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290. Coffee. The infusion or decoction of the roasted seeds of the coffee-berry, when not too strong, is a wholesome, exhilarating, and strengthening beverage; and when mixed with a large proportion of milk, is a proper article of diet for literary and sedentary people. It is especially suited to persons advanced in years. People who are bilious and liable to costiveness should abstain from it. When drank very strong, it proves stimulating and heating in a considerable degree, creating thirst and producing watchfulness. By an abusive indulgence in this drink, the organs of digestion are impaired, the appetite is destroyed, nutrition is impeded, and emaciation, general debility, paralytic affections, and nervous fever, are brought on.
291. The Virtues of Coffee.
Coffee accelerates digestion, corrects crudities, removes cholic and flatulencies. It mitigates headaches, cherishes the animal spirits, takes away listlessness and languor, and is serviceable in all obstructions arising from languid circulation. It is a wonderful restorative to emaciated constitutions, and highly refreshing to the studious and sedentary.
The habitual use of coffee would greatly promote sobriety, being in itself a cordial stimulant; it is a most powerful antidote to the temptation of spirituous liquors.
It will be found a welcome beverage to the robust labourer, who would despise a lighter drink.
—The New Family Receipt Book, 1815.
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For the method of making Turkish coffee (which my hero of Last Night’s Scandal drinks), please continue reading here.Untitled Mucha illustration courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
One of us -- 
5 comments:
I was nodding eagerly along until the 'cherishes the animal spirits', lol! Love coffee history. Thanks ladies.
I wonder how much impact Jane Austen's 'Emma' had on coffee-drinking, since Miss and Mrs Bates 'did not drink coffee of course' with the novel's anti-slavery subtext.
I am new to coffee and wish I hadn't waited so long! I too was nodding and smiling as I read. Coffee is awesome!
I loved reading this aloud. It's brilliant!
Coffee took away listlessness yet abusive indulgence led to digestion being impaired, the appetite destroyed, paralytic affections and nervous fever. You couldn't win!
One good thing. If the habitual use of coffee would greatly promote sobriety, I can see why the coffee palaces were so successful in replacing some pubs.
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