COIK 



883 



488 



nation for the living organism to effect ; one already paralleled in the generation of 

 hippuric acid in urine, by the introduction of benzoic acid into the stomach : a phy- 

 siological discovery which promised to lead to a more successful treatment of somo 

 of the most formidable diseases of man, particularly gout and gravel. 



COFFEE BOASTING AND GEINDING. 

 The gratefulness of the beverage afforded 

 by this seed depends upon many circum- 

 stances, which are seldom all combined. 

 It may be ruined in the roasting ; for if 

 some berries be under and some over 

 done, the whole when ground will yield 

 an unpalatable infusion. The due point 

 to which the torrefaction should be 

 carried may be determined partly by the 

 colour and partly by the loss of weight, 

 which points, however, are different for 

 each sort of coffee. But perfeat equality 

 of ustulation is difficult of attainment 

 with the ordinary cylindrical machines. 

 Messrs. Law, of London and Edinburgh, 

 had long been dissatisfied with the 

 partial manner in which the cylinder 

 performed its duty, as it generally left 

 some part of its contents black, some 

 dark brown, and others paler; results 

 which greatly injure the flavour of the 

 beverage made with the coffee. Mr. 

 William Law overcame these difficulties 

 by his invention of the globular roaster, 

 actuated by a compound motion like 

 that of our earth. This roaster, with 

 its double rotatory motion, is heated not 



over an open fire, but in an atmosphere of hot air, through a cast-metal casing. 

 The globe is so mounted as to revolve horizontally, and also from time to time 

 vertically, whereby the included beans are tossed about and intermingled in all direc- 

 tions, and inequality of torrefaction is scarcely possible. The position of the globe 

 in fig. 488 shows it as turned up by a powerful leverage out of the cast-iron heater, 

 preparatory to its being emptied and re-charged. 



Messrs. Dakin and Co. have patented, and have now for some years used, another 

 kind of apparatus, which consists mainly of steam-chests upon the upper surface of 

 which the coffee is roasted. The advantages of this arrangement appear to be that 

 the coffee berries are spread over the heated surface in a thin layer, and thus every 

 berry is equally exposed to the regulated action of the steam heat. The whole being 

 exposed to view, it can bo seen when the roasting has been carried to its proper point. 



Our Imports of coffee have been as follow: 



COGXTAC. The finest kind of French brandy, distilled from wine so called 

 from the town of Cognac, in the department of Charente. See BBANDY. 



COIR. The outer coating of the cocoa-nut, often weighing one or two pounds, 

 when stripped off longitudinally, furnishes the fibres called by the native name of 

 Coir, and used for small cables and rigging. 



In England these fibres are used in matting and for coarse brash work. In Price 



3L2 



