The influence of wholesome drink : no. 4 of deposits in the Savings' Bank of Wisdom, made in behalf of working men and women.

Date:
[between 1850 and 1859?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The influence of wholesome drink : no. 4 of deposits in the Savings' Bank of Wisdom, made in behalf of working men and women. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    tea in this way, tlie plan was not altogether absurd as it seems. Tea leaves, well cooked, and eaten after this fashion, would prove quite as whole* some and nutritious as beans and peas, the excess of the more active ingredients being removed by the boiling water, and the nourishing meal being prin- cipally left behind. ]Not more than a fourth part of this valuable production, tea, is really unnourishing wood and ash. When a beverage is prepared from tea, if it be ther object to get their finest qualities from the leaves^ without regard to expense, the best method of pro- ceeding is to use a large proportion of tea, pouring on as much boiling water at once as will make up the quantity required, and taking it off again after the tea has been standing about ten minutes. The water then dissolves principally the nerve-food ingre- dient and fragrant flavours, and leaves behind the coarser meal and astringent parts. When, on the other hand, the object is to get all the nourishment out of the tea which it can be made to yield, about a quarter of a small teaspoonful of carbonate of soda should be put into the water with the leaves, and the whole should be allowed to stand, covered up closely in a warm place, for a longer time. By this management, the nutritious meal and other coarser ingredients are partially dissolved into the water, as well as the finer parts. The addition of sugar and milk to the beverage of course increases its directly nourishing powers. Half an ounce of good tea contains about three grains of the active nerve-food ingredient. This there- fore is quite as much as any individual should use for the preparation of beverage for a single day. It is also- somewhat important how even this moderate quantity is employed. Much of the bad effect which has been