Cocaine Found In 17th Century Mummies: A Secret Habit Of The European Elite?
By Lucía Tedesco via El Planteo
A team of scientists discovered cocaine in the brains of mummies found in the crypt of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Annunciata in Italy.
These human remains belonged to patients from the Ospedale Maggiore Hospital in Milan and date back to the 17th century. Remarkably, the brains were exceptionally well-preserved, which is unusual.
Toxicological examinations revealed the presence of cocaine: benzoylecgonine (an inactive metabolite of the substance) and hygrine (an alkaloid found …