New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-03
PURE Tea AND NERFES.
rrnm The phnndelphin rress.

From The PhHade,phfa Fress.
The word pure" as applied to teas from Japan
anu China appears to be as necessary to their sale
as The omission of the same word Is to Indian teas,
from the simple fact that tea can only he tea-ds IL
il IL not tea ergo 1t Is something else and should bo
sold under another name. The cause need nOt be
sought for as 1t is simply due to the simplicity OF
too coniiding public. The middleman ana retail
Taier mn he IN mn force and the sapent housewife
who would inrtanter reject Ocumargafine or
"butteTine for butter, Will most meckly acct
mixture of willow or other leaves, highly faced
with cOpperas. indigo or Pruzslan blue. ~ pure
green tea, and TINS when INFUSION ana sllght
knowledge OF the tea leaf would frequently place
all In a position to test the purity Tor themselves
Further check is at hand IN sediment presenting
All appearance like It's adulterant: From most
countries complaints are frequent that pure tea
is unprocurabe at any prlcc' sun pure YEA Is
manufactured. but how much OF 1t reaches the con
sumner OF China and Japan teas ~ such - a ques-
tIou. BY the time it has passed Tom the bush 10
the factory thence to mlddleman and grocer aud
finally into the cup of the conhding drinker' lts
original identity would puzzle ITS manufacturer 20
determine its class, ctitalnly as regards lhdlah
teas, whose frequent mAlhg5 ana transiOrlna-
tions often destroy all trace of Their oneln line
aduteratiUn of teas has been dIlated upon al nau-
seam but a further attempt by one whose expert
ence has awakened his interest may not now be
amss.
plants are 20 common their import is enhanced by
the tact hat 70 impure tea can he traced the germs
Of many such maladles, though popular deluslon
ascribes them to more remote causes. FROM Two
DISTINGUISHED professors wo have the following
statemen, the uses aud properties OF tea
q Medicinal Plants" by Professors Bentley and
Timeu "1he principal use of tea Is to form an
agreeable slightly stimulating, soothing and re-
fTeshIng beverage" etc and iuTther III was Tor
merly believed that tea, from the theme II con-
taiued had the effect of diminishing the waste OF
the body and as anv substance that does this ne
cessarllv saves food. 1t was regarded as indirectly
nutritive" Contrary opinions are advanced ~
equally reliable authority, tending 10 show that
tea by acting as respiratory exctant. Is condu-
GIVE 10 bodily waste, and both opinions are open 10
credence. From the gluten contained III tea Its
a mt q TX
while as nervIne stlmuant tea may be taken win
| effect in of heanache, neuralgia or other
affections sequent upon the ehects oil EXHAUSTION OF
| the depression OF nerYlue power. It's enectS are
said tc be similar 10 those of qulnia IN cases OF III
termittent fevers. asthma whoOplnk cough or other
| spasnlodic complaints But these attributes essen
italy refer to tea and not to any other fabrication
nndeS It's name. Tea has its NOaries, but II also
has it's enemies who ascrlbc the increase III nervous
diseases TO the constant and increasing use oil tea
| but invest cations may tend 10 show that this is
due not to the tea itself but to tine poisonous adnl;
| terauts with which II 10 compounded. No class OF
| men in India drink tea more peTslstently than 40
| planters themse Ives, yet no Nous or dNspepuc
| diseases predominant among Indian planters as a
| class But then, they only drink tea, ana no
| PLANTER, or even his cOOlle. would unmiXed drink
teas such NJ those Of the class known as OOOng,'
and certainly not OF that known ana openly sofa as
| coored Planters are usually very careful az 10
| the teas they use and will select from the lower
| class known az SOuchong" sometimes from
class locally known as Red Leaf, the latter being
| almost the refuse. This is 10 penurlOus economy
every planter IL permitted TO drink all the tea he
requires, ana IN most factories also yearly I'd supply
| q few POUNDS TO his friends. Few planters VIII
| drink tea which has been recently manufactured,
| and generally make during each season supply OF
| what is termed drinking tea" which by special
| fermentation becomes drinkabe months before teUs
| of ordinary commercial manufacture eoud be iin-
| bibed with comfort. The nearest approach 10 the
class of teas known "OOlong' IL the species
technically termed "NamOonah," 0iindOstaheel in
| the Indian tea districts an unieImented PANIED"
| Yea. It's value as % mixing agent with weaker
China teas is great aud us price high, but ~ its
production Is more expensive the results are ire
| quently prob 'ematical and ii IL only In solitary
cases that it is manufactured. No planter would
| drink this tea from choice. rs 1t would simply
| blow his head off or unDerve him completely,
and yet it is fact that teas OF this description are
the most sought after IA beverage III the United
States by rich admirers of OOiongs" Gunpowder,
"Caper," etc. Personal experiments recently made
| have convinced the writer that these teas when
drank alone are positively nauseOus and that
little goes a long way. Here then, is a where
to the of pure tea may be laid series OF dyspep
| tic and nervous disorders.