Let’s be obtuse

[burdick]

Theophratus wrote of herbs
and then Dioscoriedes
made them verbs.

Avicenna read Galen
and so on to the English:
“Theatrum Botanicum”
(John Parkinson).

Coca wine became popular
( I wonder why?)
but during Prohibition
Erythroxylum coca
met up with
Cola verticillata,
and thanks to John Pemberton
we have
(after a “little” modification)
coca cola!

[bags123]

True to it's title my friend. From what I've read,...Cocaine addiction was near epidemic proportions in late Victorian times. Initially,..it was thought to be beneficial. Helped one feel vigorous, and energetic. As a result it was added to many products, and created many others, most of which (Coca Cola excluded)
have long since gone out of the business,...or moved to Columbia.