Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-09-28
THE USE OF COFFEE.

Extracts from Hahnemans Essays on
Coffee, published IN the 9th No. of the
Homeopathic Examiner, New York.-l
This Essay has been translated into I
French. Danish and Hungarian.
La order to live long and in good health,
man requires food composed only of nu-
lritious. and not DISSEMINATING, medical SUD
stances; and drink which is merely fluid,
or both fluid and, nutritive, but containing
no stimulating and medicinal substance, as
for example. pure spring water and milk
Of the condiments which CRAFTY our
taste. table salt. sugar. and vinegar alone, |
in moderate quantities, have been found
safe ard harmless for the human body
All other condiments. which we calrspic-
es, and all changes in our drink, which
gives it spirituous or alcoholic character,
approach more or less to the nature Of
drugs. The more they resemble drugs.
the oflener they are taken into our system,
and the larger quantities we use, the more
hurtful and dangerous are they to health
and longevity. The most serious circum-
stance OF all. is the daily use of extremely
powerful and purely medicinal substances,
as articles OF diet.
Medicinal agents are substances which
do not nourish, but alter the healthy state
of the system and 10 fact every change
from state of health is species of un-
natural, diseased condition.
Coffee is strictly a medical substance.
All medicines in strong doses have dis
agreeable effect on the feelings of healthy
person. No one ever failed to be disgust
ed the first time he smoked tobacco. No
healthy individual ever found strong cot
fee, without sugar paatabIe on the first
Itrial-a hint from nature to flee from the
first temptation to overstep the laws OF
health, and not to trample so thoughtless-
y under foot, the warning, life-preserving
instinct within us.
If we continue the use Of these medicin-
al articles of diet, whereto fashion and ex-
ample seduce US, habit gradually weakens
the unpleasant impressions which they or
iginaly produced. They even become
agreeable; that is, the disagreeable i'm
pressions do not strike US so forcibly, and
their imagined agreeable effects on our
organs of sense gradually become necessa-
ry to US. We gradually annex the idea
of happiness to the qualification of even
fancied wants.
The irregular use of coffee at all times
of day, lis employment in such different
quantities and strength. its general use by
! individuals of the most different degrees
of bodily constitution and health, renders
the task of the observer confused one,
and makes it extremely difficultto abstract
its real operation, from all these circum-
stances, and thence TO deduce correct re-
suits.
Accurate, continued, prudent observa-
ton. as free as possible from deception,
and careful reference of the symptoms 10
| their cause can alone afford information
as TO that most important Of all drinks
coffee.
Its first effect is in general more or
less agreeable increase of the vital activity.
! The animal, the natural, and the vital
functions, as they are called, are at first,
for some hours artiicially elevated by it;
and the subsequent effect, after the lapse
of several hours, is its opposite-an I'M
pleasant feeling OF existence, lower de.
gree of vitality, kind of paralysis of the
animal, natural, and vital functions.
i When person unaccnstomed to coffee
drinks moderate quantity Of it, or one
accustomed to it, an immoderate quantity
his individuality. the sensation OF his ex.
istence. of his vitality, is for several sue.
ceeding hours, more lively. His pulse
beats fuller. quicker. but softer. His pres
ence OF mind, his faculty of attention and
sympathy are more lively than in the
healthy. natural condition. All external
objects wear sort of pleasing color, oil
. varnish of joy, and. if the quantity was un
commonly large, an almost painful bril-
liancy. For the first few hours, satisfac
ton with himself and with all externa
objects is radient in the coffee-drinker
and this especially was what promoted
coffee to the rank of social beverage.
After the close of our days labor, we
must, in the course of nature, become
weary; an unpleasant sense OF exhaustion
10 our powers Of body and mind compel:
US to seek necessary rest. But this dis.
content and incidence disappears at once
before this medicinal beverage, and an al
tlflclal llvellness, wakefnlness in def.
ance Of nature, makes its appearance.
We require nutriment in order to live
and nature compels as to seek il by The
gnawing, painful feelings of hunger and
thirst. We drink coffee-and 10 we feel
little or nothing ofthese painful sensations.
True coffee-drinkers. especially women,
who are deprived of the advantage of re-
covering from time to time, from the i'll
effects of this beverage. by exercise in the
open air. know liille of true hunger and
thirst. The body is cheated out of lis food
and drink, and the vessels Of the skin are
forced against nature to imbibe as much
moisture from the atmosphere. as is re-