The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-06-28
THE USE OF COFFEE.
A Writer Who Holds ~ TO lie a blessing -
Poor aud TO Rich.

a Writer Who Holds ~ to lie a blessing -
Poor aud To Rich.
We are persuaded. from our obser-
walton OF many years In Greece and
Turkey, that the moderate use OF pure
coffee is--one might almost say-a
blessing 10 rich and poor. Excess In
its use. or the use OF II at all. except
when tho decoction Is made from the
genuine cOTee-berry and properly
made, Il, beyond any question. an evil
One must live in the East for awhile
or. II not there. cOnine himself 20 par
taking Of the beverage in other cOun-
tries. where the character Of the cafe.
or the house whore IL Is served, Is "a
guarantee Of its purity-tO appreciate
what "cup Of coffee really means.
II Is rccOgn nod fact that the MIXTURE
drunk by the majority OF people in
Europe aud our own G untry, under
tho name Of coffee. Is "A vile or at tho
best, AN adultcratcd compound Of in
feriOr berries. bsans Or other substi-
tutcs. and that when occasionally the
genuine cOfTcc-borry Is tho basis Of tho
hot fluid served at the hotels, railroad
stations. restaurants and even In pri-
yatc houses Is not prepared properly,
and ~ ro frequently than otherwise
Injuries the digestion and. consequent
". the health Of the constant drihker.
In Athens. broadly speaking, every
third man indulgcs in cigarcttc-smok-
ing and cOfIcc-drinking, and this TO an
ex cnt that astOni.hcs the stranger.
It Is AN everyday sight, when entering
an Office or private sitting-room. and
not infrcqucntly the family room, 10
see the tObaccO-bOx, cigarette paper
and ash-box lying on the table, and
! the visitor is expected, without invita-
| tiOn, 10 help himself and light his
cigarette, as n preparation for, and II
| companion 20. conversation. Little
| cups Of black coffee follow as n matter
! OF course. however early or late tho
| hour may be. But the Greek does not
cOnnnc his attYtions TO the corcc-cuF
! 90 these occasions. He often takes his
first cigarette md his first cup in bed
! before rising. and continues the
! practice at intervals through the en-
! tire day. II Is something akin to tho
habit Of Ice water drinking in tho
| United States, but without the subtitle,
| injurious results that follow an habit
ual use OF cold liquids, wi ich chill tho
stomach, impair the general health
and produce docaycd teeth. So far as
our personal observation goes,
Strengthened by medical testimony, tho
Greeks in the condition OF their
general health do not support tho
theory that tho habitual use Of coffee
Injuries the system or affects the oyo-
sight
Tho same Is the case In Turkey.
! There cofTcc-drinking IL universal and
continuous. The writer passed tho
grcatcr part Of four years at Constan-
tinople, where he had occasion 10 call
upon the officials Of the Sub lime Porte
30 frequently that 1t would be difficult
TO enumcrato these official visits; and
with few exceptions, whom the visit
was protractcd TO any length, black
coffee. pure In quality and prepared
with the grounds, was regularly served
In small, delicate cups. All Turks,
from the highest TO tho lowest, indulge
In tho beverage, few swallows at n
time, throughout the day, and without
any evil effects. What makes the fact
the moro remarkable Is that neither
tho scdcntary habits Of the Turk, nor
the quick, energetic temperament OF
the Grcok seems To be affected by tho
perpetual imbibing OF this beverage
Spcctaclos, it may be remarked, are IA
littlo used in Turkey M in Greece; nor
are complaints Of tho eyes moro prev
alent, II we except ophthalmia, which
Is brought from Egypt and exists
chiefly among the unclcan and disso-
| lutte lower orders. An old Pasha once
told IA that no considered coffee TO be
one Of tho greatest blessings vouch-
safrd by Allah To the faithful, not only
for its grateful aroma, but from its
health-prcscrving qualities. He ro-
fcrrod. of course, To tho "divino borry"
OF Mocha, aud not tho questionable
compound served up in the "intider'
countries of the West North Amcri-
can Royiew.