Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-07-16
NUMBER 20.
rng use or COFFEE.
writer whs Hold. Q, Ia ne . Bis..ias
to Poor ssd Rich


te Peor aud Rich
We are persuaded. from our observa-
ton Of many years In Greece and Tur-
key, that tho moderate use of pure coffee
is, one might almost say. q blessing 20
rich and poor. Excess In its Use, or the
use OF Il at all. except when the decoc-
ton Ia made from the genuine coffee
berry. and properly made, Is beyond any
question an evil One must live In tho
Fast for while. or II not there oonhns
himself 10 partaking of the beverage In
other countries where the character Of
the cafe. OF the house where 10 Il served.
IL q guarantee Of tho purity. 60 appre-
ciais what q cup % coffee really means
IL IL recognized fact that the mixture
drunk by the ms iority of people In fu'
rope and our own country under the
name ~ coffee u vile. OF. az the best.
an adulterated compound of inferior ber'
ries. beans or other substitutes, and that
when occasionally the genuine coffee
berry Is the basis of the hot fiuid served
at the hotels. railroad stations. restau-
rants and even In private houses, IL u
not prepared properly. and more fire.
quently than otherwise injures the digc--
ton and. consequently. the health Of the
constant drinker.
In Athens. broadly speaking. every
third man indulges in cigarette smoking
and coffee drinking. and this 20 an en-.
tent that astonishes the stranger. II is
an every day sight. when entering an
Office or private sitting room, and not
infrequcnily the family room, 10 see the
tobacco box. cigarette paper and Ash
box lying on the table, and the visitor 10
expected. without invitation. 10 help
himself and light his cigarette, a. a
preparation for. and a companion 20,
conversation. Little cups of black cof-
ever early or late the hour may bo. Hut
the Greek dos not contine his Aiten-
tinns To the coffee cup on these occa-
sions tie often taxes his hnt cigarette
and his first cup IN bcd before rising.
and continues the practice at intervals
through tho entire day. IL l. something
akin 10 the habit u Ice water drinking
In the United State. but without the
subtle. injurious results that follow an
habitual use of cold liquids. which chill
the stomach. impair the general health
and produce dccayed teeth. - FAR as
our personal observation goes. strength
encd by medical testimony. the Greeks
In the condition u their general health
b. Got support the theory that the
habiiual Use of coffee Injuries the sys-
TEN or Affects the eyesight.
The same Is the case In Turkey. There
codcc drinking l. universal and o0ntin-
uous Tho writer passed a greater part
Of four years In Constantinople, where
he had occasion 30 call upon the officials
of the Sublime Porte ~ frequently that
II would b. diffcult 90 cnumerate thess
official visits. and with few exceptions.
when the visit was protracted 10 any
length. black cofec. pure In quality and
prepared with the grounds, Vas regularly
served In small. delicate cups. All
Turks. from the highest to the lowest,
indulge In the beverage, few swallows
at a time. throughout the day, and with
out any evil effects What makes the
fact more remarkable Il that neither the
sedentary habits of the Turk nor the
quick. cnergctsc temperament ~ the
Creek sccms 10 b. affected by the Or
petual imbibing u this beverage sIsc-
tacles. IL may b. remarked, are a. little
usod in Turkey a. In Grccce; nor are
complaints u tbe eyes more prevalent, II
Ne except ophthalmla, which l. brought
from Egypt and exists chiefly among the
unclcan and dissolute lower orders. An
old pasha Once told us that be considered
coffee 10 b. one of the greatest blessings
youchsafed by Allah 10 the faithful. not
only from it, grateful aroma, but from
it, health preserving qualities. He re-
ferred. of course. to the divine berry
of Mocha. and not 10 the questionable
compound served up In the "inhdel-
countries of the west.-Sorth American
Review