Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-01-19
OPINIONS OF
OTHER EDITORS
IN PRAISE oF CoEFEE

After three years of research
at cost of $4,000, Prof. Sam
ual c. Prescott Of the Massachus-
etts Institute of Technology has
come to the conclusion that cof-
fee as q beverage is not injurious
but, on the contrary, that it aids
both mental and physical activi-
ty. Speaking before the Nation
al Coffee Roasters' association in
Boston, says the Boston Tran
script in a report of the meeting,
he declared that coffee is fatigue
relieving, and both increases the
power to do muscular work and
the power of concentration nee
essary for mental effort. Frof.
Prescott is head of the depart
ment of biology and public health
at the institute and, it seems, has
had direct supervision of the spe-
cial study started by the coffee
men to learn the truth about their
product During continuous ex-
perimentation, an entire labora-
tory has been devoted to the pur-
poses Of research. Professor
Prescott is reported as saying:
After weighing the evidence, a
dispassionate evaluation of the
data so comprehensively survey
ed has led to no conclusions that
coffee Is an injurious beverage
for the great mass of human be-
inBs, but, on the contrary, that
the history of human experience,
as well as the results of the scien-
tific experimentation, point to the
fact that coffee is a beverage
which properly prepared and
rightly used, gives comfort and
Inspiration, augments mental and
physical activities, and may be re-
garded as the servant rather than
the destroyer of civilization.
Coffee, if properly prepared,
has a remarkable stimulating
and fatigue-relieving effect, due
to the action of caffein, which
acts on the central nervous sys-
TEN. It promotes heart action
mildly, increases the power to do
muscular work, and increases the
power OF concentration of men,
tai effort, and therefore is an
aid to sustained FRAMEWORK. 1t
has no Oppressive after-effect. 1t
IS not habit-forming, and does
not require continually increasing
quantities to give satisfactory
stimulation. The action of caf-
fem might be hkened for pur-
pose of Installation to lubrica-
ton of machines, although the
analogy is not perfect"
This is high praise, comments
the Transcript, on its editorial
page, and adds that it core
spends with the prevailing judy
ment of Americans, who habitual-
ly consume rather more coffee
than any other people in the
world. 1t goes on:
This scientific praise Of coffee
will perhaps arouse the propa-
gandist activities Of the partizans
Of tea, If coffee is beneficent,
what about that other comfort Of
the harassed human race, the
Cathayan cup which cheers but
not inebirates? Can not all that
the professor has said for coffee
be also said for tea? There is,
Of course, the tannin in tea,
which is in coffee. 1t all comes
down to Professor Prescott's pre-
liminary phrase properly prepar-
ed and rightly used. Even cot
fee can be abused; there may be
too much of a good thing. A
wholesome limit must be placed
upon coffee as wen as tea. 1t is
the merit of both Of these subs
stances, used as a beverage, that
they do not readily lend them
selves to abuse nor ordinarily
/ produce dangerous reactions
/ They are Of solid benefit TO the
human race" - Manufacturers
/ Record.