ON THF, INTRODUCTION OF COFFEE INTO ARABIA. 215 



XXI. On the Introduction of Coffee into Arabia. 

 By C. Schorlemmer, F.R.S. 



Read February 5th, 18S4.. 



In two papers, which I read on April 3rd and October 

 16th, before this Society, I mentioned that the custom of 

 drinking coffee originated with the Abyssinians, who culti- 

 vated the plant from time immemorial. In x\rabia it was 

 not introduced until the early part of the fifteenth century ; 

 before this time the beverage made from the leaves of the 

 kat was generally used, and is still in use. 



A few weeks ago I received a letter from Professor W. T. 

 Thiselton Dyer, F.R.S. , in which he says: " Possibly the 

 enclosed extracts from an old book of the last century 

 may interest you. 



"The point is that the introduction of the use of coffee 

 from Persia, in the 15th century, seems to have led to the 

 neglect of kat. 



"Your interesting observation as to the absence of 

 caffeine in the latter, would perhaps show that the change 

 from one to the other had a physiological significance/'' 



This appears very plausible. I hope to be able to obtain 

 a larger supply of kat, in order to find out its active 

 principle. 



The extracts which Professor Dyer sent me are as 

 follows : — ■ 



'A Historical Treatise of the Original of Coffee/ London, 



l 7$ 2 (PP- 2°*-3 l °)- 



