A^gust,imm'}    Coffee:  Its  History  and  Commerce.  373 
Notwithstanding  the  scare  advertisements  of  health-substitutes 
for  coffee,  there  is  no  cause  tor  apprehending  danger  to  the  race  at 
large  from  coffee- drinking.  After  generations  of  almost  universal 
coffee-drinkers,  our  own  times  see  men  of  gigantic  intellect  in  all 
realms  of  activity ;  our  athletes  are  able  to  make  sudden  bursts  of 
effort  equal  to  any  in  history,  and  our  soldiers  acquit  themselves 
manfully  in  fatiguing  campaigns  in  torrid  climes.  It  is  not  notice- 
able that  physicians  taboo  the  use  of  coffee  at  their  own  tables. 
The  li'e-insurance  companies,  constantly  warring  against  all  that 
lessens  longevity  or  conduces  to  abnormal  organs,  nerves  and 
actions,  seem  content  to  accept  the  use  of  coffee  as  one  of  the  ordi- 
nary elements  of  everyday  life. 
Users  of  tobacco  find  that  the  stimulating  effect  of  coffee  offsets  to 
a  considerable  extent  the  depressing  effect  of  the  tobacco.  We  may 
liken  this  to  urging  a  horse  forward  with  the  whip  while  restraining 
Jiim  with  the  reins,  thus  getting  average  speed. 
Table  No.  4,  showing  the  per  capita  consumption  in  this  country, 
tells  that  the  beverage  has  popular  approval,  or  at  least  that  there 
is  determination  to  use  it,  whether  its  effects  be  good,  bad  or 
indifferent. 
IX.  COMPETITORS. 
Tea,  cocoa  and  yerba  mate  or  Paraguay  tea  are  the  competitors  of 
coffee.  All  resemble  each  other  in  essentials  of  composition,  in 
the  manner  of  infusing,  in  the  way  they  are  used  and  in  their 
effects.  In  eastern  Asia  coffee  has  small  hold,  tea  holding  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people.  In  the  lower  half  of  South  America  yerba 
mate  is  in  everyday  use.  In  our  own  country  tea  is  hardly  a  com- 
petitor, but  rather  a  colleague,  the  two  beverages  having  their  own 
distinct  fields  of  usefulness.  With  us  cocoa  ranks  rather  as  a  dainty 
than  as  a  daily  drink.  But  few  of  our  people  have  ever  heard  of 
yerba  mate  and  efforts  to  introduce  its  use  do  not  appear  to  have 
been  very  successful.  During  the  calendar  year  1901  we  imported 
1,072,000,000  pounds  of  coffee  at  $70,100,000;  68,200,000  pounds 
of  tea  at  $8,700,000 ;  50,400,000  pounds  of  cocoa  at  $6,700,000. 
X.  ADULTERANTS  AND  SUBSTITUTES. 
Among  the  adulterants  are  chicory  root,  dandelion  root,  acorns, 
etc.    Some  years  ago  imitation  coffee  beans  were  molded  from 
