422 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO l6gg. 



That I might farther understand coffee, and how it agrees with horse-beans 

 and wheat, which sometimes I have heard have been used instead of it : I sent 

 to the chemists lib of clean coffee, lib of husked beans, and lib. of picked 

 wheat; and I received back 

 Coffee 



oz. dr. 



Spirit net 6 6 



Oil 2 4 



Cap. mort 5 3 



Thus it appears, that coffee yields by distillation, in a retort, almost double 

 as much oil as beans, and almost treble as much as wheat; the other proportions 

 may easily be seen above. The oils are very thick ; and they and the spirits 

 have all of them ill savours, as is usual from burnt materials. 5y spirit is meant 

 the phlegm. The capita mortua have no smell. They have been calcined over 

 and over with all the art of the chemist, but he cannot reduce them to a calx or 

 ashes, and concludes there is no salt to be gotten from them. 



I observe, that from the common drink called coffee, there is little good can 

 come from any part, but its oil, because its other thin parts are evaporated, and 

 its thick subside ; but its oil I suppose to be nutritive as oil, and warm as a 

 chemical oil, for all the warm parts are brought as to a point, and thereby it 

 may enliven and invigorate some heavy parts in the fermentative juices, and 

 nourish weak parts within, as other chemical oils do the external parts when 

 rubbed ; but being diluted, as it usually is, I question whether it does any more 

 good than hot tea, hot broth, or any thing else that is actually hot; for I believe 

 that actual and potential heats are much of the same operation. 



Coffee has generally been reckoned an antihypnotic, or preventer of sleep, 

 according to the opinion of Dr. Willis and others ; but now it is come into 

 frequent use, the contrary is often observed, although perhaps custom, as it 

 does with opium, alters its natural qualities. As to the political uses of coffee, 

 I am told, that our three kingdoms consume about 100 ton a year, whereof 

 England consumes about 70 ton, which at ^14* a ton (a middle price now) will 

 amount to ^20580 sterling, and if it were to be all sold in coffee-houses, it 

 would reach treble that sum, or <^6l740, which at ^10 a head will find em- 

 ployment for 6174 persons, although I believe all the people of England one 

 with another do not consume 5 pounds each. 



Coffee, when roasted, loses about a 4th part ; then there is spent about 524. 

 tons of roasted coffee, which makes II7O00 pounds, or I88l(}00 ounces, or 



* There must be some mistake among these numbers; for 70 Ions at 141. each, come to only 

 D80I. sterling. 



