Contains all of Freud's "cocaine papers," his letters, notes, dreams, and recollections on the subject, together with the most pertinent writings from the 19th century to the present on Freud and cocaine. Bibliography: p. 399-400. Includes index.

Finding cocaine to be an analgesic and a cure for depression, Freud hailed it as a miracle drug, stressing in particular its apparent lack of side effects. Marveling at its ability to "cure" addictions to morphine, he enthusiastically recommended it to all his acquaintances. Eventually, following several tragic experiences, he was forced to recognize the negative effects of the drug. This unique selection, edited and translated by Freud expert David Carter, combines letters, papers, and dream analyses on cocaine, bringing together the contentious thoughts of one of the 20th-century's most brilliant minds.

Cocaine examines the rise and fall of this notorious substance from its legitimate use by scientists and medics in the nineteenth century to the international prohibitionist regimes and drug gangs of today. Themes explored include: * Amsterdam's complex cocaine culture * the manufacture, sale and control of cocaine in the United States * Japan and the Southeast Asian cocaine industry * export of cocaine prohibitions to Peru * sex, drugs and race in early modern London Cocaine unveils new primary sources and covert social, cultural and political transformations to shed light on cocaine's hidden history.

Here is a timely volume that reviews the current state of knowledge of cocaine use. Some of the country’s leading authorities on cocaine use and abuse examine the pharmacology and neurochemistry of central stimulant abuse with a focus on the specific effects of cocaine. They also address recent experiences concerning the epidemiology of cocaine use from several different databases. This highly useful and informative book also explains the effectiveness of the existing diagnostic and treatment approaches.

Cocaine poses interesting problems for neurophysiologists and neuropharmacologists and there is important new data on the effects of cocaine on the brain (its initial site of action at the cellular level now appearing to be the dopamine transporter). Includes chapters on the far-reaching toxic effects of cocaine, on the epidemiology and the economics of drug addiction, on the past and present use of cocaine in the U.S. and in South America, and on the moral issues raised by drug use and abuse.