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From: root@microsoft.UUCP (Super User)
Newsgroups: net.rumor
Subject: cocaine in (very) old coke
Message-ID: <8765@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 13-Jul-85 09:06:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: microsof.8765
Posted: Sat Jul 13 09:06:25 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 15-Jul-85 01:30:19 EDT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation
Lines: 17

Although its true that the original Coke formulation had some cocaine
in it, it was in trace amounts.  You'd have to drink more than a gallon
of the syrup (which was how it was originally consumed, anyway) to get
a good dose of cocaine.  The cocaine had the same role in the formula
that cola leaves do now - it was there for the sake of listing it on
the ingredients.  (Cola leaves don't taste like "cola"... cola is a
totally artificial flavor.  Cola leaves taste very bad, which is why
so few are put in Coke, so you can't taste them.  Other colas don't bother
with any cola leaves...)

There was a popular wine at the time, whose name I forget, which had
very significant amounts of cocaine in it.  One of the biggest fans
of that wine was Thomas Edison.  Remember in grade school you were
told that the "great man" only slept a few hours a night?

	gordon letwin
	microsoft