September 17, 2004

• I'm not entirely sure, but I *think* that powdered cocaine wasn't widely available at that time. I believe that, like laudanum, cocaine was primarly taken in liquid form, dissolved in alcohol, like DeQuincey's opium.
• Self-link.
• "I *think* that powdered cocaine wasn't widely available at that time." I'll happily sacrifice all accuracy for the sake of a joke. Even a string of unfunny ones. Freud's coke was administered, as you say, in liquid form, via the use of a long Q-tip type implement. The inner nose or mouth was swabbed with the solution. Vooom! Nice link, PF.
• And here I thought he shot it up, like Sherlock Holmes in 'The Seven Percent Solution'
• The Seven Percent Solution. I liked that movie. I'm not entirely sure that cocaine was not injected by some, but I recall reading somewhere about the method of Freud's usage. I can't be sure he did not use the intravenous method at some point, however. The nasal method is extremely effective; mucous membranes absorb the chemical swiftly, & blood vessels transport to the brain quite directly, so I'm not sure if injection would be any better. The main reason why heroin users often favour the needle is the 'rush' that smack produces via this method, like an orgasm. Other injestion methods are less instant & do not provide this 'hit'. Cocaine, as I understand, doesn't give you a hit like this. /innocent look I had actually thought that Holmes was a morphine addict, in the stories, & that this had been 'cleaned up a bit' to cocaine instead in adaptations, but I'm not very familiar with 'the canon' so I can't be sure. It would be an efficient method of injestion, but it seems odd the very logical Holmes would use this means above the usual.
• It seems coke was perfectly common for medical purposes back then. I was just reading "the worst journey in the world," about the English expedition to the South Pole c. 1910, and he casually mentions someone putting cocaine in his eyes (!) to relieve snow-blindness.
• DR FREUD: (holding very large cigar) SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!!
• First it woz 'trouser snake', now it is 'nose candy' *And I am dying, Egypt, dying*
• Very interesting post Very interesting Yes very interesting indeed All I know is that sometimes when I'm like doing cocaine you know? Sometimes then when I'm doing cocaine I have these feelings you know like feelings that maybe I'd like to Well lets put it like this okay? Sometimes i have these memories of my family Well more like my mother You know those memories from when you were a kid but after youve stopped breastfeeding you know and you accidently see you mother without any clothes on maybe you've opened her bedroom door without knocking and there she is startled in the buff and you notice I mean really notice her breasts her bush? So I have these memories and they give me these feelings you know feelings of wanting to you know like have sex with my mother I actually like imagine it having sex with my mother can you believe that? Because I can't And yet there you have it And
• Cocaine is still used medicinally as a local anaesthetic. I knew of a dr's office that kept a (very small) amount on hand for that purpose (for people allergic to more common methods of numbing) until one of the docs, um, used some of it for, um, other methods. (Apparently, the paperwork involved in keeping cocaine around is horrendous.)
• I seem to recall (from the 7% book) that Holmes took cocaine when he was lethally bored and morphia when he was uncontrollably manic. Or vice versa. Never saw the movie tho...there was a movie?