Caffeine is a central nervous stimulant that is in coffee beans, cocoa beans, and in tea leaves. In very large proportions, caffeine can be toxic. In large doses it can result into vomiting, convulsions, arrhythmia (a quivering heart), tachycardia, coma, and even death (Kerrigan & Tania, 2005). A person can have up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day for adults. That is roughly about four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two “energy shot” drinks. Adolescents should limit themselves to 100 milligrams of caffeine per day (Nawrot, Jordan, Eastwood, Rotstein, Hugenholtz, & Feeley, 2003).
If caffeine is taken in large amounts, the person has a wide range of clinical symptoms ranging from nervousness, irritability, insomnia, sensory disturbances,
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In the fifteenth century, coffee spread to Egypt and North Africa, and then reached to the Middle East, Persia, and Turkey. Coffee spread around Italy, coffee plants were transported to the East Indies, and to America. (Schmidt, 2005) People were chewing bark, seeds, and leaves of certain plants that had effects of fatigue, stimulating awareness, and elevating m A 39-year old-female had a history of intravenous drug use. She was found in the bushes of a nearby restaurant. She was fully clothed, with her pockets turned out. She has minor abrasions on her chin and back with needle marks on her arms. A syringe was found about six feet from her body. Her autopsy and a comprehensive toxicology was order on the femoral blood (Kerrigan & Tania, 2005). The toxicology found trace amounts of ibuprofen and 192 mg/L caffeine in the femoral blood (Kerrigan & Tania, 2005). The source of caffeine was unknown, although she had a history of drug abuse and caffeine was used as a butting agent or diluents for illicit drugs. The cause of death was attributed to caffeine intoxication and the manner of death was an accident (Kerrigan & Tania,