Despite disco being centuries away, residents of 17th century Italy may have had a hankering for cocaine.
TheOspedale Maggiorewas known for treating Milans poor and otherwise disadvantaged.
The presence of cocaine in these remains is surprising.
The brain matter was scraped from skulls found in a crypt located near a well-known hospital, but it’s unlikely cocaine was used to treat illness.© Journal of Archaeological Science
Until now, it was widely thought that cocaine hadnt been introduced to Europe until the 1800s.
Some evidence contradicts this narrative, including records from a French botanist who received a shipment ofErythroxylumin the 1750s.
The old Milan residents, whoever they were, likely consumed the drug by chewing on the leaves.
The researchers acknowledged that the presence of the drug doesnt mean it was used for treatment in the hospital.
A 2023analysisof femoral bones by the same researchers found traces of cannabis.
17th century Milan sounds wild.
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