The New York herald., 1879-03-02
ADULTERA7ED TEA.
Poisonous Stuff Sold TO the Public for
the Pure Article.
JOHN CHINAMAN'S TRICKS
Alarming Extent Of the Bogus Tea
Trade in America


The fact that swill milk is daily sold in New York.
and that socalled respectable venders of that
tial deal in milk adulterated with water. -four. chalk
sait Sleeps brains gum arabic annoto and caramel,
has suggested general investigation all along the
line, and experts like Professor Angel. of Boston,
and his conrsrss have taken hold OF food adultera-
tions in earnest intending to bring influences to bear
the Legislatures of the several States. hoping for
practical relief therefrom.
From facts and data in our possession it is sus-
ceptibe of proof that nearly all the essentials of
life seriously tampered WITH and that the adul-
teraton Of food is the rule rather than the excep
tion The following list is carefully prepared. and
will give idea of the extent which tho evil
tends:-
Sausages-Made Of impure meats and seasoned
with spices.
Bread-Mxed with alum. lime water and -four
ground in with lead.
Flour-Aduterated with damaged peas. powdered
alum and casein, in which are worms, insects acar
and smut
coffee-Adulterated with cocoanut Shells almond
shells. chicory, beans peas and corn.
Tea-Colored with black lead and Prussan blue.
Oysters, CLANS and Lobsters-Stale and decaying.
Cheese-Colorcd with saffron. Venetian red carrots
and annotto. which latter often found to contain
poisonous chromatcs.
Essences-Adulterated and contaminated by nitro
benzole prussic acid, oil of turpentine. supnuric
acid and citric acid
Sugar-Injured by putrid blood. with which it is
purified and adulterated with clay, sand and bean
dust with now and then fair share OF marble dust
Cake-Flavored with oil of almonds containing
prussic acid.
Spices-Black pepper, adulterated with buckwheat
caramel or shorts cayenne pepper. aduterated with
red lead. almond shells and ginger.
Confectionery-Adulterated with arsenic. sulphate
of "copper" prussic acid, tartaric acid fusel oil and
While there are scores of thousands Of consumers
is doubtful il there many readers of the HERALD
who not indebted to the fragrant tea for bench Is
almost innumerable. "rea." wrote ancient
Chinaman. 'tempers the spirits and harmonizes the
mind: dspels lassitude and relieves fatigue;
awakens thought and prevents drowsiness; lightens
OF refreshes the body and cleans the perceptive
Faculties Possibly the ancient Chinaman
prejudiced in favor of his native growth. but II
there hundreds Of thousands in every civilized
land who will cheerfully bear witness to the refresh
ing influences, the calming and soothing potencies
of this Oriental beverage. There is. however. a
the delight and benefits derived from tea might be
vastly greater If che leaf from which the tea is made
could be had in its virgin purity. undisguised. un
colored unadulterated
In the land of Pekin. Hong Kong and Shanghai tea
takes the place of beer ale and whiskey and be
had at public houses on the highways. The wealthy
Chinese it wastefully. They simply infuse the
also also Of E porcelain % The leave leaves sink to the
bottom OF the cup and generally remain
there. Others beat the infusion with split
bamboo until it foams. when both infusion and
powder drunk with relish. There seems to be no
good why should not have good tea in this
country for 1t is easily raised in China, where
object of agricultural produce it takes the place
cuped by the vine in Southern Europe and the grains
In spite of the cheapness of labor and the facility
with which good tea is raised in the Flowery King
dom adulterations have been made for ages.
are now and probably always will be. The
adulteration abroad grows out of the fact
that fancy brands and peculiar colors OF teas
command high prices, while the heavy duty
imposed here on the import is inducement that
very few dealers resist 1t is not necessarily
shown that these adulterations injurious to the
consumer Some Of them are, beyond doubt.
but others harmless. Investigation shows
that that millions OF pounds , OF leaves .s,i Of
annually by the Chinese mddlcmen for adul-
terating purposes; while in Great Britain and Prot
plane. fancy oak willow. poplar. hawthorn and soe
are extensively used These leaves being
ground are are. mixed nike, wit. with gum paste and
These mixtures may not do harm to the body
polite. but they certainly do not contain the happy
ingredients from which desirable and restfu refresh
ment Tor mind and body come. The sale of exhausted
tea leaves was long ago brought to the
pitfalls and restaurants furnish immense guam
titles OF partially exhausted tea leaves, which
carefully gathered. preserved sold and used
teas. The average tea drinker knows nothing about
his beyond the fact of TASTE He orders pot OF
suits his taste he is content. But there are men.
and especially dealers. who literally examine their
teas and for such it is necessary to prepare the ex-
haustcd leaves that they will resemble. in form
and color. the original Sulphae of iron, rose pink.
logwood and plumbago found serviccable in these
RESPECTS. Logwood Stimulates strength in black tea
and pink gives color and bloom to it's surface.
cAsEs IN POINT.
The London Times mentions the case OF parties
rp ed ar m a<t
1t was found that they had an extensive
furnace. before which Was suspended an
iron pan. containing sloe leaves and tea
leaves purchased from restaurant keepers The
officers discovered large quantities OF exhausted tea
leaves and bay leaves. mixed with solution of gum
and copperas One of the parties caught stirring
the leaves and gum In . pan, and over one hundred
pounds of the stun exactly initiating genuine tea.
were discovered In an adjoining apartment These
people sold largely to country groccrs. Other in
vestigaiions detected varying proportions OF starch
gum catcchu. suphate of iron, blacklcad, tale.
china clay, soapstone and turmeric.
THE GREEN TEAS.
There liz great demand for green teas that tho
genuine article cannot be supplied but with charae-
tcristc ingenuity John ChInanan, aided and allotted
by Brother Jonathan. finds spurious articles quite as
good for ordinary buyers Black leaves are colorcd
to resemble green leaves. and damaged black leaves
furnish the basis for the choicest of green. All that
is needed tn turn damaged blacks into first class
greens is a cast iron PAN fire and the chemicals.
Turmeric. Prussian blue aud gypsum do the busi-
ness to perfect satisfaction The coioring matter so
not easily detected.
The fact that green and black tea DO and is
made from parent common tea is of Itself sug-
gcston OF fraud, which when followed show very
clearly that the fraud is also fact For the sake of
a color and a possible bouquet the consumers OF
tea make away with thousands of pounds OF Prus
blue every year. This coloring IN largely done
CHINA during the curling process, and adds nothing
whatever, save weight and poison, to the leaf.
When tcas were higher than at present very i'm
poriant importation was known as lic-ca, compo-
ston made OF tea dust. foreign leaves, quartz and
oxide OF iron ana starch. This lietca and whether
there Is poorly concealed satire in the name not
IL question: was used largely for aulcrating pur-
poses. but IL In not used here ut present or late
very noticeable traffic has been done in recolorci tcas
which s rcheaicd aud then sprinkcd with powdered
mixture of terra alba, Dutch pink and Prussian blue
The leaves when covered with this i'm palpaDlc pow
der look quite good as aud find ready salo
Strange ~ II may appear IL Is fact that the ntcli
gent public resoiutcly decline TO touch bo in-
weighed into purchasing the genuine article. They
clalnor for the mice green color while the natural
uncolored leai has bilious, yellow color, which
one cares to