The Virtue and Use of Coffee With Regard to the Plague and Other Infectious DistempersBradley, Richard
History
The Virtue and Use of Coffee With Regard to the Plague and Other Infectious Distempers
Bradley, Richard
Coffee -- Therapeutic use -- Early works to 1800
BUT notwithstanding this their extraordinary Care and Caution to
preserve this Plant peculiar to themselves, the _Hollanders_, some
Years ago, found means to furnish themselves with it, and have made a
Plantation of it about _Batavia_, in the Island of _Java_, which has
already produced some Tuns of Fruit. From this Plantation they have
lately brought two Trees to _Amsterdam_, which, by the Skill of their
ingenious Gardiner, flourish and bear Fruit in such Perfection, that
several hundred Plants have been raised there from Seeds, ripened at
that Place; and which, from time to time, they transmit to _Surinam_,
and such Places in the _West-Indies_ as are in their possession.
THE Heer _Gerbrand Pancrass_, Commissary of the Garden, and _President_
of the City of _Amsterdam_, did me the Honour to accommodate me with
this great Curiosity, which I sent into _England_, and intrusted to the
care of Mr. _Thomas Fairchild_, a most accurate Gardiner at _Hoxton_.
AND since it has now found its way to _England_, it may be necessary to
offer some proper Directions for its Culture, agreeable with the Method
observed in the _Amsterdam_ Garden.
WHEN we have an Opportunity to propagate these Trees from the Berries,
we must, immediately after they are gathered, carefully take off the
outside Husk, and separate the two Seeds which are found in each; and
set them an Inch deep in Pots of fine Earth, which are already warm in a
Bed prepared with Horse-litter; keeping the Glasses close covered for
six Weeks, and often sprinkling them with Water. From this way of
Management we may expect them to come up in less than two Months time
after Sowing. And then, for their further Improvement, you are only to
remark, they love Warmth, little Air, a light sandy Earth, and much
Water. And this last Hint answers to an Observation of that Great
Naturalist Sir _Hans Sloane_; where he tells us, that the _Arabians_ cut
artificial Channels from the Rivers, on purpose to nourish these Plants.
See _Philosophical Transactions, Numb. 208. pag. 64._
THESE Rules being well observed, we may expect them to bear Fruit in
five Years time from the putting in of the Seed; but in a hotter Clime,
such as _South-Carolina_, or in the _Caribbee-Islands_, much sooner.
IF the Plague should ever come into _England_ (which God forbid) I
recommend to every Person, when they walk out, that they put in their
Mouth a little Piece of Myrrh, as an excellent Preservative from
receiving any Infection; which I shall treat of more largely in another
Work.
_FINIS._
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_Books Printed for_ W. MEARS, _at the_ Lamb _without_ Temple-Bar.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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