146 THE MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



ance and destroying the foetid odor. It corrects the unhygienic 

 properties of non-potable water and therefore enters into the 

 army and navy ration of nearly all the nations of Europe. In 

 epidemics of disease every physician should advise its use in 

 mild infusion as a regular beverage. 



Dr. Luderitz, experimenting in the Hygienic Institute of 

 Berlin, reported that no bacteria could resist the action of coffee 

 in infusion. He attributed this action not only to the tannin, 

 which is present in high percentage, but principally to the em- 

 pyreumatic substances formed by the roasting. The caffeine 

 takes no part in this action. Dr. Luderitz exposed the coffee 

 to the open air for six days and found it free from bacteria at 

 the end of that time. Whatever may be the explanation of its 

 activity the fact remains that coffee is highly antiseptic, and 

 this should be kept in mind by physicians not only because it 

 is everywhere easily obtained and an infusion easily prepared, 

 but because it in addition possesses the great advantage of being 

 nontoxic. 



The chemical analysis of the seed is as follows : 



Cellulose 34.000 



Water 12.000 



Fatty matters 10 to 13.000 



Glucose, dextrin, undetermined acid. 15.500 



Legumin, caffeine 10.000 



Chlorogenate of caffeine and potassa 3.500 to 5.000 



Albuminoids 3.000 



Caffeine, free. 800 



Essential oil, solid. 001 



" " liquid 002 



Mineral substances 6.697 



Caffeine, the only one of the ingredients that interests us, was 

 discovered by Hunge in 1821 and recognized as an alkaloid 



