THE TECHNOLOGIST. [April 1, 1865. 



424 FOOD-VALUE OF THE KOLA-NUT. 



means a fresh seam of coprolites is exposed to view, and so whole fields 

 are dug without the necessity of harrowing such vast quantities of earth. 

 The mills for washing are erected at convenient distances from each 

 gang of men, and are constructed as follows : first, there is a ring, com- 

 posed of strong sheet-iron, well riveted together, about eighteen feet in 

 diameter and two deep ; into this ring the coprolites are thrown, and 

 are kept continually in motion by means of wrought-iron harrows, 

 similar to those used for agricultural purposes, until the clay and fossils 

 are separated. At certain times or stages of washing fresh streams of 

 water are allowed to flow into the ring, and at intervals a small trap or 

 sluice is drawn up, and the refuse water, or, as it is locally termed, 

 " slud," runs from the mill and falls into an immense reservoir, whence 

 it is removed by means of a di*edger, or " Jacob's-ladder," above the 

 mills, and then finds its level in the immense beds prepared for its 

 reception. After a certain time this " slud " becomes hardened, the top 

 soil is replaced, and the land is again fit for tillage. By an ingenious 

 mechanical arrangement the engines not only drive the washing-mills, 

 but also work the dredgers, or " Jacob's-] adders," and pump all the water 

 necessary for the entire use of the mill. — From ' Once a Week.' 



OX THE FOOD-VALUE OF THE KOLA-NUT— A NEW 

 SOURCE OF THEINE. 



BY JOHN ATTFIELD, TH.D., F.C.S. 



A short time since, Dr. Daniell placed in my hands a few ounces of 

 hard dry fragments of Kola-nuts,* stating that in the fresh state they 

 were largely used as an article of food and medicine by the natives of 

 Western Central Africa ; that he had himself once partaken of the fresh 

 nut, the effect being that he was kept awake for many hours ; that he 

 therefore inferred that they must contain a principle similar to that 

 which exists in tea, coffee, &c, namely, Theine ; and that he had, in fact, by 

 a rough chemical process, succeeded in obtaining crystals resembling 

 theine in appearance. As a medicine, the fresh nut, Dr. Daniell said, 

 was esteemed of great value in diarrhoea and affections of the liver ; and 

 that indeed, for all purposes, it was in the fresh state that the nut was 

 generally employed, portions being chewed, the juice swallowed, and the 

 solid part ejected from the mouth. If the nuts were allowed to become 

 dry, they were considered to have depreciated in value, and were then 

 only chewecWjy the lower classes of the natives Altogether, Dr. Daniell 

 considered that the nut possessed an amount of inierest sufficient to 

 demand analysis. I quite agreed with him, and the following is the 

 result of the examination. 



* Sterculia acuminata. 



