Description (Inscription)
'Cocaine' written in pencil on the metal container.
Event Date
Author: Guey-Mei Hsu

Description (Labels & Markings)
Rectangular white (now yellowed) paper label found in 2015 in the museum storage box which may apply to this object reads [in black ink]: '"Kinikinik."/Leaves of/ used as tobacco./N. American Indians Montana.'


Event Date
Author: maa

Description (Physical description)
Kinikinik. Tobacco sample. Elliptical metal tobacco container 'Qboid' brand in red letters on yellow background. Blue paper seal on side, bottom and top of box. Another white seal on top of box. Box contains shredded leaves said to be used as tobacco.
Event Date
Author: maa

Context (Acquisition Details)
See handwritten label now part of TEMP.00148 which was found with TEMP.00146-8 as it is probable that the items are part of the 1912 North American Blackfoot collections by Dr Alfred Cort Haddon.

However, this item was not mentioned in the 28th annual report (30 April 1914).
Event Date 22/10/2021
Author: rachel hand

Context (Amendments / updates)
Although the word 'COCAINE' is written on the metal case, the appearance of the content does not match coca leaves.

Coca leaves (Erythroxylum coca Lam. var. coca) usually measure 3.5-5cm (Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, undated), and has pointer tip. Samples of substances showed here are a mixture of different herbs that do not measure the same size of coca leaves, and the appearance, i.e. tip, is different. Additionally, coca plants are native species in South America, rather than North America. Therefore, the word 'COCAINE' written is mostly a misjudgement.

It is unclear about the ingredients of the mixture in this sample.

Source:
L.2120521, Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands. Available: https://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/L.2120521
Event Date 28/2/2025
Author: Guey-Mei Hsu