cocaine - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about cocaine Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,750,674,373 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

cocaine

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.04 sec.

cocaine

Alkaloid extracted from the leaves of the coca tree. It has limited medical application, mainly as a local anaesthetic agent that is readily absorbed by mucous membranes (lining tissues) of the nose and throat. It is both toxic and addictive. Its use as a stimulant is illegal. crack is a derivative of cocaine.

Cocaine was first extracted from the coca plant in Germany in the 19th century. Most of the world's cocaine is produced from coca grown in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador. Estimated annual production totals 215,000 tonnes, with most of the processing done in Colombia. Side effects of cocaine use include spasm of coronary artery causing chest pain. Long-term use may cause mental and physical deterioration. In August 2001, a UK-based company was given permission by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin trials of a cocaine vaccine. The vaccine produces antibodies in the bloodstream that counter the cocaine before it affects the brain.

Figures released in December 2001 showed that, in the USA, 150,000 hospital emergencies a year are attributable to cocaine use.



How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
?Sign in SSL protected
Email:
Password:
Register

? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
"On the contrary," he answered, "it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine.
It is unlike tobacco, or cocaine, or morphine, or all the rest of the long list of drugs.
Save for the occasional use of cocaine, he had no vices, and he only turned to the drug as a protest against the monotony of existence when cases were scanty and the papers uninteresting.
 
Hutchinson browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Hutchinson Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.