The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-21
Medical Care
By LOGAN CLENDENING, M. D

By LOGAN CLENDENING, M. D.
The Imam of Shehode Monas-
terry decided to make a drink out
of some berries that had b e e n
foung growing on a bush on a
nearby hillside. The berries were
hard and black and, though crush
ed with a spoon, he could not dis.
solve them in cold water. But or
heating them in a chatting dish
over the embers on his hearth,
they sweated and dried, and dark
ened, so that when he crushed
them in a mortar and poured boil
ing water on them, he made q
dark brew with a pleasant and
stimulating aroma.
He poured himself a beaker Of
the steaming decoction, which ad
a bitter, woodenish taste, but ere
ated a soothing glow over his mind
and body. He lay down and com
posed himself for sleep, but sleer
did not come. Instead, a state Of
delicious mental activity, almost
like an intoxication, ensued. The
Imam, being a fervent Moslenl,
had had no experience with drunk.
enness and a afraid he had com
mitted a mortal sin. He felt g
quickened beating Of his heart ano
he had a sense of lightness ano
power in his limbs. He took anoth'
er beaker of the beverage anc
was active, cheerful and alert. His
thoughts ere as if they were liv'
ing animals. He finally fell into q
light sleep and awoke refr ;shed
This, according to tradition, is
the first human experience with
coffee. 1t has been a companion Of
human beings ever since. Introduc
ed into Europe in the seventeenth
century, it drove out alcoholic bev,
erages. I had popular appeal arc
coffee houses were established
where the beverage was taken in
c%essantly. Some of the modern cot
tee-drinkers who acquire a reputa
ton for consuming 80 cups a LAY
would have been considered anna
teurS IN those days.
The effects which the aLcien
Imam noticed are still the one!
which make it popular-a sense O.
lively intellectuation, relief of ia
tigue, increased muscular tone ane
strength of the heart beat.
Naturally, any beverage which
gives as much human happines!
as coffee will soon be regarded b,
the puritanical element in the pop
ulation IS being harmful. The puri
tans do not want any human being
to have a good time, and any arti
fetal means to that end is imme
diately suspect.
When it comes to coffee, how
ever, they have a hard time t.
prove their point. Of course, tn,
excessive use of any medicame1
is more or less harmful, but caff
cine probably never causes any
thing but functional changes-ne
permanent tissue damage, no mat
ter in what quantity it is taken
A prominent writer on the eff
fects of drugs say, ut is impor.
tant to remember tina caffeine ha.
no effect or brain protoplasm ex
cept to increase its functinnal act
ivity. Caffeine does not produce
brain exhaustion unless it is taker
in such a manner and in such
large quantities as to interfere
with sleep, rest and the taking Of
food in ordinary quantities. 1t has
been shown that an individual is
enabled to do more mental work
in a given space of time with caff
cine than he is capable of doing
without it, and that this increased
work is not followed BIS depression
or exhaustion. In other words, il
acts as a lubricant does in mach.
merry, increasing ability without
causing exhaustion"
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
M. M: Il am writing you fol
advice as to how I may gain ir
weight. Am in the late teens anc
in normal health but I can't seem
to bring my weight much above
100 pounds"
AnsWer-The assumption that 8
thin person is in normal health is
quite a large one. The first part oil
a program for gaining weight is tc
have a complete examination SC
as to rule out tuberculosis, diabe
ties and other diseases which cause
emaciation. Unquestionably tn r
people eat less and have less de.
sine to eat than they should. Ply.
sjcians of my acquaintance who
are them selves thin and who have
studied the question admit this,
and say they haven't the interest
IN eating th~t an overweight per.
son has.