10 



deprive smokers from the enjoyment of a cigar; but the in- 

 terest attached bo this novelty attests the rarity of such pro- 

 pert Lea among drugs. 



Caffeine lias made its principal mark in modern medicine 

 as a cardiac tonic and diuretic, applicable in advanced cases 

 of dropsy depending on structural defects of the heart. 

 Caffeine was discovered and isolated from coffee by Runzi as 

 early as 1819, and was fully described by Pelletier, the dis- 

 coverer of quinine, in 1821, and was studied by many others 

 in the interval; but it was left to Professor Gubler, of Paris, 

 and to Dr. Sansom, of London, and some other English phy- 

 sicians to bring out, in our own day, its great value as a 

 cardiac tonic. By strengthening the force of the heart, the 

 general blood-pressure is increased, the kidneys are impelled 

 into action, and the dropsies of advanced heart-disease 

 disappear. The surprising effects following the judicious use _ t 

 of caffeine, as published by leading physicians, would of 

 themselves be a strong testimony to show how rapidly pro- 

 gressive modern medicine has become. 



Citrate of caffeine was first principally used in a nervous 

 disease known a? sick-headache, megrim or migraine. For 

 slight attacks of this disorder coffee itself, and kola beve- 

 rage also, as I am able to state, can be used with advantage. 

 Before the introduction of caffeine, coffee was in vogue for 

 this purpose, and is tints referred to by Trousseau: " Slight 

 migraines almost always yield to it. Rationalist physicians 

 would establish many and capital distinctions, but domestic 

 empiricism does better than the severest science, and coffee 

 is able to cure almost all headaches, at least such as are not 

 tiie prelude to or the symptom of a fever, or an acute disease." 



Caffeine is known to exert a stimulating action upon the 

 liver, and to promote the secretion of bile. This fact may be 

 taken into account as explanatory of the reputation of kola- 

 nut in Western Africa in the cure of liver diseases, while to 

 its combined nervo-stimulant, anaesthetic and tonic effects may 

 also be ascribed the success of kola in Africa when employed 

 for the relief of dyspeptic and intestinal disorders. Sufficient 

 proof has accumulated in Jamaica to establish the value of 

 kola as an anti-dyspeptic. Between four and five years ago 

 a gentleman was in correspondence with me on the subject of 

 kola beverage, and he was induced to try it, not by my special 

 recommendation, but by his own desire. I simply pointed 

 out how it might be used. He afterwards reported himself 

 as completely cured by the use of the byssi, Mr. Morris's 

 testimony on this point, given as far back as 1884, is suMi- > 

 ciently positive and convincing. Since the product lias come 

 to be sold in the public markets, its use has become more 

 general, and I have heard a good deal of approval of it. In 



