Page:Food and cookery for the sick and convalescent.djvu/99

Rh and ground. The coffee berry in its raw state has no odor or flavor, both being developed by roasting.

For its cultivation it requires a warm climate, rich soil, and protection from wind and storms.

Java coffee is the finest coffee grown, but much sold under that name does not come, necessarily, from the island of Java. Any coffee having the distinctive flavor of Java coffee, no matter where grown, bears the name. Maleberry Java commands a higher price than any other coffee on the market. Brazil, Central America, Mexico, and Arabia are all coffee countries.

Coffee, like tea, is usually blended, the most popular mixture being three or four parts Java to one part Mocha. The Mocha gives a certain sparkle and acidity which the general public demands.

Coffee, like tea, is a stimulant. Its stimulating effect is due to caffein and a volatile oil. The effect of caffein is nearly identical with that of thein. Coffee also contains tannin. As taken for a beverage it is more stimulating than tea, from the fact that so much more is used. Its food value lies in the sugar and cream served with it.

Coffee should be bought in small quantities and kept tightly covered in a glass jar or tin canister. It should not be ground until purchased, and when convenient, it is best ground at home. On account of the large quantity of volatile oil it contains, it quickly depreciates in value.

Coffee may be prepared as a decoction (boiled coffee), filtration, or infusion. Coffee for filtering should be finely ground.

Coffee strengthens heart action, increases respiration, and excites mucous membrane. It is a nerve stimulant and a diuretic. It removes the sensation of fatigue, for which reason it is used by many nurses when on night duty. It is often valuable to relieve nausea after an anæsthetic, and often proves useful in cases of opium and alcoholic poisoning.

A cup of black coffee assists digestion, while a cup of breakfast coffee, as ordinarily served, retards digestion,