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Some time ago I wanted some information on the plants 
containing caffeine. This interesting compound is not only 
found in the seeds of Coffea arabica, but also in the fleshy 
part of the berry and in the leaves. The latter are used in 
Sumatra by the natives in the place of tea, and some years 
ago a patent was taken out for the introduction of “ Coffee- 
tea” into this country, but it has not been successful. 
Caffeine also occurs in the leaves of different species or 
varieties of tea ; in Paraguay-tea, consisting of the leaves 
and small twigs of Ilex paraguay ensis ; and in Guarana or 
Brazilian chocolate, which is obtained from the roasted seeds 
of Paullinia sorbilis. It has further been found in Cola- 
nuts, the seeds of Sterculia acuminata, which are extensively 
used as a condiment by the natives of western and central 
tropical Africa ; and likewise by the negroes in the W est 
Indies and Brazil, by whom the tree has been introduced 
in these countries. It is said that they promote digestion, 
improve the flavour of anything eaten after them, to 
counteract the effects of alcohol, and even to render half- 
putrid water drinkable. Cola-nuts contain also theobromine, 
which is a very interesting fact, inasmuch as this base, 
which was first found in Theobroma Cacao, belonging 
also to the Sterculiacece, can be easily transformed into 
Caffeine. 
In collecting this information I consulted, amongst other 
works, “the Treasure of Botany,” edited by Bindley and 
Moore, where I found the statement, that the custom of 
drinking coffee originated with the Abyssinians, who 
cultivated the plant from time immemorial. In Arabia it 
was not introduced until the early part of the fifteenth 
century; before this time the beverage made from the 
leaves of the kat ( Catha edulis) was generally used, and is 
still in use, possessing properties resembling those of strong 
green tea, only more pleasing and agreeable. The leaves are 
also chewed, and are said to have the effect of producing 
