The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-04-19
HOW ia Is ADULTBRAFEp.

A New York paper gives the following
account of the various modes by which
the tea.we drink is 'dcctored'' and pois-
oned:
In the manufactured teas, the leaves
employed are of various kinds-but The
principal bases of the infusion are sloe
leaves, white thorn leaves and bay leaves.
Experiments, however, have detected the
presence of plum, oak, cherry and even
cedar. When any of these are used in
the manufacture. ca.echu OF terra Japon-
lea Japan earth are employed to give
the compound an astringent and color to
tea. Trey, as it we're, supply the place
of tannin, which belongs to the genuine
article, and impsrts a flavor similar to
that of BJhea and Ayson skin. Both
terra Japonica aud catechu are violent
medicines, injuriousiy affecting the sys-
tenn of the unsuspicious tea driLker. aud
doubtless in many cases the diseases now
fflicting our people, especially womens
have their origin in these noxious article,
under the name of tea. The mauufac-
turers use, also, a gum, which causes
contraction of the exhausted leaves on
drying, and gives them the appearance
peculiar to tea itself. II may be vel 10
know, however, that the forms of the
leaves in the manufactured article are
shapelessly broken and agglutinated into
small, fattened, or round masses which,
if the microscope be used in examining
them, present an appearance as different
from lea itself as cheese Is from chalk.
IN II, 70
or adulteration, is as follows;
The exhausted leaves, or any others
that may be used, are spread out on a
drying floor, and dampeaed with water.
After remaing here for a while, they are
taken up in parcels and placed in a pan
before hot fire, when the gum is poured
upon them, and they are then stirred un-
I'll the ingredients (which differ somewhat
il limitations of green and black tess) be-
come thoroughly mixed. The agglutin-
ated mass is then replaced on the drying
floor in the room which is heated to in
tensity, and after remaining sufficiently
long thereon, it is packed in tea boxes,
and is ready for delivery.
There are also employed, besides the
articles We have mentioned, ip initiating
the color, taste, &c, of the various vari-
cites of greens and blacks, the following
drugs, all of which are more or less inju-
rious to the health: Sulphate of iron,
rose pink, logwood (Which imparts
strength after the manner of chickory in
spurious coffee, plumbago or black lead,
china clay and soapstone, Ito give bloom
and lusteF, or ''face;" as it is termed J
indigo, fused for the same purpose 10
making up spurious green's tumeric
powder, Prussian blue, mineral green, "a
salt of copper precipitated by an alkaline
carbonate, (deadly poisonous verdigris,
Especially used in the preparation OF
spurious Hyson, Young Hyson, and Hy-
son skin. areeuite of copper, chromate
and bichromate of potash, chrome yellow,
Gall poisonous chalk, (Which enters in
to the composition of Dutch pink. and is
used to color the limitations of the best
qualities of greens. and other deleteri
Gus articles, hich, in proportion as they
are used, make up the SouchoDgs, Be-
heas, Twankay, etc., that are sold by
dishonest dealers.
In many cases, especially in the adul
iteration and manufacture of imitation
blacks, sand is an ingredient. The re-
port made to the British Government
mentions. that in one instance where a
quantity of counterfeit tea was seized and
analysed, examination proved that TWEEN
ty per cent. of the base compound was
sand only. Not alone do the manufac-
turers put into market the various imita
tons made up Of the materials we have
mentioned, but by strange process of
transmitting the exhausted leaves Of
black lea are made to become most beau
tiful greens. Much of the spurious
Young Hyson which fnds its way into
market in this city is "made over" in
this way.