1860–1886Peer-reviewedWell documented
Cocaine and the Wonder-Drug Age
On the timeline · around 1860–1886 ·
What happened
In 1860 the German chemist Albert Niemann isolated cocaine from coca leaves. Hailed as a miracle, it became a local anesthetic and an ingredient in tonics and patent remedies — including the original Coca-Cola of 1886, which contained coca extract.
Why it matters
Isolating the pure alkaloid transformed a mild traditional stimulant into a powerful, addictive drug — a pattern that would repeat across the chemical age.
Sources
Related timelines
- Medicine → — Cocaine and the birth of local anesthesia