Year: 1879

the first chop" is the best. This is
more particularly the ease with black
than with green teas. Tea that has
never been colored is very rare in
this country, except variety known
as Japan basket fired" tea


THE PRINCIPAL ADUITERANTs'
that have been used in tea have been,
leaves OF the willow and similar
shrubs, spent tea-leaves, lie-tea Ga
truly appropriate name from the Chi
nese), mineral matter. starch. and
coloring matter. Lie-tea is CON-
posed OF tea dust, foreign leaves,
quartz, and magnetic oxide Of iron
made up with starch.


There are, however, establish
ments which do fair business in re-
coloring old tea. A mixture OF eight
quarts OF terra alba and one quart VI
Dutch pink, with oDe teaspoonful OF
Prussian blue Is used to every 200
quarts OF tea. The tea is reheated,
AID this mixture is spriDkled on IL
until the leaves are coated with


Az INPALPABLE POWDER.


They then have all the appearance OF
new green tea.


Besides the coloring mixture for
green tea, heretofore mentioned, a
number of other substances have
been used: rose pink, Dutch pink
(which is really Yellow. catechu,
chromate OF lead, sulphate OF iron,
Venetian red,. carbonate OF copper,
chromate Of potash. indigo. carbon
ate OF lime, and carbonate Of magDe-
sia. Scented :eas, black gunpowder,
and orange pekoe are cClored with
graphite and plumbago, or black
lead.


ONE TRICK OF THE TRADE


is now having great success in
Philadelphia. An oo.oHg { a is mixed
with small proportion OF green tea,
so that the taste of the compound is
different from either OF its constitu-
ents. This is then packed in one
pound packages with wrappers ap-
parently Of China origin, and it is
sold as the genuine uncolored natural
leaf, such as the Chinese themselves
use. A circular is given with each
package setting forth the dangers OF
using artificial colored tea, and thou
sands OF pounds are thus sold TO a
confiding public. The Success OF
this trick miaht. ,eneonraep ono to
hope that genuine colored tea would
sell well il any one would import it
Unfortunately every effort to sell
this tea has been q failure. The
natural leaf tea has kind Of a bilious
yellow color, reminding one Of dried
willow leaves, and no one will buy it.


The public likes the nice green
color, aud little Prussian blue has
no terrors for the inyeterate tea.
dIinker.


The question will naturally b.
asked is this coloring matter injurious
TO health? II teaspoonful OF greer
tea be placed in a cup. and boiling
water poured on. a layer OF minera
matter caught up in an emulsion viii
be seen to float on the surface: this
layer We edrink when green tea Is used
1t is true that the majority OF the
mineral matter sinks to the bottom
Of the cup, but the quantity held in
this layer which floats on the tea
which can easily be seen by trying
the experiment, Is not inconsiderable
AS the percentage Of Prussian blue
present Is so very small, when We
consider that celestial blue" only
contains about one third OF this sub
stance. its effect upon tbs human
system. even by its continued use
could scarce be appreciable. as it il
itself more or less mild substance
being often used in cases OF fever
and possessing tonic properties wheI
used in small quantities.


The yellow coloring matter, which
is called Dutch pink, is composed. a
stated, OF carbonate of lime and |,
yellow principal usually extracte,
from the willow. This substance
which only constitutes part OF thu
Dutch pink, may be left out OF con
sideration when considering tn,
injurious properties of the colorinl
matter.


Tho whole question resolves itsel
into a simple question OF fact: i
the mineral matter used (independen
OF the Prnssian blue)


INJURIOUS TO HEALTH


by its continued use? / can onl,
say that when it is possible to Obtain
a green tea direct from China, fire,
from added coloring matter, we hae
better encourage its importation IL
this pure state rather than to con
tinue using green tea Coloret
tea is sold in this marked simply be
cause its color Is pleasing to th,
broker or the grocer. for the person
who drinks the tea rarely, il ever
sees the color of it before lis poured
into the cup to be drank.


The samples OF tea examined were
as follows. all OF which were colored


No. 1. Young Hyson, inferior, muct
dust.