June 1, 1865.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



THE KOLA-NUT. 523 



returned ; on again continuing the medicine in the evening I invariably 

 found its administration attended, more or less, with loss of sleep. I 

 was then reminded how practically verified (after the lapse of two 

 centuries) were the quaint remarks of Dapper, one of our enterprising 

 African voyagers, who announced that the seeds, "as experience teachetb, 

 eaten in the evening hindreth sleep."* This singular and well-developed 

 phenomenon, the result of a powerful stimulant on the brain and 

 nervous system, produced by some elementary principle analogous to 

 caffeine or theine, led me to infer from physiological induction, that an 

 analysis of the seeds would readily determine this point in the affirma- 

 tive. Following the process commonly in vogue for obtaining theine 

 from other plants — viz., by mixing with a strong decoction of the fresh 

 nuts acetate of lead to precipitate the astringent principle, and then 

 transmitting sufficient sulphuretted hydrogen, to remove the excess of 

 lead, after the gradual evaporation of the liquid, numerous long needle- 

 like crystals became deposited in the glass. These, on comparison with 

 a large sample of this alkaloid in Kingston, proved to be identical. As, 

 however, it was deemed desirable to have a more elaborate chemical 

 examination of the ultimate constituents of these seeds, and also to 

 determine fully the character of the theine previously procured, a quan- 

 tity of the broken dried nuts were placed in the hands of a practical 

 chemist, Dr. Att field, at the same time intimating to him that I had 

 already obtained theine as one of the chief elements, and the result of 

 his labours hitherto has been to establish the validity of my discovery, 

 and the correctness of the estimate I had formed respecting the true 

 nature of this alkaloid. 



In the preceding introductory statements, I have endeavoured, so far 

 as consists with the importance of the subject, to condense within 

 restricted limits various characteristic details of interest, such as might 

 tend to elucidate the origin of that constitutional craving which induced 

 the negro tribes to select this in preference to other vegetable products 

 for dietetic purposes. A concise historical summary of their aboriginal 

 appliances is at the same time supplied, in allusion to those primitive 

 usages existing long anterior to the visits of the " children of God " f to 

 the shores of Western Africa. 



The discovery of theine as a constituent of the seeds affords a ready 

 physiological solution of several of those otherwise obscure effects 

 manifested by their therapeutic influence on the human constitution. 



One remarkable feature worthy of mention, is the marked avidity 

 displayed in modern days by the negro inhabitants of Sierra Leone, and 

 Portuguese colonies, for the nuts in preference to the beverages of tea 

 and coffee, although each contains the same elementary alkaloid. I have 



* Ogilvy's Africa, p. 494. 



+ I.e. Europeans, — a term by which they were designated when first seen by 

 the negroes, and applied even at the present day in some of the regions of tropical 

 West Africa. 



