Quote:
Originally posted by DeltAlum
They did not address one thing that many of us understand to be true -- but could very well fall under the "urban legend" category. Allegedly cocaine was an ingredient in the very first Coke formulas.
I've heard that for years, but never officially.
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'Tis true, mes chers....
http://www.snopes2.com/cokelore/cocaine.htm
Coca-Cola was named back in 1885 for its two "medicinal" ingredients: extract of coca leaves and kola nuts. Just how much cocaine was originally in the formulation is hard to determine, but the drink undeniably contained some cocaine in its early days. Frederick Allen describes the public attitude towards cocaine that existed as Coca-Cola's developers worked on perfecting their formula in 1891
http://www2.netdoor.com/~davidroy/cocacola.html
The original formula included extracts of the African kola nut and coca leaves, both strong stimulants. "Coca Cola" was one of thousands of exotic patent medicines sold in the 1800s that actually contained traces of cocaine.