Coffea Tosta

Preparation, Infusion of the well-roasted berries. A decoction of raw Coffea furnishes a preparation very rich in Coffeiuum ; an infusion of the roasted Coffea contains some Coffeiuum (the amount varying with the roasting), but much of the alkaloid is changed into "Caffeone" (to which the aroma is due). This Caffeone is obtained free from the alkaloid by distilling an infusion of roasted Coffea ; some effects of this distillate are here included.

Authorities. 1, Zimmerman (from Wibmer), effects of two cups more than usual ; 2, Willis, from ibid., general effects ; 3, Hoffmann, ibid., effects of several cups of strong coffee; 4, Sapper, Zeit. f. H. Kl., 4, 194, a woman took (for suppression of menstruation) an infusion of about 3 ounces three evenings in succession ; 5, Boring, Wurt. Corr. Bl., 1831, Frank's Mag., 2, 68, gradually increasing doses to 30 cups of strong coffee a day ; 6, Triischel, Frank's Mag., 1, 41, a man drank 32 cups within an hour, containing 8 ounces of berries ; 7, Observations and experiments from Boecker's Beitrage ; 8, Amare-Picquot, proving on self, with cold infusion taken in the morning, in bed, fasting, Etudes Experimeutales, etc., sur Taction dynamize du Cafe, Paris, 1864; 9, Curschman, an anemic woman took an infusion of 250 grms., Deutsch. Khu., 1873; 10, Wood, chronic effects of a single cup, in the morning, N. A. J. of Horn., 12, 248; 11, Dr. Lindsay (New York City), MSS., took for a proving 3 cups of strong coffee, three mornings in succession ; 12, Dr. J. Lehman instituted a series of experiments as follows : placing two men on strict diet, he examined the urine daily, with especial attention to amount of urea, phosphates, and sodium chloride, for two weeks or more, after which, the men were allowed 4 glasses of strong coffee instead of water ; subsequently experiments were instituted with distilled coffee ("Caffeone"), and also with the alkaloid ; 13, Dr. H. V. Miller, effects of two cups, N. A. J. of Horn., N. S., 4, 87 ; 14, Marvaud, Aliments d'Aparine, effects of infusion (taken cold for sphygmographic tracings), and also of distilled coffee (" Caffeone ") ; 15, Dr. E. M. Hale, effect of a cup of intensely strong coffee, H. Month., 9, 465 ; 16, Dr. (Ehme, daily use of coffee for breakfast, in a man of forty-five, of late unused to C, N. A. J. of Horn., N. S., 3, 418.

Mind

Emotional. An agreeable mental excitement, causing wakefulness

Completely developed delirium tremens,5.'!

Great loquacity

Love for family

Desire to perform good deeds intensified (Benevolence excited)

Veneration for Supreme Being

Anxiety

A kind of fearfulness, which seems unendurable

Timidity, and fear of sudden death ; this fear sometimes occasions trembling from head to foot (secondary effect)

Intellectual. Brain feels clear, and is very active

The intellectual faculties chiefly stimulated are the imagination and the memory

The power of judgment is increased

Attention is more alive

Feels impelled to push things ; wants to keep going ahead and doing something

It gives rise to a need of creative activity, a vivacity of thought, a versatility and ardor of desire, more favorable to the exaggerated expression of ideas previously formed, than to the quiet examination of new conceptions (Moleschott).14.

Symptoms would come suddenly; aud took away all mental energy

Somewhat unconscious (after two hours)

Head p. 443

Vertigo. Vertigo,1; (after half an hour)

Vertigo so that she was unable to stand

Vertigo, with whirling sensation in head, occasioning a general faint feeling, with aggravation, when thinking; has to banish reflection ; with vertigo, burning in stomach ; vertigo partially relieved by a change of position (secondary effect)

Swimming or vertiginous feeling

Sensation as if everything in the head were going in slow circles, now in one direction, now in another ; with incessant noises in the ears

General Head. Rush of blood to the head

Violent headache

Forehead. Sensation of heaviness in forehead over eyes (secondary effect)

Par metals. Sensation as though a piece of lead were nailed to the parietal bones, which every motion of the head aggravates

Occiput. Stinging pain into locality of amativeness on left side

Eyes p. 443

Blue rings around the eyes

Lids. Conjunctiva of the lids slightly red, especially towards the margin ; conjunctiva of the bulb slightly injected in the canthi and corners

Pupil. Iris contracted but sensitive

Vision. Intolerance of the candlelight; it seems surrounded by a dim broad halo, causing painful pressure in the eyebrows

Sensation as though a fog wei-e before the eyes

Muscle volitantes

Aggravation of the myopia

Ears p. 443

Every step and every loud word is painfully felt in the ears

Incessant noises in the ears

Ringing in the ears

Roaring, buzzing, and singing in the ears

Sounds as of pounding or bell-ringing in the distance

Face p. 443

Paleness of face

Countenance very pale, and had an anxious expression (after two hours)

Pale as a corpse

Face waxy pale

Face very puffy, as if dropsical, waxy, pale-yellow

Mouth p. 443

* He was seized with such an intense pain in the teeth of the right lower jaw (not decayed) that it drove him nearly crazy. He came to my office after midnight to get relief. He had already observed that no application relieved the pain hut cold water. So soon as the water became warm in the moid, the pain returned1

Lips and tongue pale and dry

Throat p. 443

Spasmodic contraction of the throat

Stomach p. 443

Appetite. Aversion to all food ; she is able to take only small quantities of water

Nausea and Vomiting. Nausea, with faintness

Nausea in the stomach, and ineffectual efforts to vomit

Vomiting with difficulty (soon)

Stomach. Distension in the epigastric region, tympanitic, extremely sensitive to touch, less so to pressure

Tension in the stomach, so that she is obliged to loosen the clothes

Sensation of heaviness in cardiac region (secondary effect)

Great fulness in epigastrium, and partial loss of appetite (secondary effect)

Cold water aud cold food aggravate the distress in epigastrium and left chest (secondary effect)

Abdomen p. 443

Hypochondria. Painfulness of the hypochondria

Extreme sensitiveness of the hepatic region

General Abdomen. Abdomen swollen and hard, especially in the region of the bladder, which was very sensitive to touch (fifth day)

Painful tympanitic distension of the abdomen

Rumbling in the bowels causing warmth, painful, obliging her to bend up and press with the hands

Pain in the left upper portion of the abdomen, just below the spleen, not affected by pressure

Sticking pains in the abdomen (second day)

Rectum and Anus p. 444

Haemorrhoids

Discharge of exceedingly bright blood, every morning with the regular stool

Stool p. 444

Diarrhoea, Frequent stools, with tenesmus (after two hours)

Copious evacuations of the bowels, after the first dose, followed by constipation

Constipation. Constipation (secondary effect)

It sometimes accelerates the peristaltic motion, but in many cases (especially in weak persons) constipation follows

No stool during the first two days

Urinary Organs p. 444

Urethra. At close of micturition, a slight milky discharge (probably prostatic), attended with a smarting or burning sensation at orifice of urethra; afterwards, cutting pains below the bladder (in sphincter vesicae, or region of prostate gland), (secondary effect)

Constant tickling in the urethra, which was very annoying

Frequent desire to urinate, with passage of scanty pale urine

Excessive urging, with inability to urinate

Micturition. Frequent micturition (secondary effect)

Increased secretion and discharge of urine, with diminished specific gravity (after two hours)

Profuse and colorless urine (secondary effect)

Amount of urine increased 68 c.c. per day; urea diminished 6.5 grammes ; phosphates diminished 1 gramme; sodium chloride diminished 2.4 grammes

-Amount of urine increased 355 c.c. ; urea diminished 7.1 grammes, c.c. ; phosphoric acid diminished 1.6 grammes; sodium chloride increased 1 gramme. (Caffeone)

Amount of urine increased 370 c.c. per day; urea diminished 9.4 grammes; phosphoric acid diminished 1.3 grammes; sodium chloride diminished 1 gramme

Normal urine. Urine after a Coffee diet.

Amount in twenty-four hours, . . 1364.500 grs. 1739.750

Urea, 22.275 " 12.585

Uric acid, 0.578 " 0 402

Phosphoric acid, 1.291 " 0.854

(Becker and Lehman, average from numerous experiments.) Ischuria for many days ; she was almost unable to urinate, and could only evacuate the bladder after frequent attempts, and with passage of a few drops at a time, with much burning and pressure in the region of the bladder

It diminishes all the solid constituents of the urine except the earthy phosphates,7.f

Sexual Organs p. 444

Male. Weakness of the sexual power in men

Female. Spasmodic sensation deep in the uterine region ; it seems as if something tried to press outward and could not, because it constantly gave rise to spasms

Menstruation increased and prolonged

Respiratory Organs p. 444

Objective. Rattling respiration

Diminution of the expired water,7.-

Diminution of the amount of expired carbonic acid takes place soon after drinking Coffee, and is especially noticed after long-continued use of it,7.|

The amount of expired carbonic acid is 195,593.6 cubic centimetres less than normal during twenty-four hours ; this amount seemed really astounding, but is not so remarkable, seeing that a real dyspnoea follows the use of strong coffee

Subjective. Much subjective dyspnoea, with quick, labored respiration (after two hours)

A real asthma, with oppression of the chest (after half an hour)

Heart and Pulse p. 445

Record i it tn. Precordial symptoms

Ilea rt's Action, Greatly increased vigor of the action of the heart

Palpitation/ 4

Diminished action of heart

Pulse, Rapid pulse

Pulse full and frequent

Very frequent and tense pulse (after two hours)

Pulse increased from 75 to 82 (half a litre), (Trousseau, Montegazza^et al.),u

Before the proving, pulse 69; after the fifth cup, it fell to 61,8.

Pulse variable; often weak and almost imperceptible; sometimes intermitting (secondary effect)

Extremities in General p. 445

Trembling of the limbs

Trembling of all the limbs (after half an hour)

Trembling of the arms and legs

Considerable tremor in limbs (after two hours)

Jerking of limbs (secondary effect)

Generalities p. 445

Objective. General excitement

General agreeable excitement, with slight sweat. (Caffeone)

The preceding tracings plainly indicate quite a marked decrease of the pulse, with diminished extent of oscillation, and a consequent increase of arterial tension. They are similar to the tracings taken by Meplain ten or fifteen minutes after drinking the cold infusion ; but are still more strongly marked under the action of a simple decoction of the unroasted berry. When, however, the tracings are taken a few moments after drinking an infusion of black coffee, especially when well roasted and of a strong aromatic odor, the peculiarities of the pulse are directly opposed to those presented above. In this case, they indicate more or less excitement of the circulation, as shown in the tracings by the more extended oscillations, by the greater abruptness and height of the ascending line, by its sharp angle at the top, and by the jerking contour of the descending line. This important fact, first noticed by Meplain, is accounted for by him as follows. He distilled a litre of a strong infusion of roasted coffee, and obtained therefrom about 200 grammes of a liquid which, in addition to the aromatic smell and taste of coffee, possessed a slightly acrid taste and decided empyreumatic odor. After taking this, he observed the pulse to rise from 64 to 72. Hence he inferred that the symptoms of vascular excitement (quickened circulation, diminished vascular tension, flushed face, etc.), which appear immediately •after drinking an infusion of black coffee, are effects of the Coffeone. Gur own investigations have led us to accept implicitly the ideas of Meplain, as to the part played by Caffeone in inducing the primary effects on the circulation experienced after drinking a strong infusion of roasted coffee. As we ascertained from the experiments we instituted, in order to test the soundness of our colleagues opinion, the changes in the circulation which are among the effects of coffee depend not only on the length of time which may have elapsed since the taking of the beverage before the observations are made, but also on the more or less thorough roasting of the berry. Thus we may account for the astonishing diversities in the opinions expressed by different authorities as to the effects of coffee on the circulation, and especially on the pulse, which latter, according to some (Trousseau, Deltel, Penilleau, Prompt), is increased, while according to others (Rognetta, Carbn, Jomaud) it is lessened, in frequency. We remark, in the first place, that those writers who have observed an acceleration of pulse after drinking an infusion of coffee, have taken it either warm, or with the addition of chicory (which Jomaud has shown to be a violent vascular irritant), or else they have made their observations immediately after partaking of the beverage. Those, on the other hand, who have observed the pulse to become slower, have chiefly used in their experiments coffee raw, or but slightly roasted, or else have waited at least ten or fifteen minutes after drinking it, before examining the pulse

Increase of the solid constituents of the blood

Increase in the amount of fat in the serum of the blood, and also of the fibrin

Haemorrhages from the nose, lungs, uterus, and rectum

Motor symptoms, such as muscular shivering and tremors (from the strong infusion in large doses, especially in those not accustomed to it)

Trembling

Muscular jerking (secondary effect)

Gait unsteady

Causes tottering (after half an hour)/.

Debility

Great lassitude and general debility (secondary effect)

Excessively weak and prostrated

Uneasiness

She walks uneasily up and down the room, with an expression of extreme anxiety

Subjective. Heightened sensibility, shown by epigastric anxiety, and by cutaneous impressions, varying greatly in different subjects (itching, cold feeling, lumbar shiverings)

Feels strong enough to do anything

A peculiar sensation difficult to describe, something like a faintness

Left side generally affected

Aversion to open air, which aggravates the symptoms (secondary effect)

General amelioration of symptoms from moderate outdoor exercise

Sleep and Dreams p. 446

Sleeplessness. Sleeplessness

Great sleeplessness from mental and nervous excitability (secondary effect)

Loss of sleep. (Caffeone)

Complete inability to sleep on account of rush of all kinds of thoughts through the mind

Wakefulness, with ecstatic mental excitement, intermitting with dreams

When going to sleep, starts up suddenly in affright, with groans and fear of falling, or of some impending danger (secondary effect)

Dreams. Sleep restless on account of many unpleasant and confused dreams

Dreams all night for three nights ; vivid and brilliant visions of magnificence

On the third night, dream that the dome of the sky is spanned by rainbows from horizon to zenith. Visions of enchantment. Beautiful landscapes. View of Paradise. These delightful dreams followed by dreams of death of dear friends, which do not abate the cheerfulness or mental exhilaration, but he looks at all with supernatural indifference

Fever p. 446

Chilliness. Skin cool and moist

Coldness of the surface and limbs

On account of easy perspiration, chilliness and shiver-- ing from the least exposure to cold air (secondary effect)

Chilliness, with general shaking and chattering of the teeth ; cannot get warm ; the chills ascend from the fingers and toes to nape of neck, and thence to vertex ; when chilly, Cayenne pepper taken internally produces general warmth, and makes him feel fearless and courageous (secondary effect)

Feet and hands cold (secondary effect)

Heat. Heat

Excessive heat, so that she threw off the outer clothing and sat for a while in a draft

At one time, flushes of heat, at another currents of cold air down the back

Excessive orgasm of blood (after half an hour)

Violent fever

Hot flushes to the face, and heat (with which, however, there is a scarcely noticeable redness) of the cheeks

Sensation as though alternate warmth and coldness were moving about in the bowels

Sweat. Sweat

General sweat

Profuse sweat. (Caffeone)

Cold clammy perspiration all over body, but chiefly in the palms of the hands (secondary effect)

Conditions p. 446

Aggravation.

(Cold food), Distress in epigastrium.

Ten minutes alter infusion of 60 grins, of an infusion of Coffea (75 gruis. of C. to 500 of water Fig.19.

Five minutes after liquid charged with "Caffeone (or empyreumatic oil, obtained by

distilling an infusion of roasted coffea.) Fig. 20

-fifteen iinues alter don grins, of a decoction of Coffea cruda, containing no "Caffeone

but rich in Caffeine. Fig 22.

Five minutes after subcutaneous injection of 10 centigrammes ot Coffeine. pulse, 56. (Cold water), Distress in epigastrium.

(Motion of head), Sensation in parietal bones.

( Thinking), Vertigo, etc.

Amelioration p. 447

( Cold air), Momentary relief.

( Cold ivater), Toothache.

(Outdoor exercise), The symptoms.

(Change of position), Vertigo.

(On rising), Feels better.

Footnotes

† Following a rheumatic attack, with great prostration and weakness.

† Conclusions from a large number of detailed observations and analyses, j Wibmer calls attention to the fact, that this is the reverse of the condition after taking Senega, in which the amount of carbonic acid is increased.