all have our particular predisposition to one form of disease or another ; but so long as our powers of vital resistance are sufficient — so long as our Brain and nervous system has sufficient Dervous influence over the predisposed organ, the organ of our body which is thus predisposed will not be injuriously affected by any external cause; but when the power of vital resistance is diminished, when nervous force is depressed, then the organ predisposed will become diseased whenever excited by an external cause — be that cause whatever it may. Thus we have, according to the predisposition.

"Maladies

Of ghastly spasms, or racking tortures, qualms Of heart-sick agony, all feverish kinds, Convulsions, epilepsies, fierce catarrhs, Intestine stone, and ulcer, colic pangs,

Xii INTRODUCTION.

Milton.

In all diseased states of the system a cure is to be effected by the use of such medicines as promote vital power, and increase the amount of nervous influence. Dr. Buchanan says "a drug effects very little by its chemical or neutralizing influence ; it is the amount of vital power that the drug imparts that is the true healer. The action of a remedy by which a diseased part becomes sound is a vital act of the body itself, aided by the remedy used, and the true secret in curing or healing is in the establishment of vitality — a vitality that tends to create, renew, or energize diseased tissue."

The primary effect of all drugs is on the Brain and nervous system, and through this system the various organs are affected either in producing an abnormal or a normal condition of the body.

It is the custom of some Medical Practitioners to treat the stomach as the cause of all disease, and apply an universality of treatment to that organ. They say restore the digestive organs to a healthy action and by that means restore the system to health and vigour ; forgetting that unless we can first promote vital power and increase the quantity of nervous influence, we cannot establish and maintain a healthy action of the digestive apparatus. Digestion may be performed, but unless the nervous system is sufficiently vigorous, good blood will not be produced, so that in its turn will become a source of exhaustion to the Brain.

Seeing then that health depends, for its continuance,

INTRODUCTION. xiii

upon the proper influence of the Brain and nervous system over the organs, and that disease is due to a diminution, or depression of nervous force, and having read of the very wonderful effects of the leaves of Erythroxylon Coca in sustaining vital force in the natives of South America who are in the habit of chewing these leaves, which they call Cuca, it occured to me that these leaves would be of use in the treatment of disease. Knowing that disease was due to diminution of vital force, I tried its effects upon a few of my patients, and the effects were so wonderful in preventing that destructive metamorphosis and restoring them to a more normal condition, as to be truly marvellous. It is now many years since I first used Coca Leaves in the treatment of disease, and, with various modifications, it has been the means of restoring to health thousands of diseased individuals during that period.

Having so frequently witnessed the beneficial effects of my mode of treatment with various preparations of the leaves of Erythroxylon Coca, not only in the diseases expressly mentioned in the following pages, but in others also, whether occuring in children or adults, I have ventured to publish the present work, with the view of calling the attention of the general public to the subject.

Chapter I

Physiology: — of the Brain and Nervous System — The process of Digestion — The Circulation of the Blood,

In order to make this book as useful and intelligible as possible, it is necessary to sketch the structure and manner of working of some of the various organs and systems of which the human body is composed. In considering disease it is necessary to contemplate the various systems as differently or similarly affected; the human body should be, both physiologically and pathologically considered. The body of man is composed, as it were, of different pieces of machinery, animated by a peculiar principle, each part performing separate functions, all which contribute to one great end. And it . is only on an acquaintance with what takes place in the various processes, and of their adaptability the one to the other, that any sound doctrine of the art of healing disease can be based. And he, therefore, who does not know the workings of his own frame, is in ignorance of the most interesting and grand display of nature's handiworks.

The Nervous system is generally described as consisting of two parts, closely connected together : first, the cerebro-spinal system, and secondly, the sympathetic yaiiglionio system; each of these may be divided into nerve-centres,

NERVOUS SYSTEM. 15

and nerves diverging from these centres to supply the different parts of the body.

Nerves are made up entirely of a white matter called fibrous matter, supported in a connective tissue. Nerve-centres are composed of spheroidal bodies or ganglionic corpuscles, consisting of a soft semisolid cell substance, and mingled with nerve fibres; this mass is of a reddish grey colour, and is called vesicular or grey nervous matter.

Nerves are round and sometimes flattened cords, connected at one end with the nerve centres, dividing and sub-dividing, permeating and ramifying over the whole body ; they are divided into two classes, according to their functions — the motor nerves are those which cany the mandates of the will to the parts they supply, so that muscles are instruments by which a motor nerve, excited by the central organ with which it is connected, is able to produce motion ; and the sensory nerves, which carry back to the nerve centres the impressions made upon them by any excitant at the part over which they are distributed. The activity of these nerves is evidenced and becomes manifest to us as a state of conscious sensation — through the working of the central organ of the system — the Brain.

The Cerebro-spinal system consists of the spinal cord, brain, and the cerebral and spinal nerves proceeding from them. The centres of this system lie in the cavity of the skull and spinal column (the back bone.) The bony walls of which cavity are lined by a dense fibrous structure of considerable strength, called the dura mater. Closely investing these centres is a very vascular fibrous tissue, the pia mater. Interposed between these two layers is a very thin, delicate membrane, which is called the arachnoid membrane, one layer of which also coats the brain, and it being what is called a serous membrane, it secretes, into its interior, a fluid called the arachnoid fluid. There are a large number of vessels which supply blood to these organs, after running for some distance in the pia mater they then pass into the substance of the brain or spinal cord, and it is from this blood that the Brain and nervous system derives its food, which is converted into nervous force.

The spinal cord is a column of greyish-white substance ; it occupies the upper two-thirds of the spinal canal, extending from the commencement of the canal, where it is continuous, by a portion called the medulla Oblongata, with the brain, to about the first or second lumbar vertebre, that is, near the middle of the loins, where it tapers off into a filament. If a transverse section of this cord be made it is found to be composed of two substances, one, external, a white substance, the other, internal, a greyish-red substance. The white matter consists of nerve-fibres supported in a framework of connective tissue, and accompanied by blood-vessels, most of these fibres run lengthways. The greyish matter is composed of nerve-fibre and a number of nerve-cells.

From the sides of the cord are given off thirty-one pairs of nerves, each of which arises from two roots, one anterior the other posterior. Thus there are thirty-one pairs of anterior roots, and the same number of posterior roots, a certain number of anterior and posterior roots, on the same level on each side of the cord, converge and form anterior and posterior bundles, and then the two bundles coalesce into and form the trunk of a spinal nerve.

The anterior roots are motor; those of the posterior, on each of which is an enlargement or collection of grey matter— called a ganglion, are sensory. Therefore, each

NERVOUS SYSTEM. 17

spinal nerve is compound, having both motor and sensory functions.

The trunks of spinal nerves pass out of the Bpinal canal by apertures between the vertebrae, or small bones composing the backbone, and then divide and subdivide and ramify, for the most part, over the muscles and skin. ' If the roots of a spinal nerve be irritated in any way, either by pinching, galvanizing, applying a hot body, or cutting, two things occur: first, all the muscles to which parts of this are distributed, contract; secondly, pain is felt, which is referred to that portion of the body to which fibres of the nerve operated upon are distributed. Thus the effect of irritating the root of a spinal nerve which sends branches to the hand, is to cause pain to be felt in the hand, in the same manner as if the terminations of such branches in the hand were themselves directly irritated by some means. Therefore, generally, the effect of irritating the trunk of a nerve is the same as that of irritating the terminating fibres of a branch of such nerve. "When a branch only is irritated, the only muscles directly affected, and the only parts of the skin to which pain is referred, will be those to which that branch sends nerve-fibres, and these effects will follow upon irritation of any portion of a nerve from its smallest branch up to the point of its trunk, at which point the anterior and posterior branches of root-fibres unite.

If only the anterior bundle of root-fibres be irritated, then the motive power only of the muscles to which that nerve sends fibres is lost, but no pain will be felt. Again, if the posterior ganglionated root-fibres be irritated intense pain will be referred to the part over which the nerve fibres are distributed, but none of the muscles receiving fibres from this nerve will be contracted.

Thus, the power of causing muscular contraction, which a spinal nerve possesses, is contained in the anterior root fibres; and the power of giving rise to sensation is contained in the fibres of the posterior roots. A sensory nerve is one, which, when active, carries an impulse to the central organ of the nervous system — the brain, and may be called afferent; and a motor nerve is one which carries an impulse away from the central organ, and is called efferent.

When a limb becomes paralysed it is because the nerves supplying it have been subject to some irritation, as pressure, &c, sufficient to destroy the nervous continuity; that is, the phyrical continuity is not broken as a whole, but only that of the conductor of the nervous influence. Voluntary power over, and sensation in the limb is lost, and these powers are only restored as the nervous continuity and conductive power return.

If the spinal cord be cut across in the middle of the back, (as when a man hurts himself by accident, the spinal cord is sometimes virtually cut into two), the legs and all the parts supplied by nerves which branch off from the cord below the section, will be paralysed, that is, they will be rendered insensible, and no effort of the will can make them move ; while all parts immediately above the section will retain their ordinary powers. If the connection with the Brain be entirely severed, no sensation will be produced on irritation of a part of the body below the section and supplied with sensory nerves from the cord, yet irritation, such as tickling of the feet, will produce convulsive movements of the legs. Thus, though the connection of the spinal cord with the brain is severed, yet the spinal cord possesses the power of giving rise to excitement of efferent or motor nerves, when an

NERVOUS SYSTEM. 19

afferent or sensory nerve is irritated.

The nervous influence which keeps up the tone of the blood-vessels, which keeps them in the usual condition of normal contraction and dilation, proceeds from the spinal cord.

Connected to the spinal cord by the medulla oblongata, which passes insensibly into, and in its lower part has the same structure as the cord, is the chief centre of the nervous system, the Brain. Its comparative size is much greater in man than in any of the lower animals, its absolute size is greater than any save those of the elephant and whale. Its usual weight in the male is about 50 ounces, in the female 46 ounces.

The medulla oblongata is about the same thickness as the spinal cord, at its junction with that centre; above, however, it widens out, and its central canal spreading, becomes a wide cavity, this cavity, is called the fourth ventricle. Over hanging the fourth ventricle is a laminated mass, the cerebellum. On each side, this organ sends down several layers of transverse fibres, which sweep across the Brain and meet in the middle of its base, in such a manner as to form a kind of bridge, called the pons varolii, in front of the medulla oblongata. The fibres of the medulla oblongata, which run in a longitudinal manner, pass forwards, among, and between the layers of transverse fibres just mentioned, and become visible in the front of the bridge, as two broad and diverging bundles, these are called crura cerebri. Immediately above the crura cerebri lie four hemispherical elevations of nervous matter, called corpora quaarigemina, a narrow passage which leads from the fourth ventricle to the third ventricle passes between the four elevations and the crura cerebri, this third ventricle is a narrow cavity lodged between two great masses

B 2 of nervous matter, called optic thalami, into which the crura cerebri pass. Connected with the membrane of the roof of the third ventricle is a small body of unknown functions. The floor of this ventricle also ends in another anomalous organ. The third ventricle is closed in front by a layer of nervous matter; beyond this, on each side there is a small opening in the boundary wall leading into what is called the lateral ventricle, which occupies the centre of the cerebral hemisphere. Each hemisphere is enlarged backwards, forwards, and downwards into as many lobes; and the lateral ventricle presents corresponding prolongations.

The Corpus striatum, is a striated mass of nervous matter forming the floor of the lateral ventricle.

The Hemispheres, from their size, overlap all other parts of the brain, and, in fact, in the upper view entirely hide them. They are, inferiorly, joined by a mass of transverse fibres, but their applied faces are separated by a deep narrow depression. The external surfaces of the hemispheres are marked out by numerous deep fissures into convolutions. The arrangement of the white and grey matter in the medulla oblongata is similar to that of the spinal cord; the white matter being external, the grey internal. In the optic thalami and corpora striata the matters are intermixed. In the cerebral hemispheres and the cerebellum, the white matter is internal and the grey matter external.

Twelve pairs of nerves are given off from the underside of the Brain. The following are their names and functions : —

The first pair are the Olfactory nerves, which are composed of pale flat fibres, and are distributed over the Olfactory mucous membrane, and are the nerves of smell. The second pair are the optic nerves, which pass into the

NEEVOUS SYSTEM. 21

eye near the inner or nasal side of the ball, when its fibres radiate upon the retina, and constitute the nerves of sight. The third, fourth, and sixth pairs are distributed over the muscles of the eye, and are the motor nerves of the eyeball. Each nerve of the fifth pair is large and compound, resembling the spinal nerves. It has two roots, a sensory, having a ganglion of nerve matter, and a motor root. It supplies the skin of the face and the muscles of the jaws, and is called trigeminal, because it has three divisions, one branch, the gustatory, supplies the front of the tongue. The seventh pair, called facial nerves, supply the muscles of the face with motor nerves. The eighth pair pass through the bone of the skull, and are distributed over the membranes of the ear, hence they are called auditory nerves. The ninth pair, the glossopharyngeal nerves, supply the back of the tongue, thus being nerves of taste, ;they are also distributed over the upper portion of the throat, supplying this portion with motor nerves. The tenth pair are the pnewmogastric nerves. This pair is the most widely distributed of any of the cranial nerves; it arises from the medulla oblongata, and is mainly the sensory nerve supplying the organs of voice, the lungs, the liver, and the stomach, branches are also connected with the heart. The eleventh pair, or spinal accessory, arise from the spinal cord, between the roots of the spinal nerves, and are motor nerves, supplying some of the muscles of the neck. The last pair, the twelfth, are motor nerves and are distributed over the muscles of the tongue.