The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-12-02
Is Green Tea q Poison?

A new law, entitled the Sale-of- Food
and-Drugs act, goes into force in England
next New Years Day. The Commission
ers of Customs are given certain extraor-
binary powers by it in regard to the
stoppage of imports of adulterated edible
goods. A remarkable correspondence be-
tween the Commissioners and firm OF
London tea-merchants has recently been
published, much to the horror of devotees
of the cup that cheers. The firm inquired
whether the Commissioners meant to con.
tiscate all adultcrated tea after Jan. 1, and
explained that such course would put a
summary stop to the supply of green tea,
inasmuch as every particle of that tea is
faced" Faced is a pleasing para.
phrase for adulterated.'' Since this
rather startling disclosure the London
Times has published number of letters
pro and CON. The upshot of the discus.
sion has been to re-establish the facts
which the Tribune laid before the public
some years ago, when was exposed the
poisonous humbug sold and drank as
green tea.
Black tea is the leaf in its natural state
Most of the varieties are, however, toe
mild to satisfy palate used to pickles
and mustard, and pepper sauces and like
condiments. The dealers, therefore,
kindly poison the leaf and produce what
they are pleased to advertise as "a supe.
rior quality of green tea" At one time
ten pounds of green tea were sold in the
American market for every pound i'm.
ported. The process of adulteration was
performed at the seaboard. A long cylin.
der, turning slowly over fire, was half
filled with black tea. Then handfuls OF
turmeric, indigo and other poisonous mat
ter were thrown in. After the whole had
been cooked together the stuff came out
as green tea. Each leaf was perhaps
coated with copper! Since then "Chi.
nese cheap labor" has supplanted eau
casian cunning. The Mongolian ships
the tea already greened, and so saves the
importer trouble. The change, however
is a bad one for the consumer. The
almond-eyed heather have surpassed theil
Christian teachers in the art of adultera
ton. A member of Manchester tea
firm writes to the London Times that the
coloring matter used is filthy com
pound" Of sillcate of magnesium, Prus
sian blue "and other Dirt" and that the
leaves colored are faded and old, and
mixed with leaves of plant bearing the
suggestive name of "lie tea" The 'lie
tea, we may add, hourlshes in New Jer'
sey, and is carefully cultivated there-it
is not difficult to surmise why.
There is such a thing as pure green tea
but it is much weaker than the artificial
stuff, and has to be prepared by a process
of drying that is long and costly. 1t is
rarely exported from China.
Recent reformers have argued that ex
cessive tea-drinking does as much harm
to women as excessive consumption of al
cohol does to men. The comparison OF
the two may be an exaggeration, but it is
not to be denied that tea has many vic
Tins, and that they one and all prefer it in
its poisoned state. Their tastes crave the
acid twang of copper and other poisons
There are many women who constantly
do what Thackeray makes one of his
snobs do" commit dangerous excuses
on green tea" She who is wise and wants
to be healthy will find the abjuration Of
striped stockings, green wallpaper and
green tea more efficacious than getting up
with the sun.-Chtcago Tribune. -