the wonder drug of the late 19th century
in 1884, australian ophthalmologist carl koller discovered that using cocaine drops placed directly in a patient’s cornea would render the eye immobile and insensitive to pain.
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not all that long ago, cocaine was used as a wonder drug and prescribed for a vast array of conditions and procedures. the early use of cocaine goes far beyond its infamous inclusion as an ingredient in coca-cola.in 1884, australian ophthalmologist carl koller discovered that using cocaine drops placed directly in a patient’s cornea would render the eye immobile and insensitive to pain. this naturally made eye surgery a lot easier.by 1890, you could buy allen’s cocaine tablets for 50 cents a box. they were prescribed for hay fever, catarrh(excess mucus) and throat troubles and were purported to cure nervousness, sleeplessness and headaches.the drug was variously used to treat depression, sinusitis, lethargy, alcoholism and impotence. the delivery methods included lozenges, tonics, powders and even cigarettes. children were even given cocaine drops to treat toothaches. of course, the drug was the cause of many of the ailments it claimed to cure. in the united states, this also led to about 200,000 addicted citizens by 1900. much of them doctors, given the easy access to the drug. one of these doctors, william stewart halsted, served as the inspiration for clive owens’ powder-loving dr. thackery in cinemax’s tv seriesâ the knick.even today cocaine has some legitimate medical usage in some procedures involving the upper respiratory tract for anaesthesia and vasoconstriction, the process of constricting blood vessels. it comes in the form of topical solutions of cocaine hydrochloride in 1 per cent, 4 per cent or 10 per cent doses. although, given the toxicity and addictive nature of the drug, it is mainly the first two doses that are used.
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