Essay: Freud’s illustration of coca as a remarkable and versatile resource in “Über Coca”

Nineteenth-century economic, scientific, and social changes prompted revived interest in coca, and its alkaloid cocaine, crystallized first in 1960. Yet to continue on the trajectory to achieve status as a world commodity, coca and cocaine still needed “modern” uses and outlets, reinforced scientific prestige, new passionate advocates, and the support of capitalist interests. Sigmund Freud’s “Über Coca” emerges as a beacon to understanding the transformative role of coca and cocaine within the historical context of the late nineteenth century. Freud’s depiction, affirmation, and prescription of many therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications of cocaine in a modern context provided powerful fuel for its transformation into a medical panacea and the subsequent rise of the pharmaceutical industry in Western Europe and the United States.
With deep Incan roots, the coca leaf long served in pivotal spiritual, medicinal, nutritional, and economic roles in Andean culture (Lecture 3, 4/7/16). Natives of the Andean Yungas recognized coca as a respected social symbol, food supplement, health remedy, and labor enhancer. Despite its ubiquitous importance to society, negative attitudes toward coca brewed quickly among Spanish colonizers in the sixteenth century. Ties between coca and many native religious traditions contributed largely to an initial Spanish impression of the plant as backwards and unchristian. Early doctrineros in Peru demonized the leaf as the primary stimulus of the Incan resistance toward evangelization. Some even appealed to the Crown, contending that conversion was difficult enough to accomplish “without the satanical leaf bulging in the Indian cheeks or burning in sacrificial offerings to serve as a constant reminder of Inca rites” (Gagliano, 1994, p. 49). A growing prohibitionist movement became a subject of controversy for nearly a century. The employment of coca as a labor enhancer in Andean mines emerged as the only strategic (i.e. profitable) use for the Spaniards at the time. Widely rejected by the Spanish, coca consumption developed into a marker of the degraded native position in society.
Freud’s illustration of coca and its alkaloid as remarkable and versatile resources in “Über Coca” begins with his historical description of coca. Freud depicts early coca consumption with an obvious departure from many controversies and prejudices that persisted during Spanish colonization. While he acknowledges early Spanish suspicions of coca’s effects and concerns with the close connection of coca to religious customs, he indicates a quick abandonment of those negative attitudes by the Spaniards when they witnessed the mental and physical deficit among natives when coca was made unavailable. Freud narrows much of his historical review to the observed therapeutic and medicinal importance of coca among Andean natives, writing fervently about its role as “an indispensable stimulant for some 10 million people” for labor in colonial Peru. He cites various first hand accounts affirming that coca consumption gives natives “marvelous” abilities to “withstand exceptional hardships and perform heavy labor without requiring proper nourishment during that time.” Freud choosing not to dwell on the colonial debate, but to highlight the favorable roles of coca in history, serves to introduce coca attractively and spark renewed curiosity for the substances potential role in modern society.
Freud builds his characterization of cocaine as a modern marvel on an account of his personal experimentation and a comprehensive outline of recognized therapeutic uses. He first examines in depth his physiological and psychological responses to various moderate doses of cocaine. Upon consumption, he explains “one experiences a sudden exhilaration and feeling of lightness.” While accompanied initially by slight increase in pulse and body temperature, Freud depicts cocaine consumption as having no lasting adverse effects or permanent physiological impact. Taken in large doses, a type of “coca intoxication” can occur with various temporary psychological and physical symptoms. Yet Freud contends still the repeated use of cocaine in moderation contributes to a feeling of “youthful vigor,” improvement in morale, and “is more likely to promote health than to impair it.” He further applauds cocaine for its range of therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications, writing of the value of cocaine as a mental stimulant, treatment for digestive and respiratory disorders, appetite stimulant and therapy for degenerative diseases, treatment for morphine and alcohol addiction, local anesthetic, and later as a surgical anesthetic. Given Freud did not individually test many of these other theories, to maintain his credibility and exhibit objectivity, he carefully considers each application on its scientific merit, elaborating on supporting and contradictory evidence.
This is not to say that Freud’s analysis mounts to a neutral position on coca and its alkaloid. Freud presents the myriad of uses delicately and chooses neither to endorse nor condemn any particular application. He does, however, contextualize the various applications to showcase coca and cocaine as versatile and modern. Freud offers considerable insight into the place he contemplates for the substances in modern medicine and pharmacology.
Freud’s praise in “Über Coca,” paralleled by the forces of industrialized nations seeking new medicinal marvels and Andean nations (particularly Peru) seeking nationalism and industrialization following the War of the Pacific, positioned coca and cocaine to flourish as strategic commodities for the modern world (Lecture 4, 4/12/16). Cocaine became a symbol of the fusion between modern Western medicine, international commence, and an established ancient natural resource, the coca leaf.