272 Mr. James Epps, Jun., on the Cacao Plant. 
starch, gum, and sugar form about thirteen per cent. of the 
whole, and, like the cocoa butter, belong to the non-azotised 
principles. The alkaloid of cocoa is theobromine, a specimen of 
which I have extracted from the finest cocoa; it represents 
about two per cent. of the bean. This alkaloid is very similar 
in its physiological effects to theine, the active principle of tea, 
and caffeine, the active principle of coffee, from which it differs 
but slightly in chemical composition. 
Theobromine C,H,N,O,. 
Theine . . 
Caffeine . ‘}OgHioN.Oz 
Theobromine is a gentle nerve-stimulant and waste of tissue 
preventer, similar to theine and caffeine. Analysts have not at 
present given us the percentage of volatile oil, which imparts the 
delightful odour to the cacao bean; but it exists in small quan- 
tities, and is only brought out during the roasting of the bean. 
I think at this point it would not be out of place to draw 
attention to three other plants which sometimes lead to confusion 
with the cocoa; they are :—'T'he coco-nut (Cocos nucifera) of the 
fruiterer, which yields coco-nut fibre, and the albumen of the 
seed, which yields a pale straw-coloured oil (coco-nut oil) ; this 
palm thrives in tropical countries along the sea-shore. The kola 
(Sterculia acuminata), which is grown in Africa; these nuts, 
when ground, are often mixed with chocolate and sold as kola- 
chocolate or kola-paste. And the coca (Hrythroawylon coca), 
which are the leaves of a plant largely grown in Peru; these 
yield the most highly-valued alkaloid ‘‘ cocaine.” 
In conclusion, I should like to draw your attention to the 
wonderful increase in the consumption of cocoa in this country 
during the last ten years :— 
Lb. Increase. 
1888 . . 18,227,017 
1889 . . 18,464,164 237,147 lb. 
1890 . . 20,224,175 1,760,011 
1891 . . 21,601,825 1,377,650 
1892 . . 20,797,288 D. 804,542 
1893. . 20,874,995 77,712 
1894. . 22,440,820 1,565,825 
1895 . . 24,484,502 2,043,682 
1896 . . 24,523,428 38,926 
