St. Tammany farmer., 1906-01-06

Every argument tnat coulu possibly
be called forth has been sent forward
in martial array against this deadly
foe of humanity-coffee.
But coffee still stands it's ground
against the vast army of substitutes
that have arisen in their endeavors to
overpower it. This greatest of intel
lectual drinks has been made the
scapegoat for many offenses. Let us
marshal an array of well-known forces
against the army that sallies forth to
warn us.
Coffee is valuable agent in assist
ing in the digestion of food, and aids
the blood in taking up more nourish-
ment than it otherwise would. It
guickens circulation and respiration. It
stimulates and refreshes. 1t is a SOW
creign remedy in tiding over nervous
ness in cases of emergency. AS stim-
ulant and caloric generator in cold
weather it is 100 per cent better than
spirituous liquors.
Coffee is a non-reactive stimulant, as
has been proved time and again by the
use of the sphygmograph. AS a brain
stimulant it may we'll be termed an
intellectual drink.
Coffee is the great nerve-restorer, in
stead of the nerve-destroyer-the gen.
eral medical fraternity to the contrary,
Notwithstanding. At the conclusion of
one of my lectures in Milwaukee some
years ago, after having made this state
ment, very prominent lady came for
ward to corroborate the same. She
was pronounced a nervous wreck, hau
been under the care of the most emil
nent nerve specialists in New York,
Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston, but
was not cured. She went to England
to consult the best known specialist in
that country. He cured her. She re-
turned to this country the picture OF
health. His remedy? Black coffee,
with plain diet, three times day.
Coffee is a prime factor in stimulat-
ing the brain for bodily as we'll as for
mental strength. The Belgian miners
perform tn, most vigorous labor, be-
yond the average of French miners.
with much less food than they; with
even less than the inmates of the work
houses They have solved this prob
lem of how to nourish themselves COM
pletely and preserve health and great
vigor of muscular strength upon a
diet containing less than half of the
nutritive principles of that indicated
by observation in Europe. Coffee is
the potent factor. The distinctive Pc
culiarity of the diet of the Belgian
miners is due to the use of this cere-
bral stimulant. They use, three times
a day, half a pint or more of black
coffee, using no other beverage; coffee,
bread and butter being the major diet.
This gives a stimulus to vitality which
resists the rapid disintegration of the
tissues, and by diminishing the amount
of excretion, the necessity for food is
diminished in proportion. M. Gasperin,
of the French academy, in giving the
report of the foregoing, concludes by
saying: 1--WE know how sober people
are who drink coffee"
= .
Coffee is valuable remedial agent,
Or rather a preventive, where there are
epidemics of typhoid fever, cnolera,
erysipelas, scarlet fever and the vari-
Gus types of malarial fever, which are
transmitted almost entirely through
food and drink. In such cases coffee
should be substituted for water. But
food and water do not do all the mis-
chief, as malaria (mal-aria, bad air) is
partially responsible. In all malarial
districts black coffee should be and
generally is ON tap at all times. As a
rule, in all such districts, it is custom
ary to drink cup of black coffee be-
fore exposing ones self to the MAS
matte Influences; quite often it is taken
before arising.
Coffee is often condemned because it
is only a stimulant and is said not to
possess any food value. would refer
you to the analysis of coffee as given
by Sir Henry Thompson (than whom
there is no greater dietetist). Caffeine,
the active principle of coffee (the one
thing considered so harmfuD, only 1.24
per cent; albuminoids, 1898; and 9th
er nitrogenous matter, 45.09," etc.
quote only that analysis bearing more
directly on the point in question.
Coffee is a slow poison" said a
family physician to friend of mine.
1T must be, very slow indeed" was
the reply, "as have been using it for
90 years"
This is a progressive age and theo-
ries must step aside in the presence of
demonstrated facts.
A cup of black coffee after dinner
prevents unnatural lamentations and
allows digestion to proceed. Strong
coffee is much better for one than weak
coffee. Why? Because strong coffee is
antiseptic; weak coffee is ferment.
causing "sour stomach" and thereby
frequently upsets the digestion of the
entire meal.
avoid tea and coffee,' says one;
drink milk another; drink nothing
at meals chimes in another; drink
all the coffee you want proclaims an
other as he demonstrates its beneficial
effects. So there we are.
My own experience may prove help
full to others. Many years ago I used
to suffer with indigestion to the ex-
tent that it interfered with the proper
junction Of the heart and, at regular
periods, the liver rebelled. was told
by the family physician that it was all
que to the coffee drank, although I
in my ignorance used an abundance of
cream to weaken (?) it. believed