U.S. & World History – In 1790, all of the citizens of Colombia were paranoid about air born germs and many people believed that it could spread illnesses that can lead to death. A law was passed that when enforced, people had to pay a fine in beans, if they were seen in public with respiratory problems that caused them to wheeze. The beans became so synonymous with the penalty, that in South America they were referred to as the “cough fee”.
