The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-01-23
A WONDERFUL NUT.

1Cent services OIL certain prepara-
tions of it are realized an unspeak-
able boon will be conferred on mil
lions of the human race. For many
years it has been extensively used |
as an excellent beverage and sacred
symbol in the interior of Africa, but
now its properties have every rea-
son to be far more extensively util- |
lied. There is no doubt, from what |
is already known, that it has the ex-
traordinary property of counter
acting the influence of alcohol, of
giving a stimulont in wasting dis
eases, of acting as a powerful tonic
in cases of deep-seated injuries of
the digestive organs, of purifying
foul water, of overcoming the sense
of fatigue and of exciting to ardu-
Gus work with the least injury to the
frame.
1t appears that kola nuts were
originally found in the western ter
ritories of Africa, and that soldiers
stationed along the coast were the
first white men who became aware
of their peculiar property. They
found, for instance, that the chew
ing of these nuts prevented drunk
EN- headache. Not only so, but
some who have used the nut paste
as ''pick-meup" assert that, while
removing the nausea, it gives them
quite "skunner" at the smell of
whisky, and removes the irritating
desire for morning" to keep the
stomach hearty. If the paste be
mixed with cocoa paste, which it
resembles closely, it produces a
much finer and more nutritive choc-
olate. 1t has been shown by re-
peated experiments that the nerve
energy produced by partaking of
the chocolate made with kola paste
is ten times greater than that pro-
duced by an equal quantity of or
binary cocoa chocolate. So nutri-
tious is this kola that with single
cup of it q laborer can undergo q
days work without any sense of
WEAKNESS. Though it may not di-
rectly feed the muscular system, it
has the property of preventing the
rapid waste of the tissues. So much
have the manufacturers of chocolate
both in this country and abroad,
become alive to the excellent pro-
perties of the new paste, that they
are making arrangements to procure
it for mixing purposes as soon as its
price becomes reasonable
The British Government, too, has
gone the length of making expert
ments upon the paste in a pure
state, so as to ascertain the saving
which would be made in the transit
of provisions in time of war by giving
this beverage to the army. 1t is of
great service for purifying the foul
water which is so prevalent in hot
climates. This will be the proven
tive of many diseases, especially to
Europeans. 1t has also been found
very useful in clarifying beer and
spirits, acting much like the white
of an egg or isinglass. A COMPARE
son between the composition of
kola, tea, coffee and cocoa shows
that the proportion of caffeine is
higher in kola than in any of the
others, and it exceeds cocoa in the
obromine. Just as with tea among
old ladies, the kola maintains the
health and strength of the body in
an equal degree upon a smaller sup
ply of ordinary food, and arrests the
waste, enabling the less energetic
powers of digestion to supply as
much as is needed to repair the
wear and tear of the solid tissues.
The obromine of. cocoa resembles
the theme of tea and the caffeine Of
cocoa, and contains even larger
quantity of nitrogen. This element
in the kola is also very active, exer-
cising an exhilarating and soothing
hunger-stilling, and waste-retarding
effect upon the human system.
DR.. Nachtigal gives some inter.
esting information about the kola
nut from personal experience. He
tried it for some time himself, anC
in his book on the Soudan bears
testimony to the great power it ha'
over the system. The craving fol
it becomes more intense than tina
for either tobacco or alcohol, and he
had great difficulty in giving up it
use. In some places it is so highl.
priced that for the dry powder o
the nut an equal weight of gold dus
is given in exchange. Kola, too
works wonderful social charm
among the Soudanese. An inter
change of white kola between tw,
chiefs is like the snuff box between
two Highlanders-the mark 0
friendship and peace; but q rec
kola sent is indicative of defiance
When a young chief has made Vi
his mind that he would like Il
marry the princess of another trib
he sends to her mother a present O
white kola; with anxiety he wait
in return the arrival of the whit
kola as a symbol that his suit ha
been accepted, or the red kola as
hint that his suit has been grace
fully rejected, Marriage rejoicing
would be postponed or stopped if
was seen that the white kola wa
wanting among the brides presents