Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-12-02
Is Green Tea a 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 a 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-
fiscate all adulterated tea after Jan. 1, and
explained that such a course would put
summary stop to the supply of green tea,
inasmuch as every particle OF that tea is
Z" 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, too
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
filed with black tea. Then handfuls OF
turmeric, indigo and other poisonous mat
far in A flor fha xphpla hud
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 Monaghan ships
the tea already greened, and so saves the
importer trouble. The change, however,
is bad one for the consumer. The
almond-eyed heather have surpassed their
Christian teachers in the art of aduliera-
ton. A member of Manchester tea
firm writes 10 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, fiourishes in New Jer-
sey, and is carefully cultivated there--it
Is DDt 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 process
of drying that is long and costly. IL is
rarely exported from China.
Recent reformers have argued that ex-
cessive 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 il Is
not to be denied that tea has many vic
Tins, and that they one and all prefer 1t 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 efficaeious than getting up
with the sun.--Chseago Tribune.
California papers are publishing the
docket of a Tuolonne County Justice of
the Peace who held Office in 1850. The
following is an extract from his minutes
of the case: IN. b. Barber, the lawyer
for George Work, insolently told me
there were no law for me u rool so; ]
told him / didn't care for his book law
but that | was the law myself He con-
tinned TO jaw back; / told him 10 shut up
but he wouldn't; / fined him $50 and
committed him to goal for five DAYS for
contempt Of court in bringing my roolings
and dissions into disreputableness and as
q warning TO unrooly persons not to con-
tradict this COURT
"A monstrous buck, with twelve prongs
to each horn. has been running in the vi
entity OF Reedsville, Mo, for the last fif-
teen years. He is said To bear charmed
LIE and to tie also In League with the devil.
lie has been shot at twenty seven times,
ana hit not once to anybody's knowledge.
The NEw STYLE or SCHOOL, by Prof. w. p.
Jones, Evanston, ILL.,. where common. school,
business and carly college studies are taught
IN the andtUidbdi ptethooi instead Of IN cEasseS