The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1899-01-07

q
of a committee of the Grocers'
Federation, occupied the chair.
DIR. Goodfellow, who illustrated
his lecture by a number of che
mical experiments, said the most
common of the stimulation beve-
RACES was tea. There was great
difference in the physiological
effects of black tea as compared
with green tea. The processes
employed in the manufacture of
green tea developed much larger
percentage of the narcotic prin-
ciple than was the case with the
case with the ordinary black tea;
and the special made of treatment
of the very highly cultivated Chi
nese teas also account for the wide
difference in aroma which the
higher class developed. Tea upon
analysis consisted for the most
part of water, cellulose and woody
fibre, and there were several solu-
BILE constituents which readily DIS
solved in hot or boiling water
the solubles in the infusion which
gave to the beverage its character
istic properties. The most impor-
tantand interesting of these bodies
was nitrogenous substance term
ed theme. THIS possessed exceed
ingly powerful stimulating and re-
storative properties, and acted
chiefly on the nervous system,
while in minor degree it acted
upon circulation. There was also
another substance in tea, which
was an aromatic oil, and gave to
the infusion characteristic odor;
when present in considerable pro-
portions it had narcotic effect
upon the nervous system.
A third soluble body, which was
present in varying prop ortions,
was tannic acid, and this Consti-
tuent gave to tea its injurious pro-
perties, and wa, a powerful strin-
gent. Tannic acid has the power
o contracting blood vessels and
preventing bleeding; and it also
had peculiar hardening action
on the delicate mucous membrane
of the stomach and bowels. In
preparing tea the points to be
bornt in mind were to develop
the aroma and to obtain the max
imum of theme with the minimum
percentage of tannic acid. In
order to secure these results, it
was necessary to have two hot,
dry earthenware teapots and as
soft a water as possible. The
earthenware teapots should be
placed in front of the fire to get
them thoroughly warm; when the
water came to the boil, the tea
should be placed in one of the
hot teapots and allowed to remain
with the cover on for about half
minute; boiling water should
then be poured in as quickly as
possible and the pot allowed to
stand under a cozy for four min
utes. The time of standing would
vary according to the character of
tea used. The infusion should be
used at once. On no account was
second brew permissible. When
the tea leaves were allowed to
stand for considerable time in
the hot water, notable quantities
of the tannin were dissolved out.
When, therefore, hot water was
added to the tea leaves that had
been standing in the POI, the re-
suit was chiefly solution Of tan
mic acid, which, being astringent
and biting in taste, the properties
were looked upon as the strong
tea for the brew; but as the stl-
mulating properties of tea depend
ed upon theine,i was obvious thas
special tea did not produce the
refreshing effect for which tea was
taken.
Very often the deep common
tea was due simply to the tannin
which was present, and such tea
was usually poor in theme. Very
high class teas did not produce,
even on heightened infuisons,
deeply colored brews; such teas
usually possessed high percentages
of theme with low proportions of
tannic acid. The physiological
effects of drinking properly pre-
pared tea in moderation were
those of stimulating the nervous
system, increasing the circulation
and activity of the sweat glands,
but theme acted as a general rous-
err to the brain and higher nervous
centres. The increased circula-
ton and activity of the sweat
glands, but theme acted as gene
raj rouser to the brain and higher
nervous centres. The increased