ON THE FOOD-VALUE OF THE KOLA-NUT. 157 
estates,) became gradually diminished, and ultimately checked, after narrowly 
entailing an almost total depopulation in not a few of them. 
(7b be continued .) 
Professor Bentley, who (in the absence of Dr. Daniell, from illness) read the 
paper, said that it was most remarkable that the properties of Kola-nuts, which 
the author had detailed to them in his present communication, should have 
hitherto been so little alluded to in civilized countries. More attention would 
doubtless now be directed to their uses, and the experience of those best able to 
judge of their merits would soon ascertain their real value. Whatever might 
be the result of the trial of the properties of these seeds, there could be no differ¬ 
ence of opinion as to the importance of the discovery of theine as one of their 
constituents. This was most interesting, as hitherto no such alkaloid had been 
found in any plant of the order from which Kola-nuts were derived, or even from 
any one very closely allied to it. Theine, it might now be observed, had been 
obtained from no less than five genera of plants belonging to as many different 
natural orders. Thus from Kola-nuts the produce of species of Cola of the 
Order Sterculiacese , from Thea (Ternstrcemicicex ), from Coffea arabica (Cin- 
chonacese ), from Ilex Paraguayensis (Aquifolicicex ), and from Paullinia sorbilis 
(Scqnndacese ) ; moreover, an analogous alkaloid ( theobromine ) was obtained from 
TJieobroma Cacao (Byttneriacex ). It was most remarkable that all the most im¬ 
portant unfermented beverages in use in different parts of the globe should be 
prepared from substances containing the same or a closely allied alkaloid. Much 
credit was due to Dr. Daniell for the discovery of this new source of theine. 
Mr. Daniel I-Ianbury regarded the experiment tried by the author, to 
ascertain whether the Kola-nuts had the property commonly attributed to them 
of sweetening putrid water, very unsatisfactory. He saw no reason at present 
to doubt the correctness of the opinion generally received as to their use for this 
purpose. 
ON THE FOOD-VALUE OF THE KOLA-NUT—A NEW 
SOUItCE OF THEINE. 
BY JOHN ATTFIELD, PH.D., F.C.S., 
DIRECTOR OF THE LABORATORIES OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
A short time since, Dr. Daniell placed in my hands a few ounces of hard dry 
fragments of Kola-nuts, stating that in the fresh state they were largely used as 
an article of food and medicine by the natives of Western Central Africa ; that 
he had himself once partaken of the fresh nut, the effect being that he was kept 
awake for many hours; that he therefore inferred that they must contain a prin¬ 
ciple similar to that which exists in tea, coffee, etc., namely, Theine; and that 
he had in fact, by a rough chemical process, succeeded in obtaining crystals re¬ 
sembling Theine in appearance. As a medicine, the fresh nut, Dr. Daniell said, 
was esteemed of great value in diarrhoea and affections of the liver ; and that 
indeed, for all purposes, it was in the fresh state that the nut was generally em¬ 
ployed, portions being chewed, the juice swallowed, and the solid part ejected 
from the mouth. If the nuts were allowed to become dry, they were considered 
to have depreciated in value, and were then only chewed by the lower classes of 
the natives. Altogether, Dr. Daniell considered that the nut possessed an 
amount of interest sufiicient to demand analysis. I quite agreed with him, and 
the following is the result of the examination. 
Search was first made for Theine. Colouring matter, mucilage, etc., having 
