Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-02-07
PROPERTIES 6f TEA.
When tho beverage Is Beneficial and
When { IL Harmful.

Tea drunkards are not at all uncom-
mon. DR.. Cyrus Edison was asked to
give such Information as he had re-
garding the subject of tea-drunkards.
He said:
'.The effects of tea as obtained and
used by us may be exhilarating with
out being perceptibly Intoxicating. Tea
excites the mental faculties and makes
one walseful. This fact is we'll known
to hard students who have to burn the
midnight oil and work With the brain.
"a secondary effect of tea, however.
is TO soothe and quiet the hearts ac-
ton.
found in our markets black and green.
The green tea Is the strongest and con
tains the greatest amount of active
principle--theine. Green tea, when
taken in strong infusion. acts very
powerfully upon persons OF delicate
vous trcmblings and acts as narcotic
greatly depressing the system.
I'm China green tea is said to be 50
strong when it is very fresh that these
effects are always manifest when any
person drinks the fresh tea. On this
account the Chinese rarely use tea be-
fore 1t Is year old. In tea there are
three active principles which produce
these eilects--volatile oil, theme and
tnnnin. The amount OF the volatile
oil IN tea is perhaps a little less than
one half Of one per cent. II exercises
a powerful influence on the system
The nature OF this influence IL prob
ably narcotic. 1t Is believed that the
attacks OF paralysis TO which the tea
packers In China are subject IL due to
the peculiar influence OF this volatile
oil which new tea contains In larger
proportions than old.
The real active principle OF tea,
however. Is theme. This Is nitro
genous body. and Is almost identical
with the active property found In
coffee---cofeine II six or eight grains
Of this substance be taken day very
unpleasant effects are felt. The pulse
becomes more frequent. the action OF
the heart becomes stronger. and nerv-
Gus trembling seizes the limbs. The
brain Is greatly excited, the thoughts
wander. aud there is very peculiar
kind of intoxication manifested. All
these symptoms pass oil in deep sleep
that comes on.
''Tannin gives tea its astringent taste.
This IL the Ingredient which In oak
bark is so generally used for tanning
leather. 1t forms twelve to seventeen
per cent. Of the dried tea-lea! The
longer the tea is stepped the more tan
min Is contained In the drink.
That this tannn aids IN the exhil-
arating efocl Of ten is not improbable
The Indian hetelnui, which Is chewed
By the inhabitants OF the East and
which produces kind of mild ntox-
icatiou. contains more tannin than any
other ingredient. The amount of
theme in tea interests us most for il is
TO this substance that the Intoxicating
qualities of tea are mainly due. The
quality OF the tea has much To do with
the amount of theme contained. We
find generally from two to four per
/ cent, Of this Substance in tea.
by the consumption Of certain
quality OF tea the body may be made to
eeouomile food, for tea prevents the
Vital organs from wasting food. la the
aged II serves another purpose. An
old, worn-out stomach no longer
digests food enough To make up for
bodily waste. Tea. by preventing this
waste, arrests the failing powers OF
life. We donot wonder. therefore, that
tea should be u favorlte with the poor,
who are unable To purchase sufficient
food, and with the aged, whose dges-
ton and vigor have begun to fail.
| Every one-half ounce OF tea con
tains three or four grains OF thclne. II
1 an ounce OF tea be taken within six or
eight hours we will almost surely see
tho Intoxicating effects. Tea, when
taken In such quantity. is sure to be
rapidly followed by most injurious
effects, The digestion will be ruined
and tho nervous system shattered.
Every good thing given to man is
abused Ia proportion to the amount oil
pleasure it gives, Tobacco, alcohol
aud tea always will be abused in their
use by man.
when tea was frat taken to En-
gland IL was used AS we use greens.
Of late years | have heard of its being
eaten dry. have also heard OF II Pc
euliar fad among young ladies OF
stepping the leaves until they uuroll,
and then drying and smoking them IN
cigarettes or pipes.
"Fhese habits arc very pernicious
aud dangerous. for thus the system
will receive more OF the active prin-
ciples than by infusing the tea and
drinking II in the ordinary manner.
Tea taken in moderate quantities -
that is. n cup at each meal can Ger.
taiuly have no injurious effect, Blu,
the oxteut to which many old women,
and young ones, too, indulge In tea
drinking is one of the social evils o
the times IN Y Morning Journal