The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-01-09
usEs OF CAFFEINE.
properties Possessed by This AlkaIoid SnA
It's Derivatives.

Properties Possessed by This AlkalDid 22A
Its Derivatives.
Persons who have travelled IN fac-od
lands have been bringing back with
them for some time now startling &C.
counts about the stimulating properties
of various plants, of which the native
populations make use to enable them to
furnish considerable amount of work
without taking any food. Thus, IN
South America they tell US of the coca,
mate and guarano plants; in Africa. of
the kola nut and in Asia of tea and cof-
fee. In Europe we have, of course, en-
deavored to verify and to utilize the
precious qualities of these natural prod
ucts; tea and coffee have entered into
common use, especially as intellectual
stimulants, and several recent expert
nents show clearly what services these
substances can render to facilitate work
But the researches carried out by
chemists have made it known that near.
ly ali of these plants, with the excep-
ton of few, such "a the coca, contain
caffeine. 1t is therefore in the study Of
physiological properties of this aka
loid that we find the explanation of these
apparently supernatural phenomena.
number of Psychologists have al
ready taken up the question, but in
their publications we find nothing but
contradictions on contradictions. Ac-
action of the poison affects only the
muscles; according to others, it acts eX-
clusively on the nervous system.
1t has become more important than
ever to open this question anew now
that we are endeavoring to utilize in
the army the properties of caffeine and
to try to find out more exactly the man
ner in which it acts on the nutritive
functions, NJ. See has been making ex-
pertmepts with a spec es of cake made
out of kola nut and which Prof, Heokel
has already tried with success in the
army, He has come to the conclusion
that caffeine and its derivatives possess
the two following properties,
!, They facilitate muscular work and
allow 1T to be kept up for long time
without fatigue.
2. They allow US to go without food
for considerable length OF time when
We have anything to do requiring a deal
Of exertion.
Experiments made on series of thir=
ty individuals in good health and with
out sign of CARDIAC or pulmonary dis
ease, have shown that in the generality
of cases the exertion of running does
not modify the respiratory rhythm in
persons under the influence OF eaffeinei
whereas, without caffeine the loss of
breath increases tho number OF respira-
tions threefold. In a word it can be
said that caffeine placesa man who is
act in training in the condition of a
trained athlete.
Caffeine prevents loss of breath and
palpitations after an exertion, and this
is point of no small Importance, ANY
ene going through any violent and pro-
lpnged exercise is, by its use, put on
the same footing with a person having
taken q course of training,
Caffeine has not the property of taking
the place of food. 1t does nothing but
replace the general tonic stimulation
produced by taking food. For, in fact.
# we admit that it is the direct immedi.
ate action of food which stimulates the
stomach and the nervous system, and
that it's alimentary value has print.
lively nothing to do with IT, one stimur
liant could be subst ituted for another
under these conditions. But caffeine,
so far from econOmizing our reserves,
will only put man deprived of food in
a condi ton to resume work by drawing
on these reserves, of which it hastens
the destruction by stimulating the
nervous system, and, through its inter.
msdiary, that of the muscles. From
that moment the organism will soon ex-
haust it's nutritive stock, and caffeine
will not be able to prevent it, though
being of indubitable yet temporary use
for the physical forces.-N. Y. Herald.