Scientists Uncovered a Blow From the Past: 17th Century Brains Contained Cocaine https://t.co/4JhdOiJEPz
— Popular Mechanics (@PopMech) August 22, 2024
There are around 200 species of Erythroxylum plants that produce cocaine, all native to South America. Chilean mummies that go back as far as 3,000 years have been found to contain traces of cocaine, but use of the drug elsewhere didn't become common until coca was synthesized into cocaine hydrochloride salts in the 19th century. Conquistadors brought coca to Europe, but its spread has not been well documented. A new report in the the Journal of Archaeological Science tells of a team that analyzed the preserved brains of cadavers interred in a crypt in Milan, Italy, and found cocaine. These people had been buried on the grounds of the Ospedale Maggiore, a 17th-century hospital.
The researchers had previously found evidence of opium in the same crypt, implying that the hospital had used both drugs, one from Asia and the other from South America. However, cocaine did not appear on the hospital's pharmacy list, which could mean that the cocaine was used recreationally. Read about this discovery at Popular Mechanics. -via Damn Interesting