Los Angeles herald., 1890-10-21
COCOA AND COCAINE.
THEY ARE MADE FROM ALToGETHER
DIFFERENT SHRUBS.

The introduction and the common use
Of the terms coca" and ''cocoa," appli-
cable to medicinal substances, have had
the effect Of confusing peoples minds
with regard to the source and prepara-
tion, and, in some cases, creating pref
udice against the use Of wholly different
Dubstances-ohocolate and cocoa. The
medicinal wines of cocoa and the pow
erful alkaloids and nerve stimulants, CO.
caine and hygrine, are prepared from
the leaves Of erythroxylon coca, shrub
indigenous to Peru and Bolivia, wholly
different to theobroma cacao, a small
but beautiful tree, which grows luxuri-
antly both wild and cultivated in the
northern parts Of South America, Cen
tral America, Mexico and the West In
dies, from the seeds of which chocolate
and cocoa, and (from the OLD cocoa oint-
ment or "butter," are prepared.
When the Spaniards first visited Mex
ico, four centuries ago, they found the
natives using chocolate. It was intro
duced into Europe as early as 1920, and
has since been more or less extensively
used in every civilized country. Lin
neus was 30 fond of it that he gave to
the tree from which it was obtained
the name Of Theobroma-food for the
gods Chocolate and cocoa are only two
forms Of the same substance.
HOW COCOA Is OBTAINED.
The tree twice year yields crop Of
reddish spongy fruit, shaped somewhat
like cucumber. The ripe fruit being
collected at the decline Of the moon, the
tres continues its yield for twenty or
thirty years. Each fruit or pod con-
tains from six to fifty beans-usually
about twenty-and there are from ten
TO twenty pounds of such beans from
each tree at each crop. The beans are
usually about the size Of large almonds.
They are frequently from confusion
Of flanguage) called indifferently "beans,"
seeds. I" nuts, " "berries," and "fruits, I"
but their character will be better under
stood by regarding them as beans con-
tanned within pod. They are gener-
ally picked out and dried for exporta-
tion.
Besides the beans the pulp contains
creamy and cordial juice, and by steam
ing and pressing the beans will yield
one-third Of their weight Of kind of
butter to which the richness of cocoa is
due.
For preparing the beverage material
the beans are exported in their original
state, to be converted into cocoa or choc-
oaate by manufacturing process. They
are first roasted in slowly rotating ovens,
then broken by machine into such state
that the husks may be separated from
the kernels by blast of air, and they
are afterward treated and beaten and
converted into a pulp by means of their
own oil.
The pulp, when ground between mill
stones till it assumes a consistency some
thing like that Of treacle, is in state to
receive any Of the notifications that
will fit it for the market. It may be
:.'plain Cocoa" or Homeopathic cocoa"
OF vanilla chocolate;" it may have ar
rowroot or sago or sugar mixed with it;
OF II the manufacturers be tinctured
with roguery there may perchance be
bean meal or other adulterants mixed
with the pulp.
CHOCOLATE IN MANY FORMS.
The pulp, when fully prepared in any
Of these diverse ways, is cast into large
molds; the cakes thus produced are cut
into minute shreds by machine, and the
ihreds are rubbed, sifted and packed for
sale.
The preparations of cocoa and choco-
late made in France are more numerous
than usually made in England or the
United States; they comprise vanilla
chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate bon
bous, chocolate papillotes, chocolate
CRACKERS, chocolate pastilles, chocolate
with taraxacum or with sarsaparilla,
chocolate with tar-in short, there is no
end to the list; for once admit the prin-
cipal Of mixing cocoa with vegetable in
fuEons or decoctions or essences and
the variety becomes interminable.
Tho French limit themselves to the
me- Of the word Chocolate" derived
hum the Mexican name of the plant
(chocolatl); they seldom speak of "cocoa" :"
What are called ''cocoa nibs" are the
beans roughly crushed "Flake cocoa"
also, il another name for the beans when
crushed between rollers, but before any
thing else has been added to them. The
husk Of the seed after roasting con-
tains good deal of nutriment; indeed,
20 do the pods likewise, and all three are
more or less used in making cheap
cocoa.
The plant is certainly used in more
wxys than coffee-drank as a thick decoc-
tion (made to somewhat resemble grueD,
made into various CONNECTIONS and pas
tries, eaten as bonbons, etc.-while a
poor decoction is drank in some places
by boiling the husks separated from the
beans.
While chocolate and cocoa contain an
essential principle, theobromine, COM
parable to caffeine and theine-the aka
loids Of coffee and tea-it is much less
potent as disturber of the nervous sys-
tenn; and chocolate and cocoa are pro
portionally more welcome as beverage,
besides possessing specially nutritive
qualities, which render them much
more sustaining than tea.-Dr. h N.
Bell in Sanitarian.
AZ the Savings Bank.