Cocaine was first isolated as a chemical compound in 1859 by German chemist Albert Niemann, who extracted the active alkaloid from coca leaves and named it "cocaine". Prior to this scientific isolation, indigenous South American peoples had used coca leaves for thousands of years for their stimulant properties.
The discovery of pure cocaine as a distinct compound marked its entry into Western medicine, where it was initially used for its anesthetic and medicinal properties before concerns about its addictive potential led to its regulation.
Thus, Albert Niemann is credited with discovering cocaine in its purified form in modern chemistry.
