Pemberton's French Wine Coca
Encyclopedia
Pemberton's French Wine Coca was a coca wine created by the druggist John Stith Pemberton
, the inventor of Coca-Cola
.
It was an alcoholic beverage, mixed with coca
, kola nut
and damiana.
French Wine Coca was marketed mostly to upper class
intellectuals, afflicted with diseases believed to have been brought on by urbanization
and Atlanta's increasingly competitive business environment.
In an 1885 interview with the Atlanta Journal, Pemberton claimed the drink would benefit "scientists, scholars, poets, divines, lawyers, physicians, and others devoted to extreme mental exertion."
enacted temperance
legislation, Pemberton scrambled to develop a non-alcoholic version of his popular product. However, the new legislation did not affect the coca ingredient (cocaine), which remained in the formula until the end of the 19th century.
The result was an early version of Coca-Cola
, although the coca ingredient (cocaine
) was the main active ingredient when the company was acquired by Asa Candler.
French Wine Coca was essentially an imitation of Angelo Mariani's blend of Bordeaux
wine
and coca, called Vin Mariani
.
Mariani's beverage achieved extraordinary success in the 1880s, inspiring a host of knock-offs, of which Pemberton's was merely one of the more successful.
However, Vin Mariani lacked both damiana, a reputed cure for impotence, as well as kola nut, a source of caffeine
- both of which were later included in Coca-Cola.
Despite Atlanta's Temperance legislation, production of French Wine Coca continued until Pemberton's death in 1888. Indeed, in the year 1887, French Wine Coca sold 720 bottles a day - far outstripping Coca-Cola.
.
The beverage was advertised as a cure for nerve trouble, dyspepsia
, mental and physical exhaustion, gastric irritability, wasting diseases, constipation
, headache
, neurasthenia
and impotence.
It was also suggested as a cure for morphine
addiction
, which was increasingly common after the Civil War
(Pemberton himself was addicted to the drug).
John Pemberton
John Stith Pemberton was a Confederate veteran and an American druggist, and is best known for being the inventor of Coca-Cola.-Early life:...
, the inventor of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
.
It was an alcoholic beverage, mixed with coca
Coca
Coca, Erythroxylum coca, is a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. The plant plays a significant role in many traditional Andean cultures...
, kola nut
Kola nut
Kola Nut is the nut of the kola tree, a genus of trees native to the tropical rainforests of Africa, classified in the family Malvaceae, subfamily Sterculioideae . It is related to the South American genus Theobroma, or cocoa...
and damiana.
French Wine Coca was marketed mostly to upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
intellectuals, afflicted with diseases believed to have been brought on by urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
and Atlanta's increasingly competitive business environment.
In an 1885 interview with the Atlanta Journal, Pemberton claimed the drink would benefit "scientists, scholars, poets, divines, lawyers, physicians, and others devoted to extreme mental exertion."
History
In 1885, when Atlanta and Fulton CountyFulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
enacted temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
legislation, Pemberton scrambled to develop a non-alcoholic version of his popular product. However, the new legislation did not affect the coca ingredient (cocaine), which remained in the formula until the end of the 19th century.
The result was an early version of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, although the coca ingredient (cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
) was the main active ingredient when the company was acquired by Asa Candler.
French Wine Coca was essentially an imitation of Angelo Mariani's blend of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
and coca, called Vin Mariani
Vin Mariani
Vin Mariani was a tonic and patent medicine created circa 1863 by Angelo Mariani, a French chemist who became intrigued with coca and its economic potential after reading Paolo Mantegazza’s paper on coca's effects...
.
Mariani's beverage achieved extraordinary success in the 1880s, inspiring a host of knock-offs, of which Pemberton's was merely one of the more successful.
However, Vin Mariani lacked both damiana, a reputed cure for impotence, as well as kola nut, a source of caffeine
Caffeine
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants...
- both of which were later included in Coca-Cola.
Despite Atlanta's Temperance legislation, production of French Wine Coca continued until Pemberton's death in 1888. Indeed, in the year 1887, French Wine Coca sold 720 bottles a day - far outstripping Coca-Cola.
Uses
Pemberton claimed astounding medicinal properties for his French Wine Coca, which was marketed as a patent medicinePatent medicine
Patent medicine refers to medical compounds of questionable effectiveness sold under a variety of names and labels. The term "patent medicine" is somewhat of a misnomer because, in most cases, although many of the products were trademarked, they were never patented...
.
The beverage was advertised as a cure for nerve trouble, dyspepsia
Dyspepsia
Dyspepsia , also known as upset stomach or indigestion, refers to a condition of impaired digestion. It is a medical condition characterized by chronic or recurrent pain in the upper abdomen, upper abdominal fullness and feeling full earlier than expected when eating...
, mental and physical exhaustion, gastric irritability, wasting diseases, constipation
Constipation
Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation...
, headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
, neurasthenia
Neurasthenia
Neurasthenia is a psycho-pathological term first used by George Miller Beard in 1869 to denote a condition with symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, headache, neuralgia and depressed mood...
and impotence.
It was also suggested as a cure for morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
, which was increasingly common after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(Pemberton himself was addicted to the drug).