i86 COFFEE 



Samuel C. Prescott reported In December, 1923, ''Coffee, if properly 

 prepared, has a remarkable stimulating and fatigue-relieving effect 

 due to the action of caffein which acts on the central nervous system. 

 It promotes heart action mildly, increases the powder to do muscular 

 w^ork, and increases the power of concentration of mental effort, 

 and therefore is an aid to sustained brain work. It has no depressive 

 after-effect. It is not habit-forming, and does not require continually 

 increasing quantities to give satisfactory stimulation." 



Coffee is not injurious to the great mass of people. Coffee is 

 taken as a stimulant, and of course can be abused. Large quantities 

 of any stimulant are deleterious. It Is necessary to find out how much 

 coffee agrees with the individual, and to refrain from over-indulgence. 

 Coffee is indeed a drug in the sense of being a stimulant, but It is 

 the only stimulant which does not have a depressive after-effect. 

 There are a few people who can not drink coffee with safety to their 

 health. Such individuals suffer from an eccentricity In this regard 

 just as certain persons should not eat spinach or certain fruits. The 

 fact that such cases exist, does not detract from the value of the 

 beverage to the masses of humanity. As a nation, our consumption 

 of coffee has increased from 200,000,000 pounds per annum during 

 the Civil War period to nearly 1,350,000,000 pounds at the present 

 day. Or, stated In terms of per capita quantities, the United States 

 consumption of 5 pounds per person In 1866, has increased to over 

 12 pounds a year or about 500 cups per Individual. In other words, 

 the United States consumes two billion cups yearly or nearly five and 

 one-half million cups daily. 



