BY GEORGE NAVA TRUE II
DR. JOHN Stith Pemberton had a problem. The American biochemist and war veteran sustained a saber wound in 1865 during the American Civil War. To ease his pain, he used morphine but became highly addicted to it.
Before that, Pemberton had a promising future. He got his medical degree when he was 19 and practiced medicine and surgery for a while. Because he had a knack for chemistry, he opened a drugstore in Columbus, Georgia. This was where he lived with his wife, Ann Eliza Clifford Lewis, and their son, Charles Ney Pemberton.
To end his addiction, Pemberton experimented with painkillers in 1866 and tried to look for alternatives to morphine. He first developed a tonic made from a toxic plant which he called “Dr. Tuggle’s Compound Syrup of Globe Flower.”
New medicine
But it didn’t work, so he turned to coca and coca wines. He created a tonic made from the kola nut and damiana extracts and named this “Pemberton’s French Wine Coca.” The new medicine was promoted among war veterans as beneficial for depression, drug addiction, and alcoholism.
It was also advertised to help southern women with sedentary lifestyles suffering from neurasthenia or weakness of the nerves. This was a popular diagnosis in North America at that time.
When the temperance movement gained ground in many countries, including the United States, many organizations were formed that criticized the drinking of alcoholic beverages because of its negative effects on health and families. Members of the movement promoted complete abstinence from alcohol and pushed for the passage of laws against its sale or complete prohibition. Temperance legislation reached Atlanta, Georgia in 1886 which worried Pemberton.
The shift to soda
Concerned that this would affect the sales of his medicine, Pemberton had to reformulate his drink to continue selling it. For this, he turned to Atlanta drugstore owner Willis E. Venable to test and make another formula. After several attempts, he came up with a new recipe.
By then, Pemberton was one of the owners of the Pemberton Chemical Company that was established in 1886 together with Frank Mason Robinson and two others. Robinson was originally from the south but lived in Atlanta to help Pemberton with his new business. He also served as the company’s bookkeeper and marketer.
But fate stepped in and interfered with Pemberton’s plans. He mixed the base syrup of his recipe with carbonated water by mistake. The resulting concoction had a different taste and Pemberton decided to sell this as a soda instead.
A mixture of cocaine and caffeine
Robinson gave the syrup a funny name since it was derived from coca leaves that contained cocaine and kola nuts, the source of caffeine, according to the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
NIDA said the use of cocaine was legal in the early days of patent medicines. These were usually made of exotic ingredients and drug compounds to treat a lot of ailments. Cocaine and opium were common ingredients of many patent medicines then since people thought these were safe to use in small amounts.
In May 1886, Pemberton’s syrup reached Jacobs Pharmacy in Atlanta. Twenty-five gallons were sold in the first year. This increased to 1,049 gallons the next year. An average of nine bottles was sold daily.
Medicinal drink
The new drink was advertised by Robinson as “delicious, refreshing, and invigorating” among others. Pemberton, on the other hand, continued selling the syrup as a medicinal drink and brain tonic. It was promoted as a cure for headaches, upset stomach, exhaustion, fatigue, and weak nerves.
But despite the drink’s increasing popularity, things didn’t end well for its inventor. Pemberton lost money and became ill because of his continuing morphine addiction. To earn more, he sold the rights to his formula to his partners. Believing that his recipe would become a national drink, he tried to retain part of the ownership to his son, Charles.
However, Charles also wanted money, so before his father died, the remaining patent was sold to another Atlanta pharmacist Asa Griggs Candler for $2,300. Pemberton eventually succumbed to stomach cancer in 1888 at the age of 57. Six years later, Charles died of opium addiction.
Thanks to Pemberton’s mistake, the new drink soon became a sensation. Robinson called it Coca-Cola and served as the treasurer and secretary of the Coca-Cola Company that became an official corporation in 1892. Over time, NIDA said the amount of cocaine in Coke was reduced and it was finally removed in 1929.
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Thank you for writing the article “Allergic to water” (Panay News, Jan. 16, 2021 issue). I don’t believe the estimated figure of 32 is correct. I have this condition but not as severe as what is described. I live a normal life but the itching is triggered whenever I shower or bathe, sweat, or when rain touches my skin. This lasts from 20 minutes to an hour. – Mo.
I’m glad you like the article, Mo, and I’m sorry to hear about your condition. The estimated figure is taken from the reported water allergy cases and does not include those who haven’t consulted a doctor or come out in the open because of this. I sincerely hope you get better soon. Take care!
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National Press Club and Philippine Dental Association awardee George N. True II has written two bestsellers based on his popular column that has been running for almost 40 years. For questions about health, email georgenavatrue@yahoo.com./PN
