148 THE HUMAN MOTOR 



The active principle of coffee, tea, kola or cocoa is " cafein," 

 an alkaloid derived from an analagous body, " theobromin," 

 both existing in the aliments above named. Other alkaloid pro- 

 ducts are also found in them such as: "kolatin," "kolanin," and 

 " betain," closely related to cafein. 



Tea in dried leaves represents about 3 Calories per gramme. 

 Mate, the tea of Paraguay (also called the tea of the Jesuits or 

 the missions) is the same ; and also the Catha Edulis of the 

 Afghans, f 1 ) 



Coffee and cocoa give 4 Calories per gramme, and are as widely 

 used as tea. Coffee has an almost universal character. Cocoa is 

 very much in use in Paraguay and Bolivia ; tea in England, etc. ( 2 ) 



The " kola nut " average weight 7 grammes, is widely spread 

 in Africa, principally on the ivory coast ; its energetic value 

 being 3-75 calories per gramme, in the dry state. It is taken 

 infused, often mixed with cocoa, and the natives chew it, and 

 draw from it a beneficial neuro-muscular excitation. ( 3 ) 



Pimento (capsicum annuum) is a colonial product, biting to the 

 taste, and containing an alkaloid, " capsicine " ; it develops 

 about 2-75 Calories per gramme in the dry state. Great use is 

 made of it in various countries of Africa and Asia. 



" Butyric acid " is due to the slow oxydation of butter, to which 

 it gives a rancid taste. Young, and later, Boussingault ( 4 ) 

 noted the economic character which this substance possesses ; it 

 tends to increase weight. Hence some peoples only eat butter 

 in the rancid state. ( 5 ) 



" Chloride of sodium " intervenes in the metabolism of the body 

 to protect the proteids from waste, ( 6 ) to stimulate the secretions, 

 and to contribute to a better digestive utilisation. 



Finally " common alcohol " or " ethyl alcohol " C 2 H 6 O, is 

 found in all fermented liquors ; it develops 7-067 Calories per 

 gramme ( 7 ) when burnt in a calorimeter. 



A large dose is a dangerous poison. It is found in liquors which, 

 by their sugary and proteid elements, are slightly nutritious. 



(*) J. Fr. Owen (Journal of Soc. of Chem. Indust., vol. xxix., p. 1091, 

 30th Sept., 1910). 



( 2 ) The consumption of tea in 1908, per head, was 2,850 grammes in 

 England as against 32 grammes in France. 



( 8 ) Auguste Chevalier and M. Perrot, Les Kolatiers et les Noix de Kola, 

 Paris, 1911, see p. 253, et sqq ; Bulletin, Soc. G6ogr. Commerciale, ^ay, 

 1906, p. 304. 



( 4 ) Boussingault, Econ. Rurale, ii., p. 473, 1844. 



( 5 ) Jules Amar, Le Rendement., 1. c., p. 76. 



() A. Pugliese (Arch, d Farm, e Terap., vol. ii., 1895) ; id. and Coggi 

 (Riv. di Igiene e Sanita pubblica, 1895, 6th year) ; Maurel (Comptes Rendus 

 Biol., 1897, p. 215) ; R. Tuteur (Zeitschr. f. Biol., vol. liii., p. 361, 1909). 



( 7 ) Atwater and Benedict (Bulletin, No. 63, p. 54, 1899). 



