404 MEM OIK S of the 
Coffee 
Horfe -beans 
Wheat 
oz, dr. ,=) 
Neat Spirit VI VI O 
Oil II IV II 
Cap. Mort. V III O 
oz, dr, ,h) gr, 
VI I O XII 
I III O X 
V III o o 
oz, dr, a gr. 
VIII II I o 
I O O VI 
IV VI o o 
« 
By this account it appears, that coffee yields by diftillation in a 
retort almoft double as much oil as beans, and almofl: treble as 
much as wheat : The oils are very thick, but both they and the 
Ipirits have a bad favour, as is ufual in burnt materials j by fpirit 
is meant the phlegm ^ the Capita Mortua have no fmell 5 they 
were calcined over and over with ail the chymift's art 5 but he 
could not reduce them to a Calx or aflies, and therefore concluded 
there was no lalt to be extra6ted from them : From what has 
been mentioned above, Mr. Houghton obferves, that little good 
can be expefted from any part of the common drink called coffee, 
but from its oil, becaufe its other fubtile parts are evaporated and 
its grofs parts fubfide ; but he fuppofes the oil is nutritive, con- 
lidercd as an oil, and warm, confidered as a chemical oil • for 
here all the warm parts are collected as in a point, whereby it 
may enliven and invigorate fome heavy parts in the fermentative 
juices and nouridi weak internal parts, as other chemical oils do 
when rubbed on the external parts 3 but being dilated, as it ufu- 
ally is, he queftions whether it does any more good than hot tea, 
broth, or any thing elfe that is actually hot 5 for he fuppofes, that 
a6lual and potential heat are much of the fame operation : Coffee 
has generally been reckoned to be an Anti-hypnotic ^ or hinderer 
of fleep, according to the opinion of Dr. WalUs and others j but 
now it is come into fuch frequent ufe, the contrary is often ob- 
lerved, altho' perhaps cuftom, as it does with opium, alters its na- 
tural qualities : As to the political ufes of coffee, our three king- 
doms fpend about 100 tun a year, whereof i>/^toi fpends 70 ; 
which at 14 pounds a tun (a middling price now a-days) will 
amount to 20 5 85/. ilerling; and if it were to be all fold in cof- 
fee-houles it would amount to treble that fum or to di 740 pounds, 
which at 10 pounds a-head, will find employment for 9174 per- 
Ibns, altho' he fuppofes that all the people of England one with 
another, do not ipend five pounds each: Coffee when roafted, 
lofes about a fourth part, and then there is fpent about 5 2 tun 
and a half of roafted coffee, which makes 11 7^00 pound, or 
15252800 drachms, which, if there are eight millions of people, 
is not two drachms, or half a pint of coftee to each in a year, be- 
fides what we uie, there is a great deal fent abroad, the gain of 
which 
