Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-08


sand, quartz, iron and kaolin or China clay.
These are not to any great extent injurious,
but they are worth from practically nothing
at all, to cent or two pound, so that tne
selling of them in tea at from 70 to oo Genus
per pound is an outrage.
The artificial coloring and facing matters
consisted of kaolin, iron, Prussian Diue,
black lead, bichromate of potash, lndlgo
and termeric. Copper commonly supposed
to be used, was not found. OF
THE ooLoRINe MATTERS
detected, only the bichromate of potash and
the Prussian blue could be called poisonous,
and they are decidedly SO if partaken OF IN
large quantities. Kaolin, Prussian blue is,
chemically, ferro-cyanide of iron; that
means combination OF iron and cyan
ogen, which Is closely related 70
prussic acid. So that while it
has been demonstrated that it is not
poisonous in small quantities, yet it is not
thing to be put in tea.
The black lead contained in some samples
is not injurious in the quantities present,
for, though not generally known, 1t Is
fact that the so-called black lead is not lead
at all, but form of carbon, simply another
form of charcoal. 1t is used in the arts IN
the manufacture of lead pencils and stove
polish. Naturally, the public does not
want any stove polish in its tea even II Its
presence does not kill.
This thing of adulteration under the plea
that the public taste requires an adulterated
article, is all humbug. Adulteration is tor
the purpose of increasing the profits OF the
adulterator, not to tickle the palate OF the
consumer. 1t is true that the public is
somewhat to blame in wanting, as many
Toenp1a do hrityht nm furo1 oo1nr n green
tea, color possessed by no plant under the
sun. And it is to be hoped that the tea con-
sumner will soon learn that sucn color is
always added in
THE PROCESS OF FACING.
Facing means that certain substances, as
black lead, with Prussian blue or indigo,
have been used to coat the leaf and give it
this artificial metallic hue and luster.
The exhausted tea leaves found as an
adulterant in eight of the teas examined is
a very common form of adulteration. They
are never sold alone as tea, but always
mixed in as an adulterant and increasers of
the profits. When used in this way it re-
quires an expert tea faster or a chemist to
detect the fraud. The consumer might
notice the tea being little weak if the ex-
hausted leaves we're present in large pro-
portion, but otherwise the sophistication
would pass unnoticed.
Always buy the best tea you can get. If
you buy one dollar tea you will not only
get purer but stronger article, of which it
takes a relatively smaller quantity to pro-
duce the same amount of the "drawn"
beverage.
Sophisticstion of tea is enormously prac-
ticed in China and Japan, as shown by the
fact that the United States Tea Inspector of
the Port of New York, during 10 months,
rejected as unfit for use over per cent of
the tea inspected. And when it is consid-
cred that this means nearly 400, 900 pounds
of tea too filthy or too dangerous to use; land
when, also, it is considered that the inspector
examined but very little of what was i'm
ported the extent of the nefarious practice
may be surmised.
Tea is also greatly sophisticated aftei its
importation into this country. One method
extensively employed is by offending in
ferior or damaged teas with those of better
quality, and then selling the mixture as a
first-class article. A few years ago there was
discovered in New York City an establish
ment where tea adulteration was conducted
on large scale. Green tea was there con-
verted into black and black into green ac-
cording to which conversion promised the
greater profit. There is evidence that a rum
Der OF such establishments exist to-day.
CHFvALIER @. JACKSON, NJ. D.