78 



The Cola nut contains moreover a large amount of starch, i.e. 

 about one third of its weight which gives it a high nutritive value. 

 As a matter of fact, it is largely used as a food in Africa, mixed with 

 milk and honey. In Jamaica it is used as cocoa and chocolate, 

 pre])arcd by grating the dry nut into powder and mixing in 

 boiling water, with milk and sugar. " Some people use the Cola 

 " nut regularly at breakfast in this manner, and consider it superior 

 "to everything else of the kind," (Kew Bulletin, 1890). 



Chemical Composition. 



The chemical composition of Cola nuts, dry and fresh, 

 variously given, as follows : 



IS 



Dr. Fi-ankland Dent, Government Analyst, Straits Settlements, 

 who kindly undertook the analysis of four nuts from the Economic 

 (jlardens, found that tliev contain : 

 Water .. .. ' .. .. .. .. 42.767o 



Caffeine containing a trace only of llieoibromine, calculat- 

 ed on the dry sample . . . . . . 1.61% 



It should be stated that these nub; were not fresh from the 

 tree, but had been kept for some time in a closed tin, which would 

 account for the water-content being lower than appears in the above 

 analyses. 



Heferring now to the weight of nuts, dry and fresh, in ray 

 weighings as given al)ove, which average: 



fresh 21 nuts to 16 ounces or 454 grammes 

 dry 33 nuts to 16 ounces or 454 grammes 

 it will be found, according to the figures of Knox and Preseott, 

 that : 



grammes. 

 100 fresh nuts weighing 21(;2 grammes contain of Caff'eine 



free and combined . . . . . . 66.37 



100 dry nuts weigliing 1375 grammes contain of Caffeine 



free and combined . . . . . . 50.36 



