,illustration3 ,,sorting ,,tea ,,in ,,china4 ,frontispiece4 ,,tea ,,and ,,tea ,,drinking4 ,illustration ,,by ,,arthur ,,reade1 ,,author ,,of ,,study ,,and ,,stimulants ,london3 ,,sampson ,,low1 ,,marston1 ,,searle1 ,,rivington ,,crown ,,buildings1 #ahh1 ,,fleet ,,street4 #ahhd4 ,all rights reserved4 ,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,,gilbert ,,and ,,rivington1 ,,limited1 ,,st4 ,,john',s ,,square4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,page ,introduction of ,tea #a ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,the ,cultivation of ,tea #ah ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,tea-,meetings #cb ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,how to make ,tea #di ,,chapter ,v4 ,tea and ,physical ,endurance #ff ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,tea as a ,stimulant #gi ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,the ,friends and the ,foes of ,tea #aje ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,tea as a ,source of ,revenue #acd ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4 ,,page ,sorting ,tea in ,china ,frontispiece ,a ,tea ,plantation #be ,watering a ,tea ,plantation #da ,gathering ,tea-,leaves #eg ,pressing ,tea-,leaves #gc ,pressing ,bags of ,tea #hi ,drying ,tea-,leaves #ajh ,sifting ,tea #abe ,tea-,tasting in ,china #acg ,,preface4 ,the question of the influence of tea1 as well as that of alcohol and tobacco1 has occupied the attention of the author for some time4 ,apart from its physiological aspect1 the subject of tea-drinking is extremely interesting2 and in the following pages an attempt has been made to describe its introduction into ,england1 to review the evidence of its friends and foes1 and to discuss its influence on mind and health4 ,an account is also given of the origin of tea-meetings1 and of the methods of making tea in various countries4 ,although the book does not claim to be a complete history of tea1 yet a very wide range of authors has been consulted to furnish the numerous details which illustrate the usages1 the benefits1 and the evils 7real or imaginary7 which surround the habit of tea-drinking4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,introduction ,,of ,,tea4 ,introduced by the ,east ,india ,company--,mrs4 ,pepys making her first cup of tea--,virtues of tea--,thomas ,garway's advertisement--,waller's birthday ode--,tea a rarity in country homes--,introduced into the ,quaker ,school--,extension of tea-drinking--,the social tea-table a national delight--,england the largest consumer of tea4 ,i sent for a cup of tee--a ,china drink--of which ,i had never drank before1 writes ,pepys in his diary of the #beth of ,september1 #affj4 ,it appears1 however1 that it came into ,england in #afaj2 but at ten guineas a pound it could scarcely be expected to make headway4 ,a rather large consignment was1 however1 received in #afeg2 this fell into the hands of a thriving ,london merchant1 ,mr4 ,thomas ,garway1 who established a house for selling the prepared beverage4 ,another writer states that tea was introduced by the ,east ,india ,company early in #aega4 ,though it may not be possible to fix the exact date1 one fact is clear1 that it was a costly beverage4 ,not until #affg did it find its way into ,pepys' own house4 ,home1 he says1 and there find my wife making of tea1 a drink which ,mr4 ,pelling1 the potticary1 tells her is good for her cold and defluxions4 ,commenting upon this entry1 ,charles ,knight said1 ,mrs4 ,pepys making her first cup of tea is a subject to be painted4 ,how carefully she metes out the grains of the precious drug which ,mr4 ,pelling1 the potticary1 has sold her at an enormous price--a crown an ounce at the very least2 she has tasted the liquor once before1 but then there was sugar in the infusion--a beverage only for the highest4 ,if tea should become fashionable1 it will cost in their housekeeping as much as their claret4 ,however1 ,pepys says the price is coming down1 and he produces the handbill of ,thomas ,garway1 in ,exchange ,alley1 which the lady peruses with great satisfaction4 ,this handbill is an extraordinary production4 ,it is entitled ,an exact description of the growth1 quality1 and virtues of the leaf tea1 by ,thomas ,garway1 in ,exchange ,alley1 near the ,royal ,exchange in ,london1 tobacconist1 and seller and retailer of tea and coffee4 ,it sets forth that-- ,tea is generally brought from ,china1 and groweth there upon little shrubs and bushes4 ,the branches whereof are well garnished with white flowers that are yellow within1 of the lightness and fashion of sweet-brier1 but in smell unlike1 bearing thin green leaves about the bigness of scordium1 myrtle1 or sumack2 and is judged to be a kind of sumack4 ,this plant hath been reported to grow wild only1 but doth not2 for they plant it in the gardens1 about four foot distance1 and it groweth about four foot high2 and of the seeds they maintain and increase their stock4 ,of this leaf there are divers sorts 7though all one shape72 some much better than others1 the upper leaves excelling the others in fineness1 a property almost in all plants2 which leaves they gather every day1 and drying them in the shade or in iron pans1 over a gentle fire1 till the humidity be exhausted1 then put close up in leaden pots1 preserve them for their drink tea1 which is used at meals and upon all visits and entertainments in private families1 and in the palaces of grandees2 and it is averred by a padre of ,macao1 native of ,japan1 that the best tea ought to be gathered but by virgins1 who are destined for this work4 ,the particular virtues are these2 it maketh the body active and lusty2 it helpeth the head ache1 giddiness and heaviness thereof2 it removeth the obstructiveness of the spleen2 it is very good against the stone and gravel1 cleaning the kidneys and ureters1 being drank with virgin's honey1 instead of sugar2 it taketh away the difficulty of breathing1 opening obstructions2 it is good against tipitude1 distillations1 and cleareth the sight2 it removeth lassitude and cleanseth and purifieth acrid humours and a hot liver2 it is good against crudities1 strengthening the weakness of the ventricle1 or stomach1 causing good appetite and digestion1 and particularly for men of corpulent body1 and such as are great eaters of flesh2 it vanquisheth heavy dreams1 easeth the frame and strengtheneth the memory2 it overcometh superfluous sleep1 and prevents sleepiness in general1 a draught of the infusion being taken2 so that1 without trouble1 whole nights may be spent in study without hurt to the body1 in that it moderately healeth and bindeth the mouth of the stomach4 ,other remarkable properties are attributed to the ,chinese herb2 but the extracts we have given sufficiently indicate the efforts made to arrest attention and to induce people to buy tea4 ,as a further inducement1 this enterprising dealer assures his readers that whereas tea hath been sold in the leaf for six pounds1 and sometimes for ten pounds the poundweight1 the said ,thomas hath ten to sell from sixteen to fifty shillings in the pound4 ,this clever puff had the desired effect2 for1 according to the ,diurnal of ,thomas ,rugge1 ,there were at this time 7#afei7 a ,turkish drink1 to be souled almost in every street1 called coffee1 and another kind of drink called tea2 and also a drink called chocolate1 which was a very hearty drink4 ,it was advertised in the public journals4 ,the ,mercurius ,politicus1 of the #cjth of ,september1 #afeh1 sets forth3 ,that excellent1 and by all physicians approved1 ,china drink1 called by the ,chineans ,teha1 by other nations ,tay1 alias ,tee1 is sold at the ',sultaness ,head' coffee-house1 in ,sweeting's ,rents1 by the ,royal ,exchange1 ,london4 ,it was sold also at ,jonathan's coffee-house1 in ,exchange ,alley4 ,in her ,bold ,strike for a ,wife ,mrs4 ,centlivre laid one of her scenes at ,jonathan's4 ,while the business goes on she makes the coffee boys cry1 ,fresh coffee1 gentlemen6 fresh coffee6 ,bohea tea1 gentlemen6 ,but the most famous house for tea was ,garway's1 or1 as it appears in ,old and ,new ,london1 ,garraway's ,coffee-house1 which was swept away a few years ago in the march of improvement4 ,for two centuries1 however1 it had been one of the most celebrated coffee-houses in the city4 ,defoe mentions it as being frequented about noon by people of quality who had business in the city1 and the more considerable and wealthy citizens2 but it was also the resort of speculators4 ,here the ,south ,sea ,bubblers met1 as well as the lovers of good tea4 ,dean ,swift1 in his ballad on the ,south ,sea ,bubble1 calls ',change ,alley a narrow sound1 though deep as hell2 and describes the wreckers watching for the shipwrecked dead on ,garraway's ,cliffs4 ,but the influence of ,royalty did more than anything else to make tea-drinking fashionable4 ,in #affb1 remarks ,mr4 ,montgomery ,martin1 in a treatise on the ',past and ,present ,state of the ,tea ,trade1' published in #ahcb1 ,charles ,,ii4 married the ,princess ,catherine of ,portugal1 who1 it was said1 was fond of tea1 having been accustomed to it in her own country1 hence it became fashionable in ,england4 ,edmund ,waller1 in a birthday ode on her ,majesty1 ascribes the introduction of the herb to the queen1 in the following lines3-- ,venus her myrtle1 ,phoebe has his bays2 ,tea both excels1 which she vouchsafes to praise4 ,the best of ,queens and best of herbes we owe1 ,to that bold nation which the way did show ,to the fair region1 where the sun does rise1 ,whose rich productions we so justly prize4 ,the ,muse's friend1 tea1 does our fancy aid1 ,repress those vapours which the head invade1 ,and keeps that palace of the soul serene1 ,fit on her birthday to salute the ,queen4 ,waller is believed to have been the first poet to write in praise of tea1 and no doubt his poem did much to promote its use among the rich4 ,in ,lord ,clarendon's diary1 #ajth of ,february1 #afhh1 occurs the following entry3-- ,le ,pre ,couplet supped with me2 he is a man of very good conversation4 ,after supper we had tea1 which he said was as good as any he had drank in ,china4 ,the ,chinese1 who came over with him and ,mr4 ,fraser1 supped likewise with us4 ,in the ,tatler1 of the #ajth of ,october1 #agaj1 appears the following advertisement3-- ,mr4 ,favy's #afs4 ,bohea tea1 not much inferior in goodness to the best foreign ,bohee tea1 is sold by himself only at the ',bell1' in ,gracechurch ,street4 ,note4--,the best foreign ,bohee is worth #cjs4 a pound2 so that what is sold at #bjs4 or #bas4 must either be faulty tea1 or mixed with a proportionate quantity of damaged green or ,bohee1 the worst of which will remain black after infusion4 ,tea continued a fashionable drink4 ,dr4 ,alex4 ,carlyle1 in his ,autobiography1 describing the fashionable mode of living at ,harrowgate in #agfc1 wrote3--,the ladies gave afternoon's tea and coffee in their turn1 which coming but once in four or six weeks amounted to a trifle4 ,probably the ladies did not drink so much as their servants1 who are reported to have cared more for tea than for ale4 ,in #agee a visitor from ,italy wrote3--,even the common maid-servants must have their tea twice a day in all the parade of quality2 they make it their bargain at first2 this very article amounts to as much as the wages of servants in ,italy4 ,this demand was a serious tax upon the purses of the rich2 for at that time tea was still excessively dear4 ,according to ,read's ,weekly ,journal1 or ,british ,gazetteer1 of the #bgth of ,april1 #agcd1 the prices were as follows3-- ,green tea #is4 to #abs4 per lb4 ,congon #ajs4 #abs4 ,bohea #ajs4 #abs4 ,pekoe #ads4 #afs4 ,imperial #is4 #abs4 ,hyson #bjs4 #bes4 ,gradually1 however1 the prices came down as the consumption increased4 ,in #agdj a grocer1 who had a shop at the east corner of ,chancery ,lane1 advertised the finest ,caper at #bds4 a pound2 fine green1 #ahs42 ,hyson1 #afs42 and ,bohea1 #gs4 ,the latter quality was no doubt used in the ,tea-gardens which at that time had become popular institutions in and around ,london4 ,the ,mary-le-,bon ,gardens were opened every ,sunday evening1 when genteel company were admitted to walk gratis1 and were accommodated with coffee1 tea1 cakes1 c4 ,the quality of the cakes was an important feature at such gardens3 ,mr4 ,trusler's daughter begs leave to inform the nobility and gentry that she intends to make fruit tarts during the fruit season2 and hopes to give equal satisfaction as with the rich cakes and almond cheesecakes4 ,the fruit will always be fresh gathered1 having great quantities in the garden2 and none but loaf-sugar used1 and the finest ,epping butter4 ,in one respect the good old times were better than these4 ,gone are the fruit tarts1 the rich cakes1 and the fragrant cup of tea from the suburban ,tea-gardens1 which rarely supply refreshment either for man or beast4 ,at any rate1 it is a misnomer to call them ,tea-gardens4 ,we think ,beer-gardens would more accurately indicate their character4 ,some day1 probably1 the landlords of public-houses and of tea-gardens1 will endeavour to meet the wants and tastes of all persons4 ,at present they utterly ignore the existence of a large class1 not necessarily teetotalers1 to whom a cup of tea is more cheering than a glass of grog after a long walk from the city4 ,among the most famous tea-houses is ,twining's in the ,strand4 ,it was founded1 ,mr4 ,e4 ,walford says1 about the year #agaj1 by the great-great-grandfather of the present partners1 ,mr4 ,thomas ,twining1 whose portrait1 painted by ,hogarth1 'kitcat-size1' hangs in the back parlour of the establishment4 ,the house1 or houses--for they really are two1 though made one practically by internal communication--stand between the ,strand and the east side of ,devereux ,court4 ,the original dept for the sale of the then scarce and fashionable beverage1 tea1 stood at the south-west angle of the present premises1 on the site of what had been ',tom's ,coffee-house1' directly opposite the ',grecian4' ,a peep into the old books of the firm shows that in the reign of ,queen ,anne tea was sold by the few houses then in the trade at various prices between twenty and thirty shillings per pound1 and that ladies of fashion used to flock to ,messrs4 ,twining's house in ,devereux ,court1 in order to sip the enlivening beverage in their small ,china cups1 for which they paid their shillings1 much as now-a-days they sit in their carriages eating ices at the door of ,gunter's in ,berkeley ,square on hot days4 ,the bank was gradually engrafted on the old business1 after it had been carried on for more than a century from sire to son1 and may be said as a separate institution to date from the commercial panic of #ahbe4 ,although tea was extensively used in ,london and some of the principal cities1 it did not become popular in country houses4 ,for instance1 at ,whitby1 writes the historian of that town1 tea was very little used a century ago1 most of the old men being very much against it2 but after the death of the old people it soon came into general use4 ,old habits die hard4 ,the stronger beverage of ,english ale had been so long in use that the old folks could not be induced to relinquish it for a foreign herb4 ,a striking instance of the force of habit is related by ,dr4 ,aikin1 in his history of ,manchester 7#agie74 ,about #agbj1 he says1 there were not above three or four carriages kept in the town4 ,one of these belonged to ,madame ----1 in ,salford4 ,this respectable old lady was of a social disposition1 and could not bring herself to conform to the new-fashioned beverage of tea and coffee2 whenever1 therefore1 she made her afternoon's visit1 her friends presented her with a tankard of ale and a pipe of tobacco4 ,a little before this period a country gentleman had married the daughter of a citizen of ,london2 she had been used to tea1 and in compliment to her it was introduced by some of her neighbours2 but the usual afternoon's entertainment at gentlemen's houses at that time was wet and dry sweetmeats1 different sorts of cake1 and gingerbread1 apples1 or other fruits of the season1 and a variety of home-made wines4 ,at that time it was the custom for the apprentices to live with their employers1 whose fare was far from liberal2 but somewhat before #agfj1 remarks ,dr4 ,aikin1 a considerable manufacturer allotted a back parlour with a fire for the use of his apprentices1 and gave them tea twice a day4 ,his fees1 in consequence1 rose higher than had before been known1 from #bejl4 to #cjjl41 and he had three or four apprentices at a time4 ,tea was evidently a costly beverage1 for water pottage appears to have been the usual dish provided for apprentices4 ,those who could afford it1 however1 drank the ,chinese herb4 ,there are many references to tea in ,the ,private ,journal and ,literary ,remains of ,john ,byrom1 a famous ,manchester worthy2 and these clearly indicate that in the middle of the eighteenth century tea was very generally provided for visitors4 ,but in some towns the older people were much opposed to tea4 ,the prejudice against it was1 however1 gradually overcome2 the young took kindly to it1 and the women1 especially1 found it an agreeable substitute for alcoholic drinks4 ,not until #ahfj was tea introduced into the ,quaker ,school at ,ackworth1 where ,john ,bright received a portion of his early education4 ,when a boy the great orator was unable to endure the ,spartan system of training in force there1 and after twelve months' experience he was removed to a private school4 ,for breakfast both boys and girls had porridge poured on bread2 for dinner little meat1 but plenty of pudding4 ,for a third meal no provision seems to have been made4 ,mr4 ,henry ,thompson1 the historian of the school1 thus describes the circumstances under which tea was introduced into the school3-- ,in the autumn of #ahfj1 ,thomas ,pumphrey's health having been in a failing condition for some months1 he was requested to take a long holiday for the purpose of recruiting it1 if possible4 ,on his return1 after a three months' absence1 learning that the conduct of the children had been everything that he could desire1 he devised for them a treat1 which was so effectively managed that we believe it is looked upon by those who had the pleasure of participating in it as one of the most delightful occasions of their school-days4 ,he invited the whole family--boys1 girls1 and teachers--to an evening tea-party4 ,the only room in the establishment in which he could receive so large a concourse of guests was the meeting-house4 ,in response to his kind proposal1 willing helpers flew to his aid4 ,the room where all were wont to meet for worship1 and rarely for any other purpose1 was by nimble and willing fingers transformed1 in a few days1 into a festive hall1 whose walls and pillars were draped with evergreen festoons and half concealed by bosky bowers1 amidst whose foliage stuffed birds perched and wild animals crouched4 ,amidst the verdant decorations might also be seen emblazoned the names of great patrons of the school and of the five superintendents who for more than eighty years had guided its internal economy4 ,they who witnessed the scene tell us of two wonderful piles of ornamentation which were erected at the entrances to the minister's gallery--the one symbolic of the activities of the physical1 the other of the intellectual1 moral1 and religious life1 as its good superintendent would have them to be4444 ,the village having been requisitioned for cups and saucers for this great multitude1 the whole school sat down to a genuine1 social1 ,english tea table for the first time in its history4 ,there can be no doubt that milk is better than tea for the young1 but tea now forms part of the dietary at almost every school1 and we question whether there is a house in ,england where tea is unknown4 ,dr4 ,edward ,smith1 writing in #ahgd1 said1-- ,no one who has lived for half a century can have failed to note the wonderful extension of tea-drinking habits in ,england1 from the time when tea was a coveted and almost unattainable luxury to the labourer's wife1 to its use morning1 noon1 and night by all classes4 ,the caricature of ,hogarth1 in which a lady and gentleman approach in a very dainty manner1 each holding an oriental tea-cup of infantile size1 implies more than a satire upon the porcelain-purchasing habits of the day1 and shows that the use of tea was not only the fashion of a select few1 but the quantity of the beverage consumed was as small as the tea-cups4 ,in another chapter we have given some interesting statistics showing the extent of the consumption of this wonderful beverage1 which has exercised such an influence for good in this country4 ,a curious and not uninstructive work might be written1 ,dr4 ,sigmond said in #ahci1 upon the singular benefits which have accrued to this country from the preference we have given to the beverage obtained from the tea-plant2 above all1 those that might be derived from the rich treasures of the vegetable kingdom4 ,it would prove that our national importance has been intimately connected with it1 and that much of our present greatness and even the happiness of our social system springs from this unsuspected source4 ,it would show us that our mighty empire in the east1 that our maritime superiority1 and that our progressive advancement in the arts and the sciences have materially depended upon it4 ,great indeed are the blessings which have been diffused amongst immense masses of mankind by the cultivation of a shrub whose delicate leaf1 passing through a variety of hands1 forms an incentive to industry1 contributes to health1 to national riches1 and to domestic happiness4 ,the social tea-table is like the fireside of our country1 a national delight2 and if it be the scene of domestic converse and agreeable relaxation1 it should likewise bid us remember that everything connected with the growth and preparation of this favourite herb should awaken a higher feeling--that of admiration1 love1 and gratitude to ,him who 'saw everything that ,he had made1 and behold it was very good4' ,tea is the national drink of ,china and ,japan2 and so far back as #ahcd ,professor ,johnston1 in his ,chemistry of ,common ,life1 estimated that it was consumed by no less than five hundred millions of men1 or more than one-third of the whole human race6 ,excluding ,china1 ,england appears to be the largest consumer of tea1 as shown in the following table compiled by ,mr4 ,mulhall1 and printed in his ,dictionary of ,statistics3-- ,consumption of luxuries per inhabitant per year4 ---------------------------------------- ----- ,ounces4 ------------------ ,coffee4 ,tea4 ---------------------------------------- ---- ,united ,kingdom #ae #gb ,france #eb #a ,germany #hc #a ,russia #c #g ,austria #ce #a ,italy #ah #a ,spain #d #a ,belgium and ,holland #age #h ,denmark #gf #h ,sweden and ,norway #hh #b ,united ,states #aae #ba ---------------------------------------- ----- ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,cultivation ,,of ,,tea4 ,description of the tea-plant--,indigenous to ,china--,introduced into ,india--,work in a tea-garden--,tea-gatherers in ,china--,a ,chinese tea-ballad--,how tea is cured--,how the value of tea is determined4 ,the tea-plant formerly occupied a place of honour in every gentleman's green-house2 but as it requires much care1 and possesses little beauty1 it is now rarely seen4 ,linnus1 the ,swedish naturalist1 was greatly pleased at a specimen presented to him in #agfc1 but was unable to keep it alive4 ,dr4 ,edward ,smith describes the plant as being closely allied to the camellias2 but states that the leaf is more pointed1 is lance-shaped1 and not so thick and hard as that of the camellia4 ,dr4 ,king ,chambers suggests the spending of an afternoon at a classified collection of living economic plants2 such1 for instance1 as that at the ,botanical ,gardens1 ,regent's ,park4 ,it is much pleasanter1 he points out1 to think of tea as connected with the pretty little camellia it comes from1 than with blue paper packets1 and the despised grounds which for ever after acquire an interest in our minds4 ,the tea-plant1 although cultivated in various parts of the ,east1 is probably indigenous to ,china2 but is now grown extensively in ,india4 ,in consequence of the poorness of the quality of the tea imported by the ,east ,india ,company1 and the necessity of avoiding an entire dependence upon ,china1 the ,bengal ,government appointed in #ahcd a committee for the purpose of submitting a plan for the introduction and cultivation of the tea-plant2 and a visit to the frontier station of ,upper ,assam ended in a determination on the part of ,government to cultivate tea in that region4#a ,in #ahdj the ,assam ,company was formed1 and it is claimed for them that they possess the largest tea plantation in the world4 ,some idea of the progress of tea cultivation in ,india may be gathered from the following official figures4 ,in #ahej there was one tea-estate1 that of the ,assam ,company1 with #a1hgf acres under cultivation1 yielding #baf1jjj lbs4 ,in #ahgj there were #bie proprietors of tea-estates1 with #ca1cjc acres under cultivation1 yielding #f1bea1adc lbs4 ,in #ahgb-gc the area of land held by tea-planters covered #hjd1ehb acres1 of which about #ge1jjj were under cultivation1 yielding #ad1fgj1aga lbs4 of tea1 the average yield per acre being #bjh lbs4 ,every year thousands of acres are being brought under cultivation1 and in a short time it seems likely that we shall be independent of ,china for our supplies of tea4 ,in the year #ahgi-hj the exports of ,indian tea to ,great ,britain rose to #dj1jjj1jjj lbs41 and in the following year to #db1jjj1jjj lbs4 ,in ,ceylon1 also1 a proportionate increase is taking place4 ,the plant appears to be a native of the island4 ,in ,percival's ,account of ,ceylon1 published in #ahje1 occurs the following paragraph3-- ,the tea-plant has been discovered native in the forests of ,ceylon4 ,it grows spontaneously in the neighbourhood of ,trincomalee and other northern parts of ,ceylon4444 ,i have in my possession a letter from an officer in the #hjth ,regiment1 in which he states that he found the real tea-plant in the woods of ,ceylon of a quality equal to any that ever grew in ,china4 ,a large quantity of tea is now imported from this island1 and new plantations1 it is reported1 are being made every month2 day by day more of the primeval forest goes down before the axe of the pioneer1 and before another quarter of a century has passed it is anticipated that the teas of our ,indian empire will become the most valuable of its products4 ,the cultivation of tea in ,india1 and the processes to which it is subjected after the leaf is gathered1 differ from those of ,china4 ,according to ,dr4 ,jameson1 the great difficulty of the ,indian tea-planter arises from the wonderful fertility of the soil and the strength of the tea-plant4 ,as soon as the plants flush the leaf must be plucked1 or it deteriorates to such an extent as to become valueless1 and at the next flush the plant will be found bare of the young leaves4 ,the delay of even a single day may be fatal4 ,the leaf when plucked must be roasted forthwith1 or it ferments and becomes valueless1 as is also the case in ,china4 ,there1 however1 the tea-harvest occurs only four or five times a year1 but in ,india once a fortnight during some seven months of the year4 ,the number of work-people required on a tea-farm may be estimated from the figures given by ,dr4 ,rhind1 who says that to manufacture eighty pounds of black tea per day twenty-five tea-gatherers are requisite1 and ten driers and sorters2 to produce ninety-two pounds of green tea1 thirty gatherers and sixteen driers and sorters4 ,from ,a ,tea-,planter's ,life in ,assam we take the following account of work in a tea-garden3-- ,after the soil has been deep-hoed and is quite ready1 transplanting from the nursery begins2 few men sow the seed at stake4 ,the nursery is made and carefully planted with seed on the first piece of ground that is cleared1 so that by the time the remainder of the garden is ready to be planted out the seed has developed into a small plant1 with strength enough to stand being transplanted4 ,holes are prepared at equal distances1 into which the young plants are carefully transferred4 ,the greatest caution is exercised in both taking them up and putting them in their new places1 that the root shall be neither bent up nor injured in any way4 ,for this work women and children are employed1 as it is light1 but requires a gentle hand to pat down the earth around the young plant4 ,it speedily accommodates itself to its new circumstances1 and thrives wonderfully if the weather is at all propitious4 ,a succession of hot days with no rain has a most disastrous effect on transplants2 their heads droop and but a small percentage will be saved1 which means that most of the work will have to be done over again4 ,once started1 plenty of cultivation is the only thing required to keep the plant healthy1 and it is left undisturbed for a couple of years to increase in size and strength4 ,at the end of the second year1 when the cold season has sent the sap down1 the pruning knife dispossesses it of its long1 straggling top shoots1 and reduces it to a height of four feet2 every plant is cut to the same level4 ,the third year enables the planter to pluck lightly his first small crop4 ,year succeeds year1 and the crop increases until the eighth or ninth year1 when the garden arrives at maturity and yields as much as ever it will4 ,during the rains the gong is beaten at five o'clock every morning1 and again at six1 thus allowing an hour for those who wish to have something to eat before commencing the labours of the day4 ,in the cold weather the time for turning out is not so early2 even the ,eastern sun is lazier1 and there is not so much work to get through4 ,few of the coolies take anything to eat until eleven o'clock1 when they are rung in4 ,the leaf plucked by the women is collected and weighed1 and most of the men have finished their allotted day's work by this time1 so they retire to their huts to eat the morning meal and to pass the remainder of the day in a luxury of idleness4 ,for the ensuing two or three hours there is perfect rest1 except for the unfortunate coolies engaged in the tea-house2 their work cannot be left1 and as fast as the leaf is ready it must be fired off1 else it would be completely ruined4 ,at two o'clock the women are turned out again to pluck1 and those men who have not finished their hoeing have to return to complete their task4 ,about six o'clock the gong sounds again1 the leaf is brought in1 weighed1 and spread1 and outdoor work is over for the day4 ,no change can be made in the tea-house work1 which goes on steadily1 and if there has been much leaf brought in the day before1 firing will very frequently last from daybreak until well into the night1 or small hours of the morning4 ,at present1 however1 the greater proportion of tea consumed in ,england comes from ,china and ,japan1 which produce no less than #cbe1jjj1jjj lbs4 annually1 against #eb1jjj1jjj lbs4 by ,india4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,tea ,,plantation4 ,india may be the tea-country of the future1 but ,china still supplies nearly all the world4 ,millions of acres are devoted to its cultivation1 and the late ,dr4 ,wells ,williams states that the management of this great branch of industry exhibits some of the best features of ,chinese country life4 ,it is only over a portion of each farm that the plant is grown1 and its cultivation requires but little attention1 compared with rice and vegetables4 ,the most delicate kinds are looked after and cured by priests in their secluded temples among the hills2 these have often many acolytes1 who aid in preparing small lots to be sold at a high price4 ,but the same authority tells us that the work of picking the leaves1 in the first instance1 is such a delicate operation that it cannot be intrusted to women4 ,female labour is paid so badly that they cannot afford to exercise the gentleness which characterizes their general movements2 and when they come upon the scene of operations they make the best of their short harvest4 ,the second gathering takes place when the foliage is fullest4 ,this season is looked forward to by women and children in the tea-districts as their working time4 ,they run in crowds to the middle-men1 who have bargained for the leaves on the plants1 or apply to farmers who need help4 ,they strip the twigs in the most summary manner1 remarks ,dr4 ,williams1 and fill their baskets with healthy leaves1 as they pick out the sticks and yellow leaves1 for they are paid in this manner3 fifteen pounds is a good day's work1 and fourpence is a day's wages4 ,the time for picking lasts only ten or twelve days4 ,there are curing houses1 where families who grow and pick their own leaves bring them for sale at the market rate4 ,the sorting employs many hands1 for it is an important point in connection with the purity of the various descriptions1 and much care is taken by dealers1 in maintaining the quality of their lots1 to have them cured carefully as well as sorted properly4 ,like hop-picking in this country1 tea-picking is very tedious work1 but its monotony is relieved by singing during the live-long day4 ,the songs of the hop-pickers are not generally characterized by loftiness of tone or purity of sentiment1 but travellers in ,china speak highly of the songs of the tea-pickers4 ,for instance1 ,dr4 ,williams quotes in his book on ,the ,middle ,kingdom a ballad of the tea-picker1 which he considers one of the best of ,chinese ballads1 if regard be had to the character of the sentiment and metaphors4 ,one or two verses will give an idea of this charming ballad1-- ,where thousand hills the vale enclose1 our little hut is there1 ,and on the sloping sides around the tea grows everywhere1 ,and ,i must rise at early dawn1 as busy as can be1 ,to get my daily labour done1 and pluck the leafy tea4 ,the pretty birds upon the boughs sing songs so sweet to hear1 ,and the sky is so delicious now1 half drowsy and half clear2 ,while bending o'er her work each maid will prattle of her woe1 ,and we talk till our hearts are sorely hurt and tears unstinted flow4 ,the method of curing is thus described3-- ,when the leaves are brought in to the curers they are thinly spread on shallow trays to dry off all moisture by two or three hours' exposure4 ,meanwhile the roasting-pans are heating1 and when properly warmed some handfuls of leaves are thrown on them1 and rapidly moved and shaken up for four or five minutes4 ,the leaves make a slight crackling noise1 become moist and flaccid as the juice is expelled1 and give off even a sensible vapour4 ,the whole is then poured out upon the rolling-table1 when each workman takes up a handful and makes it into a manageable ball1 which he rolls back and forth on the rattan table to get rid of the sap and moisture as the leaves are twisted4 ,this operation chafes the hands even with great precaution4 ,the balls are opened and shaken out1 and then passed on to other workmen1 who go through the same operation till they reach the head-man1 who examines the leaves1 to see if they have become curled4 ,when properly done1 and cooled1 they are returned to the iron pans1 under which a low charcoal fire is burning in the brickwork which supports them1 and there kept in motion by the hand4 ,if they need another rolling on the table it is now given them4 ,an hour or more is spent in this manipulation1 when they are dried to a dull-green colour1 and can be put away for sifting and sorting4 ,this colour becomes brighter after the exposure in sifting the cured leaves through sieves of various sizes2 they are also winnowed to separate the dust1 and afterwards sorted into the various descriptions of green tea4 ,finally1 the finer kinds are again fired three or four times1 and the coarser kinds1 as ,twankay1 ,hyson1 and ,hyson-skin1 once4 ,the others furnish the young ,hyson1 gunpowder1 imperial1 c4 ,tea cured in this way is called luh cha1 or 'green tea1' by the ,chinese1 while the other1 or black tea1 is termed hung cha1 or 'red tea1' each name being taken from the tint of the infusion4 ,after the fresh leaves are allowed to lie exposed to the air on the bamboo trays over night or several hours1 they are thrown into the air and tossed about and patted till they become soft2 a heap is made of these wilted leaves1 and left to lie for an hour or more1 when they have become moist and dark in colour4 ,they are then thrown on the hot pans for five minutes and rolled on the rattan table1 previous to exposure out of doors for three or four hours on sieves1 during which time they are turned over and opened out4 ,after this they get a second roasting and rolling1 to give them their final curl4 ,when the charcoal fire is ready1 a basket1 shaped something like an hour-glass1 is placed end-wise over it1 having a sieve in the middle1 on which the leaves are thinly spread4 ,when dried five minutes in this way they undergo another rolling1 and are then thrown into a heap1 until all the lot has passed over the fire4 ,when this firing is finished1 the leaves are opened out and are again thinly spread on the sieve in the basket for a few minutes1 which finishes the drying and rolling for most of the heap1 and makes the leaves a uniform black4 ,they are now replaced in the basket in greater mass1 and pushed against its sides by the hands1 in order to allow the heat to come up through the sieve and the vapour to escape2 a basket over all retains the heat1 but the contents are turned over until perfectly dry and the leaves become uniformly dark4 ,when this process is completed1 every nerve is strained to put the tea into the market quickly1 and in the best possible condition2 for1 although it is said that the ,chinese do not drink it until it is a year old1 the value of new tea is superior to that of old2 and the longer the duration of a voyage in which a great mass of tea is packed up in a closed hold1 the greater the probability that the process of fermentation will be set up4 ,hence has arisen the great strife to bring the first cargo of the season to ,england1 and the fastest and most skilfully commanded ships are engaged in the trade1 both for the profit and honour of success4 ,dr4 ,e4 ,smith1 an authority upon the subject1 showed that the value of tea is determined in the market by its flavour and body2 by the aromatic qualities of its essential oil and the chemical elements of the leaf1 rather than by the chemical composition of its juices4 ,delicacy and fulness of flavour1 with a certain body1 are the required characteristics of the market4 ,the same authority tells us that the tea-taster prepares his samples from a uniform and very small quantity1 viz4 the weight of a new sixpence1 and infuses it for five minutes with about four ounces of water in a covered pottery vessel2 and in order to prevent injury to his health by repeated tasting1 does not swallow the fluid4 ,he must have naturally a sensitive and refined taste1 should be always in good health1 and able to estimate flavour with the same minuteness at all times4 ,illustration ,,footnote3 #a ,russia1 also1 has become impressed with the importance of growing its own tea2 but the efforts of its agriculturists appear to have been unsuccessful4 ,samples of the produce of the tea-plants which have been acclimatized in ,georgia were lately exhibited in the hall of the ,agricultural ,society of the ,caucasus at ,tiflis1 and appear to have excited considerable interest4 ,the local journals1 however1 admit that the samples proved to be rather poor in flavour1 and that their aroma resembled that of ,chinese teas of very inferior quality4 ,it is pleaded1 however1 that these specimens were grown by a planter of little experience in the ,chinese methods of cultivation and preparation1 and hopes are entertained of ultimate success4--,manchester ,examiner1 ,april #bc1 #ahhd4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,tea-,,meetings4 ,the teetotalers and tea--,extravagance of ladies--,joseph ,livesey--,reformed drunkards as water-carriers--,one thousand two hundred persons at one tea-party--,how they brewed their tea--,how the ,anti-,corn-,law ,league reached the people--,singing the praises of tea--,tea-drinking contests--,tea-fights--,hints on tea-meeting fare--,tea as a revolutionary agent4 ,how did tea-meetings originate8 ,according to a writer in the ,newcastle ,chronicle1 the teetotalers were the first to introduce these popular social gatherings4 ,originally started as a medium of raising funds1 he says1 they were conducted in a very different style from that so widely adopted at the present day4 ,our friends knew of no such thing as a contract for the supply of the viands at so much a head1 and they had no experience to teach them how many square yards of bread a pound of butter could be made to cover4 ,our wives and sweethearts then undertook the purveying and management of our tea-parties4 ,each took a table accommodating from sixteen to twenty persons1 and presided in person4 ,and1 oh6 what hearty1 jolly1 comfortable gatherings we used to have in the old ,music ,hall in ,blackett ,street1 amidst the abundance of singing hinnies1 hot wigs1 and spice loaf1 served up in tempting display1 tea of the finest flavour served in the best china from the most elegant of teapots1 accompanied with the brightest of spoons1 the thickest of cream1 and the blandest of smiles6 ,it is much to be regretted that this excess of gratification should have produced an evil which ultimately changed the character of these pleasant assemblies4 ,a spirit of rivalry among the ladies as to who should have the richest and most elegantly-furnished table became so prevalent that their lords and masters were obliged to protest against the excessive expenditure2 and thus the ladies1 not being allowed to have their own way1 declined to take any further share in the work4 ,this was a great misfortune1 as the proceeds considerably augmented the resources of the ,temperance ,society4 ,no such fate met these popular gatherings in other towns4 ,they were conducted on a scale of great magnitude1 especially in the birthplace of the temperance movement in ,england1 the town of ,preston4 ,here lives ,joseph ,livesey1 the patriarch of the movement1 now in his ninety-first year4 ,the third tea-party of the ,preston ,temperance ,society in #ahcc1 at ,christmas1 is thus described3-- ,the range of rooms was most elegantly fitted up for the occasion4 ,the walls were all covered with white cambric1 ornamented with rosettes of various colours1 and elegantly interspersed with a variety of evergreens4 ,the windows1 fifty-six in number1 were also festooned and ornamented with considerable taste4 ,the tables1 #fcj feet in length1 were covered with white cambric4 ,at the upper and lower ends of each side-room were mottoes in large characters1 'temperance1 sobriety1 peace1 plenty1' and at the centre of the room connecting the others was displayed in similar characters the motto1 'happiness4' ,the tables were divided and numbered1 and eighty sets of brilliant tea-requisites1 to accommodate parties of ten persons each1 were placed upon the table1 with two candles to each party4 ,a boiler1 also capable of containing #bjj gallons1 was set up in ,mr4 ,halliburton's yard1 to heat water for the occasion1 and was managed admirably by those reformed characters4 ,about forty men1 principally reformed drunkards1 were busily engaged as waiters1 water-carriers1 c42 those who waited at the tables wore white aprons1 with 'temperance' printed on the front4 ,the tables were loaded with provisions1 and plenty seemed to smile upon the guest4 ,a thousand tickets were printed and sold at #f;d4 and #as4 each1 but the whole company admitted is supposed to be about #abjj2 #hbj sat down at once1 and the rest were served afterwards4 ,the pleasure and enjoyment which beamed from every countenance would baffle every attempt at description1 and the contrast betwixt this company and those where intoxicating liquors are used is an unanswerable argument in favour of temperance associations4 ,a tea-party at ,liverpool1 in #ahcf1 was attended by a greater number1 and the account shows very clearly that the early temperance gatherings will contrast favourably with the large ,blue ,ribbon meetings held at the present time3-- ,the great room where tea was provided was fitted up in a style of elegance surpassing anything we could have imagined4 ,the platform and the orchestra for the band were most tastefully decorated4 ,the beams and walls of the building were richly ornamented with evergreens and appropriate mottoes4 ,the tables were laid out with tea-equipages interspersed with flower-pots filled with roses4 ,when the parties sat down1 in number about #bejj1 a most imposing sight presented itself4 ,wealth1 beauty1 and intelligence were present2 and great numbers of reformed characters respectably clad1 with their smiling partners1 added no little interest to the scene1 which was beyond the power of language to describe4 ,in #ahcg the ,isle of ,man ,temperance ,guardian reported a tea-meeting at ,leeds1 at which nearly #gjj persons sat down2 another at ,bury1 where #ejj of both sexes sat down4 ,a tea-party at ,exeter is thus described3--,the arrangements were very judicious1 and nearly #djj made merry with the 'cup that cheers1 but not inebriates1' among whom were numbers of highly respectable ladies and citizens of ,exeter4 ,this novel feature presented a most interesting and gratifying sight1 from the spirit of cordiality and good-feeling which pervaded it1 and cannot but have the most beneficial effect upon society4 ,for the benefit of societies which had not adopted this new and successful method of reaching the public1 the secretary of the ,bristol ,society gave the following account of a ,christmas tea-party3--,the tables were provided with tea-services1 milk1 sugar1 cakes and bread and butter1 and one waiter appointed to each1 who was furnished with a bright1 clean tea-kettle1 while the tea1 which was previously made1 stood in a corner of the room in large barrels1 with a tap in each1 from which each waiter drew his supply as required1 and filled the cups when empty1 without noise1 confusion1 or delay4 ,the following receipt for tea-making was given in the ,preston ,temperance ,advocate1 of ,july1 #ahcf3-- ,at the tea-parties in ,birmingham they made the tea in large tins1 about a yard square1 and a foot deep1 each one containing as much as will serve about #bej persons4 ,the tea is tied loosely in bags1 about #a_/dlb4 in each4 ,at the top there is an aperture1 into which the boiling water is conveyed by a pipe from the boiler1 and at one corner there is a tap1 from which the tea when brewed is drawn out4 ,it may be either sweetened or milked1 or both1 if thought best1 while in the tins4 ,being thus made1 it can be carried in teapots1 or jugs1 where those cannot be had4 ,capital tea was made at the last festival by this plan4 ,considering the high price of tea and of bread at that time1 it is scarcely credible that a charge of #i;d4 per head for men and women1 and of #f;d4 for youths under fourteen1 was found sufficient to defray the cost1 as well as to benefit the funds of the ,temperance ,society4 ,the value of such gatherings to the temperance movement it is impossible to estimate4 ,weaned from the use of fiery beverages1 the reformed drunkard needed a substitute which would be at once harmless1 as well as stimulating4 ,in tea he found exactly what he wanted4 ,he needed1 moreover1 company of an elevating kind2 and in the tea-party he found the craving for the companionship of men and women fully satisfied4 ,it was by this agency chiefly that the converts to teetotalism were kept together and instructed in the principles of total abstinence from all intoxicating liquors2 and we are not surprised that the consumption of drink fell off largely in consequence4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,curtis1 writing in #ahcf1 contended that the introduction of tea and coffee into general use had done much towards reducing the consumption of intoxicating drinks2 and1 although the expenditure upon intoxicating drinks still remains a formidable amount1 there can be no doubt that the general use of tea has lessened the consumption of alcohol4 ,these gatherings continue very popular1 but do not draw such large numbers as in the early days of the movement2 but it is open to question whether the time spent upon them might not be more profitably employed4 ,a writer in the ,band of ,hope ,chronicle 7,january1 #ahhb7 calls attention to this aspect of tea-meetings3--,there should be1 he contends1 moderation even in tea-drinking1 and when we hear of four or five hours at a stretch being spent over this process at public gatherings1 as it seems the good folks do in some parts of the ,isle of ,man1 one cannot but feel there is need for improvement4 ,what would be thought if the time were occupied with the consumption of stronger beverages than tea4 ,there would be little prospect of orderliness in the after-proceedings then2 so1 anyhow1 the tea-drinkers have the best of it even when they are at their worst4 ,the example of the teetotalers was followed by other reformers4 ,the ,preston ,temperance ,advocate1 of ,october1 #ahcg1 says3--,a tea-party was held at ,salford1 in honour of the return of ,joseph ,brotherton1 ,esq41 ,m4,p41 for this town1 to which he was invited4 ,it was attended by #ajej persons1 nearly #ijj of whom were ladies1 and the spectacle presented to the eye by such an assemblage was one of the most pleasing which ,i have ever witnessed4 ,the ,anti-,corn-,law ,league also adopted similar means of bringing their friends and subscribers together4 ,on the #bcrd of ,november1 #ahdb1 writes ,mr4 ,archibald ,prentice1 the historian of the movement1 the first of a series of deeply-interesting soires in ,yorkshire1 in furtherance of the great object of ,corn-,law ,repeal1 was celebrated in the saloon1 beautifully decorated for the occasion1 of the ,philosophical ,hall1 ,huddersfield4 ,the occasion1 says the ,leeds ,mercury1 was one of high importance1 not only for the dignity and benevolence of the object contemplated1 but for the enthusiastic spirit manifested by the assembly of both sexes1 of the first respectability1 extensive in number1 and intelligent and influential in its character4 ,more than #fjj persons sat down to tea1 and more than double that number would have been present had it been possible to provide accommodation4 ,mr4 ,prentice records many other tea-meetings attended by #fjj and #hjj persons4 ,in ,manchester1 writes ,mr4 ,henry ,ashworth1 a number of ladies took up the ,corn-,law question1 and held an ,anti-,corn-,law tea-party1 which was attended by #hcj persons4 ,illustration3 ,,watering ,a ,,tea-,,plantation4 ,a hymn was specially composed for use at temperance gatherings1 its purport being to show the superiority of tea-meetings over public-house meetings4 ,it consisted of eight verses1 and was printed in the ,moral ,reformer of ,february1 #ahcc4 ,one verse will give an idea of its character3-- ,pure1 refined1 domestic bliss1 ,social meetings such as this1 ,banish sorrow1 cares dismiss1 ,and cheer all our lives4 ,total abstinence has not yet found much favour among artists1 who too often paint the fleeting pleasures of the wine-cup rather than the enduring pleasures of temperance2 but in ,mr4 ,collingwood ,banks we have an artist who can sing the praises of a cup of tea as well as paint the charms of a fireside tea-table4 ,to him we are indebted for the following song1 which ought speedily to become popular among temperance societies3-- ,,the ,,cup ,,for ,,me4 ,let others sing the praise of wine1 ,let others deem its joys divine1 ,its fleeting bliss shall ne'er be mine1 ,give me a cup of tea6 ,the cup that soothes each aching pain1 ,restores the sick to health again1 ,steals not from heart1 steals not from brain1 ,a friend when others flee4 ,when sorrow frowns1 what power can cheer1 ,or chase away the falling tear ,without the vile effects of beer1 ,like ,pekoe or ,bohea8 ,what makes the old man young and strong1 ,like ,hyson1 ,congou1 or ,souchong1 ,which leave the burthen of his song ,a welcome cup of tea4 ,then hail the grave ,celestial band1 ,with planning mind1 and planting hand1 ,and let us bless that golden land ,so far across the sea2 ,whose hills and vales give fertile birth ,to that fair shrub of priceless worth1 ,which yields each son of mother earth ,a fragrant cup of tea4 ,another hymn in praise of tea was used in ,cornwall1 and often sung at tea-meetings by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,g4 ,hartley1 a minister of the ,united ,methodist ,free ,churches4 ,the lines possess little poetical merit1 but are worth quoting on account of the pleasure with which they have been received by tens of thousands of people1 and of their influence in unlocking the pockets of the people when the box went round4 ,when vanish'd spirits intertwine1 ,and social sympathies combine1 ,what of such friendship is a sign8 ,a cup of tea1 a cup of tea4 ,when dulness seizes on the mind1 ,and thought no liberty can find1 ,what can the captive powers unbind8 ,a cup of tea1 a cup of tea4 ,if one has given another pain1 ,and distant coldness both maintain1 ,what helps to make them friends again8 ,a cup of tea1 a cup of tea4 ,and if discourse be sluggish growing1 ,whate'er the cause to which 'tis owing1 ,what's sure to set the tongue a-going8 ,a cup of tea1 a cup of tea4 ,if things of use or decoration ,require a friendly consultation1 ,what greatly aids the conversation8 ,a cup of tea1 a cup of tea4 ,and lastly let us not forget ,the occasion upon which we're met1 ,what helps to move a chapel-debt8 ,a cup of tea1 a cup of tea4 ,it has served us many a good turn1 writes ,mr4 ,hartley1 and has helped to clear many a chapel-debt4 ,it would be difficult1 no doubt1 in our day to cite a single case of a tea-party attended by #ejj persons2 but if large gatherings are fewer1 small ones are more frequent4 ,every chapel1 every church1 every day-school1 every ,sunday-school1 every religious association has at least four tea-parties a year3 and thus not only is a very large amount of tea consumed1 but a very large number of people are brought under good influences4 ,in rural districts the ,christmas tea-party is the event of the year4 ,it is attended by all the lads and lasses in the neighbourhood2 by the milkmaids and the ploughmen1 who make sad havoc with the cake4 ,wonderful1 also1 is the amount of tea consumed4 ,in fact a tea-drinking contest takes place at these annual reunions4 ,at any rate he is the hero of the table who can drink the most4 ,we have referred to the decreasing popularity of tea-meetings1 and believe that one way of reviving the interest in these festivals would be to provide better refreshments1 as well as a greater variety4 ,from the ,land's ,end to ,john ,o',groats1 the bill of fare is limited to currant-cake and bread and butter of the cheapest kind4 ,in some cases1 where the charge is a shilling per head1 beef and sandwiches are provided4 ,an announcement of a knife and fork tea at a ,primitive ,methodist ,chapel never fails to secure a good attendance of the members and friends4 ,in ,lancashire such meetings are not unfrequently called tea-fights1 probably on account of the scramble for sandwiches which characterizes the proceedings4 ,but neither cake nor sandwich is sufficient to tempt all who are interested in these social entertainments4 ,the promoters would do well to follow the example of the ,vegetarian ,society1 and provide more fruit and substantial bread1 both white and brown4 ,in summer all the fruits in season should be placed upon the tables1 and in winter stewed fruits4 ,the following hints on ,tea-,meeting ,fare1 written by the late ,mr4 ,r4 ,n4 ,sheldrick1 who was an active missionary agent of the ,vegetarian ,society1 may prove of service to all who cater for tea-meetings3-- #a4 ,provide good tea1 pure1 fresh-ground coffee1 cocoa1 c4 ,let the making of these decoctions be superintended by an experienced friend2 serve up nice and hot1 but without milk or sugar1 leaving these to be added or not1 according to individual tastes4 #b4 ,procure a plentiful supply of good whole-meal wheaten 7brown7 bread1 some white bread1 some currant-cake--home-baked if possible1 without dripping or lard2 two or three varieties of ,reading biscuits1 such as ,osborne1 tea1 picnic1 arrowroot1 c4 #c4 ,purchase from the nearest market sufficient lettuce1 kale1 celery1 cress1 and other fresh salads according to season2 also provide a liberal supply of figs1 muscatels1 almonds1 nuts1 oranges1 apples1 pears1 plums1 cherries1 strawberries1 peaches1 or such other fruit as may be in season4 #d4 ,take care1 whatever arrangement be adopted1 not to let these things be hidden away until the latter part of the feast4 ,fruits should have the place of honour4 ,the plates or baskets of fruit should have convenient positions along the tables with the bread and butter1 biscuits1 c4 #e4 ,place the arrangements under the control of a well-selected committee of ladies1 who will see that the tables are tastefully laid out1 and that everybody is supplied4 ,let there be also1 if possible1 a profusion of fresh-cut flowers4 ,tea1 it is true1 has not yet worked a complete revolution in the habits of the people1 but it has done much to lessen intemperance4 ,dr4 ,sigmond1 writing nearly half a century ago1 referred to its influences for good3 ,tea has in most instances1 he said1 been substituted for fermented or spirituous liquors1 and the consequence has been a general improvement in the health and in the morals of a vast number of persons4 ,the tone1 the strength1 and the vigour of the human body are increased by it2 there is a greater capability of enduring fatigue2 the mind is rendered more susceptible of the innocent pleasures of life1 and of acquiring information4 ,whole classes of the community have been rendered sober1 careful1 and provident4 ,the wasted time that followed upon intemperance kept individuals poor1 who are now thriving in the world and exhibiting the results of honest industry4 ,men have become healthier1 happier1 and better for the exchange they have made4 ,they have given up a debasing habit for an innocent one4 ,the individuals who were outcasts1 miserable1 abandoned1 have become independent and a blessing to society4 ,their wives and their children hail them on their return home from their daily labours with their prayers and fondest affections1 instead of shunning their presence1 fearful of some barbarity1 or some outrage against their better feelings2 cheerfulness and animation follow upon their slumbers1 instead of the wretchedness and remorse which the wakening drunkard ever experiences4 ,this picture1 it will be observed1 is a little over-coloured2 but1 in the main1 it will be granted that tea and other similar beverages have done a good deal to displace spirituous and fermented liquors4 ,the use of tea has certainly resulted in great benefit to the health and morals of the people4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,tea4 ,the ,siamese method of making tea--,a three-legged teapot--,advice of a ,chinese poet--,how tea should be made--,how ,abernethy made tea for his guests--,the bubbling and loud-hissing urn--,tate's description of a tea-table--,the tea of public institutions--,rev4 ,dr4 ,lansdell on ,russian tea--,the art of tea-making described--,the kind of water to be used4 ,the ,chinese method of making tea--,invalids' tea--,words to nurses1 by ,miss ,nightingale4 ,the mode of preparation of tea for the table has always given rise to discussion4 ,different nations have different methods4 ,in ,siam one method was thus described in a book entitled ,relation of the ,voyage to ,siam by ,six ,jesuits1 which was published in #afhe4 ,in the ,east they prepare tea in this manner3 when the water is well boiled1 they pour it upon the tea1 which they have put into an earthen pot1 proportionally to what they intend to take 7the ordinary proportion is as much as one can take up with the finger and thumb for a pint of water72 then they cover the pot until the leaves are sunk to the bottom of it1 and afterwards serve it about in china dishes to be drunk as hot as can be1 without sugar1 or else with a little sugar-candy in the mouth2 and upon that tea more boiling water may be poured1 and so it may be made to serve twice4 ,these people drink of it several times a day1 but do not think it wholesome to take it fasting4 ,in ,recreative ,science 7vol4 i41 #ahba7 there appears a very curious note relating to the translation of a ,chinese poem4 ,the editor says1--,kien ,lung1 the ,emperor of the ,celestial ,empire1 which is in the vernacular ,china1 was also a poet1 and he has been good enough to give us a receipt also--would that all didactic poetry meddled with what its author understood4 ,the poet ,kien did1 and he has left the following recipe how to make tea1 which1 for the benefit of the ladies who study the domestic cookery1 is inserted3 'set an old three-legged teapot over a slow fire2 fill it with water of melted snow2 boil it just as long as is necessary to turn fish white or lobsters red2 pour it on the leaves of choice1 in a cup of ,youe4 ,let it remain till the vapour subsides into a thin mist1 floating on the surface4 ,drink this precious liquor at your leisure1 and thus drive away the five causes of sorrow4' ,poets1 as everybody knows1 are allowed a good deal of licence1 and tea-maids may be pardoned if they are sceptical of the value of the advice of the ,chinese poet4 ,how1 then1 should tea be made8 ,first and foremost1 remarks ,dr4 ,joseph ,pope1 it should be remembered that tea is an infusion1 not an extract4 ,an old verse runs thus3-- ,the fragrant shrub in ,china grows1 ,the leaves are all we see1 ,and these1 when water o'er them flows1 ,make what we call our tea4 ,dr4 ,pope lays emphasis on the word flows2 it does not say soak4 ,there is1 he contends1 an instantaneous graciousness1 a momentary flavour that must be caught if we would rightly enjoy tea4 ,assuredly ,dr4 ,abernethy1 the celebrated surgeon1 must be credited with the possession of this instantaneous graciousness4 ,abernethy1 said ,dr4 ,carlyon1 in his ,early ,years and ,late ,reflections1 never drank tea himself1 but he frequently asked a few friends to come and take tea at his rooms4 ,upon such occasions1 as ,i infer from what ,i myself witnessed1 his custom was to walk about the room and talk most agreeably upon such topics as he thought likely to interest his company1 which did not often consist of more than two or three persons4 ,as soon as the tea-table was set in order1 and the boiling water ready for making the infusion1 the fragrant herb was taken1 not from an ordinary tea-caddy1 but from a packet consisting of several envelopes curiously put together1 in the centre of which was the tea4 ,of this he used at first as much as would make a good cup for each of the party2 and to meet fresh demands ,i observed that he invariably put an additional tea-spoonful into the teapot2 the excellence of the beverage thus prepared insuring him custom4 ,he had likewise a singular knack of supplying each cup with sugar from a considerable distance1 by a jerk of the hand1 which discharged it from the sugar-tongs into the cup with unerring certainty1 as he continued his walk around the table1 scarcely seeming to stop whilst he performed these and the other requisite evolutions of the entertainment4 ,if every woman had treated her guests in the same manner1 there would have been little outcry against tea4 ,the innovation of a bubbling and loud-hissing urn was strongly condemned by ,dr4 ,sigmond1 who1 writing in #ahci1 after quoting ,cowper1 remarked3 ,thus sang one of our most admired poets1 who was feelingly alive to the charms of social life2 but1 alas6 for the domestic happiness of many of our family circles1 this meal has lost its character1 and many of those innovations which despotic fashion has introduced have changed one of the most agreeable of our daily enjoyments4 ,it is indeed a question amongst the devotees to the tea-table1 whether the bubbling urn has been practically an improvement upon our habits2 it has driven from us the old national kettle1 once the pride of the fireside4 ,the urn may be fairly called the offspring of indolence2 it has deprived us1 too1 of many of those felicitous opportunities of which the gallant forefathers of the present race availed themselves to render them amiable in the eyes of the fair sex1 when presiding over the distribution ,of the ,soumblo1 the ,imperial tea1 ,names not unknown1 and sanative ,bohea4 ,the consequence of this injudicious change is1 that one great enjoyment is lost to the tea-drinker--that which consists in having the tea infused in water actually hot1 and securing an equal temperature when a fresh supply is required4 ,such1 too1 is what those who have preceded us would have called the degeneracy of the period in which we live1 that now the tea-making is carried on in the housekeeper's room1 or in the kitchen-- ,for monstrous novelty1 and strange disguise1 ,we sacrifice our tea1 till household joys ,and comforts cease4 ,what1 he asks1 can be more delightful than those social days described by ,tate1 the poet-laureate8 ,when in discourse of nature's mystic powers ,and noblest themes we pass the well-spent hours1 ,whilst all around the virtues--sacred band1 ,and listening graces1 pleased attendants stand4 ,thus our tea-conversations we employ4 ,where1 with delight1 instructions we enjoy1 ,quaffing1 without the waste of time or wealth1 ,the sovereign drink of pleasure and of health4 ,fortunately for the lovers of the teapot and the kettle1 a change in the fashion of making tea is taking place1 the loud-hissing urn being now confined almost exclusively to a public tea-party and the coffee tavern4 ,the quality of tea and coffee supplied by the latter institution has long been considered the blot upon an otherwise excellent movement4 ,not too severely did the ,daily ,telegraph speak a short time ago against the atrocious stuff supplied under the name of tea in public institutions4 ,the editor said1-- ,the very look of it is no longer encouraging4 ,it is either a pale1 half-chilled1 unsatisfactory beverage1 or it contains a dark black-brown settlement from over-boiled tea-leaves4 ,the consumption of tea1 no doubt1 in ,england is enormous1 and we boast to foreigners that we are fond of our tea2 the fashion of tea-drinking1 owing mainly to our example1 has extended to ,france1 once extremely heretical on the point2 and yet where is the foreigner to find a good cup of tea in ,england8 ,at the railway stations8 ,very rarely4 ,at the restaurants8 ,scarcely ever4 ,and at the newly-started tea and coffee palaces1 which are to promote sobriety1 the great and crying complaint is that the tea and coffee are so poor that the best-intentioned people are forced back to the dangerous public-house1 in order to obtain a little stimulant1 for it is idle to deny that both tea and coffee are stimulating to the constitution4 ,everywhere a great reform in tea is required4 ,once on a time no confectioner1 railway-station1 or refreshment-house could rival the home-made brew1 made under the eye of the mistress of the household1 with the kettle on the hob and the ingredients at hand2 but now that the good old custom of tea-making is considered unladylike1 and the manufacture has been handed over to the servants1 the great charm of the beverage has virtually departed4 ,no one can conscientiously say that they like ,english tea as at present administered1 for the very good reason that it is no longer prepared scientifically4 ,the ,english fashion of drinking tea would be laughed to scorn by the educated ,chinaman or the accomplished ,russian4 ,indeed1 it is surprising in how few houses a good cup of tea can be obtained now that it has become unfashionable for the mistress of the establishment1 not only to preside over her own tea-table1 but to have complete sway over that most necessary article1 a kettle of boiling water4 ,the ,chinese never dream of stewing their tea1 as we too often do in ,england4 ,they do not drown it with milk or cream1 or alter its taste with sugar1 but lightly pour boiling water on a small portion of the leaves4 ,it is then instantly poured off again1 by which the ,chinaman obtains only the more volatile and stimulating portion of its principle4 ,the most delicious of all tea1 however1 can be tasted in ,russia--supposed to import the best of the ,chinese leaves1 as it imports the best of ,french champagne4 ,illustration3 ,,gathering ,,tea-,,leaves4 ,according to the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,lansdell1 however1 the ,russians do not pay extravagantly for their tea1 ,when crossing the ,pacific1 he says1 ,i fell in with a tea-merchant homeward bound from ,china1 and from him ,i gathered that three-fourths of the ,russian trade is done in medium and common teas1 such as are sold in ,london in bond from #as4 #b;d4 down to #h;d4 per ,english pound1 exclusive of the home duty4 ,the remaining fourth of their trade includes some of the very best teas grown in the ,ning ,chou districts--teas which the ,russians will have at any price1 and for which in a bad year they may have to pay as much as #cs4 a pound in ,china1 though in ordinary years they cost from #bs4 upwards4 ,the flowery ,pekoe1 or blossom tea1 costs also about #cs4 in ,china4 ,but ,dr4 ,lansdell heard of some kind of yellow tea which cost as much as five guineas a pound1 the ,emperor of ,china being supposed to enjoy its monopoly2 but a friend of the doctor told him that he did not think it distinguishable from that sold at #es4 a pound4 ,the excellence of the ,russian tea is attributed1 in part1 to the fact that it is carried overland4 ,whilst travelling eastwards1 says ,dr4 ,lansdell1 we had frequently met caravans or carts carrying tea4 ,these caravans sometimes reach to upwards of #ajj horses2 and as they go at walking pace1 and when they come to a river are taken over by ferry1 it is not matter for surprise that merchandise should be three months in coming from ,irkutsk to ,moscow4 ,whatever the cause1 all travellers eulogize the ,russians as tea-makers4 ,dr4 ,sigmond1 for instance1 says1-- ,my own experience of the excellence of tea in ,russia arose out of a curious incident1 which occurred to me during a hasty visit ,i made to that highly-interesting country4 ,previous to this adventure1 ,i had been in the habit of taking coffee as my ordinary beverage1 and was by no means satisfied with it4 ,i had no idea of the prevailing habit of tea-drinking1 previous to my arrival1 at ,moscow4 ,in the course of the afternoon ,i left my hotel alone1 obtaining from my servant a card1 with the name of the street1 ,la ,rue de ,demetrius1 written upon it4 ,i wandered about that magnificent citadel1 the ,kremlin1 until dark1 and ,i found myself at some distance from the point from which ,i started1 and ,i endeavoured to return to it1 and asked several persons the way to my street1 of which they all appeared ignorant4 ,i therefore got into one of the drotzskies1 and intimated to my ,cossack driver that ,i should be enabled to point out my own street4 ,although we could not understand each other1 we did our mutual signs2 and with the greatest cheerfulness and good-nature this man drove me through every street1 but ,i could nowhere recognize my hotel4 ,he therefore drove me to his humble abode in the environs2 he infused the finest tea that ,i had ever seen in a peculiarly-shaped saucepan1 set it on a stove1 and this1 when nearly boiled1 he poured out2 and a more delicious beverage1 nor one more acceptable after a hard day's fatigue and anxiety1 ,i have not tasted4 ,other travellers refer to the excellence of tea in ,russia4 ,if we could have an improvement in the quality of tea made in ,england1 we feel sure that a decrease in the consumption of intoxicating drinks would result4 ,some reform has already taken place at railway-stations4 ,for the reduction of the price of a cup of tea from sixpence to fourpence on the ,great ,northern ,railway the public are indebted to the ,hon4 ,reginald ,capel1 ,chairman of the ,refreshment-,rooms and ,hotels' ,committee of that company4 ,on the ,midland ,railway1 also1 a reduction in the price of non-intoxicating beverages has been made4 ,at the present time the coffee taverns stand most in need of reform4 ,with the object of inducing our tea-makers to reform their methods of tea-making1 we quote some important recommendations of leading physicians4 ,dr4 ,king ,chambers1 in his valuable manual of ,diet in ,health and ,disease1 remarks that the uses of tea are 7#a7 to give an agreeable flavour to warm water required as a drink2 7#b7 to soothe the nervous system when it is in an uncomfortable state from hunger1 fatigue1 or mental excitement4 ,the best tea therefore is1 he contends1 that which is pleasantest to the taste of the educated consumer1 and which contains most of the characteristic sedative principles4 ,as ,dr4 ,poore has pointed out1 tannic acid1 which is one of the dangers as well as one of the pleasures of tea1 is largely present in the common teas used by the poor4 ,the rich man1 he says1 who wishes to avoid an excess of tannic acid in the 'cup that cheers1' does not allow the water to stand on the tea for more than five1 or at most eight minutes1 and the resulting beverage is aromatic1 not too astringent1 and wholesome4 ,the poor man or poor woman allows the tea to simmer on the hob for indefinite periods1 with the result that a highly astringent and unwholesome beverage is obtained4 ,there can be no doubt that the habit of drinking excessive quantities of strong astringent tea is a not uncommon cause of that atonic dyspepsia1 which seems to be the rule rather than the exception among poor women of the class of sempstresses4 ,the late ,dr4 ,edward ,smith devoted considerable attention to this subject1 and we cannot do better than quote his observations3--,the aim should be to extract all the aroma and dried juices containing theine1 with only so much of the substance of the leaf as may give fulness1 or1 as it is called1 body to the infusion4 ,if the former be defective1 the respiratory action of the tea and the agreeableness of the flavour will be lessened1 whilst if the latter be in excess there will be a degree of bitterness which will mash the aromatic flavour4 ,as the theine is without flavour1 its presence or absence cannot be determined by the taste of the tea4 ,all agree1 therefore1 that the tea should be cooked in water1 and that the water should be at the boiling-point when used2 but there is not an agreement as to the duration of the infusing process4 ,if the tea be scented or artificially flavoured1 the aroma may be extracted in two minutes1 but the proper aromatic oil of the tea requires at least five minutes for its removal4 ,if flavour is to be considered1 it is clear that an inferior tea should not be infused so long as a fine tea4 ,the kind of water is believed to have great influence over the process2 soft water is preferred4 ,the ,chinese direction is1 ',take it from a running stream2 that from mill-springs is the best1 river-water is the next1 and well-water is the worst2' that is to say1 take water well mixed with air4 ,hence avoid hard water1 but prefer tap-water or running water to well-water4 ,it is the practice of a good housewife in the country to send to a brook for water to make tea1 whilst she will use the well water for drinking4 ,the mode of making tea in ,china is to put the tea into a cup1 to pour hot water upon it1 and then to drink the infusion off the leaves4 ,while wandering over the tea-districts of ,china1 ,mr4 ,fortune only once met with sugar and a tea-spoon4 ,the merchant invited us to drink tea1 writes the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,lansdell1 who recently visited the ,mongolian frontier at ,maimatchin1 and told us that the ,chinese use this beverage without sugar or milk three times a day2 namely1 at rising1 at noon1 and at seven in the evening4 ,they have substantial meals at nine in the morning and four in the afternoon4 ,dr4 ,king ,chambers considers tea most refreshing to the dyspeptic if made in the ,russian fashion1 with a slice of lemon on which a little sugar-candy has been sprinkled1 instead of milk or cream4 ,one small cup of an evening is enough4 ,he also gives the following receipt for making invalids' tea3-- ,pour into a small china or earthenware teapot a cup of quite boiling water1 empty it out1 and while it is still hot and steaming put in the tea and enough boiling water to wet it thoroughly1 and set it close to the fire to steam three or four minutes4 ,then pour in the quantity of water required1 boiling from the kettle1 and it is ready for use4 ,miss ,nightingale offers a word of advice to nurses upon the amount of tea which should be given4 ,a great deal too much against tea is1 she remarks1 said by wise people1 and a great deal too much of it is given to the sick by foolish people4 ,when you see the natural and almost universal craving in ,english sick for their tea1 you cannot but feel that ,nature knows what she is about4 ,but a little tea or coffee restores them quite as much as a great deal2 and a great deal of tea1 and especially of coffee1 impairs the little power of digestion they have2 yet a nurse1 because she sees how one or two cups of tea or coffee restore her patient1 thinks three or four cups will do twice as much4 ,this is not the case at all3 it is1 however1 certain that there is nothing yet discovered which is a substitute to the ,english patient for his cup of tea4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,tea ,,and ,,physical ,,endurance4 ,tea and dry bread versus porter and beefsteak--,tea for soldiers--,opinion of ,professor ,parkes--,tea versus spirits--,tea and ,tel-el-,kebir--,lord ,wolseley's testimony--,pegs and teapots--,temperance in the navy--,drinking the health of her ,majesty in a bowl of tea--,cycling and tea-drinking--,mountain-climbing--,tea in the harvest-field--,cold tea as a summer drink4 ,tea is not only a valuable stimulant to the mind1 but is the most beneficial drink to those engaged in fatiguing work4 ,dr4 ,jackson1 whom ,buckle quotes as an authority1 testified in #ahde1 that even for those who have to go through great fatigues a breakfast of tea and dry bread is more strengthening than one of beefsteak and porter4 ,i have been1 says ,dr4 ,inman1 a careful reader of all those accounts which tell of endurance of prolonged fatigue1 and have been touched with the almost unanimous evidence in favour of vegetable diet and tea as a beverage1 that ,i have determined in every instance where long nursing1 as of a fever patient1 is required1 to recommend nothing stronger than tea for the watcher4 ,in the army1 as well as in the hospital1 tea is slowly1 but surely1 supplanting the use of grog4 ,as an article of diet for soldiers1 remarked ,professor ,parkes1 tea is most useful4 ,the hot infusion1 like that of coffee1 is potent both against heat and cold2 is most useful in great fatigue1 especially in hot climates1 and also has a great purifying effect on water4 ,tea is so light1 is so easily carried and the infusion is so readily made1 that it should form the drink par excellence of the soldier on service4 ,there is also a belief that it lessens the susceptibility to malaria1 but the evidence on this point is imperfect4 ,admiral ,inglefield1 writing in ,january1 #ahha1 strongly commended the use of tea and coffee as heat producers4 ,during this almost ,arctic weather1 and in the midst of these almost ,arctic surroundings1 permit me as an old ,arctic officer to plead for a short hearing in behalf of those whose lives may still be in jeopardy for want of some practical experience how to take care of themselves4 ,among the working classes there is an all-prevailing idea that nothing is so effectual to keep out cold as a raw nip of spirits1 and this delusion is to their minds justified1 because they find the raw nip setting the heart1 and blood in more rapid motion2 and heat being generated while the influence remains1 a sensation of warmth is the natural result1 but after a short space reaction sets in1 and a slower circulation must ensue4 ,in the evidence given before the last ,arctic ,committee1 of which ,i was a member1 all the witnesses were unanimous in the opinion that spirits taken to keep out cold was a fallacy1 and that nothing was more effectual than a good fatty diet1 and hot tea or coffee as a drink4 ,seamen who journeyed with me up the shores of ,wellington ,channel1 in the ,arctic ,regions1 after one day's experience of rum-drinking1 came to the conclusion that tea1 which was the only beverage ,i used1 was much preferable1 and they quickly derived great advantage from its use while undergoing hard work and considerable cold4 ,if cabmen1 watchmen1 railway servants1 and those who from the nature of their duties are compelled to expose themselves during this inclement weather could be persuaded to give up entirely the use of spirituous liquors and use hot tea or coffee for a beverage1 ,i can promise that they would be better fortified to withstand the cold1 they would experience more lasting comfort1 and there would be more shillings to take to their homes on a ,saturday night2 happily1 also1 the trial of temperance for a time1 to meet the present emergency1 might become with some the habit of a life4 ,the soldiers who captured ,tel-el-,kebir drank nothing but tea4 ,it was served out to them three times a day4 ,the correspondent of the ,daily ,news 7#abth of ,september1 #ahhb7 wrote1 ,sir ,garnet ,wolseley having ordered that the troops under his command should be allowed daily a triple allowance of tea1 extra supplies of that article are being sent out from the commissariat stores to ,ismailia4 ,it is stated that the extra issue of tea is very acceptable to the men1 who find a decoction of the mild stimulant in their canteen-bottles the most refreshing and invigorating beverage they can carry with them on the march4 ,lord ,wolseley having been asked for his temperance testimony1 replied in an interesting letter1 in which he strongly commended the use of tea4 ,once during my military career1 he says1 it fell to my lot to lead a brigade through a desert country for a distance of over #fjj miles4 ,i fed the men as well as ,i could1 but no one1 officer or private1 had anything stronger than tea to drink during the expedition4 ,the men had peculiarly hard work to do1 and they did it well1 and without a murmur4 ,we seemed to have left crime and sickness behind us with the 'grog1' for the conduct of all was most exemplary1 and no one was ever ill4 ,i have always attributed much of our success upon that occasion to the fact that no form of intoxicating liquor formed any portion of the daily ration4 ,evidence from other quarters shows very conclusively that soldiers would rather drink tea than grog4 ,in an account of the return march through the ,khyber ,pass1 the ,rev4 ,gelson ,gregson states that they were very kindly and hospitably received by the medical officer in charge1 who had a good brew of tea ready1 with cheese and biscuits1 much more sensible than another medico1 who came round with a brandy-bottle as soon as we got in4 ,every one enjoyed the tea1 and did not even call for a peg4 ,i believe1 he adds1 that pegs would soon go out of fashion if teapots were only oftener introduced4 ,tea1 unfortunately1 requires some trouble to make2 but doubtless this difficulty is in a fair way of being removed by the pressure from without4 ,total abstinence is increasing greatly both in the army and navy4 ,miss ,weston1 whose labours amongst the blue jackets are well known1 claims that one man out of every six is a teetotaler2 and the ,hong ,kong ,telegraph recently gave an account of a tea-meeting held with the men of ,h4,m4,s4 ,orontes and their successors in the port1 at which between #cjj and #djj sat down in the ,temperance ,hall4 ,mr4 ,james ,francis1 ,organizing ,agent of the ,royal ,naval ,temperance ,society1 having asked ,admiral ,willes to say a few words1 his ,excellency advanced to the top of the room and said1 ,soldiers1 sailors1 and marines1 ,i am going to ask you to drink the health1 in a flowing bowl of tea1 of her ,gracious ,majesty1 the ,queen1 and in so doing ,i take the opportunity of bidding the marines and sailors going home on the #bjth farewell4 ,i wish them a pleasant passage and a happy meeting with their friends4 ,i invite those lately come out to support by example those who are going away4 ,i consider this an excellent institution4 ,drunkenness is the cause of nearly all the crimes in the navy1 and ,i dare say also in the army4 ,i ask you to drink the health of the ,queen1 and give her ,majesty three cheers4 ,the toast was duly drunk in sparkling ,bohea1 three rounds of cheers being given for her ,majesty and one more for the gallant admiral4 ,mr4 ,haly1 ,r4,n41 then proposed ,the health of his ,excellency1 the ,governor1 the toast receiving like treatment4 ,mr4 ,chisham1 ,r4,n41 next proposed ,the health of ,miss ,agnes ,weston1 and said that no words of his could make her dearer than she already was to the ,british sailor4 ,the toast was duly honoured1 as was also that of ,mr4 ,francis4 ,the use of tea among cricketers1 scullers1 pedestrians1 cyclists1 and others is also becoming more general2 for instance1 ,mr4 ,wynter ,blyth1 ,medical ,officer of ,health for ,marylebone1 says1 ,i have studied the diets recorded as in use1 and find that those who have done long journeys successfully have used that class of diet which science has shown most suitable for muscular exertion--viz4 one of a highly nitrogenized character3 plenty of meat1 eggs1 and milk1 with bread1 but not much butter1 and no alcohol4 ,i have cycled for over fifty miles1 taking frequent draughts of beer1 and in these circumstances1 although there has been no alcoholic effect1 it has caused great physical depression4 ,the experience of others is the same4 ,however much it may stimulate for a little while1 a period of well-marked depression follows4 ,i attribute this in part to the salts of potash which some beers contain1 in part to injurious bitters1 and in part to the alcohol4 ,my own experience as to the best drink when on the road is most decidedly in favour of tea4 ,tea appears to rouse both the nervous and muscular system1 with1 so far as ,i can discover1 no after-depressing effect4 ,illustration3 ,,pressing ,,the ,,tea-,,leaves4 ,the use of alcohol is almost invariably condemned in the various handbooks on training2 but the use of tea is always commended4 ,mr4 ,c4 ,j4 ,michd1 late ,hon4 ,sec4 of the ,london ,athletic ,club1 in his ,guide to ,athletic ,training1 considers tea preferable for training purposes1 as it possesses less heating properties1 and is more digestible4 ,the greatest pedestrian of our time1 ,mr4 ,edward ,payson ,weston1 finds in tea and rest the most effective restoratives4 ,lately he walked #ejjj miles in #ajj days1 and after each day's work1 lectured on ,tea versus ,beer4 ,even the publicans on the roads1 he says1 used to meet him with cups of tea and basins of milk4 ,a ,norwich physician1 ,dr4 ,beverley1 testified to the value of tea in mountain-climbing4 ,the hardest physical work ,i have done1 he says1 has been mountain-climbing in ,switzerland1 and on such occasions after a breakfast1 of which coffee and milk and bread formed the chief articles of food1 it was my custom to fill my flask with an infusion of cold tea1 made over-night from a stock kept for the purpose in my knapsack1 and this ,i invariably found to be the most refreshing drink for such purposes4 ,this is confirmed by all experienced in ,alpine ascents1 who know only too well that the man who has recourse to his flask of brandy or sherry seldom gains the mountain-top4 ,in the harvest-field1 also1 tea is being substituted for beer4 ,at a conference of the members of the ,newbury ,chamber of ,agriculture1 held in ,july1 #ahgh1 ,mr4 ,t4 ,bland ,garland maintained that nothing can be more unsuitable as a thirst-quenching beverage during hard work in hot weather than beer1 and stated that in #ahga he determined to supply no more beer to his labourers under any circumstances4 ,he had agreed as an alternative1 to pay the men #ahs4 instead of #ads41 and the women #is4 instead of #gs42 but reflecting that the people would probably find it impossible to supply themselves with a suitable substitute for the beer1 and would1 in a measure1 be driven to the public-house1 he determined to supply them with tea4 ,he thus describes his method of brewing tea1-- ,i purchased a common flat-bottomed #h-a_/b-;gallon iron boiler1 with a lid1 long spout1 and tap2 this is taken in a cart to the field1 with a few bricks to form a temporary fireplace1 a few sticks for the fire1 some tea in #g-oz4 packets1 and sugar in #d-lb4 packets4 ,the first thing in the morning a woman lights the fire1 boils the water1 the bailiff puts on the #g ozs4 of tea in a small bag1 to boil for ten to fifteen minutes1 then removes it and puts in #d lbs4 of sugar2 if skim milk can be spared1 two to four quarts are added1 but this is not a necessity1 although desirable4 ,all the labourers are then at liberty to take as much as they like at all times of the day1 beginning at breakfast-time1 and ending when they leave off work at night4 ,if the field is large1 they send large cans to the boiler for it2 so soon as the quantity in the boiler is reduced to two gallons1 it is drawn off in a pail for consumption1 whilst another boilerful is being prepared4 ,the knowledge that they have at their disposal as much good tea as they choose to drink during every minute of the day materially lessens their thirst4 ,the cost of tea in my case is as follows3-- s4 d4 #g ozs4 of tea #a #j #d lbs4 of sugar #a #b ,skim milk about #j #b ---- #b #d or #h-a_/b gallons of tea1 at #c-a_/b;d4 per gallon4 ,i had twenty-eight men and women employed in hay-making this year1 and the consumption was1-- ,gals4 ,generally1 #b boilers full per day #ag ,occasionally1 #b-a_/b #ba-a_/d ,on one day1 #c #be-a_/b ,my calculation is1 that they drink on the average two-thirds of a gallon each per day1 at a cost of #b;d4 ,thus ,i pay them1 in lieu of beer1 #h;d4 per day in money1 and #b;d4 in tea1 or #aj;d4 in all4 ,but if the change involved a much larger expenditure than the cost of the beer1 employers would be amply remunerated in the better and larger amount of work done1 the better disposition of their labourers1 the decrease of pauperism1 and the general well-being of the people4 ,mr4 ,garland1 having benefited so much by the substitution of tea for beer1 was naturally anxious that other farmers should follow his example1 and urged them to let the additional wages be given to the full value of the beer2 let the tea be good1 and made with care in the field1 not sent out from the house1 or there will not be enough2 be sure that it is always within the reach of every labourer1 without stint4 ,see to this yourself3 trust it to no one2 beer has many friends4 ,be firm in carrying out the change1 and it will be a source of great satisfaction to you and to your labourers1 with very little trouble and at no extra expense4 ,the late ,sir ,philip ,rose testified that the men on his farm were in better condition at the conclusion of the day1 less stupid and sullen1 and certainly much better fitted the next morning to resume their labours1 than with the old system of beer4 ,it would be easy to multiply extracts1 but enough has been said to prove the benefit of tea over alcohol1 whether in marching or fighting1 cricketing or sculling1 cycling or mowing4 ,we may add that cold tea is considered by many writers on the subject one of the most refreshing and satisfactory summer drinks1 provided it be not spoiled by the addition of milk and sugar4 ,it ought to be made early in the day1 and left to stand in a stone jar until thoroughly cool1 and should then be flavoured1 in the ,russian fashion1 with slices of fresh lemon4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,tea ,,as ,a ,,stimulant4 ,rum-punch and poets--,alcohol as a stimulant--,the king of the tea-drinkers--,dr4 ,johnson's teapot--,jonas ,hanway's attack--,eloquence inspired by tea-drinking--,a delightful tea-story--,an absent-minded poet--,george ,dyer's breakfast-party--,an empty cupboard--,hazlitt a prodigious tea-drinker--,barry ,cornwall disgusted with ,hazlitt's teetotal principles--,wordsworth's love of sugar in his tea--,testimony of other authors--,tea as a tonic--,tea denounced--,tea at ,st4 ,stephen's--,lord ,palmerston1 ,mr4 ,gladstone1 and ,m4 ,clemenceau quoted--,hartley ,coleridge's poem on tea4 ,when ,james ,hogg1 the ,ettrick ,shepherd1 visited ,keswick1 he invited ,southey to his inn4 ,the invitation was heartily accepted4 ,southey stayed half an hour1 but showed no disposition to imbibe4 ,i was1 says ,hogg1 a grieved as well as an astonished man when ,i found that he refused all participation in my beverage of rum-punch4 ,for a poet to refuse his glass was to me a phenomenon1 and ,i confess ,i doubted in my own mind1 and doubt to this day if perfect sobriety and transcendent poetical genius can exist together2 in ,scotland ,i am sure they cannot4 ,no doubt2 but1 since ,burns and ,hogg have passed away1 a new generation has arisen4 ,the poet1 the essayist1 the historian1 and the journalist no longer write under the influence of alcohol4 ,as ,mr4 ,george ,r4 ,sims says1 the idea that drink quickly excites the brain is exploded4 ,healthier stimulants have taken its place4 ,it cannot be denied that some good work has been done under the influence of tea4 ,look at ,dr4 ,johnson1 for instance4 ,that fine old ,tory is worthy of the title of the king of the tea-drinkers4 ,he loved tea quite as much as ,porson loved gin4 ,tea was ,johnson's only stimulant4 ,he drank it in bed1 he drank it with his friends1 and he drank it while compiling his dictionary4 ,one of his friends thus describes his mode of life3 ,about twelve o'clock ,i commonly visited him1 and frequently found him in bed1 or declaiming over his tea1 which he drank very plentifully4 ,he generally had a levee of morning visitors1 chiefly men of letters4 ,he declaimed all the morning1 then went to dinner at a tavern1 where he commonly stayed late1 and then drank his tea at some friend's house1 over which he loitered a great while1 but seldom took supper4 ,at his house in ,gough ,square1 off ,fleet ,street1 he frequently drank tea with his dependants1 some of whom were blind1 and some were deaf4 ,boswell has left us a graphic picture of these interesting gatherings3--,we went home to his house to tea4 ,mrs4 ,williams made it with sufficient dexterity1 notwithstanding her blindness1 though he describes her putting her fingers into the cups to feel if they were full2 but then it was ,johnson's favourite beverage1 and he adds1 ,i willingly drank cup after cup1 as if it had been the ,heliconian ,spring4 ,there was a pretty large circle there1 and the great doctor was in very good humour1 lively and ready to talk upon all sorts of subjects4 ,mr4 ,f4 ,sherlock1 a fertile writer on the temperance question1 claims ,dr4 ,johnson as a teetotaler1 and has placed him in his gallery of ,illustrious ,abstainers4 ,if the learned doctor was an abstainer from alcoholic drinks1 he made up for his abstinence from wine by indulging to excess in the milder and less dangerous stimulant of tea4 ,if he did not write his dictionary by the aid of the ,chinese drink1 his teapot was never far away from his writing-table4 ,i suppose1 said ,boswell1 that no person ever enjoyed with more relish the infusion of that fragrant leaf than ,johnson4 ,the quantities which he drank at all hours were so great1 that his nerves must have been uncommonly strong not to have been extremely relaxed by such an intemperate use of it2 but he assured me he never felt the least inconvenience from it4 ,johnson's indulgence did not escape the notice of ,jonas ,hanway1 who was so alarmed for the safety of the nation that he wrote an essay on ,tea and its ,pernicious ,consequences1 pronouncing it the ruin of the nation1 and of every one who drank it4 ,johnson replied to the attack1 and described himself as a hardened and shameless tea-drinker1 whose kettle has scarcely time to cool2 who with tea amuses the evening1 with tea solaces the midnight1 and with tea welcomes the morning4 ,johnson's defence did not1 however1 silence1 his critics4 ,sir ,john ,hawkins characterized tea-drinking as unmanly1 and1 like ,john ,wesley1 almost gave it the colour of a crime4 ,the worthy lexicographer1 it must be confessed1 was a thirsty soul1 for his teapot held at least two quarts4 ,but ,mr4 ,philip ,gilbert ,hamerton writes of a clergyman whose tea-drinking indulgences exceeded those of ,johnson4 ,this self-denying ,christian1 who from the most conscientious motives denied himself ale and wine1 found a fountain of consolation in the teapot4 ,his usual allowance was sixteen cups1 all of heroic strength1 and the effect upon his brain seems to have been altogether favourable1 for his sermons were both long and eloquent4 ,dr4 ,gordon ,stables offered prizes for original anecdotes about this delightful and healthful beverage1 but he laments that he obtained none worthy of printer's ink1 and has come to the conclusion that tea is not the drink of his beloved country2 that1 had he offered prizes for anecdotes about whisky-drinking1 ,scotia1 my auld1 respected mither1 would have shown out in a different light4 ,no doubt2 ,scotland has long been famous for rigid orthodoxy1 combined with a love of whisky2 but ,mr4 ,stables must have forgotten the delightful tea-story told by ,barry ,cornwall about ,george ,dyer4 ,dyer seems to have been as absent-minded as ,bowles1#b the poet4 ,barry ,cornwall says1-- ,poor ,george ,dyer--whom ,lamb has celebrated--formed one subject of conversation this evening4 ,he invited some one--,i think it was ,llanos1 the author of ',esteban' and ',sandoval'--to breakfast with him one day in ,clifford's ,inn4 ,dyer1 of course1 forgot all about the matter very speedily after giving the invitation2 and when ,llanos went at the appointed hour1 he found nothing but little ,dyer1 and his books1 and his dust--the work of years--at home4 ,george1 however1 was anything but inhospitable1 as far as his means or ideas went2 and on being told that ,llanos had come to breakfast1 proceeded to investigate his cupboard4 ,he found the remnant of a threepenny loaf1 two cups and saucers1 a little glazed teapot1 and a spoonful of milk4 ,they sat down1 and 7,dyer putting the hot water into the teapot7 commenced breakfast4 ,llanos attacked the stale crust1 which ,lazarillo de ,tomes himself would have despised1 and waited with much good-humour and patience for his tea4 ,at last1 out it came4 ,dyer1 who was half blind1 kept pouring out--nothing but hot water from the teapot1 until ,llanos1 who thought a man might be guilty of too much abstinence1 inquired if ,dyer had not forgot the tea4 ',god bless me6' replied ,dyer1 'and so ,i have4' ,he began immediately to remedy his error1 and emptied the contents of a piece of brown paper into the teapot1 deluged it with water1 and sat down with a look of complete satisfaction4 ',how very odd it was that ,i should make such a mistake6' said ,dyer4 ,however1 he now determined to make amends1 and filled ,llanos' cup again4 ,llanos thought the tea had a strange colour1 but not having dread of aqua tofana before his eyes1 he thrust his spoon in and tasted4 ,it was ginger6 ,seeing that it was in vain to expect commonplaces from the little absentee1 ,llanos continued cutting and crumbling a little bread into his plate for a short time1 and then departed4 ,he went straight to a coffee-house in the neighbourhood1 and was just finishing a capital breakfast when ,dyer came in1 to read the paper1 or to inquire after some one who frequented the coffee-house4 ,he recognized ,llanos1 and asked him how he did2 but felt no surprise at seeing him devouring a second breakfast4 ,he had totally forgotten all the occurrences of the morning4 ,hazlitt1 like ,dr4 ,johnson1 was a prodigious tea-drinker1 and his peculiar habits and manners were minutely photographed by his friends4 ,his failings were1 no doubt1 greatly exaggerated1 but we believe ourselves on safe ground in quoting ,patmore's account of his friend's devotion to the teapot3-- ,hazlitt usually rose at from one to two o'clock in the day--scarcely ever before twelve2 and if he had no work in hand1 he would sit over his breakfast 7of excessively strong black tea1 and a toasted ,french roll7 till four or five in the afternoon--silent1 motionless1 and self-absorbed1 as a ,turk over his opium-pouch2 for tea served him precisely in this capacity4 ,it was the only stimulant he ever took1 and at the same time the only luxury2 the delicate state of his digestive organs prevented him from tasting any fermented liquors4 ,he never touched any but black tea1 and was very particular about the quality of that1 always using the most expensive that could be got2 and he used1 when living alone1 to consume nearly a pound in a week4 ,a cup of ,hazlitt's tea 7if you happened to come in for the first brewage of it7 was a peculiar thing2 ,i have never tasted anything like it4 ,he always made it himself1 half filling the teapot with tea1 pouring the boiling water on it1 and then almost immediately pouring it out1 using with it a great quantity of sugar and cream4 ,to judge from its occasional effect upon myself1 ,i should say that the quantity ,hazlitt drank of this tea produced ultimately a most injurious effect upon him1 and in all probability hastened his death1 which took place from disease of the digestive organs4 ,but its immediate effect was agreeable1 even to a degree of fascination2 and not feeling any subsequent reaction from it1 he persevered in its use to the last1 notwithstanding two or three attacks1 similar to that which terminated his life4 ,from ,barry ,cornwall1 also1 we have similar testimony concerning ,hazlitt's indulgence4 ,proctor was as much disgusted with ,hazlitt's spare diet as ,llano's was with ,dyer's1 and wrote1-- ,i saw a great deal of ,hazlitt during the last twelve or thirteen years of his stormy1 anxious1 uncomfortable life4 ,in #ahai he resided in a small house in ,york ,street1 ,westminster1 where ,i visited him1 and where ,milton had formerly dwelt2 afterwards he moved from lodging to lodging1 and finally went to live at ,no4 #f1 ,frith ,street1 ,soho1 where he fell ill and died4 ,i went to visit him very often during his late breakfasts 7when he drank tea of an astounding strength71 not unfrequently also at the ,fives ,court1 and at other persons' houses2 and once ,i dined with him4 ,this 7an unparalleled occurrence7 was in ,york ,street1 when some friend had sent him a couple of ,dorking fowls1 of which he suddenly invited me to partake4 ,i went1 expecting the usual sort of dinner2 but it was limited solely to the fowls and bread4 ,he drank nothing but water1 and there was nothing but water to drink4 ,he offered to send for some porter for me1 but1 being out of health at the time1 ,i declined1 and escaped soon after dinner to a coffee-house1 where ,i strengthened myself with a few glasses of wine4 ,illustration3 ,,pressing ,,bags ,,of ,,tea4 ,proctor would have fared little better had he visited the ,lake poets2 for1 according to ,miss ,mitford1 the ,wordsworths have no regular meals1 but go to the cupboard when hungry1 and eat what they want4 ,wordsworth1 by the way1 appears to have liked his tea well sweetened2 for1 when he visited ,charles ,lamb1 at his lodgings in ,enfield1 one of the extra teas in the week's bill was charged sixpence4 ,on ,lamb's inquiry what this meant1 the reply was1 that the elderly gentleman--meaning ,wordsworth--had taken such a quantity of sugar in his tea4 ,proctor1 on the other hand1 seems to have had a deep-rooted antipathy to tea1 and to have found a wife who shared his feelings4 ,writing to his lady-love1 he said1 ,will your friend give me some blanc-mange8 but no1 ,i don't like blanc-mange4 ,i hate nothing but green tea1 and my enemies1 and insincerity1 and affectation1 and undue pretence4 ,it is partly1 ,i believe1 because you have none of these that ,i love you so much4 ,no2 he liked something stronger than tea1 and wrote of brains made clear by the irresistible strength of beer4 ,but some of the sweetest poems1 the brightest novels1 and the finest essays have been written without the aid of either wine or beer4 ,shelley's beverage1 for instance1 consisted of copious and frequent draughts of cold water1 but tea was always grateful4 ,bulwer ,lytton's breakfast consisted of dry toast and a cup of cold tea1 or hot tea impatiently tossed into a tumbler half full of cold water4 ,de ,quincey said that he usually drank tea from eight o'clock at night to four in the morning4 ,kant's breakfast consisted of a cup of tea and a pipe of tobacco1 and on these he worked eight hours4 ,motley1 the historian1 usually rose before seven1 and1 with the aid of a cup of tea or coffee1 wrote until the family breakfast-hour4 ,that revolutionary poet1 ,victor ,hugo1 drinks tea1 but fortifies it with a drop of rum4 ,more than three hours a day at the work of literary production is generally considered destructive2 but a case is known to the author in which a well-known writer has been engaged in literary composition from seven to ten hours a day for at least ten years4 ,the work he has accomplished in every department of literature during this period is truly astonishing3 and its quality is admittedly high4 ,yet his only stimulant is tea4 ,he is practically a life abstainer1 and has never used tobacco4 ,after a spell of work extending over three hours1 a cup of tea and a break of half an hour have enabled him to resume his work and to continue writing far into the night4 ,tea is becoming the favourite stimulant of brain-workers2 and although ,de ,quincey drank laudanum for some time1 he was enthusiastic in his praise of tea4 ,he said1-- ,for tea1 though ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities1 or are become so from wine-drinking1 and are not susceptible of influence from so refined a stimulant1 will always be a favourite beverage of the intellectual2 and1 for my part1 ,i would have joined ,dr4 ,johnson in a bellum internecinum against ,jonas ,hanway1 or any other impious person who should have presumed to disparage it4 ,but here1 to save myself the trouble of too much verbal description1 ,i will introduce a painter1 and give him directions for the rest of the picture4444 ,paint me1 then1 a room seventeen feet by twelve1 and not more than seven and a half feet high1 444 and near the fire paint me a tea-table2 and 7as it is clear that no creature can come to see one on such a stormy night71 place only two cups and saucers on the tea-tray2 and if you know how to paint such a thing1 symbolically or otherwise1 paint me an eternal teapot--eternal parte ante and parte post2 for ,i usually drink tea from eight o'clock at night to four in the morning4 ,and as it is very unpleasant to make tea1 or to pour it out for oneself1 paint me a lovely young woman sitting at the table4 ,but even a lovely young woman would have failed to satisfy the tastes of the historian ,buckle1 who was a most fastidious tea-drinker4 ,no woman1 he declared1 could make tea until he had taught her4 ,the great thing1 he believed1 was to have the cups and even the spoons warmed4 ,commenting upon the confession of ,william ,cullen ,bryant1 that he never took coffee or tea1 ,william ,howitt said1--,i regularly take both1 find the greatest refreshment in both1 and never experienced any deleterious effects from either1 except in one instance1 when by mistake ,i took a cup of tea strong enough for ten men4 ,on the contrary1 tea is to me a wonderful refresher and reviver4 ,after long-continued exertion1 as in the great pedestrian journeys that ,i formerly made1 tea would always1 in a manner almost miraculous1 banish all my fatigue and diffuse through my whole frame comfort and exhilaration1 without any subsequent evil effect4 ,i am quite well aware that this is not the experience of many others--my wife among the number--on whose nervous system tea acts mischievously1 producing inordinate wakefulness1 and1 its continuous use1 indigestion4 ,yet1 he wisely adds1 this is one of the things that people should learn and act upon1 namely1 to take such things as suit them1 and avoid such as do not4 ,this is1 as a rule1 the safest course to pursue1 and it is adopted by all sensible persons4 ,to that brilliant historian1 ,mr4 ,justin ,mc,carthy1 ,m4,p41 tea is not only the most useful stimulant1 but the best defence against headache4 ,i have1 he writes1 always been a liberal drinker of tea4 ,i have found it of immense benefit in keeping off headache1 my only malady4 ,probably tea-drinking1 even if not immoderate1 does some hurt to the nerves2 but ,i have never been able to satisfy myself that this is so in my case4 ,certainly1 few men have worked harder and suffered less from ill-health than myself4 ,another famous man of letters testifies to the value of tea3 ,the only sure brain-stimulants with me1 writes ,professor ,dowden1 are plenty of fresh air and tea2 but each of these in large quantities produces a kind of intoxication2 the intoxication of a great amount of air causing wakefulness1 with a delightful confusion of spirits1 without the capacity of steady thought2 tea intoxication unsettles and enfeebles my will2 but then a great dose of tea often does get good work out of me 7though ,i may pay for it afterwards71 while alcohol renders all mental work impossible4 ,tea is my favourite tonic when ,i am tired or languid1 confesses ,mr4 ,george ,r4 ,sims1 and always has a stimulating effect4 ,and the ,rev4 ,john ,clifford1 an able and scholarly ,baptist minister1 testifies that tea has enabled him to accomplish some very hard work4 ,he says1-- ,for at least a quarter of a century ,i have attempted to solve the problem how to get the maximum of power out of a somewhat feeble body1 and retain the maximum of health2 but having been a total abstainer for nearly twenty-eight years1 ,i have no experience of the relation of alcoholics and narcotics to the solution of the problem4 ,in preparing for a succession of examinations 7,b4,a41 ,m4,a41 ,,ll4,d41 and ,b4,sc47 at the ,london ,university1 whilst ,i had to discharge the duties of a ,london pastorate1 ,i drank tea somewhat copiously1 on an average thrice a day4 ,i worked twelve and sometimes fourteen hours a day over extended periods1 preached regularly to the same congregation thrice a week1 directed the affairs of an aggressive church1 conducted several classes for young men1 and at the same time matriculated in the ,first ,class1 took a ,first ,class ,b4,a41 was bracketed first at the ,m4,a41 took honours at the ,,ll4,b4 and at the ,b4,sc4 in three subjects2 and ,i found that on tea ,i could work longer1 with a clearer head1 and with more sustained intensity1 than on any other beverage4 ,but ,i am convinced that good as tea-drinking is for prolonged mental strain1 it was very prejudicial to me1 and has permanently lowered the digestive force4 ,raisins 7as suggested by ,sir ,w4 ,gull7 and grapes ,i have found in more recent years a most convenient and effective method of reinforcing mental strength whilst at work2 but the wisest course is to keep as robust health as possible1 by horse exercise1 or daily walks in the early morning1 and before retiring to rest1 by the use of dumb-bells and the gymnastic bat4 ,harriet ,martineau strongly condemned the use of alcohol by brain-workers1 and said that her stimulants were fresh air and cold water2 but this remarkable old maid dearly loved a cup of tea4 ,maclise sketched her sitting by the fireside1 her feet on the fender1 steadying with one hand a pan on the fire1 teapot1 cup and saucer and milk-jug on the table by her side1 and her cat nestling on her shoulder4 ,miss ,ellen ,terry also finds tea the best stimulant4 ,in reply to the question1 ,what do you drink8 put to her by a ,chicago reporter1 she stated that her favourite beverage was tea4 ,she takes tea after every meal1 and also the first thing in the morning4 ,professor ,everett1 of ,belfast1 on the other hand1 says that he has frequently suffered more from nervous excitability due to tea or coffee1 than from any other kind of stimulant4 ,mr4 ,philip ,gilbert ,hamerton1 the artist1 confesses that at one time he did himself harm by drinking tea1 but has given up coffee as well as tea4 ,the ,rev4 ,henry ,solly1 who has laboured for many years among workingmen1 has abstained from tea and coffee during the last fifteen years1 as they caused nervous excitement1 prostration1 sleeplessness1 and great inequality of spirits4 ,he hardly likes1 however1 denouncing the use of tea1 as it seems to him the only refuge 7except coffee1 which to some constitutions is more injurious7 for those persons who1 though of a nervous and excitable temperament1 cannot persuade themselves to give up all stimulants1 and yet desire to discountenance the use of alcohol4 ,but he is quite sure that it causes or promotes many nervous diseases1 particularly neuralgia1 and not seldom leads to that sinking and depression which is so frequent a cause of resort being had to nips in the shape of glasses of wine or spirits4 ,mr4 ,solly is not alone in his unwillingness to denounce the use of tea1 because1 whatever maybe said against tea-drinking1 its objectors cannot but admit that it is the least harmful of stimulants4#c ,what is there to take its place8 ,once1 remarks ,dr4 ,inman1 of ,liverpool1 ,i was an unbeliever in tea1 and during the many days of solitary misery which ,i had to endure in consequence of the delicacy of children and their absence with mamma at the seaside1 ,i tried to do without it4 ,hot water and cold1 milk and cream1 soda water and brandy1 water and nothing at all1 were tried in succession to sweep those cobwebs from the brain1 which a dinner and a consequent snooze left behind them4 ,it was all in vain--,i was good for nothing1 and the evenings intended to be devoted to work were passed in smoking1 gossip1 or novel-reading4 ,i took to tea1 and all was changed2 and now ,i fully believe that a good dinner1 'forty winks1' and a cup of strong tea afterwards will enable a man to 'get through' no end of work1 especially of a mental kind4 ,replying to the argument that as the lower animals do without tea and coffee1 so ought we1 ,dr4 ,poore emphasizes the fact that we are not lower animals2 that we have minds1 as well as bodies2 and that since these substances have the property in common of enabling us to forget our worries and fatigues1 to make light of misfortunes1 and generally to bear the stings and arrows of outrageous fortune1 let us accept them1 make rational use of them1 and be thankful4 ,the super-dietetic-purists1 who caution us against those poisonous liquids1 milk1 water1 and tea1 have furnished ,mr4 ,george ,r4 ,sims with a congenial topic for his facile pen4 ,from ,the ,drinker's ,dirge we quote the following lines3-- ,in trying from all things our lips to debar1 ,hasn't ,science just gallop'd his hobby too far8 ,let the nervous go thirsting1 they shan't frighten me ,with this nonsense concerning milk1 water1 and tea4 ,turning from literature to politics1 we find that ,lord ,palmerston resorted to tea to refresh him during the midnight hours he spent at ,st4 ,stephen's4 ,mr4 ,gladstone confessed a short time ago at ,cannes1 that he drank more tea between midnight and four in the morning than any other member of the ,house of ,commons2 and strange to say1 the strongest tea1 although taken immediately before going to bed1 never interferes with his sleep4 ,m4 ,clemenceau1 the leader of the ,french ,radicals1 is also reported to have owned himself an intemperate bibber of tea4 ,both wondered how1 before tea was imported into ,europe1 our forefathers got on without it4#d ,it was remarked that manners had become more polite and nations more humane since the introduction of the ,chinese beverage1 on hearing which ,mr4 ,gladstone exclaimed1 ,oh6 there were great and admirable characters in the ,middle ,ages4 ,although ,sir ,charles ,dilke grows wine1 he never drinks it1 finding in tea a better stimulant4 ,at one time ,cobden was an abstainer from intoxicating drinks1 which he declared useless for sustaining strength2 for the more work ,i have had to do1 the more ,i have resorted to the pump and the teapot4 ,the hero of the ,anti-,corn-,law ,league felt more at home drinking tea than dining with great people4 ,the formalities of dinner parties were extremely irksome to him4 ,i have been obliged1 he says1 to mount a white cravat at these dinner-parties much against my will1 but ,i found a black stock was quite out of character4 ,in another letter he writes1 ,i assure you ,i would rather find myself taking tea with you than dining with lords and ladies4 ,but as the leader of a great movement1 he found it necessary to sacrifice personal tastes and to endure the afflictions of dinner-parties1 for the sake of securing the support of the aristocracy4 ,turning to the literature of the subject1 it is interesting to learn that ,hartley ,coleridge was in his youth fond of tea4 ,in ,blackwood's ,magazine 7vol4 #ee1 #aheg7 appears ,an ,unpublished ,poem1 by ,hartley ,coleridge1 with the following note by the editor3 ,this early production of the late ,hartley ,coleridge may not be without interest1 as it describes a state of social manners which is already passing away1 in a style of composition which belongs in some measure to the past4 ,the poem commences thus3-- ,though all unknown to ,greek and ,roman song1 ,the paler ,hyson and the dark ,souchong1 ,though black1 not green1 the warbled praises share ,of knightly troubadour or gay trouvre4 ,yet deem not thou1 an alien quite to numbers1 ,that friend to prattle1 and that foe to slumbers1 ,which ,kian-,long1 imperial poet praised ,so high that cent4 per cent4 its price was raised2 ,which ,pope himself would sometimes condescend ,to plead commodious at a couplet's end2 ,which the sweet bard of ,olney did not spurn1 ,who loved the music of the 'hissing urn1' ,let her who bade me write1 exact the ,muse1 ,inspire my genius and my tea infuse1 ,so shall my verse the hovering sylphs delight1 ,and critic gnomes relinquish half their spite1 ,clear1 warm and flowing as my liquid theme1 ,as sweet as sugar and as smooth as cream4 ,happy would it have been for the young poet if he had remained a tea-drinker1 and had never known the taste of alcohol4 ,but ,cowper is the poet of the tea-table4 ,he it is whom the amateur reporters love to quote1 or1 rather1 misquote1 when they describe the friends at a tea-party1 partaking of the cup that cheers1 but not inebriates4 ,what the poet really said is found in ,book the ,fourth of the ,task4 ,now stir the fire1 and close the shutters fast1 ,let fall the curtains1 wheel the sofa round1 ,and while the bubbling and loud-hissing urn ,throws up a steamy column1 and the cups ,that cheer1 but not inebriate1 wait on each1 ,so let us welcome peaceful evening in4 ,,footnotes3 #b ,bowles was in the habit of daily riding through a country turnpike-gate1 and one day he presented his twopence to the gatekeeper as usual4 ',what is that for1 sir8' he asked4 ',for my horse1 of course4' ',but1 sir1 you have no horse4' ',dear me6' exclaimed the astonished poet2 'am ,i walking8' ,mrs4 ,moore also told me that ,bowles gave her a ,bible as a birthday present4 ,she asked him to write her name in it2 he did so1 inscribing it to her as a gift--,from the ,author4 ',i never1' said he1 'had but one watch1 and ,i lost it the very first day ,i wore it4' ,mrs4 ,bowles whispered to me1 ',and if he got another to-day1 he would lose it as quickly4' ,i met not long ago1 near ,salisbury1 a gentleman farmer who had been one of his parishioners1 and cherished an affectionate remembrance of the good parson4 ,he told me one story of him that is worth recording3 one day he had a dinner-party2 the guests were kept waiting for the host2 his wife went upstairs to see by what mischance he was delayed4 ,she found him in a sad 'taking1' hunting everywhere for a silk stocking4 ,after a minute search ,mrs4 ,bowles found that he had put the two stockings on one leg6 ,once when his own house was pointed out to him1 he could not by any possibility call to mind who lived there4--,hall1 ,book of ,memories of ,great ,men and ,women of the ,age4 #c ,with reference to the tea-drinking1 of course there was such a thing as excess and indigestion--but nobody ever heard of a man kicking his wife to death because he had drunk tea2 and no wife ever complained of her home being made unhappy through her husband drinking tea4 ,there was not a judge on the bench who had not borne witness to the fact that drunkenness was an incentive to crime4 ,when the judges began to admit that tea-drinking was increasing the criminal statistics of the country1 then ,mr4 ,ford could come forward with his amusing statement4--,rev4 ,dr4 ,chadwick1 speech at the ,diocesan ,synod at ,armagh1 ,october #bd1 #ahhc4 #d ,as tea did not come into ,england until #afaj1 and coffee until #afeb1 beer or wine was taken at all meals4 ,the queen would only take beer regularly4 ,her maids of honour breakfasted1 or rather dined1 off meat and beer4 ,single and double beers were on all tables4 ,in the year #aegj the scholars of ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge1 consumed #bbej barrels of beer1 as appears from the ,state ,papers of the time4 ,two tuns of wine a month were accredited to the suite of ,mary ,queen of ,scots during her confinement in ,england4--,the ,england of ,shakespeare1 by ,e4 ,goadby4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,friends ,,and ,,the ,,foes ,,of ,,tea4 ,a learned ,dutchman's opinion of tea--,two hundred cups a day recommended--,tea the universal panacea--,tea-merchants greedy as hell--,degeneracy of the race through tea-drinking--,appeal to women--,tea a slow poison--,experiment upon a dog--,john ,wesley's attack upon tea--,why he preached against it--,dr4 ,lettsom's thesis--,accuses tea of leading to intemperance--,the essential principle of tea--,the value of experiments upon animals--,tea-drinking among women--,the ,anti-,teapot ,society--,the benefits of tea-drinking--,dr4 ,richardson's condemnation--,the ,dean of ,bangor as a joker--,life without stimulants--,dr4 ,poore's description of the good and bad effects of tea-drinking--,injurious to children--,a properly controlled appetite the safest guide4 ,like tobacco1 tea received on its introduction very different treatment by different people4 ,it was extravagantly praised by some1 and extravagantly denounced by others4 ,some ascribe such sovereign virtues to this exotic1 remarks one author1 as if 'twas able to eradicate or prevent the spring of all diseases4444 ,others1 on the contrary1 are equally severe in their censures1 and impute the most pernicious consequences to it1 accounting it no better than a slow but efficacious poison1 and a seminary of diseases4 ,a learned ,dutchman pronounced it the infallible cure for bad health1 and declared that if mankind could be induced to drink a sufficient quantity of it1 the innumerable ills to which man is subject would not only be diminished1 but entirely unknown4 ,he went so far as to express his conviction that #bjj cups daily would not be too much4 ,it is scarcely surprising1 therefore1 to find the ,dutch ,east ,india ,company liberally rewarding this eloquent apostle of the new drink4 ,scarcely less enthusiastic was the professor of physic in a ,german ,university1 who declared tea the defence against the enemies of health2 the universal panacea which has long been sought for4 ,this opinion1 indeed1 prevailed very extensively in the ,east4 ,the following notice is copied from the ,relation of the ,voyage to ,siam by ,six ,jesuits1 in #afhe3--;,it is a civility amongst them to present betel and tea to all that visit them4 ,their own country supplies them with betel and areca1 but they have their tea from ,china and ,japan4 ,all the ,orientals have a particular esteem for it1 because of the great virtues they find to be in it4 ,their physicians say that it is a sovereign medicine against the stone and pains of the head1 that it allays vapours1 that it cheers the mind1 and strengthens the stomach4 ,in all kinds of fevers they take it stronger than commonly1 when they begin to feel the heat of the fit1 and then the patient covers himself up to sweat1 and it hath been very often found that this sweat wholly drives away the fever4 ,a similar belief in the virtues of opium existed until very recently in the minds of the people of the ,fen counties4 ,illustration3 ,,drying ,,the ,,tea-,,leaves4 ,the enemies of tea appear to have been quite as active as its friends4 ,a ,german physician declared it a cause of dropsy and diabetes1 and the introducer of foreign diseases1 and he charged the merchants with inexpressible frauds1 calling them greedy as hell1 the vilest of usurers1 who lie in wait for men's purses and lives4 ,according to ,mr4 ,mattieu ,williams1 drunkenness serves one useful purpose2 for it helps to get rid of the surplus population4 ,a ,french physician held similar views of the use of tea and coffee2 for1 writing at the close of the seventeenth century1 he expressed his belief1 that they are permitted by ,god's providence for the lessening the number of mankind by shortening life1 as a kind of silent plague4 ,coming down to more recent times1 the most remarkable production against tea appeared in #agbb4 ,the mind of the author seems to have been seriously disturbed at the prospect of the deterioration of the race1 which would inevitably follow indulgence in tea4 ,his treatise1 which is addressed to ladies1 is entitled ,an ,essay on the ,nature1 ,use1 and ,abuse of ,tea1 in a ,letter to a ,lady2 with an ,account of its ,mechanical ,operation4 ,london3 printed by ,j4 ,bettenham for ,james ,lacy at the ,ship1 between the ,two ,temple ,gates1 ,fleet ,street1 #agbb4 ,price #as4 ,this book contains some curious information about the diseases liable to follow the use of tea4 ,the author begins3-- ,madam1--an earnest desire1 which all ages have shown1 to serve your sex will1 ,i hope1 be sufficient warrant for my troubling you with these papers4 ,to be assisting towards the preservation of that form and beauty with which ,god has adorned you1 is certainly a work not less pious than pleasant2 for while we indulge ourselves in our greatest pleasure 7which is to serve your sex71 would also show our love and gratitude to the ,almighty ,being1 whose form you so nearly represent1 and to whom we are so much indebted for the blessing we received when ,he gave man so agreeable an helpmate4 ,though the value which we ought to set on this blessing is a sufficient motive to us to endeavour by all means to dissuade you from anything which may be to your detriment1 yet there are other motives which oblige us to have a more particular regard to the health of your sex4 ,for when by any means you ignore your constitutions and impair your healths1 though you yourselves suffer too severely for it1 yet the tragedy does not end here1 for the calamity is entailed on succeeding ages1 perhaps to the third and fourth generations4 ,the author then notes the fact that ,lycurgus thought the ,spartan women not in the least unworthy of his care and direction1 and proceeds to remark3-- ,if this lawgiver lived in these our days1 what a mean opinion1 what a little hope1 would he have of the next age1 when the women of this age fell so very short of that regularity and healthy way of living1 which he looked on as necessary for the preservation of a state6 ,with what an uneasiness would he have seen the many errors which we daily commit6--errors which are introduced by luxury1 suffered through ignorance1 and supported by being fashionable4 ,he would soon have condemned the exorbitant use of tea1 and upon the first observing its ill effects would certainly have prohibited the importation of it4 ,but the present age has other considerations3 tea pays too great a duty1 and supports too many coaches1 not to be preferred to the health of the public4 ,tea has too great interest to be prohibited1 and ,i wish reason itself may be sufficient to dissuade the world from the use of it4 ,i must confess ,i have so little hope from these papers1 that though 7to me and some others1 who have had the perusal of them7 they seem just and satisfactory1 yet ,i should never have presented them to the public1 had not ,i thought it an indispensable duty to acquaint the world with the many disorders which may possibly arise from its too frequent use4 ,this worthy benefactor of his species contends that tea is a slow but sure poison1 and that it is not less destructive to the animal economy than opium1 or some other drugs which we have at present learned to avoid with more caution4 ,he does not deny that tea is useful as physic1 but lays down the following propositions1 which he endeavours to prove4 ,first1 that tea may attenuate the blood to any degree necessary to the production of any disease1 which may arise from too thin a state of the blood4 ,secondly1 that tea may depauper the blood1 or waste the spirits1 to any degree necessary to produce any disease1 which may arise from too poor a blood4 ,third1 that tea may bring on any degree whatsoever of a plethora necessary to the production of any disease1 which may arise from a plethoric state of body4 ,from an experiment upon a dog the author concludes that tea abounds with a lixiviate salt1 by whose assistance it attenuates the blood4 ,the author draws some terrible pictures of the evils of tea-drinking1 but does not presume to dictate how his readers should act4 ,whether or not we ought to abandon the use of what may possibly be of so vast injury to us1 ,i leave to every reasonable man to judge1 having myself done the duty of a man and ,christian in warning them of what dangers they may fall into4 ,on the other hand1 ,thomas ,frost1 ,m4,d41 wrote a ,discourse on ,tea1 with ,plain and ,useful ,rules for ,gouty ,people1 in #agej4 ,in this he contended that1-- ,a moderate use of tea of a due strength seems better adapted to the fair sex than men1 for they1 naturally being of a more lax and delicate make1 are more liable to a fulness of blood and juices2 as also because they have less exercise or head-labours1 than which nothing braces better1 or gives the fibres a greater springiness2 and because they are less accustomed to drink wine1 whose astringency corrugates the fibres1 and enables the vessels to act with greater briskness and force1 so in some measure answers the end of the labour4 ,he holds that tea in a dietetic point of view seems in general not only harmless1 but very useful1 but considers it impossible to say beforehand with what healthy persons tea will disagree1 till they have used it2 where it disagrees1 it should immediately be left off1 for there is no altering or compelling a constitution4 ,however1 where it agrees1 it excels all other vegetables1 foreign or domestic1 for preventing sleepiness1 drowsiness1 or dulness1 and taking off weariness or fatigue1 raising the spirits safely1 corroborating the memory1 strengthening the judgment1 quickening the invention1 c42 but then it should be drank moderately1 and in the afternoon chiefly1 and not made too habitual4 ,john ,wesley1 a few years later1 attacked the use of tea4 ,in #agdh he published a small tract1 ,letter to a ,friend concerning ,tea1 in which he accused tea of impairing digestion1 unstringing the nerves1 involving great and useless expense1 and in his own case1 and that of others1 inducing symptoms of paralysis4 ,but1 in the first instance1 he preached against tea1 not because he thought it injurious1 but because he wanted money4 ,the whole of the ,london ,methodists were at that time very poor4 ,the ,rev4 ,l4 ,tyerman1 in his ,life and ,times of the ,rev4 ,john ,wesley1 says1-- ,the number of members in the ,london ,society on the #abth of ,april1 #agdf1 was #aici1 and the amount of their quarterly contributions #aacl4 #is41 upon an average fourteenpence per member4 ,considering the high price of money1 and that nearly the whole of the ,london ,methodists were extremely poor1 the amount subscribed was highly creditable4 ,wesley also believed its use to be injurious4 ,he tells us that when he first went to ,oxford1 with an exceedingly good constitution1 and being otherwise in health1 he was somewhat surprised at certain symptoms of a paralytic disorder4 ,his hand shook1 especially after breakfast2 but he soon observed that if for two or three days he intermitted drinking tea1 the shaking ceased4 ,upon inquiry1 he found tea had the same effect upon others1 and particularly on persons whose nerves were weak4 ,this led him to lessen the quantity he took1 and to drink it weaker2 but still for above six and twenty years he was more or less subject to the same disorder4 ,in ,july1 #agdf1 he began to observe that abundance of the people of ,london were similarly affected2 some of them having their nerves unstrung1 and their bodily strength decayed4 ,he asked them if they were hard drinkers2 they replied1 ',no1 indeed1 we drink scarce anything but a little tea morning and night6' 444 ,having set the example 7of abstinence from tea7 ,wesley recommended the same abstinence to a few of his preachers2 and a week later to above a hundred of his people1 whom he believed to be strong in faith1 all of whom1 with two or three exceptions1 resolved by the grace of ,god to make the trial without delay4 ,in a short time he proposed it to the whole society4 ,objections rose in abundance4 ,some said1 ',tea is not unwholesome at all4' ,to these he replied that many eminent physicians had declared it was1 and that1 if frequently used by those of weak nerves1 it is no other than a slow poison4 ,others said1 ',tea is not unwholesome to me2 why then should ,i leave it off8' ,wesley answered1 ',to give an example to those to whom it is undeniably prejudicial1 and to have the more wherewith to feed the hungry1 and to clothe the naked4' ,others said1 ',it helps my health1 nothing else will agree with me4' ,to such ,wesley's caustic reply was1 ',i suppose your body is much of the same kind with that of your grandmother1 and do you think nothing else agreed with her1 or with any of her progenitors8 ,what poor1 puling1 sickly things must all the ,english then have been till within these hundred years6 ,besides1 if1 in fact1 nothing else will agree with you--if tea has already weakened your stomach1 and impaired your digestion to such a degree1 it has hurt you more than you are aware4 ,you have need to abhor it as deadly poison1 and to renounce it from this very hour4' ,what was the result of ,wesley's attempt to form a tea-total society8 ,we can hardly tell1 except that he himself abstained from tea for the next twelve years1 until ,dr4 ,fothergill ordered him to resume its use4 ,charles ,wesley began to abstain1 but how long his abstinence lasted we are not informed4 ,about #ajj of the ,london ,methodists followed the example of their leader2 and1 besides these1 a large number of others began to be temperate and to use less than they had previously4 ,this was1 to say the least1 adds ,mr4 ,tyerman1 an amusing episode in ,wesley's laborious life4 ,all must give him credit for the best and most benevolent intentions1 and it is right to add that1 ten days after his proposal was submitted to the ,london ,society1 he had collected among his friends thirty pounds for a lending stock1 and that this was soon made up to fifty1 by means of which1 before the year was ended1 above #bej destitute persons had received acceptable relief4 ,the most noteworthy opponent after ,wesley was ,jonas ,hanway1 who1 in #agef1 wrote a bulky volume under the title of ,a ,journal of ,eight ,days' ,journey from ,portsmouth to ,kingston-upon-,thames1 to which is added an ,essay on ,tea1 considered as ,pernicious to ,health1 obstructing ,industry1 and impoverishing the ,nation4 ,the effects of tea-drinking formed the subject of ,dr4 ,lettsom's inaugural thesis1 when he sought the medical doctorate of the ,university of ,leyden in #agfg4 ,he accused tea of inducing excess in spirituous liquors1 by reason of the weakness and debility of the system brought on by the daily habit of drinking tea1 seeking a temporary relief in some cordial2 of producing in some excruciating pains about the stomach1 involuntary trembling and fluttering of the nerves1 destruction of half your teeth at the age of twenty1 without any hopes of getting new ones1 depression1 loss of memory1 tremblings and symptoms of paralysis2 and of bringing on a gradual debility and impoverished condition of the entire system4 ,tea contains an active principle called theine1 which1 according to ,dr4 ,sinclair1 was discovered so recently as #ahbg4 ,adopting one of the methods of the opponents of tobacco1 the enemies of tea conclude it to be a deadly poison from its effect upon animals4 ,a ,new ,york dentist is reported to have boiled down a pound of young ,hyson tea from a quart to half a pint1 ten drops of which killed a rabbit three months old2 and when boiled down to one gill1 eight drops killed a cat of the same age in a few minutes4 ,think of it6 exclaims an opponent of tea1 most persons who drink tea use not less than a pound in three months1 and yet a pound of ,hyson tea contains poison enough to kill1 according to the above experiment1 more than #ag1jjj rabbits1 or nearly #bjj a day6 and if boiled down to a gill1 it contains poison enough to kill #aj1hfj cats in the same space of time6 ,how can any one in his senses believe that any human being can take poison enough into the stomach in one day to kill #ahe rabbits and not suffer from it8--or that the uses of this poison can be continued from day to day without injury to health and life8#e ,the ,americans appear the most energetic in their opposition to tea4 ,an organization called the ,american ,health and ,temperance ,association was formed in #ahgi against tobacco1 tea1 and coffee2 and1 according to one of its publications1 has a membership of more than #aj1jjj4 ,it believes that more harm is done at the present time by tobacco1 tea1 and coffee1 than by all forms of alcoholic drinks combined1 and the tee-total pledge of the association requires abstinence from alcohol1 tobacco1 tea1 coffee1 opium1 and all other narcotics and stimulants4 ,the ,good ,health ,publishing ,company1 at ,battle ,creek1 also issues tracts on the ,evil ,effects of the ,use of ,tea and ,coffee1 in which it is contended that these beverages waste vital force1 and injure digestion and the nervous system2 and that they irritate the temper1 and encourage gossip and scandal4#f ,a ,new ,york magazine1 the ,herald of ,health1 is equally unsparing in its attacks on tea-drinking3--,the habit of tea-drinking among women is one of the worst with which the hygienic physician has to contend4 ,very few women1 comparatively1 among civilized peoples are free from this vice--for vice it is--and as pronounced in its effects as either whisky or tobacco4444 ,it is a common custom among women who do hard manual labour to depend upon their cup of tea1 when they are tired1 to rest them1 as they say1 and thus the wearied nerves are lulled to sleep and the warning voice of nature hushed1 that the work may be done and the system taxed to the utmost that it is able to bear without complete exhaustion4 ,is it any wonder that women once broken down are so hard to restore to health again8 ,on women and children its worst consequences fall4 ,to the use of tea may be traced directly most of the prostrating nervous headaches with which so many women are afflicted2 also most of the neuralgic and nervous affections4 ,of course children inherit the tendency to these and similar conditions1 and many a puny1 emaciated nervous little one is so because its mother was a tea-drunkard1 and its whole system has been narcotized from the time its being began4 ,in ,england the opposition against tea has never taken an organized form1 but a good deal has been said and written on the question4 ,in #ahfc or #ahfd an ,anti-,teapot ,society was formed1 but not against tea-drinking4 ,it published a quarterly magazine called the ,anti-,teapot ,review4 ,a correspondent of ,notes and ,queries stated that it was no enthusiastic wish to convert tea-topers into anything else that called this body into existence2 it was rather a desire to oppose and to cast scorn on the narrowness of mind that seems to be encouraged in circles which1 by no very violent figure of speech1 may be described around a teapot4 ,in other words1 he says1 the ,a4 ,t4 ,s4 was a combination against modern ,pharisaism1 and he quotes the following extract from ,no4 #a of the ,review1 ,may1 #ahfd1 as proving his point3-- ,many persons either do not1 or pretend not to1 know what teapotism is4 ,in consequence of this ignorance or affectation we shall1 in a few words1 try to describe the leading features of the male and female teapot4 ,teapotism is a magnificent profession1 but a very sorry practice6 ,it professes a large-hearted liberality1 unbounded piety1 and the enunciation of true principles2 but its practice is that of a narrow-minded clique1 who condemn all who go not with them4 ,its piety consists in hero-worship and the circulation of illiterate tracts1 calculated to attract the strong and to confound the weak2 it is bounded on the north by the platform and meeting-house1 and on the south by scandal1 hassocks and tea1 whence the name of teapots1 c4 ,the article ends with the assurance that ,the society will go on as it began3 it will remain strictly private1 enforce the same rules1 and show that it is the enemy1 not of tea1 but of teapots4 ,the ,review professed to be edited by members of the universities1 and written only by members of the ,anti-,teapot ,society of ,europe4 ,the qualifications for membership were1 to read the rules1 to fill up the form of admission to be had in ,english1 ,french1 ,german1 ,dutch1 and other languages2 to be nominated and seconded by any two officers2 the latter 7sic7 wholesome rule was introduced so that inquisitive people might be prevented from joining the society out of sheer curiosity4 ,the society appears to have made no converts1 and had but a very short existence4 ,tea-parties have always been popular institutions among ,dissenting bodies1 and it is therefore not surprising to find ministers taking part in meetings advocating a reduction of the tea duties4 ,in #ahdh the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,hume1 attending a meeting in ,liverpool for this purpose1 warmly defended tea1 on the ground of health1 and quoted with great satisfaction the evidence of ,dr4 ,sigmond1 given before the ,committee of the ,house of ,commons4 ,asked what had been the result of the medical inquiries into the effect of tea upon the human frame1 ,doctor ,sigmond replied1 ,i think it is of great importance in the prevention of skin disease1 in comparison with any fluid we have been in the habit of drinking in former years1 and also in removing glandular affections4 ,i think scrofula has very much diminished in this country since tea has been so largely used4 ,to those classes of society who are not of labouring habits1 but who are of sedentary habits1 and exercise the mind a good deal1 tea is of great importance4 ,on the other hand1 a famous physician of our time takes an entirely opposite view of the question4 ,at the ,sanitary ,congress last year ,dr4 ,richardson delivered an address on ,felicity as a ,sanitary ,research1 and charged tea with being a promoter of infelicity4 ,as a rule1 he says1 all agents which stimulate--that is to say1 relax--the arterial tension1 and so allow the blood a freer course through the organs1 promote for a time felicity1 but in the reaction leave depression4 ,the alkaloid in tea1 theine1 has this effect4 ,it causes a short and slight felicity4 ,it causes in a large number of persons a long and severe and even painful sadness4 ,there are many who never knew a day of felicity1 owing to this one destroying cause4 ,in our poorer districts1 amongst the poor women of our industrial populations1 our spinning1 our stocking-weaving women1 the misery incident to their lot is often doubled by this one agent4 ,the ,dean of ,bangor is the latest clerical opponent of tea-drinking4 ,speaking at a meeting held to further the establishment of courses of instruction in practical cookery in the elementary schools1 he said that if he had his own way there would be much less tea-drinking among people of all classes4 ,oatmeal and milk produced strong1 hearty1 good-tempered men and women2 whereas excessive tea-drinking created a generation of nervous1 discontented people1 who were for ever complaining of the existing order of the universe1 scolding their neighbours1 and sighing after the impossible4 ,good cooking would1 he firmly believed1 enable them to take far higher and more correct views of existence4 ,in fact1 he suspected that too much tea-drinking1 by destroying the calmness of the nerves1 was acting as a dangerous revolutionary force among us4 ,tea-drinking1 renewed three or four times a day1 made men and women feel weak1 and the result was that the tea-kettle went before the gin-bottle1 and the physical and nervous weakness1 that had its origin in the bad cookery of an ignorant wife1 ended in ruin1 intemperance1 and disease4 ,illustration3 ,,sifting ,,tea4 ,the worthy ,dean's denunciation of tea-drinking formed the subject of numerous leading articles in the press1 followed by letters from correspondents1 several of whom referred to the difficulty of finding any satisfactory substitute for the fragrant and refreshing beverage which1 during the present century2 has come to be regarded almost as a necessary of life in ,english homes1 both rich and poor4 ,one gentleman pathetically describes his feelings on being presented one afternoon in a drawing-room1 where he had been in the habit of being served with at least three cups of supernatural tea1 with a glass brimful of a dim1 opaque1 greyish-white liquid1 which turned out to be cold barley-water4 ,admitting that tea-drinking leads to indigestion1 the ,st4 ,james's ,gazette points out that tea-drinking is still1 in itself1 better than drunkenness2 and there is always a chance that the first factor in the fatal series may not lead to the second1 nor the second to the third4 ,what numbers of persons of both sexes every one must know who drink tea three times a day--morning1 afternoon1 and evening--without ever getting drunk at all6 ,every one1 again1 must have met with cases in which men have brought themselves to utter grief through the abuse of spirituous liquors2 but who ever heard of a man ruining himself or his family through excessive indulgence in tea8 ,the confirmed tea-drinker never commits murder in his cups--never even goes home in a frantic condition to beat his wife4 ,it is certain1 on the other hand1 that tea drunk in immoderate quantities does not good1 but harm2 and it is very desirable that1 both in drinking and eating1 people should on all occasions be temperate4 ,it is difficult1 however1 to get through existence without stimulants of some kind2 and tea is probably as little injurious as any yet discovered4 ',life without stimulants1' as a modern philosopher has remarked1 'would be a dreary waste4' ,reviewing the discussion1 the ,lancet doubted whether the abuse of tea-drinking is prevalent in the country1 and maintained that hard-worked minds and fatigued bodies are the better for some gentle stimulant that rouses into activity the nerves1 and which ministers to animal life and comfort4 ,the editor concluded that the worthy dean's conclusions are drawn from insufficient premises1 which in their turn can scarcely be regarded as scientific truths4 ,the latest medical contribution to the literature of the question is a lecture on ,coffee and ,tea1 by ,dr4 ,poore1 ,vice-,chairman of the ,council of the ,parkes ,museum1 given at the ,parkes ,museum on the #fth of ,december1 #ahhc4 ,he thus describes the good and bad effects of these luxuries3-- ,the peculiar effects of tea and coffee are due to the alkaloid4 ,these effects are of a refreshing character4 ,the circulation of the blood is increased2 the elimination of ,,co#b by the lungs is heightened4 ,the reflex excitability of the nerve centres is roused1 thereby increasing the impressionability of the consumer1 and great wakefulness results2 it also excites the peristalsis of the intestines4 ,tea and coffee1 then1 are stimulants2 they rouse the tissues to increased action1 make us insensible to fatigue1 and enable us to do more work than we otherwise could4 ,the differences between these stimulants and alcoholic stimulants are worth noticing4 ,tea and coffee keep us awake and attentive2 and those who have taken either for the purposes of midnight study1 will know how under their influence the receptive powers of the brain seem to be at its maximum4 ,they cause no mental 'elevation1' and do not rouse the imaginative faculties as a glass of wine seems to do4 ,they enable a man to work1 and often rob him of sleep1 and do not1 like a glass of wine1 tend to increase the power of sleep after the work has been accomplished4 ,the tannic acid in tea is doubtless one of the causes why it is as a drink so attractive4 ,it is slightly astringent1 and clean in the mouth1 and does not 'cloy the palate1' an expression for which ,i can find no scientific equivalent2 tannic acid is also one of the dangers and drawbacks of tea4 ,it is largely present in the common teas used by the poor4444 ,excessive tea-drinkers are more common than excessive coffee-drinkers1 because the heavier coffee more easily produces satiety than the lighter tea2 and it is not possible for ordinary stomachs to tolerate more than a certain amount of coffee1 even when pure1 and only a very small amount of the thick1 sweet1 adulterated stuff which too often passes for coffee in this country4444 ,tea is more of a pure beverage than coffee1 has less dietetic value1 and is less stimulating2 it is more capable of being used as a pure luxury 7it is indeed the tobacco of women71 but its great astringency is one reason which makes its excessive use highly undesirable4 ,the question of the action of tea1 as well as of tobacco and other stimulants1 has occupied the attention of ,professor ,mantegazza1 an ,italian physiologist of high repute4 ,this eminent scholar places tea amongst the nervous foods2 and his enthusiasm for it is unbounded4 ,he credits it with the power of dispelling weariness and lessening the annoyances of life4 ,he considers it the greatest friend to the man of letters1 enabling him to work without fatigue2 an aid to conversation1 rendering it pleasant and easy4 ,his own experience of tea is1 that it revives drooping intellectual activity2 and he regards it the best stimulus to exertion4 ,without its aid1 he says1 ,i should be idle4 ,his general conclusions are that it is beneficial to adults1 but injurious to children2 and he pronounces it one of the greatest blessings of ,providence4 ,whatever may be urged in favour of tea1 it is undeniable that excess is injurious1 and that children would be better without it4 ,it contains no strength1 and therefore ought to be forbidden to the young4 ,in an inquiry into the sickly condition of the children in many of the cotton factories of ,lancashire1 ,dr4 ,ferguson1 of ,bolton1 found that children between thirteen and sixteen years of age1 who had been brought up on tea or coffee1 increased in weight only about four pounds a year1 while those fed on milk increased at the rate of about fifteen pounds a year4 ,for this evil the blame rests entirely upon the mothers1 who exceed the bounds of moderation in the use of tea4 ,though doctors differ widely in their views of the action of tea1 they all agree that few things are more certain to produce flatulence in the overworked female than this beverage4 ,their views are shared by other authorities4 ,miss ,barnett1 speaking at the ,national ,health ,society's ,exhibition last year1 said1 ,i am constantly preaching against tea1 as it is taken by the vast majority of the working women of ,england4 ,they drink it at every meal1 and suffer from indigestion before they come to middle age4 ,they try to get the blackest fluid out of the tea1 and in doing so draw out the tannin1 which1 though it has its virtues1 acts upon the coats of the stomach and produces indigestion by middle life4 ,but the argument that tea shortens the life of every man who drinks it is absurd4 ,it is said1 remarked ,wm4 ,howitt1 that ,mithridates could live and flourish on poisons1 and1 if it is true that tea or coffee is a poison1 so do most of us4 ,wm4 ,hutton1 the shrewd and humorous author of the histories of ,birmingham and ,derby1 and also of a life of himself1 scarcely inferior to that of ,franklin in lessons of life-wisdom1 said that he had been told that coffee was a slow poison1 and he added that he had found it very slow1 for he had drunk it more than sixty years without any ill effect4 ,my experience of tea1 as well as coffee1 added ,howitt1 has been the same4 ,howitt's experience is the experience of tens of thousands of people4 ,the moral in this1 as in other matters1 is that people must judge for themselves whether tea is injurious or beneficial4 ,as ,dr4 ,poore candidly admits1 a properly controlled appetite1 or instinct1 is as safe a guide in the matters of diet as a physiologist or a moralist4 ,,footnotes3 #e ,it is not safe1 in regard to the action of a drug on animals1 to conclude that its effect will be the same on men4 ,for instance1 belladonna1 which is a deadly poison for men1 does not hurt rabbits4--,professor ,rolleston4 #f ,there may be some truth in this statement4 ,i do not remember any mention of tea in ,wycherley1 but in ,congreve's ',double ,dealer' 7,act #a1 ,scene #a1 p4 #age a71 the scene is laid at ,lord ,touchwood's house2 and when ,careless inquires what has become of the ladies1 just after dinner1 ,mellefont replies1 ,why1 they are at the end of the gallery1 retired to tea and scandal1 according to their ancient custom4--,buckle1 ,common-,place ,book4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,tea ,,as ,a ,,source ,,of ,,revenue4 ,tea heavily taxed--,how it was adulterated in the ,good ,old ,times--,efforts to secure a reduction in the duty--,why crime and ignorance prevail--,mr4 ,disraeli's proposal to reduce the duty on tea1 opposed by ,mr4 ,gladstone--,mr4 ,gladstone's legislation--,the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer memorialized to reduce the duty on ,indian tea--,the annual expenditure on tea--,professor ,leoni ,levi's estimate of its consumption by the working classes4 ,tea had not been in use many years before the government discovered in it a valuable means of replenishing the national exchequer4 ,accordingly they passed a law1 in #affj1 imposing a duty of eightpence per gallon on all tea made and sold in coffee-houses1 which were visited twice daily by officers4 ,it would occupy too much space to describe subsequent legislation1 but the subject appears at times to have been almost as perplexing as the liquor traffic to the various governments4 ,the tea duties have1 however1 always been excessively heavy1 and it is therefore not surprising that a great deal of smuggling was carried on in the ,good ,old ,times1 and that deceptions were practised to a very large extent by unscrupulous tea-dealers4 ,parliament at last interfered4 ,in the reign of ,george ,,ii4 an ,act of ,parliament recites that several ill-disposed persons do frequently fabricate1 dye1 or manufacture very great quantities of sloe-leaves1 liquorice-leaves1 and the leaves of tea that have before been used1 or the leaves of other trees1 shrubs1 or plants1 in imitation of tea1 and do likewise mix1 colour1 stain and dye such leaves with terra japonica1 sugar1 molasses1 clay1 logwood and with other ingredients1 and do sell and vend the same as real tea1 to the prejudice of the health of his ,majesty's subjects1 the diminution of his revenue1 and to the ruin of the fair trader4 ,the ,act then declares1 that the dealer in and seller of such sophisticated teas shall forfeit the sum of ten pounds for every pound-weight4 ,in a report of the ,committee of the ,house of ,commons1 in #aghc1 it is stated that the quantity of fictitious tea annually manufactured from sloe1 liquorice1 and ash-tree leaves1 in different parts of ,england1 to be mixed with genuine teas1 is computed at four millions of pounds1 and that at a time when the whole quantity of genuine tea sold by the ,east ,india ,company did not exceed more than six millions of pounds annually4 ,the ,act does not seem1 however1 to have done much to check the evil1 for in the year #ahbh the existence of several tea manufactories was disclosed1 the penalties for defrauding the revenue amounting in one case to #hdjl4 ,it is impossible to estimate the amount of smuggled tea consumed1 but the official accounts indicate a large consumption4 ,illustration3 ,,tea-,,tasting ,,in ,,china4 ,it appears that from #agaj to #ahaj not fewer than #gej1bai1jaf lbs4 of tea were sold at the ,east ,india ,company's sales1 the value of which was #abi1hjd1eiel4 ,the duty alone amounted to #ajd1hef1hehl4 ,in #ahbh the revenue amounted to #c1cjb1bebl4 ,the exclusive right of trading in tea1 so long enjoyed by the ,east ,india ,company1 terminated on the #bbnd of ,april1 #ahcd1 when an alteration was made in the method of collecting the dues4 ,under the old system a tax was levied on the value of the tea2 but under the new it was levied upon the weight and quality1 the duties ranging from #as4 #f;d4 on ,bohea1 and #cs4 on ,pekoe and other kinds4#g ,the transfer did not1 however1 secure the approval of the tea-dealers1 who continued to petition ,parliament for a reduction of the duty4 ,a society was formed at ,liverpool with this object in view1 and in #ahdf its officers published a letter addressed to ,sir ,robert ,peel1 contending that1 as tea was an object of the first importance to the labouring classes1 the duty on it should be such in amount and principle as to induce the greatest consumption4 ,the memorialists argued3-- ,that the duties have been imposed without any reference to the encouragement of its consumption2 that the quantity required by the public for their wants and comforts has never entered into the consideration of the legislature2 that all they have looked to has been to get a certain amount of revenue from tea1 treating it1 important as it is to the people's sustenance and well-being1 as a subject unworthy of consideration1 per se1 and for their benefit2 that it has been taxed from time to time1 heavier and heavier1 as its consumption increased2 so that1 looking at the changes which have taken place in these duties1 it would appear as if their object had been to check1 if not altogether destroy1 the use of tea amongst us1 as though it were a poisonous or noxious thing1 a species of opium1 which1 on moral and political grounds1 ought to be prohibited4 ,the memorialists found1 by a return to an order of the ,house of ,commons1 dated the #aath of ,february1 #ahde1 that in #aghd the tax was #ab-a_/b per cent42 in #agie it was raised to #bj per cent42 in #agig to #bj per cent4 under #bs4 #f;d4 per lb41 and #cj per cent4 at and above that price2 in #agih to #bj and #ce per cent4 respectively2 in #ahjj to #bj and #dj per cent42 in #ahja to #bj and #ej per cent42 in #ahjc to #fe and #ie per cent42 in #ahjf to #if per cent4 on all prices2 and in #ahai to #if per cent4 under #bs4 per lb41 and #ajj per cent4 at and above that price1 continuing to the termination of the company's charter4 ,in #ahcd1 the trade being thrown open1 the duty was attempted to be levied according to a scale which was supposed to mark quality1 being #as4 #f;d4 per lb4 on the lowest tea1 #bs4 #b;d4 per lb4 on the middle1 and #cs4 per lb4 on the finest kinds4 ,this scale was also constructed on the principle of taxing as near as may be the article with an average duty of #ajj per cent41 but was abandoned in #ahcf1 and succeeded by a uniform duty of #bs4 #a;d4 per lb4 until #ahdj1 when the additional #e per cent4 imposed on all ,customs duties brought it up to #bs4 #b-a_/d;d4 per lb4 ,in the following year1 #ahdf1 a towns' meeting was held at ,liverpool for the purpose of taking into consideration the measures which should be adopted to procure as speedily as possible a material reduction of the present duty on tea4 ,a resolution was passed declaring the duty of #bs4 #b;d4 exorbitant1 impolitic1 and oppressive4 ,in supporting a resolution that a reduction of duty would remove inducements to intemperance and thereby diminish crime1 an employer of labour felt assured that if the legislature would cheapen tea1 coffee1 sugar1 and soap1 it would give the means of prolonging lives instead of shortening them1 and keep a man at his own fireside instead of his going to the tavern1 with the ten thousand evils in its train4 ,the speaker1 however1 caused considerable amusement when he expressed the opinion that if the ,irish population could get tea at a cheap rate1 they would1 to a considerable extent1 abandon whisky4 ,put a cup of tea and a glass of whisky side by side1 we venture to say that ninety-nine out of every hundred ,irishmen would prefer the whisky4 ,an ,irishman1 says ,dr4 ,pope1 was requested by a lady to do some work for her1 which he performed to her complete satisfaction4 ',pat1' she said1 ',i'll treat you4' ',heaven bless your honour1 ma'am1' says ,pat4 ',what would you prefer8 ,a pint of porter or a tumbler of grog8' ',well1 ma'am1' says ,pat1 ',i don't wish to be troublesome1 but ,i'll take the one awhilst you're making the other4' ,this is1 we fear1 a type of the average ,irishman1 whose love of whisky is the greatest blot upon his character4 ,notwithstanding the great outcries against the ,government duty1 the consumption of tea steadily increased1 and in #ahdd the duty alone amounted to #d1ebd1aicl4 ,there were1 it must be admitted1 some inequalities in the system of taxation4 ,the question attracted the notice of ,mr4 ,leitch ,ritchie 7then editor of ,chambers's ,journal71 who suggested that the moral reform and social improvement for which the present age is remarkable have had their basis in--tea4 ,but if ,great ,britain is so large a consumer of tea1 why1 he asks1 do crime and ignorance still prevail amongst the body of the people8 ,because1 he answers1 the poorer classes still drink bad tea1 imitation tea1 or no tea at all4 ,the tea that is now in bond at tenpence pays a duty of two shillings and a penny1 while the tea that is sold in bond at several shillings pays no more4 ,thus the poor are charged at least three times more1 according to value1 than the rich4 ,an illustration of this anomaly was given by a speaker at a second meeting held at ,liverpool in #ahdh1 for the purpose of securing a reduction in the duties4 ,tea1 says the speaker1 must be considered in a two-fold light1 not merely as an article of luxury to some1 but as an article of necessity to all classes of her ,majesty's subjects4 ,but do all classes procure this necessity on equal terms8 ,no2 for though it is in general use with the peer as well as the peasant1 we yet find the same duties levied on teas of the lowest as on teas of the highest description4 ,it was urged by those who defended the policy of the ,government that tea was a stimulant1 and that therefore it was injurious4 ,we admit the fact1 said the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,hume1 but we strenuously deny the inference4 ,a stimulant is not necessarily injurious1 though the more violent always are4 ,heat is a stimulant1 and so is water in particular circumstances2 food is a stimulant2 the light of heaven is a stimulant1 whether in animal or in vegetable nature1 and so is the beaming countenance and kindling heart of a sympathetic friend4 ,neither meetings nor memorials1 however1 seemed to have any influence with the ,government2 but in #aheb ,mr4 ,disraeli proposed to reduce the duty on tea to #as4 #aj;d41 and ultimately to #as41 the reduction to be spread over six years4 ,this reduction1 with other reductions of the dues on shipping and the malt tax1 would have involved a loss of more than #c1jjj1jjjl41 to supply which1 he proposed1 among other things1 to impose the income tax on industrial incomes over #ajjl4 ,his proposals were1 however1 strongly opposed by ,mr4 ,gladstone1 and rejected by a large majority4 ,when1 however1 ,mr4 ,gladstone returned to power1 in #ahec1 he proposed the very same reductions which he had when out of office rejected4 ,he proposed to reduce the duty to #as4 #aj;d4 during the following year1 and by #c;d4 a year until the limit of #as4 was reached4 ,including reduction of other taxes1 the loss to the revenue would have amounted to #e1cae1jjjl41 which he proposed to meet by renewing the income tax for seven years1 extending the stamp duties1 and increasing the duty on spirits2 but owing to the ,crimean ,war the proposed reduction was not effected4 ,the expenses of this war were so heavy1 amounting to #gj1jjj1jjjl41 that the duty on tea was increased #c;d4 a pound4 ,when the war was over1 ,mr4 ,gladstone desired that the added duties on tea1 sugar1 and other necessaries of life1 should be taken off2 but on the #fth of ,march1 #aheg1 the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer1 ,sir ,george ,lewis1 announced a modification of the ,budget resolutions so far as the tea duties were concerned1 and proposed that the amount of the tax1 which he had arranged for three years1 should be applicable for one year only4 ,mr4 ,gladstone moved an amendment to the effect that after ,april #e1 #aheg1 the duty should be #as4 #c;d41 and after the #eth of ,april1 #aheh1 #as4 ,the amendment was negatived by #ahg to #abe1 and the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer's resolution1 fixing the duty at #as4 #e;d4 was carried4 ,in #ahfe the duty was reduced to #f;d4 under ,mr4 ,gladstone's ,government1 and at this figure it remains4 ,but the attention of the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer has recently been called to the disadvantage under which the ,indian tea-industry is placed by the imposition of the ,english ,customs duty of #f;d4 per lb4 on all tea imports1 and the object of the memorialists was to induce him to consider the expediency of abolishing or modifying this duty when framing his financial budget4 ,it was pointed out that the ,indian tea-industry is greatly in want of such relief1 as evidenced by recent ,calcutta reports showing the market value of the shares of the joint-stock tea companies4 ,out of a total of #aaf companies forty-six only gave any dividend on the crop of #ahhb1 and of these forty-six only twenty paid over five per cent4 ,of the seventy which gave no dividend not a few have paid nothing for several years1 and many are struggling on under the incubus of borrowed capital1 with the hope of improvement in the markets1 the cause of this depression being directly traceable to the heavy fall in prices during the last few years4 ,the opinion was expressed that if the trade could be relieved of the present heavy tax of from #ej to #ajj per cent4 on the value1 it might be fairly assumed that a reduction of1 say1 #d;d4 per lb4 to the consumer would lead to a large increase in the consumption1 and leave a return of the remaining #b;d4 per lb4 more to the producer1 which would in many cases prove a working profit to gardens now being carried on at a loss4 ,reference was also made to the argument1 of which doubtless the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer is aware1 that inasmuch as the average value of ,indian teas is higher than that of ,china teas1 the present duty weighs more heavily on the latter1 and consequently that its abolition would deprive the ,indian importer of a certain amount of protection2 but at the same time the opinion was expressed that a general reduction of prices to the consumer all round would induce on the part of the public a more general preference for the superior quality of the ,indian produce1 and that the increased demand for it thereby engendered would more than counterbalance any loss of protection which might be sustained4 ,as will be seen from the following table of the duties1 the consumers of tea contribute very largely to the revenue of the country3-- 4 #ahgd #c1bdh1ddf #ahge #c1efh1fcd #ahgf #c1gjf1hca #ahgg #c1gbc1adg #ahgh #d1jjb1baa #ahgi #d1afb1bba #ahhj #c1fih1cch #ahha #c1hfe1gbj #ahhb #c1igd1dha #ahhc #d1bcj1cda ---------- #ch1ahj1cgf ,the annual expenditure on tea amounts to about #aa1jjj1jjjl4 ,large as this amount appears1 it sinks into insignificance when compared with the expenditure upon intoxicating drinks4 ,during the last year it amounted to no less than #abe1dgg1bgel4 ,there are few who would regret to see this formidable amount reduced to a fourth of its present dimensions2 and no one surely will deny that if everybody drank tea1 instead of alcoholic drinks1 a great reform in the habits of the people would take place4 ,drunkenness1 and its attendant evil1 pauperism1 would cease2 plenty would take the place of poverty1 joy for sadness1 health for sickness2 and happiness would reign throughout the land4 ,reference has already been made to the fact that ,england stands next to ,china as the greatest tea-drinking nation2 and it appears that the working classes consume the largest proportion of tea imported4 ,professor ,leoni ,levi compiled in #ahgc an elaborate estimate of the amount of taxation falling on the working classes of the ,united ,kingdom2 and in his report he shows that from consumption of tea alone they contributed #b1bjj1jjjl4 to the revenue1 as against #ijj1jjjl4 by the middle and upper classes4 ,at the present time1 however1 the working classes contribute over #c1jjj1jjjl4 as their proportion of the duty upon tea4 ,a clearer light is thrown upon their contributions to the national exchequer by the following table showing the proportion for every pound of taxes paid from each item3-- ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- ,as falling on the ,working ,as falling on the ,middle and ,classes4 ,upper ,classes4 ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- s4 d4 s4 d4 ,spirits #g #e ,local taxes1 land1 ,malt #c #j houses1 c4 #g #j ,tobacco #c #j ,stamps #c #c ,local taxes and houses #b #i ,income-tax #c #j ,tea #a #e ,spirits #a #aj ,sugar #a #j ,malt #j #i ,licences #j #i ,tobacco #j #i ,other taxes #j #h ,sugar and tea #a #j ,land and houses #j #aj ,wine #j #g ,other taxes #a #j -------- -------- ,total #a #j #j ,total #a #j #j ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- ,the ,professor classes tea as a necessary1 but confesses that it is difficult to define whether certain articles in daily use are necessaries or luxuries4 ,many articles1 he points out1 such as white bread1 tea1 sugar1 which not long ago were considered luxuries1 are now1 with the improved condition of the people1 regarded as absolute necessaries4 ,he refers1 in particular1 to the effect of indirect taxes in greatly enhancing the cost of the taxed article to the consumer4 ,the wholesale import price of tea1 for example1 may be #as4 a pound1 and upon this there is #f;d4 duty4 ,but immediately as it passes from the importer to the dealer1 and from the dealer to the retailer1 the whole price1 duty paid1 is charged first with ten1 and then with thirty per cent4 to meet expenses and profits of trade1 whereby the retail price is increased probably from #bs4 to #cs4 #f;d4 or #ds4 per lb4 ,this trading1 therefore1 constitutes so much extra tax1 and it is a tax which the working classes pay to the middle and higher classes1 through whose hands such articles pass4 ,whether we shall ever have a free breakfast-table1 it is impossible to say2 but if the tax on tea were abolished1 it is obvious that it would be necessary to impose some other tax1 probably even more objectionable4 ,,footnote3 #g ,hyson means before rain1 or flourishing spring2 therefore it is often called young ,hyson4 ,hyson ,skin is composed of the refuse of other kinds1 the native term being tea-skins4 ,refuse of still coarser descriptions is called tea-bones4 ,bohea is the name of the hills in the region where it is gathered4 ,pekoe1 or ,poco1 means white hair1 or the down of tender leaves2 ,powchong1 folded plant2 ,souchong1 small plant4 ,twankay is the name of a river in the region where it is bought4 ,congo1 from a term signifying labour1 for the care required in its preparation4--,notes and ,queries1 ,third ,series1 vi4 p4 #bfd4 ,,index4 ,abernethy1 ,dr41 #ea4 ,ackworth ,school1 #ac4 ,aikin1 ,dr41 #ab4 ,alcohol and endurance1 #gb1 #ge4 ,alcohol and genius1 #hj1 #ia1 #id4 ,ale1 use of1 #ab1 #gc1 #aja4 ,american ,health and ,temperance ,association1 #aah4 ,animals1 experiments upon1 #aaa1 #aag4 ,anti-,corn-,law ,league1 #dj1 #ajb4 ,anti-,teapot ,society1 #abj4 ,apprentices1 #ac4 ,arctic weather1 #fg4 ,artists and temperance1 #db4 ,assam tea1 #ai1 #bj1 #bb4 ,band of ,hope ,chronicle1 #ci4 ,banks1 ,collingwood1 #db4 ,barnett1 ,miss1 #acb4 ,beer-gardens1 #aj4 ,beer1 use of1 #ab1 #gc1 #aja4 ,betel1 #ajg4 ,beverley1 ,dr41 #gd4 ,blackwood's ,magazine1 #ajb4 ,blue ,ribbon meetings1 #ce4 ,blyth1 ,dr4 ,wynter1 #gb4 ,boswell1 #ha1 #hb4 ,botanical ,gardens1 #ai4 ,bowles1 #hd4 ,bright1 ,john1 #ac4 ,brotherton1 ,joseph1 #ci4 ,bryant1 ,william ,cullen1 #ic4 ,buckle1 #ff1 #ic1 #aai4 ,burns1 #hj4 ,byrom1 ,john1 #ac4 ,cakes and tea1 #i4 ,camellia1 the1 #ah4 ,capel1 ,hon4 ,reginald1 #fj4 ,carlyle1 ,dr4 ,alexander1 #h4 ,carlyon1 ,dr41 #eb4 ,catherine1 ,princess1 #f4 ,centlivre1 ,mrs41 #e4 ,ceylon tea1 #ba4 ,chadwick1 ,rev4 ,dr41 #ii4 ,chambers1 ,dr4 ,king1 #ah1 #fj1 #fc4 ,chambers's ,journal1 #adc4 ,chapel-debts1 #dd4 ,charles ,,ii41 #f4 ,china1 use of tea in1 #ag1 #ej1 #eh1 #ei1 #fc4 ,chinese ballads1 #bg4 ,chocolate1 #e4 ,christmas tea-parties1 #cf1 #de4 ,clarendon1 ,lord1 #g4 ,clemenceau1 ,m41 #aja4 ,clifford1 ,rev4 ,dr41 #ie4 ,cobden1 #aja4 ,coffee1 #e1 #ig1 #ih1 #acc4 ,coffee taverns1 #ee4 ,coleridge1 ,hartley1 #ajb4 ,converted drunkards as water-carriers1 #ce4 ,cornwall1 ,barry1 #hd4 ,couplet1 ,le ,pre1 #g4 ,cowper1 #ec1 #ajc4 ,crimean ,war1 #ade4 ,curing tea1 #bh4 ,curtis1 ,dr4 ,j4 ,h41 #ch4 ,cycling1 #gb4 ,daily ,news1 #fi4 ,daily ,telegraph1 #ee4 ,dean of ,bangor1 #abd4 ,defoe1 #e4 ,de ,quincey1 #ia1 #ib4 ,dictionary of ,statistics1 #ag4 ,dilke1 ,sir ,charles1 #aja4 ,dinner-parties1 #ajb4 ,disraeli1 ,mr41 #add4 ,diurnal of ,thomas ,rugge1 #d4 ,doctors differ1 #acb4 ,dowden1 ,professor1 #ie4 ,drunkards1 converted1 #ce4 ,drunkenness1 uses of1 #ajh4 ,dutch physician1 advice of a1 #ajf4 ,dyer1 ,george1 #hd4 ,dyspepsia1 cause of1 #fa4 ,east ,india ,company1 #b1 #ai1 #ajf1 #acf4 ,epping butter1 #i4 ,everett1 ,professor1 #ig4 ,favy's1 ,mr41 tea1 #g4 ,ferguson1 ,dr41 #acb4 ,fortune1 ,mr41 #fc4 ,francis1 ,james1 #ga4 ,garland1 ,t4 ,bland1 #ge4 ,garway1 ,thomas1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e4 ,genius1 #hj4 ,gladstone1 ,mr41 #ajj1 #ade1 #adf4 ,goadby1 ,e41 #aja4 ,good ,health ,publishing ,company1 #aah4 ,gout1 #aab4 ,great ,northern ,railway1 #fj4 ,grecian1 the1 #aa4 ,gregson1 ,gelson1 #gj4 ,gunter's1 #aa4 ,habit1 force of1 #ab4 ,hamerton1 ,philip ,gilbert1 #hc1 #ig4 ,hanway1 ,jonas1 #hb1 #aaf4 ,harrowgate1 mode of living at1 #h4 ,hartley1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,g41 #dc4 ,harvest-field1 tea in1 #a1 #ge4 ,hawkins1 ,sir ,john1 #hc4 ,hazlitt1 #hf4 ,headache1 #id4 ,healths1 drinking1 #ga4 ,herald of ,health1 #aai4 ,hogarth1 #ae4 ,hogg1 ,james1 #gi4 ,hong-,kong ,telegraph1 #ga4 ,hop-pickers1 #bg4 ,howitt1 ,william1 #ic1 #acc4 ,hume1 ,rev4 ,dr41 #add4 ,hutton1 ,william1 #acc4 ,hymns1 tea-meeting1 #da1 #db1 #dc4 ,indian tea1 #ai1 #bd1 #adg4 ,inglefield1 ,dr41 #fg4 ,inman1 ,dr41 #ff1 #ii4 ,intoxicating drink1 #adi4 ,invalids' tea1 #fc4 ,isle of ,man1 tea-drinking in1 #a1 #ci4 ,isle of ,man ,temperance ,guardian1 #cf4 ,jackson1 ,dr41 #ff4 ,jameson1 ,dr41 #bb4 ,johnson1 ,dr41 #hj1 #hc4 ,jonathan's coffee-house1 #e4 ,journalist1 the1 #hj4 ,kant1 #ia4 ,kettle1 the national1 #ec4 ,knight1 ,charles1 #b4 ,ladies1 extravagance of1 #cc4 ,lamb1 ,charles1 #hh4 ,lancet1 the1 #abi4 ,lansdell1 ,rev4 ,dr41 #eg1 #eh1 #fc4 ,leeds ,mercury1 #dj4 ,lettsom1 ,dr41 #aaf4 ,levi1 ,leoni1 #adi4 ,lewis1 ,sir ,george1 #ade4 ,linnus1 #ah4 ,liquor traffic1 #ace4 ,literary composition1 #ib4 ,livesey1 ,joseph1 #cd4 ,london ,athletic ,club1 #gd4 ,lung1 ,kien1 #ej4 ,lytton1 ,bulwer1 #ia4 ,maclise1 #ig4 ,malaria1 #fg4 ,manchester1 use of tea in1 #ab4 ,mantegazza1 #aca4 ,martin1 ,montgomery1 #f4 ,martineau1 ,harriet1 #ig4 ,mary-le-,bon ,gardens1 #i4 ,mc,carthy1 ,justin1 ,m4,p41 #id4 ,michd1 ,c4 ,j41 #gd4 ,midland ,railway1 #fj4 ,mitford1 ,miss1 #hh4 ,moral ,reformer1 #da4 ,motley1 #ia4 ,mountain-climbing1 #gd4 ,mulhall1 #ag4 ,national ,health ,society1 #acb4 ,nervous excitability1 #ig4 ,newbury ,chamber of ,agriculture1 #ge4 ,nightingale1 ,miss1 #fd4 ,notes and ,queries1 #abj1 #aci4 ,palmerston1 ,lord1 #ajj4 ,parkes1 ,professor1 #fg4 ,parliament petitioned1 #aci4 ,patmore1 #hf4 ,pedestrianism1 #gb1 #id4 ,peel1 ,sir ,robert1 #aci4 ,pepys1 #a1 #b4 ,percival's ,account of ,ceylon1 #ba4 ,poets1 fare of1 #hh4 ,poets1 licence of1 #ea4 ,poore1 ,dr41 #fa1 #ajj1 #abi1 #acc4 ,poorson1 ,dr41 #hj4 ,pope1 ,dr4 ,joseph1 #ea1 #adb4 ,prentice1 ,archibald1 #dj4 ,preston ,temperance ,advocate1 #cg1 #ci4 ,preston ,temperance ,society1 #cd4 ,priests as tea-gatherers1 #be4 ,public-houses1 #aj4 ,quaker ,school1 #ac4 ,queen1 the1 #ga4 ,race1 deterioration of the1 #aji4 ,railway stations1 tea at1 #ef1 #fj4 ,read's ,weekly ,journal1 #h4 ,recreative ,science1 #ej4 ,rhind1 ,dr41 #bb4 ,ritchie1 ,leitch1 #adc4 ,rolleston1 ,professor1 #aah4 ,rose1 ,sir ,philip1 #gh4 ,royalty1 influence of1 #f4 ,rugge1 ,thomas1 #d4 ,rum-punch1 #hj4 ,russia1 tea in1 #ai1 #ef1 #eg1 #ei4 ,scandal1 #aai4 ,scotland1 #hd4 ,servants1 use of tea by1 #h4 ,sheldrick1 ,r4 ,n41 #df4 ,sherlock1 ,f41 #ha4 ,siam1 tea in1 #ej4 ,sigmond1 ,dr41 #dg1 #ec1 #ei4 ,sims1 ,g4 ,r41 #hj1 #ie1 #ajj4 ,sinclair1 ,dr41 #aag4 ,smith1 ,dr4 ,edward1 #ae1 #ah1 #cj1 #fa4 ,soldiers1 tea for1 #fg1 #fh1 #fi1 #gj4 ,solly1 ,rev4 ,henry1 #ig4 ,south ,sea ,bubblers1 #f4 ,southey1 #gi4 ,spirits1 value of1 #fh4 ,st4 ,james's ,gazette1 #abh4 ,stables1 ,dr4 ,gordon1 #hc4 ,stimulants1 necessity of1 #abi4 ,swift1 ,dean1 #f4 ,tea a cause of intemperance1 #aaf4 ,tea a poison1 #aaa1 #aag4 ,tea adulterated1 #ace4 ,tea and cake1 #i4 ,tea as a revolutionary agent1 #dg4 ,tea as a stimulant1 #gi4 ,tea1 benefits of1 #c1 #af1 #dg1 #gj1 #ii1 #ajb1 #ajf1 #acj1 #aca4 ,tea1 cold1 #gh4 ,tea1 consumption of1 #af4 ,tea1 cultivation of1 #ah1 #ai1 #bb4 ,tea1 evils of1 #fa1 #hb1 #ih1 #ajg1 #aaa1 #aad4 ,tea-farms1 #bb1 #be4 ,tea-fights1 #de4 ,tea for invalids1 #fd4 ,tea-gardens1 #i4 ,tea in the harvest-field1 #ge4 ,tea-meeting fare1 #de1 #df4 ,tea-meeting hymns1 #da1 #db1 #dc4 ,tea-meetings1 #cc4 ,tea1 methods of curing1 #bh4 ,tea1 methods of making1 #cg1 #di1 #eh4 ,teapots1 #cc1 #ec4 ,tea1 price of1 #d1 #aa1 #eh4 ,tea-tasting1 #ca4 ,tea1 taxation of1 #ace1 #adb1 #adh1 #aea4 ,tea unnecessary1 #ii4 ,tea versus beer1 #gd1 #abh4 ,tel-el-,kebir1 #fi4 ,terry1 ,miss ,ellen1 #ig4 ,thompson1 ,henry1 #ad4 ,toasts1 #g4 ,tom's ,coffee-house1 #aa4 ,trusler's1 ,mr41 daughter1 #i4 ,twining1 ,thomas1 #aj4 ,tyerman1 ,rev4 ,l41 #aac4 ,urn1 tea1 condemned1 #ec4 ,vegetarian ,society1 #df4 ,walford1 ,e41 #aj4 ,waller1 ,edmund1 #f4 ,wesley1 ,john1 #hc1 #aac4 ,weston1 ,edward ,payson1 #gd4 ,weston1 ,miss1 #ga4 ,whisky1 #adb4 ,whitby1 #aa4 ,willes1 ,admiral1 #ga4 ,williams1 ,dr4 ,wells1 #be4 ,williams1 ,mattieu1 #ajh4 ,williams1 ,mrs41 #ha4 ,wolseley1 ,sir ,garnet1 #fi4 ,women1 employment of1 #bc1 #bf1 #bg4 ,women1 tea injurious to1 #fa1 #aji1 #aai1 #abj1 #acb4 ,wordsworth1 #hh4 ,,brown ,,and ,,polson',s ,,corn ,,flour ,,for ,,the ,,nursery4 ,in ordinary cases the only suitable food for young infants is milk4 ,so soon1 however1 as some solid addition to the liquid food becomes desirable1 there is nothing better for the purpose than ,,brown ,,and ,,polson',s ,,corn ,,flour4 ,its principal function is to supply heat4 ,it also contributes to the formation of fat1 so essential to life at all stages1 but especially to the earlier4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,brown ,,and ,,polson',s ,,corn ,,flour ,,for ,,the ,,family ,,table4 ,in the hands of an accomplished cook there is no known limit to the variety of delicate and palatable dishes which may be produced from ,,brown ,,and ,,polson',s ,,corn ,,flour4 ,it is equally susceptible of plain and simple treatment for ordinary domestic purposes1 and one of its chief recommendations is the facility with which it may be prepared4 ,boiled with milk1 and with or without the addition of sugar and flavouring1 it may be ready for the table within fifteen minutes2 or1 poured into a mould and cooled1 it becomes in the course of an hour a ,blanc-mange1 which1 served with fresh or preserved fruit1 will be acceptable at any meal4 ,add sultanas1 raisins1 marmalade1 or jam of any kind1 and in about the same time it is made into an excellent ,baked ,pudding4 ,to which may be added3--,take care to boil with milk1 when so required1 for not less than eight minutes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,brown ,,and ,,polson',s ,,corn ,,flour ,,for ,,the ,,sick ,,room4 ,the properties of ,,brown ,,and ,,polson',s ,,corn ,,flour are identical with those of arrowroot1 and it is in every respect equal to the costliest qualities of that article4 ,the uses of arrowroot in the sick-room are not only matter of tradition1 but of every-day experience1 and there can be but few persons who are not acquainted with its uses as an important ally to medical treatment4 ,,brown ,,and ,,polson',s ,,corn ,,flour claims to serve the same purposes1 with at least equal acceptance and at considerably less cost1 and therefore offers the facility of freer use to a larger public4 ,it has received from medical and scientific authorities the highest testimonials to its purity and serviceableness2 it is largely used in ,hydropathic and other ,institutions throughout the ,kingdom1 and its export to all foreign parts has long given it a world-wide reputation4 ,,geo4 ,,lampard1 ,,of #dd1 ,,bishopsgate ,,street1 ,,and #ac1 ,,king ,,william ,,street1 ,e4,c41 ,,sends ,,free ,,by ,,post ,,samples ,,and ,,price ,,list ,,of ,,very ,,choice ,,teas ,,and ,,coffees4 ,,established #afj ,,years4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,transcriber',s ,,notes ,minor punctuation errors repaired4 ,italic text is denoted by underscores p#cg where those cannot be bad4 replaced with where those cannot be had4