Virtuous Drugs: Coffee and Tea in Medical Theory and Practice in Halle Pietism, 1698–1720

Summary How did medical consumption contribute to the diffusion of tea and coffee in Europe? How did these ‘luxury’ and exotic substances acquire medical associations? Historical accounts frequently note medically inspired popularisation, but rarely venture beyond medical discourse as historical evidence. This article explores the integration of these two substances into discourses and practices of health and spiritual well-being in German Halle Pietism, 1698–1720. It looks specifically at the therapeutic and dietetic functions ascribed to tea and coffee through buying, selling and prescribing practices within the micro-context of the Orphanage Apothecary of the Glauchasche Anstalten, Halle an der Saale. It demonstrates how in this religious context, medical-dietetic consumption of tea and coffee was key to diffusion. It argues that the combined medical, pharmaceutical and religious activities of Halle Pietists fashioned coffee and tea into virtuous substances—everyday medical-dietetic essentials in the pursuit of a pious and healthy life.