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	It would greatly simplify matters if cocaine were sold with a
list of its contents.  Since this is not the case, intuitive
judgments must be made as to the quality of the cocaine and the
nature of the adulterants present.  To be effective,
consumer-oriented purification techniques must be general enough
to apply under a wide range of circumstances.  These procedures
are not used to make cocaine but to remove adulterants and
impurities from cocaine already made.

	Since economics is always a prime factor in applying
purification techniques, one point should be made clear.  The
cost of cocaine is dictated by the amount of it that is present
in the original purchase (provided that none is lost in the
purification process).  If a gram costs $100 and is only 50
percent cocaine, the actual cost of the cocaine is $200 per
gram.  Consumers who use a purification method to remove
adulterants frequently find the resulting purer cocaine too
intense, and add an adulterant of their own choosing (much as
someone would take hard liquor with soda or water) or simply use
much less.  The real difference between snorting one gram 50
percent cocaine or one-half gram of pure cocaine lies in the
other 50 percent, the contents of which can clog the nose, numb
the brain, stiffen the muscles, or just do nothing.

THE ACETONE WASH

	When cocaine burns the nose, the problem may be that it has not
been washed properly at the end of the manufacturing process. 
Most of the illicit cocaine consumed in the United States comes
complete with excess hydrochloric acid and an overabundance of
oily organic material like hygrine.  This extra acid was added
in order to speed up the crystallization process and force the
oil out of an ether solution with the cocaine.  The oil, which
may make up as much as 50 percent of the hydrochloride weight,
might otherwise remain in the ether.  Once the crystallization
is complete, the cocaine plus oils plus excess acid are
collected by filtration.  The ether will pass through the filter
and the solids will remain.  Much of the extra avid and some of
the impurities could be removed at this point if fresh solvent
was poured over the cocaine and allowed to pass through the
filter; this is called a wash.  Since most suppliers of illicit
cocaine desire a maximum yield, the wash is often deleted.  To
further complicate matters, the filtered cocaine is rarely dried
completely.  This adds a small amount of weight in the form of
solvent residue.

	The dangers of snorting cocaine that contains even small
amounts of hydrochloric acid and/or ether residue should be
quite obvious.  These chemicals will not only sting the nose on
contact but may well cause deterioration of the nasal membrane. 
In addition, they are likely to cause head-aches with repeated
use.  Hygrine acts as a local irritant on the nasal membranes. 
While this is partially due to the acid that it contains,
hygrine is poorly absorbed in the nose and will remain long
after the cocaine has dissolved.  If the nose is not properly
cleaned, membrane damage may be the result.

	It is unnecessary for the consumer to subject himself to this
kind of humiliation.  the cure is as simple as the cause.  All
that is necessary to correct the problem is to complete those
parts of the process that were omitted.  Since the cocaine did
not receive a final wash, it is put back in solvent so that this
simple procedure can be properly performed.

	The most efficient way to wash cocaine (HC1) is by decantation.
 This technique is routinely used to separate a fine wine from
any sediment that it may contain.  In washing cocaine the
solvent in which the cocaine was crystallized is poured off. 
This solution is called the mother liquor.  After decanting the
mother liquor, fresh solvent is added to the cocaine to remove
more of the impurities and excess acid.  The fresh solvent and
cocaine are swirled together and allowed to stand until the
cocaine has settled to the bottom.  The solvent on top may then
be decanted also.  Each time this procedure is done, the cocaine
is washed.

	In the case of cocaine that has been crystallized but not
washed, the mother liquor has already been removed.  The wash
procedure must begin by placing the cocaine in a beaker and
covering it with fresh solvent.  A small stirring rod is used to
break up pieces so that the insoluble material (the cocaine) is
of an even consistency.  The entire contents of the beaker are
swirled and covered with a watchglass.  In a few minutes, the
cocaine will settle to the bottom and the solvent with its
soluble impurities will be on top.  When all the solid particles
have settled to the bottom, the solvent is decanted through a
filter and collected in a separate container.  Any cocaine that
is accidentally poured off with the solvent will remain in the
filter.  The cocaine that remained in the beaker is covered with
fresh solvent, swirled, and the entire contents poured into the
filter.  Once all solvent has passed through the filter, a small
portion of fresh solvent is pouted over the cocaine and allowed
to pass through the filter.  Any soluble impurities that may
have been trapped at the bottom of the filter cone will be the
first to pass though the filter when this is done.

	This type of filtration is called gravity filtration.  It is
based on the same principle used to filter coffee the "Melitta
way."  When a solid is separated from a liquid by gravity
filtration, there will always be traces of solvent that remain
in the solid.  These are removed by evaporation.  To facilitate
this, the filter cone containing the solid material is pressed
between the hands in a downward motion so that most of the
remaining solvent will be forced out the bottom.   The trace of
solvent that remains is evaporated when the filter cone,
complete with cocaine, is placed under a heat lamp to dry.  The
filter paper acts as a protective shell, preventing the cocaine
form being exposed directly to the heat lamp.

	The choice of solvent is a critical one and must satisfy
certain criteria.  Most important of these is that the solvent
dissolve the impurities without dissolving the cocaine.  Second,
it must evaporate at a temperature lower than that which would
melt the cocaine, and it should leave no residue once evaporated.

	One solvent that meets all of these criteria is acetone. 
Contrary to cocaine mythology, acetone is an excellent solvent
that leaves 0.001 percent residue after evaporation.  Cocaine
hydrochloride is almost totally insoluble in acetone, but
hydrochloric acid will totally dissolve.  Hygrine hydrochloride
and other organic impurities are partially soluble in acetone. 
The base forms of most drugs used to adulterate cocaine are very
soluble in acetone.  Acetone is extremely flammable but will not
form explosive peroxides as does anhydrous diethyl ether.  It is
the peroxides that can simply explode when dried and are
probably the cause of frequently reported and rumored
"underground" laboratory fires.  Acetone is sold in several
grades that vary in purity.  It is important that the acetone be
"chemically pure," that is, free from alcohol and water, both of
which will dissolve cocaine.

	Aside from purifying the cocaine, the acetone wash may
significantly improve its aesthetics.  It is often the
impurities that obscure cocaine's crystallinity.        

	The acetone wash will seldom if ever lower the quality of
cocaine.  However, it does have negative aspects that should
also be understood.  First, there is bound to be a weight loss,
usually 8 to 12 percent, very little of which will be cocaine, 
Second, cocaine that is washed in acetone cannot be consumed for
at least 48 hour after it is dry.  the aging process is critical
to the taste and smell of the cocaine as well as to the health
of the consumer.  Aging is ever more effective when the cocaine
is screened to a fine powder, spread out on a nonporous surface,
and dried under heat. 

	Since the quality of the washed cocaine is likely to be much
better than its predecessor, it is much easier to consume larger
amounts in a shorter period of time.  The negative effects of
dirty cocaine often act as a deterrent to its use; when the dirt
is removed, so is the deterrent. -Gemini

1) The equipment used for the acetone wash include:  acetone is a
plastic wash bottle; a 125-milliliter Erlenmeyer flask; a ribbed
funnel with a medium-speed filter paper; a 20 ml beaker with a
watchglass moisture.

2) Add 10 ml of acetone to one gram of ample and stir for one to
two minutes.

3) Allow the crystals to settle to the bottom, leaving the
acetone above clear.  The watchglass prevents dirt from falling
into the breaker.  Decant the acetone off the crystals, pouring
it into the filter.

4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 and pour the entire contents into the
center of the filter.  Rinse the beaker with acetone to remove
the last traces of sample.  After all the acetone has passed
through, pour 10 ml of fresh acetone over the sample.

5) When all the acetone has passed through, remove the filter
cone from the funnel.

6) Fold the filter paper at the sides, as shown, and then down
from the top.  Squeeze out the last drop of acetone, and use a
paper clip to secure the folded filter, with the sample inside.