105 



cent, free caffeine, In nuts not fully mature the first extractions only- 

 give traces of alkaloid, and it is questionable if any free caffeine exists 

 in unripe Bissy Nuts. 



The caffeic constituents of Kola in the undried nuts reside in a gluco- 

 sidal body. By the decomposition of this glucosidal body in the ripen- 

 ing and subsequent handling and drying, caffeine is formed. 



If the free alkaloids are all extracted from the ripe, but undried Kola 

 by proper solvents, there still remains a principle which has the same 

 physiological effects as attributed to the use of Kola. This body is 

 known as Kolanin or Kola Red. It is a glucosidal body, very easily de- 

 composed in water, acids and alkalies, and among the bodies evolved in 

 its transformation is caffeine. It contains in some instances as high as 

 83 per cent, of what is called nascent caffeine. It is the real component 

 principle of Kola, and if preserved from change represents Kola in its 

 most active form. 



There is also present in Kola a ferment body which I separated in a 

 recent visit to the West Indies and named " Kolazym.'' This ferment 

 is a diastusic or starch- converting and glucoside- splitting enzyme. 



The office of this ferment in the plant economy is somewhat obscure, 

 but it probably has to do with the change that takes place in the ripen- 

 ing nut whereby the carbohydrates and nitrogenous elements are trans- 

 formed into glucosides and eventually alkaloids and glucose. This fer- 

 ment within the nut, with the air excluded either from the natural con- 

 ditions which surround it, or from some other cause, acts very slowly. 

 But in contact with the air or in suitable media, its action is more or less 

 rapid, and during its action products are formed which seem to be suit- 

 able soil for air and mould germs so that these last finally seem to over- 

 come the action of the Kolazym or, at least to inhibit it, and these 

 mould germs carry on a farther decomposition of the gums, starch cells, 

 the glucosides and alkaloidal constituents present. The presence in the 

 fresh nut of this glucoside and enzyme explains the changes which take 

 place when the nut is chewed The taste of the nut when first bitten 

 into, is rather astringent and bitter. This, under the action of saliva, 

 probably aided by this action of the Kolazym rapidly changes to a sweet. 

 Thus it can be reasoned that in the native process of mastication the 

 glucoside is broken up or partially so, and glucose and alkaloids are 

 evolved. 



This slow transformation of the Kola by the breaking up of the glu- 

 coside marks the diffierence and probable superiority of Kola over other 

 caffeic drugs which contain only free caffeine. 



Kola as a Crop. 



Kola Nuts are abundant in Africa from whence nearly three million 

 pounds are exported annually. There is also a large and increasing crop 

 being gathered in the West Indies from year to year. In Jamaica, 

 where large crops could be obtained if desired, I saw tons which had 

 gone to waste for the want of somebody to gather them. The most that 

 goes into the J amaica market is carried in little bundles on the heads of 

 the natives. As long as this is the case very little return can be ex- 

 pected from Kola. 



To become a profitable crop, Kola must be taken care of and gathered 

 and handled in a large way like coffee or other similar products. As long 



