Over the centuries, there
was never a shortage of admonitions based on the negative effects of alcohol and
frequent drunkenness. While the mountain of related warnings continued to increase,
there was a distinct period in Western Civilization during which all caution went
largely unheeded. Today, we recognize the
long- and short-term effects of alcohol on the human brain.
Neurons are the brain
cells that are largely responsible for communicating with one another to produce behavior and cognition. However, alcohol
can block the communication signals between neurons, prompting the conspicuous signs of
intoxication including slower reflexes, poor recall, slurred speech, moderated
judgment and decreased problem-solving capabilities. Cognitive impairment is
a long-term consequence of heavy drinking, with his own visible signs including
difficulties in paying attention, verbal fluency, working memory and controlling
impulses. Excessive alcohol consumption eventually leads to a decreased brain cell count.
During the Middle Ages, due
to the poor sanitary practices of the times (primarily associated with human
waste disposal), water was rarely potable in
England and therefore, unsafe for human consumption. The most common substitutes for water were ales, beers, and wine, which were indulged in both day and night, resulting in a slightly intoxicated public most waking hours.
Coffee, which originated
in Ethiopia in the 10th century, ushered in a new era in England and Europe. When water is heated above the boiling point to produce a
coffee, bacteria and parasites that cause most illnesses are eliminated. Not only could large numbers of people remain sober, as
a bonus to their newfound sobriety, the caffeine in coffee was a stimulant. Suddenly, coffeehouses spread throughout England in the early 1600s,
and this addictive brain stimulant helped to usher in the European period
known best for a "rationalist and scientific approach to the understanding of human society, the law, religion, and individualism" or the period of Enlightenment.
Coffeehouses became the central hub for
exchanging ideas, conducting business, spreading the latest news and gossip, and meeting up with other like-minded thinkers. Coffeehouses were places where one could discuss and debate with his ideological, theological, and
political opponents, as well as friends. For a mere penny entry fee, the door to nearly any coffeehouse would open as if by magic giving one access to uniquely stimulating
conversations fostered by the stimulant caffeine.
Most importantly, 17th
and 18th century coffeehouses became the primary location where one could learn from
colleagues, "authorities," friends, and complete strangers who gathered in the coffeehouses
to introduce, explain, critique, compare, and exchange innovative and
scientific ideas. The Enlightenment also saw individuals challenge the traditional religious-based pseudo-scientific notions that opened the window to transformative scientific examinations of commonly held ideas that were intensely advocated by the church. Thus, these establishments became known as “penny
universities,” and emerged as the most appropriate and most common venue to
conduct business, becoming an integral component in British commerce.
Coffeehouses became the most dynamic social, intellectual, and
commercial hubs where professionals, merchants and farmers could confer with colleagues and complete strangers in specified businesses and in support of specific professions. Coffeehouses
near the Westminster became the places for politicians to meet. Coffeehouses in
the proximity of the Royal Exchange catered to the merchant and business communities, while
theologians and clergymen gravitated to the coffeehouses nearest the major churches. Sotheby’s
and Christie’s auctioneers were spinoffs of the coffeehouses near the auctioneers. “Jonathan’s coffeehouse”
was the principal hangout for London’s stockbrokers and was the location from which the London
Stock Exchange emerged. The establishment known as "Lloyd’s Coffeehouse," was the main scene for insurance transactions. It evolved into the Lloyd’s of London insurance company.
Recognizing the high neurological price one pays when small or moderate doses of alcohol
impact the central nervous system (processing, learning, remembering, rational
thinking, etc.), what might the long-term toll
be on the CNS brought on by a lifetime of nearly nonstop alcohol
consumption? Diminished cognitive performance would be the first expected
outcome.
During the Enlightenment, the needle for all cultural, religious, political, and scientific conversations moved dramatically after the introduction of sustained sobriety brought about by the introduction of coffee. The coffeehouses and their "secret ingredient" caffeine were instrumental in developing and expanding complex circuitry in sober brains during the Enlightenment, rather than damaging brain cells and the vital dendritic connections that formed the basis of transformational and creative thinking.
During the Enlightenment, the needle for all cultural, religious, political, and scientific conversations moved dramatically after the introduction of sustained sobriety brought about by the introduction of coffee. The coffeehouses and their "secret ingredient" caffeine were instrumental in developing and expanding complex circuitry in sober brains during the Enlightenment, rather than damaging brain cells and the vital dendritic connections that formed the basis of transformational and creative thinking.
