In 1884 Sigmund Freud published On Coca, extolling the virtues of cocaine for relieving fatigue and depression.
Freud writes:
A few minutes after taking cocaine, one experiences a sudden exhilaration and feeling of lightness.
Breathing became slower and deeper and I felt tired and sleepy; I yawned frequently and felt somewhat dull.
I have tested this effect of coca, which wards off hunger, sleep, and fatigue and steels one to intellectual effort, some dozen times on myself; I had no opportunity to engage in physical work.
Among the persons to whom I have given coca, three reported violent sexual excitement which they unhesitatingly attributed to the coca.
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