Guarana, a dried paste from the crushed seeds of Paullinia
cupana, was introduced into France from South America by a
French officer in 1817, as a product of an unknown plant, this
paste being made and used by the tribe of Indians (Guaranis)
from whom it took its name. In 1826 Martius (409) identified the
plant, which is called Paullinia sorbilis in deference to Simon
Paulli (493). In 1840, (Am. Journ. Pharm., pp. 206-208), Dr.
Gavrelle presented a specimen of guarana to the Paris Society of
Medicine, the same being analyzed by M. de Chastetus, who
discovered "a crystallizable matter, which possessed the
chemical properties of caffeine." In 1888 Professor H. H. Rusby
(564) (Amer. Jour. of Pharm., p. 267) authoritatively described
the manner in which the natives prepared Guarana from the seed,
and in their crude way produced the smoked sausage-like rolls
familiar in commerce. The date of its discovery by the Indian
tribes whose preparation and use of the substance as "a
stimulating substance" led to its Europe