The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1864-03-08
gO@ee and the ProIongatIOn Of Life:


In the days Of the old alchemists, a
notion prevailed that some substance
could be obtained in nature that would
prolong human life and render man
almost immortal. For many years
sages and duPes searched for the
&" elixir of life, and when whisky was
discovered it was hailed as the grand
desideratum and called avua Vita;
but alas, it has turned out to be the
water of death to far too many erring
mOrtals. The elixir of life, however, is
still an eRamOring topic; and Louis
Figuier, French author, has lately
published an article in L Annec ScieR-
tifque, IN which he advances the
claims of coffee as a means of pro-
longing human life. With respect to
| its beneficial influences he cites facts
in proTf of his position.
Quoting DR.. Petit, Chateau Thierry,
on the subject, he says:
f" Let Us transport ourselves to the
flontiers Of the Department du Nord,
to the coal mines of Charleroi, there
where thousands of men are bur
led every day for twelve hours in the
bowels Of the earth for the purpose of
extracting the enormous masses Of coal
required for feeding the furnaces of
our factories. We there see vigorous
workmen, whose exterior indicates
robust health and the greatest muscu-
lar development, and yet their food
IS neither substantial nor abundant /;
three or four cups of coffee a day. and
potatoes, and one pOuId of meat in
the week, is all the nodrishment sup
piled to the workmen in the coal-pits
of Charleroi. These men can live on
one quarter of the food that is neces-
saFy to keep up the force of other in
dividuals.
'' In the neighborhood of Riesen-
Berg, in Bohemia, in the midst of the
Krapack mountains, there exists a
race of poor people who almost all
follow the trade of weavers. For
years their food had been altogether
insufficient, being composed solely OF
potatoes; they were reduced to such a
state of wretchedness as to become to
some extent degenerate. Fortunately
the medical men Of the country
conceived the idea Of placing them
under a course of coffee. The trial
succeeded beyond all expectation, and
the weavers Of Rosenberg have no
longer cause to envy the health and
strength of the workmen of other
countries. For the purpose of facil-
itating the acquisition of that sanitary
substance of the poor mountaineers,
the Austrian Government has recently
abolished the duties that used to be
levied on the importation of coffee.
Coffee, says NJ. de Gasparin, renders
the element of our organism more
stable. 1t is observed that, under the
influence of coffee. the produce of the
secretions is more fluid, the respiration
less active, and, consequently, the loss
undergone by the absorbed substances
less rapid. A dimiuution of animal
heat has been observed under similar
circumstances.
3" This last consequence helps us to
understand the utility of coffee in hot
countries where the temperature is so
difficult to bear that it seems to wear
out the SPRINGS Of life. Our military
and naval authorities have made cofa e
form a part Of the ration of our soldiers
and sailors on active service. and have
reason to be satisfied with the result.
The use Of coffee has been of immense
benefit to our troops, as we'll in the
African deserts as in the Cfimes, in
Italy, and in China; the crews of our
aeets have also derived the same
hygienic advantages. 1t is of infinite
value to our soldiers in Mexico, and
principally in the Sierra Caliente, at
Vera Cruz, that hOt-bed of yellow
fever. As man advances in life, the
bOny tissue diminishes in quantity.
We know, for instance, how easily the
bones of old people are fractured.
This incident is consequent on the
slight resistance offered by the bone.
which becomes weakened by the
diminution of the organs. Now, to
point out the consequences Of this dis
appearance of the bony substance in
persons of advanced age. The phos-
DhOFic particles of the bones are alb
sorbed, carried away in the circulating
torrent and the molecules, thus moved
along by the blood, end by obliterating
the small blood-vessels or capillary
tubes.
lone of our learned professors of
the faculty Of medicine, NJ. G. Robin,
promulgated the idea of dissolving the
phosphal deposits by means of a
chemical agent; with Tactic acid, for
instance, it might be possible perhaps
to prevent this obstruction of the YES
sells, which is the frequent cause of
fatal congestion in the case of old
people, and thus to extend the limits
of human life. NJ. Petit is of opinion
that it is better to prevent the obstruc-
ton Of ehe vessels than to have to
combat it, when once in existence.
From the well-established fact that
coffee retards the movement of the
decomposition of the organs, N. Petit
concludes that by its habitual use the
life OF man might be prolonged beyond
its common duration,
H. therefnre recommends the use