People Were Doing Cocaine in the 1600s, Research Shows

Mar. 15, 2025

Stock image of people in the 1600s.Photo:North Wind Picture Archives via AP

North Wind Picture Archives via AP

People as far back as the 1600s were usingcocaine, chewing on the leaves of the coca plant “for recreational purposes.”

Researchers examined thehuman remainsof the Ca’ Granda crypt in Milan, located underneath the Church of the Beata Vergine Annunciata.It was there that bodies of patients from the “pioneering hospital” Ospedale Maggiore — which “specialized in the medical treatment of acute illnesses among impoverished and disadvantaged individuals residing in the city” — were interned, researched published in theJournal of Archaeological Sciencessays.

“Toxicological analyses performed on preserved brain tissues revealed the presence of the compounds ofcocaine, benzoylecgonine, and hygrine in two cases,” the research says.

Stock image of coca plant leaves.Nicolo Filippo Rosso/Bloomberg

Nicolo Filippo Rosso/Bloomberg

Cocaine can degrade into benzoylecgonine, researchers said, adding that the presence of both molecules confirmed that “the individuals under investigation consumed the molecule.”

“However, it did not allow us to conclude whether the consumption was in the form of leaves or cocaine hydrochloride salts.”

“Hygrine, in particular, indicated that cocaine intake occurred through the chewing of coca leaves,” the paper notes, as “hygrine (an alkaloid present in the leaves ofErythroxylumspp. only), was essential to determine that the molecules detected in these human remains derived from the chewing of coca leaves or from leaves brewed as a tea, consistent with the historical period.”

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The paper notes that the presence of this plant in human remains from so long ago is “unprecendented,” as “the pharmacological archives of the hospital do not report the presence of theErythroxylumspp. until the end of 19th century, which would indicate that the plant did not enter the hospital pharmacy until then.”

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As theUniversity of Oxfordexplains,Erythroxylumis the genus for the coca plant, and notes “In 1855 an anaesthetic alkaloid (cocaine) was isolated from coca leaves.”

The paper notes that the plant was not listed among the commonly dispensed medicines at the hospital, “suggesting that it may not have been administered at the hospital. Coca leaves may therefore have been chewed for their reinforcing properties or for recreational purposes.”

The new research “allows for a better understanding of how the use of cocaine has changed over the centuries in Europe,” as the paper notes that products derived from the coca plant — which was commonly dispensed “as a medicine in the 19th century” — are now “the cause of 1/5 of overdose deaths across the world in the 20th century.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

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source: people.com