The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-03-29

10 the days of The old alchemsts, notion
prevailed thal some substance could be OBJ
| tsined 10 nature that would proloug human
life, and render man almost iu moral. For
many years sages and dupes searched for the
''elixir Of life," and when whiskey was Disco
vered, it was hailed as the grand desideratum
and called aqua vite bat alas, it has turned
out TO be the water Of death to far too many
erriug mortals. The elixir Of life, however,
is still au enamoring topic; and Louis Figuier
French author, has lately published an arti-
Gle ia L'Annee iScisntyfque in which he ad
yances tho claims Of coffee rs a means Of pro
longing human life; With respect TO its ben
efcial Influences he cites facts in proof Of bis
position.
Quoting Dr.. Petit Of Chateau Thierry, on
the subject, he says:
| "Let us transport ourselves to The frontiers
Of the Department du Nord, to the coal mines
of Chareroi, there whero thousands Of men
buried every day for twelve hours in the bow
els Of the earth forthe purpose Of extracting
the enormous masses Of coal r. quired for feed.
ing the furnaces Of our factories. We there
SEQ vigorous wo,kmeD, whose exterior ind-
Gates robust health and the greatest muscular
development, and yet their feod is neither
substantial nor abundant, three or four cups
OF coffee day, and potatoes, aud ono pound
OF meat in the week is all the nourshment
supplied TO the workmen in tho coal pits of
Charleroi. These men can live on one quar-
ter Of the food that is'necessary to keep up
tho force of other individuals. 81 :
In the neigbborhood of Resen Berg, in Bo.
hemia, in the midst of the Krapack noun
tains, there exists race of poor people who
almost all follow the trade of weavers. For
years their food bad been altogether insuffi-
cient, being composed solely Of potatoes; !;
they we're reduced 10 such state Of wretch
edness as to become 10 somo extent degeue
ate. Fortunately, the medical men Of tho
country conceived the idea of placing them
under course of coffee. The trial succeeded
beyond all expectation, and te weaves Of
Tieseu. Berg have no longer cause to envy the
health and strength of the workmen of other
countries. For tho purpose Of facilitating tho
acquisition Of that aala,ary substance Of the
poor mountaneers, the Austrian Government
have recently abolished the duties that used
to be levied on the importation of coffes.--
Coffee, says NJ. de Gasparn, renders the ole
ments of our organism more stable. II is OBJ
served that under the influence of coffee the
product Of the secretions is more huiJ the re,
spiralion less active, and consequently the loss
undergone by the absorbed substances less
rapid. a diminui;on of animal heat has even
been observed under similar circumstances.
This last consequence belps US to under,
stand the utility OF coffee in ho. countries,
where the temperature is 50 difficult TO bear
that il seems to wear out the springs of life.
Our military and naval authorities have made
coffee form part Of the rations Of our sold.
iers and sailors on active service, and have rca.
son to be satisfied with the result. The use
of coffee has been of immense benefit to our
troops, as well in the Africandeserts as 10 the
Crmea, in Italy, and in China; The crews of
our fleets have also derived The same hycienic
advantages. 1t is Of infinite value to our SOL
diers in Mexico, and principally in tho Sierra
Caliente, at Vera Cruz, that hot.bed of yellow
fever.
From the well established fact that coffee
reiards the movemes, OF the decomposition of
The organs, NJ Petit concludes that by its ha.
biiual use tho life Of man might be prolonged
beyond its common duration.
Ho therefore recommends the use Of coffee,
especially to old nersons, asserting that those
who have reached the age Of fifty years may
AXE from one to four cups per day of mode
'ately strong infusion, according to the habit
If the body Of each individual. DR.. Petit
ecommenda it as an effective egent for render.
re the product of the secretions more aquc. |
Jus, and for combating gout, gravel, and cal.
ulous affections. ia eastern countries, where
he consumption Of coffee is very great, such
complaints are almost.unknown.