14 
THP TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[July i, 1891. 
of a biscuit and confectionary in fine roomy apart- 
ments, which became the usual resort of even people 
of rauk and station. 
Some of the Faculty in France have likewise 
written against coifee, to wit, Mr. Duncan, Phy- 
sician of Montpellier whose work agaiust Coffee, 
Chocolate and Tea was printed at Rotterdam in 1705, 
and Mr. Hecquet Physician at Paris, who-se little 
work entitled " The dispensing with Fasts " was 
printed at Paris in 1705, and Mr. Andry, who wrote an 
answer to it entitled ''The maintenanca or uph Id- 
ing of Pasts " which was in favor of Coffee. lu 1710 
a similar discussion teuk place in Latin at Valentia, 
which was published in the Dauphine. 
As Cuftee was introduced into France from the 
LevAnt. it seems probable, that oinch about the tame 
time between 1670 and 1680 it became known in 
England, especially in London, from wbich place, after 
some years, it was carried over to Hollttud, first to 
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague and Dordrecht 
and subsequently to all the other Towns, yta to the 
very threstiulds of the Peasants, with whom Coffee 
like Tea, has now becDme so common a beverage. 
There were some in tii;8 Country too, who at the verj 
beginning, like the Oppositionists in Arabia, Cairo, 
and Uoustantiuople were vehemently opposed to the 
use of Coffee, renerating all tae reasons which were 
advanced by the French Physicians bs'fore alluded to. 
Helvetius the venerable German Physician of the 
Hague wrote a littl'^ work in oppusitiun to ttiis popular 
opinien. but it never saw the light. The celebra-ed 
Ph>siciaa Bontekoe also wrote a small work in which 
ha pointed out very cleariy the utility and beneficial 
effects of ttiis beverage upon hetlth. Tbis led to a 
more extensive use of it, so that 'here is now scarcely 
a house of any n spectibility where Coffee is not re- 
gularly taken in the murnings, not to speak of the 
great number of Coif ee-houses which have since been 
established in all the streets of Holland and which are 
frequented not only by Merchants and Foreigners, but, 
now and then, by even the Rulers of tne pkce who 
enjoy the beverage in sptciul apartments. These houses 
are besides, situated so veiy close to the exchange, 
that they likewise afford an opportunity to the 
Merchants to meet and talk to each other, whilst sipping 
their Coffee, on Coaime:cial aflairs. 
Indeed the practice of taking Cufiee has been carried 
to such lengths here, that Ladies and Gentkmea even 
after they had sumptuously entertained their friends 
at dinner parties, imsgine that their hospitality is 
incomplete if they omit, tho' it be near midnight to 
offer them a Dish of Coffee, which is always drunk with 
great relish. 
We could scarcely pass the street of the Town without 
noticiug the number of houses where Coffee and Tea 
are eold ; a clear and manifest proof that this trade 
has, in spite of all former opinions become uncommonly 
extensive ; nor are there Physicians to be found who 
tho' ever so clever, would not stand up as advocates 
for the moderate use of the drink. 
The only reasonable objection that could be made to 
the use of Tea and Coffee is the great injury and loss 
whicli is experienced by tho brewers of Beer. 
Again there ijre many who make nse of some strong 
drink [die sterhen drank drinlcen) immediately after their 
Coffee aud Tea to serve as a Diuretick aa they call 
it. This is certainly a very pernicious practice, but 
this should not therefore prevent a moderate use of 
Coffee by the more abtemious olaes of people. One 
might in the same way easily abuse tho most whole- 
some physio, which would otherwise be beneficial to health 
if used at proper times and seasons. So it is with Coffee. 
But what is still worse i?, that many common people 
whose condition in lito can but ill afford it, as well 
as domestic servants, speud too much of their time in 
drinking Coffee aud Tea; the former to the great pre- 
judice of their calling, and the latter to the detriment 
and inconvenience of their masters and mistresses. 
Thus jou'U perceive that I have wished to say of 
tlie Coffiio Tree, its fruit, and its use in connection 
witli the trade ol' Moclia, aud I shall now close this 
Chapter of the Company's Transiictions, in order to 
procyed ou with the »lI»irB ot TerBia." I 
The learned Historian thus closes his interesting 
chapter on Coffee aud proceeds to give an account 
of Persia. Had we time we would follow him to the 
land of Ferdousi and Hafiz where the Moon shines 
as bright as the Sun at noonday, and listen in 
raptures, to the nightly serenaders who walk the 
streets of Ispahan. But te "returu to our muttons" 
— It would I think, be a very profitable task if some 
of your clever Planting friends would take up the 
subject where Valentyn left it off and bring the 
History of Coffee down to the present time, when 
tb e cultivfition of it seems to have attained a high 
ttate or perlection. 
Valeutju appears to have taken considerable pains 
to trace out, step by step, the manner in which 
Coffee was gradually introduced into Europe; and, 
amongst other curious facts mentioned by him, as 
already observed, is tlit> preparation of a kind of 
beverage resembliuK Betr from the Coffee husk or 
shell. Perhaps some of your enterprising friends 
who are versed in the mysteries of Coffee planting 
and are iniimalely acquainted with all the uses to 
which Coffee may be applied, may be disposed, im- 
proving upon this idea, to try the experiment ; and I 
wish them every success. 
The imperfect translation, which you have been 
good enough to publish, is the production of a few 
leisure hours ; aud if it has, in any small degree 
ciiutributed to the amusement of your readers, any 
little trouble to which I may have been put, is amply- 
rapid. 
If I happen to stumble upon any similarly in- 
teresting passages in old Dutch Authors, I may per- 
haps at tome future period, trouble you for a corner 
of your valuable paper. And now farewell, deir Sir, 
and believe me, 
Your's truly. 
P. B. 
Colombo, September 12, 1856. 
♦ • — 
NOTES ON POPULAR SCIENCE. 
By Dk. J. E. T.\YL0B, p.l-s., f.g.s., &c., 
Editor of " Science Gossip." 
An Italian experimeiiter has found that sunlight 
exercises a decided influence upon micro-organisms. 
Stoug sunlight is both deleterious and sterilising to 
their growth and development, and even diffused light 
has ft retarding action upon them. The sterilising action 
of sunlight was most powertully experienced when the 
sun's rays fell perpendicularly upon the surface of the 
medium in which the micro-organiams were being cul- 
tivated. 
There is a fashion in scientific research just as there 
is in bonnets and walking sticks. Just now everything 
is at out yerms — microbes, micro-organisms, bacteria, 
bacilli, &c., as nearly all the same things are differently 
called. One feels surprised they were never discovered 
before. Now that we have discovered them, we don't 
know what to do with them, except to grow them 
artificially as if their natural growth was not sufficient. 
Dr. Dolau has just published a little book on Pasteur 
aud Rabies, in which he practically asserts that Pasteur 
has created more rabies than he has cured. Professor 
Koch's "lymph" seems to be very much a modern 
revival of the medieval aqita vitie notion — so far aa 
preserving consumptives from speedy death goes. The 
idea is based on the physical changes in the blood 
ensiroument of microbes. 
Strong coffee is now taid to be a germicide. A Dr. 
Luderwitz states he has proved this to be the case. He 
shows that certain micrococci die iu a 10 per cant, solution 
of coffee. The bacilli of typhoid fever died in two or 
three days under the same treatment, and the cholera 
bacillus iu three or four hours. The adult germs of 
splenic fever, or anthrax, endured the solution for 
only two or three hours, although the spores, or young 
germs, survived therein for three or four weeks. Where 
a 30 per cent, solution of coffee was used the typhoid 
germ perished iu one day, and the cholera germ in 
from half-au-hour to two hours. He found that the 
cultivation medium of bacterial organisms (gelatine) is 
