The Virtue and Use of Coffee With Regard to the Plague and Other Infectious Distempers

Part 1

THE VIRTUE and USE OF COFFEE, With Regard to the PLAGUE, And Other Infectious Distempers:

CONTAINING

The most Remarkable Observations of the Greatest Men in Europe concerning it, from the first Knowledge of it, down to this Present Time.

To which is Prefix’d, An Exact Figure of the Tree, Flower, and Fruit, taken from the Life.

By R. BRADLEY, Fellow of the Royal Society.

LONDON,

Printed by EMAN. MATTHEWS, at the Bible in Pater-noster-Row; and W. MEARS, at the Lamb without Temple-Bar. M.DCC.XXI.

(Price Six-Pence.)

The Right Honourable

THE

Lords Spiritual and Temporal,

And to the Honourable

The COMMONS of Great Britain in Parliament Assembled,

THIS

HISTORY

COFFEE

Is most humbly Inscribed,

Your HONOURS

Most Obedient, and

Most Humble Servant to command,

RICHARD BRADLEY.

PREFACE.

AT this time, when every Nation in Europe is under the melancholy Apprehension of an approaching Plague or Pestilence, I think it the Business of every Man to contribute, to the utmost of his Capacity, such Observations, as may tend to the Service of the Publick. Upon this foot, I have some Months since published my Thoughts of the Plague in general, upon an Hypothesis which many of the Learned concur with, tho’ some few dissent from it: However, I find, that the Remedies prescribed by the Physicians of both Opinions, are little different from each other. It is remark’d by several Learned Men abroad, that Coffee is of excellent Use in the time of Pestilence, and contributes greatly to prevent the spreading of Infection: And one of them, in a Letter to me, observes, that in some Parts of Turkey, where the Plague is almost constant, it is seldom mortal in those Families, who are rich enough to enjoy the free Use of Coffee, but that the Poorer Sort, who want that Benefit, seldom escape. Again, the same Person observes, that Coffee is not subject to be destroy’d by any Insect, or is subject to rot, as most other Seeds or Grains will do; and therefore justly concludes, that it is of great Virtue and Use in all Distempers, which are supposed to be occasioned by Insects, or unwholesome Air. And it is likely, if the true Virtue and Use of Coffee had been known in London in the Year 1665, when the Plague raged there, that Dr. Hodges, and other Learned Men of that time, would have recommended it. But since it is now become a Liquor known to most people, I have thought fit to republish its History, with several Additions and Remarks; especially how far it is useful in Pestilential Cases, with an Account of the best Method of roasting the Berries, and preserving them after roasting: And for the Satisfaction of the Curious, have prefix’d a Figure of the Tree, Flower, and Fruit, which I delineated from a growing Tree in the Amsterdam Gardens.

AN Historical Account OF COFFEE.

COFFEE, of late Years, is grown so much in request throughout England, Holland, and other Parts of Europe, that I need say little to recommend its History to the World: The general Use of it rather seems to command this Work, that by our having a more familiar Knowledge of it, we may relish it the better. And again, what yet prompts me further to this Undertaking, is the Opportunity I have at this time to present the World with a perfect Figure of the Tree that produces this celebrated Fruit; which is not done here by any random Guess, or according to the uncertain Report of others, but drawn by my own Hand from a growing Tree.

AND that I may observe some sort of Method in the Prosecution of my Discourse, I shall, in the first place, give my Reader the Names and Descriptions of it, from the several Authors who have mentioned it; and then I shall offer a more exact Account, from my own Knowledge, of the Plant, Flower, and Fruit, for the better understanding of the aforesaid Figure: after which, I shall set down the Time and Manner of its first Appearance in England, with its Virtues and Uses. To which I shall add some necessary Observations relating to the Original Place of its Growth, and Manner of Trading for it; and conclude with some Remarks I have made of its Culture in the Amsterdam Garden.

JACOB COTOVICUS, in his Travels to Jerusalem, Anno 1598. mentions the Coffee to have been at that time a Drink much in use amongst the Turks; and tells us, that some of the Arabians called it Cahua, and others Bunnu and Bunchi, but gives us no Description of the Plant. He is the first Author that I find to have mentioned this Liquor.

PROSPER ALPINUS, a Physician of Venice, in his Book of Egyptian Plants, makes mention of the Tree, and gives us an imperfect Cut of it: He tells us, that he first saw it in a Garden belonging to a Captain of the Janizaries at Grand Cairo, brought from Arabia Felix, and planted there as a great Rarity: It is, saith he, like the Euonymus or Prickle-Timber, but with Leaves thicker, harder, and greener. Of the Fruit (called Buna) the Turks and Arabs make a Decoction or Drink, which they use instead of Wine, and is called Coava.

Part 2

PALUDAMUS, after him, mentions it by the Name of Choava; and Rauwolfius calls it Chaube; but neither of them do make any Remarks upon it, that are worthy to be communicated to my Reader; for these Authors writ near a hundred Years since, when Coffee was little known to the Europeans.

SANDYS, in his Travels through the Turkish Empire, met with this Drink at Constantinople: He says, “It was sold in many publick Places there, which he calls Coffa-Houses, where the Turks sit chatting most of the Day, and sip of a Drink called Coffa, in little China Dishes, as hot as they can suffer it; black as Soot, and tasting not much unlike it.” He believes it to be that black Broth, which was in use amongst the Lacedemonians.

PARKINSON, in his Theatr. Botanic. pag. 1622. gives us a very indifferent Figure of it, calling the Tree, Arbor Bon, and tells us, the Fruit is somewhat larger than a Hazel-Nut, pointed at the Extremities, and of a greyish Ash-Colour; that each Berry contains two white Seeds, which the Turks make Drink of, and is in great Esteem amongst them.

JOHN BAUHINE calls it Bon vel Ban Arbor.

CASPER BAUHINE describes it thus; Euonymo Similis Ægyptica fructu Baccis Lauri simili.

Mr. RAY, in his Histor. Plantar. pag. 1691. calls it Coffee Frutex, ex cujus Fructu fit Potus. He had not seen the Plant, but discourses largely on its Virtues, which I shall give an Account of in the proper Place.

MONSIEUR PONCETT, in his Voyage to Æthiopia, makes it a Native of that Country; it was, as he says, transplanted from thence to Arabia Felix, and at this time the Æthiopians cultivate it only as a Curiosity: he describes it to be like the Myrtle in its Leaves, but larger and tufted; the Fruit like Pistachio Nut, green at first, and of a darker Colour when it is ripe: and this they call Coffee.

MANY others have mentioned the Fruit to be of a Citron Colour, and of a Greyish White: but it appears plain to me, they have never seen it in its Prosperity, as I have done; of which my Reader may be satisfied, when he compares such Accounts with the Description I shall give of it.

DR. COMELIN, Botanick Professor at Amsterdam, in his Lectures on Plants, places this Tree among the Jessamines, and compares the Leaf to that of our common Chesnut; but as that Gentleman has not yet printed any Account of it, I shall not therefore attempt to publish the Name at large, which he has given it. He is undoubtedly in the right to class it with the Jessamines; but I rather join in Opinion with my learned Friend Mr. Petiver, that the Leaf is more like to that of the Laurus Vulgaris, or common Bay, but larger.

THUS having given a View of what has been mentioned by the several Authors concerning the Name and Description of this Tree, I shall proceed to describe it from the Knowledge I have of it.

IN the Physick-Garden of Amsterdam are two Coffee-Trees above seventeen foot high, which have been for some time in a bearing State, and have, at most Seasons, Fruit upon them; from one of these Trees I design’d the Figure prefix’d to this Treatise, which in every Point resembles the Branch I took it from, except only the Size, which ought to be one third part bigger to make it equal with the Life.

THE Tree is of very quick Growth, and naturally inclinable to shoot upright; ’tis reported, that in its native Country it generally attains to the height of forty or fifty foot, although the Stem, in the thickest part, does not exceed five Inches in Diameter. The Leaves are Bi-composite (or set in cross Pairs at the Joints) and not unlike those of the common Bay, but curl’d at the Edges, and inclinable to hang down. The Flowers put forth in Clusters at the Joints, towards the Extremities of the Branches; they make their first Appearance in July, and are in Figure, Size, and Colour the same with those of the common Jessamine, with the Addition only of five yellow Apices, which hang loosely on the Top of the Flower, and a Style which projects near half an Inch above it: their Smell is faint, and little worth our Notice.

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