East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-12-09

bntlf tftiiiStil nus a. bcttci eA"ii"
than it has TO be called one Of The ex-
act sciences, We had better give its
dieta wide berth as to their practial
application in reference 70 food and
drink. Some say coffee is poisonous
boeauseit has sstrychnine lit. Suppose
it is granted that there is strychnine
in coffee, and that single grain of
strychnine is SO poisonous as to des-
stroy life in few moments, that does
not prove that strychnine in coffee is
poisonous, because there may be an /.
element in tho coffee which would not
only nullify the poisonous quality, but
renderit absolutely safe, healthiul, and
nutricious. When a concentrated
miasm is mingled with air man
breathes, he will in n few hours sicken
and die but miasm is Of such an in
tangible aerial nature, that chemistry
has no test sufficiently delicate TO de-
tect its presence, And if, because
chemistry can find no poison there Il
man persists in breathing it, he will
most certainly suffer the gravest con-
sequences. Several chemists who have.
had reputation, and have one still,
have certified that they have found no
material difference between the milk
Of farm house cows and those fed
mainly on distillery swill and confined
to filthy apartments. 1t is true they
do not tell us by what process they =
arrived at these conclusions but tho
bare fact of their finding no deleteri-i
Gus substance in the milk of cabihed,
confined, swill fed mich COWS does not
prove that no bad quality exists, but
simply that they were not able to de-
tect it, while we all know that just as
certainly will infants sicken and die
who are fed on swill milk, as those will
siclSen and diewho breathea miasmatic
atmosphere so that, in practical cases
like these, the masses must be guild
cd in their habits by their observation
and their common sense, and let the
vagaries Of scientific men go ont to
browse and mature, or in common,
phrase, ego to grass"
Thus it is with men Of confined
views, of limited observation, and still
less information, who assert with cool
confidence that coffee is poisonous, Just
as if they knew all Of everything, when
really they know all of nothing. The
truly learnedare cautious in their state
ments they fear to deal in other than
general expressions of opinion, and
leave bridge of retreat. They are
the worst men in the world to deal i'll
sweeping adjectiyes---'certain,' and
always and never and words like
them, are not found in their modest
vocabulary; it appears lit seems
it is probable, are frequent phrases
in their conversation and writings
As to the bold assertions that coffee il
not healthful, is not nutritious, is
poisonous, we must appeal to our gem
eral observation. People use it daily,
and yet live TO three score and ten.-
For hundred years past it is more
and more used by all who speak the
English language, and yet within the
last hundred years the average of civ
ilized life is greater by several years;
and the Anglo Saxon race have in Z
creased more rapidly than in any
other age. 10 say that they have
done this in spite of the increasing use
of coffee, and that its i'll effects win
begin to be felt before a great while,
is nothing more than the impudent as
sertion of a coInered ignoramus. rao d
A single fact sometimes demonstrates
great truth. Within three years, a
party bringing the mails from the
Rocky Mountains were overtalSen ina
snowstorm; and in their official re-
port they stated that for two weeks
their entire subsistence was few bags
of coffee on which they travelled. Had
there been no nutriment in the coffee
they mnst have died. To this the an
ti-eofice. men will reply, "We don't.
know that'--nor do they know any
thing else. Meanwhile, if some per- 9C
sons will not use coffee, there viii be q
more loft for those who do and as for
ourselves, We ask the liberty of being
allowed to eat and drink what we like,
and we do most cordially allow that d
liberty to others, and "no questions q
asked"
Minute chemical analysis says TINT
the essence of coffee and tea are idcn-
teal. We believe that both are nutri-
tious and healthful when taken with /.
one restriction as beverage never
increase it in frequency, strength, or
quantity. ii po it .ug iadi Of
o -