The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-09-09
From The Philadelphia North american.
Coffee ax an AIiment

From The Philadelphia North american.
Coffee an Aliment.
paper was recently read before the Academy
'of Sciences, at Paris, by NJ Gasparn, on the value
of coffee, TO which NJ. G., acting on a belief which
is not, altogether, novel one, attributes powers
both OF imparung and sustaining strength OF very
remarkable character. According 10 his account,
the miners Charlcroi, the Belgian frontier,
men Of great muscular vigor, noted for their
strength and endurance, live upon diet which,
exclusive of the coffee they drink possesses lees than
half the nutritious elements found in the ordinary
food of European laborers. The coffee of the Char
lcroi miner is mixture of coffee proper and chic
ory, in about equal proportions and is made very
weak. He eats animal food only on Sundays. His
weekday morning meal consists of white bread
and butter, and half pint of coffee; his dinner the
same, with double supply of coffee his supper,
of potatoes and cabbage, with some bread and cot-
fee. lie averages about two pounds of bread, one
pound and half Of potatoes, TWO ounces Of butter,
and two ounces OF coffee per day; which, together,
NJ. Gasparin says, contain only about fifteen
grammes "a little over half ounce) of azote, or
less than that contained in the food supplied 10
French prisoners-ess even, he AYERS after havin e
studied and analysed 'the diet of the monks of La
Trappc at Aigucbelle," than that in the food of the
"most austere religious orders imposed by mortih-
cation" "When French miners" Gays. Nj. Gas
| parin-"those OF Amin, for example, who nourish
themselves much more abunda ntly-attempt TO
| work in the Charlero district, they com
| PEELED to withdraw, not being able 10 keep pace
task The cheapncss of this diet enables Char
leroi miner TO support wife and Six children,
''without getting INTO debt ON the poor wages
paid him Of two irancs-or about 81, ccnts-a day.
NJ. O.. adds:
alt is TO the coffee alone that we can attribute
the possibility Of his cUntcntng himself with diet
which children would find Insufficient; and it is
not question here Of nutritious substance, for the
analysis demonstrates that the coffee constitutes
more than l35th of the nutritious properties Of
the aiment. IL has thus other properties Of which
careful account must be taken.
"Docs II complete the digestive function! Docs
| il provoke a more complete assimilation of the ali
menE or perhaps il rotards the mutation of those
organs which do not then require so great a con-
sumption of material FOR their maintenance or cup
porr On this hypothesis coffee would not nourish,
| but il would prevent denOiuiIbaent"
This account OF the virtues Of coffee is not unlike
the stories in regard TO the of Peru, of which,
year or two ago, we gave history, based on the
statements of Won Tschud and other writers.
Coca has the advantage Of coffee; for it would ap-
pear the Indian miners on the Andes eau work
without any food at all-that is for time-if well
supplied with their darling coca; whereas the del
yer of Charlcroi takes a pretty fair allowance Of
lIndoo, consumin. his fourteen or sixteen ounces Of
rice and enormous TO the poor Arab Of the African
deserts, who sometimes undcrgocs the fatgucs of =
long Journey, we are told on a daily allowance Of
about four ounces OF gum. Bot, as we have init
mated, M Gasparin was not the FIRST to commend
coffee for is virtues, both article of food and
refreshing sumuant under fatigue. All the
world appreciates the latter prOpcrty and men arc
beginning 10 understand how advantageous II IL
i'm uumboTlcss instances as a substitute for strong
drink. We can laugh at the mistaken violence II
the old morast who opposed coffee, when first in p
troduccd into England, as kind Of "poison which
God made black, that il might bear the devil
color" IL has always, in some countries, been re-
| gardcd also as a competent substitute for food;
| some good illustrations 10 which effect will be
! found IN the following extract, which We make
from one of the recently printed letters of that in
deiaugable gatherer of CufiOur scraps, SOutbcy:
"Do you know" says he, "that, Of all known
substances" (SOuthcy seems never To have heard
Of coca) "coilcc produces the most of that excite
mcut which is required in fatigue? The hunters
! in the lsles OF France and Bourbon take other
provision into the WOODS; and Bruce tells us that
I the yiaticum Of the Gaas' (of Abyssinia,) } Gin
their expeditions, consists Of balls OF ground COT
fec and butter; one per diem, q bclicyc,) the size
Of a walnut, sufcing TO prevent the sense OF hun
ger"
In the common opinion, there is a very great diff
ference between coffee and tea, as well as between
their respective qualities as refreshing beverages.
1t might be deemed fatal commentary on NJ.
Gasparin's th' ory that Fronchmcn, generally, at
least in the towns are coffee drinkers while En-
glishmen tea drinkers, and tho latter are gene
rally rated highest IN point Of muscular develop
ment and powers Of labor. Fortunately for tue
French savant, il is--or il vas-one of Lebig's
theories that coffee and tea their properties tC
ono and the organic principle, caflein and
thein, according TO him, being identical. We dc
not know whether the philosophers have yet sati9-
| fed themselves tins point. II they have sct-
tied II against Liebig, then they have also settled
NJ. Gasparn's theory. II the decision be in favor
of the former, then NJ Gasparin, who declares
there ought 10 be no famine 40 long coffee can
be had, may point out 10 the philanthropists on
the other side of the Channel the easy mode o
making tea repair all the disasters of the potato rot