The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-07-07
TEA TABLE DRINKS.

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various States and Provinces Of North
America, having an aggregate population
of five hundred million human beings, an
estimated quantity of two thousand million
pounds of tea-four pounds to each in
dividual-annually used. Coffee, which is
preferred by many people to tea, and
which is, indeed, the staple minor luxury
| of Mahomedan life, is yearly becoming
more and more generally used. 1t is
estimated that six hundred million pounds
| of the coffee bean are consumed every year
by one hundred and twenty millions of
men. Cocoa, the least popular of these
drinks, is still favorite beverage in Central
America, Italy and Spain, and is probably
consumed to the extent of one hundred
million pounds year among population
of fifty million.
An article in the April number of the
Edinburgh Review gives some interesting
facts in relation to the chemical properties
of these three tea table drinks, which are
common upon every table in our land, and
explains at length the reasons why they
are always so refreshing to the weary and
so apparently nourishing to the hungry. 1t
says that the tea, coffee and cocoa all
contain in the roasted state in which they
are used, aromatic oils, in minute proportion,
to which the peculiar aroma Of each is due.
They contain, also a proportion of an astrin
gent substance resembling the tannim Of gall
nuts or oak bark. In the tea and coffee is
found variable quantity of a white crystal
line body called theme; and in cocoa
substance of nearly similar character
known by the name of theobromine. Of
these three constituent .parts, two of them,
the volatile oil and the theme, are known
to exercise a peculiar influence upon the
system. The oil''possesses narcotic proper
ties, intoxicates, occasions headache and
giddiness, and sometimes paralysis in those
who, as tea tasters, are much exposed to
its influence. New tea contains this oil in
larger quantities than old. The small
proportion of it which exists in tea as we
get it from China is harmless.
The theme which is found in coffee and
tea, and the theohromine in cocoa, are
bitter, Strengthening substances, distin-
guished particularly by the peculiar property
of retardng the natural waste ofthe animal
body. The faster the waste the larger the
quantity Of food which must daily be
consumed to make up for the loss which it !
occasions. The theme, or theobromine,
therefore, by lessening the waste, lessons
also the amount of food necessary to be
eaten within a given time. The volatile
oil produces similar effect in & somewhat |
less degree, and when old age comes on
and the powers of digestion diminish, the
infusion tea, which contains both these
ingredients, by lessening the waste, aids
the digestive powers to maintain the strength |
and bulk of the weakening frame. DR..
Johnston, the author of work upon "the !
chemistry Of common lfe," saws, in connec-
ton with these important properties of the
theme and volatile oil, that
at is no longer wonderful, therefore, that
tea and coffee should be fayorites--on the !
one hand with the poor, whose supplies Of
food are scanty, and on the other hand |
with the aged and infrm, especially ofthe
feebler sex, whose powers of digestion and |
whose bodily substance have together begun
to fail. Nor is it surprising that the aged !
female whose earnings are barely sufficient
to buy the common necessaries oflife, should |
yet spare portion Of her small gains in
procuring this grateful indulgence. She
can sustain her strength as well with less
common food when she takes her tea |
along with i; while she feels lighter at the |
same time, in spirits, more cheerful and |
filter for the dull work of life, because Of
this little indulge"ce."-BostOn Journal.
CURING HIDEs.-It is not generally |
known that we'll cured hides will command !
from one to two cents per pound more than |