The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-15
EXCESSIVE TEA DRINKING.
More Harmful Than Beer Drinking.
Ravages Among EnglishwOmen
and Children.

anu
From the London Telegraph.
There is a new and sudden terror added
to the troubles of housekeepers in these
days, one that was unknown to mistress
es of long ago, and was not among the
catalogue of misfortunes which dogged the
footsteps of our mothers and grand
mothers. In those days servants may
have been stupid, impatient. idle, or care
less, but they were strong. They ate,
slept, and lived well, and if they suffered
from any indispostion twas one which
usually could be explained by the fact
that they had a generous appetite. Moth
ing could be healthier or more vigorous
than the servant of those days; bright
eyed, rosy-cheeked, and buxom, she was
the embodiment of health. Then food was
coarse, often insufficient, and their sleep
ing and living space was won't to fall
short of the number of cubic feet of fresh
air which in these days of scientific SAN
tation is considered necessary to main
tain a sound constitution. One well re-
members what the servants sleeping &C
commodation used to be--generally gar
ret in the roof or cellar below stairs,
frequented by rats and blackbeetles, and
place of horror, calling up a shudder
at the very thought They worked much
harder than our domestic helpers of to.
day, their outings were fewer and much
shorter, and yet in spite of all these
drawbacks they were robust and healthy
looking girls.
Nowadays. alas, few of the young wo-
men in domestic service appear to be
strong. and they are constantly suffering
from weakness and want of blood This,
however, is very general complaint in
all classes, and every girl high or hum
BILE, seems to be compelled to take iron
in some form or other. Only after this
tonic has been taken for months. or even
years, do they appear to regain some
thing of good health and sound appear
ance. So far as the upper classes are
concerned, it is very difficult to say
whence this mysterious complaint arises.
All girls are liable to it, at any age
and in any locality. 1t might. perchance,
be the result of living in towns, but that
In the country, with the breath of heaven
blowing from every quarter, one comes
across pale, heavy-eyed, listless girIs.
There is no explaining reason of pad
or unwholesome food, or Indifferent nour-
ishment end to no one cause can one
attribute the fact, unless it be that moth
ers of to-day are not so strong as their
own parents were. 1t may be in their
case that the nerve exhaustion of mod
ern life has tended to enfeebie the con-
situations of the women of England, and
thus the deterioration of their chndren's
health may be partially accounted for,
but one may puzzle in vain to probe into
the real cause of the widespread anaemia
of to-day among the higher classes.
In less exalted ranks it is far easier to
go to the direct source of the complaint,
which is undoubtedly due to the excess
sive quantities of strong tea they con-
sumo daily. Nothing has more seriously
injured the health of women of the work
ing classes than the cheapening of tea.
| have no hesitation in saying that it Is
the constant drinking of strong tea which
makes the women of our toiling masses
delicate and their children anaemic, for
not only do these latter inherit that weak
ness from their mothers, but become even
greater sinners in this direction than
their parents. 1t may be wondered wheth-
er the housekeeper or mistress of an aver
age establishment has any idea how often
their servants drink tea In the course of
the day, or of the strength of what is
imbibed Just as in their own homes
they put the teapot on the hob and let
It stand there from morning till night
the stuff itself being a stewed concoction
They drink tea before breakfast,at break
fast, at II o'clock, after midday dinner
at tea time. and sometimes even before
going to bed; the tea being so strong as
to be almost poisonous One Of the con-
stituents of tea, as every ono knows, is
taEnin, and that taken in the quantities
consumed by our servants Is absolute
destruction 10 the digestion, so that none
of the wholesome food they take is prop
erly assimilated. with results OF ill-nour-
ishment, bloodlessness. want of breath
and weakness. One after another in a
large household fails. and il one takes
the trouble to inquire It will be found
that they have all been living on strong
tea.
Tee is, of course. a mild sort Of stimu-
liant, and for the moment refreshes and
pulls them together. They know nothing
Of the effect II has on their health, nor
do they believe the warnings that are
constantly sounded In their ears. When
China tea was the only description pro-
bibed was much less. Moreover. II was
not nearly so potent as The ceylon and
Indian tea which has taken its place lor
did II contain 50 much tannin. and con-
seouently. pcople could drink II with
greater lmpunity. Ia every Well-ordered
household the quantity OF tea per head IL
rcg1iated. and n that amount were al.
bcred ~ the mischief would be lesssued.
Nearly every servant. however. buys tel
oycr and above her allowance, 70 that
,bere h no check on the habit We take
e,sery pfccautioB that our women SER
...,ts should be- sober. and yet We allow
.bst A. otite 90 bad ~ dram drinking
a. "a on unnonced The effect Of drink
,ng ia ln che quanftles ana ~ the
Length INDUCED in hy nearly ell our DO
,,,.,i,. is reals = very serious mstter.
w. go ~ 4 fnuwanoil Hhgulu