Kaffee im medizinischen Diskurs des europäischen 18. Jahrhunderts

Abstract

Coffee in the medical discourse of 18th century Europe

The following paper examines the integration of coffee into the medical culture of 18 th-century Europe. Letters from Elisabeth Charlotte d’Orléans and medical periodicals show that doctors prescribed coffee as an antinarcotic, purgative, digestive aid, for diseases such as arthritis or asthma and as a sedative. Medical treatises show that the effects and uses of coffee could be explained based on various medical concepts.