Editing Inca Empire (section)

=== Coca ===
[[File:Coca (Erythroxylum coca) en Meta (Colombia) 3.jpg|thumb|[[Coca]] leaves in [[Meta Department]], Colombia, approached by the Inca for many uses]]

The Incas revered the [[coca]] plant as sacred/magical. Its leaves were used in moderate amounts to lessen hunger and pain during work but were mostly used for religious and health purposes.<ref name="Boca Raton">{{cite news |title=Cocaine's use: From the Incas to the U.S. |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19850404&id=0B1UAAAAIBAJ&pg=6387,881236 |access-date=2 February 2014 |newspaper=[[Boca Raton News]] |date=4 April 1985}}</ref> The Spaniards took advantage of the effects of chewing coca leaves.<ref name="Boca Raton" /> The [[chasqui]]s, messengers who ran throughout the empire to deliver messages, chewed coca leaves for extra energy. Coca leaves were also used as an [[Anesthetic|anaesthetic]] during surgeries.