Coca and Cocaine : $b Their history, medical and economic uses, and medicinal preparations

"Coca and Cocaine: Their History, Medical and Economic Uses, and Medicinal Preparations" by William Martindale is a scientific exploration from the 1800s. This book discusses the history of the coca plant and cocaine, its derived substance, while correcting popular misunderstandings. It presents uses of coca across cultures and throughout history, including its role for indigenous populations. The text highlights the shift of these substances into European society and how coca’s rumored benefits were first met with distrust, before being explored as a medicine and crop. The author explains in the book's introduction that it will discuss coca's growth, how people use it, and how cocaine became a drug.