The natural history of the tea-tree, with observations on the medical qualities of tea, and effects of tea-drinking / By John Coakley Lettsom.
- John Coakley Lettsom
- Date:
- 1772
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The natural history of the tea-tree, with observations on the medical qualities of tea, and effects of tea-drinking / By John Coakley Lettsom. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![[ 5° ] The effect of drinking large quantities of any warm aqueous liquor, according to all the experiments we are acquainted with, would be, to enter fpeedily into the courfe of circula- % tion, and pafs off as fpeedily by urine or perfpiration, or the encreafe of fome of the fecretions. Its effedts on the folid parts of the conftitution would be relaxing, and thereby en¬ feebling. If this warm aqueous fluid were taken in conflder- able quantities, its effedts would be proportionable, and flill greater, if it were fubftituted inftead of nutriment. That all infufions of herbs, may be confidered in this light, feems not unreafonable. The infufion of Tea, neverthelefs, has thefe two particularities. It is not only poffeffed of a fedative quality (Sect. III. Exp. III. IV.), but alfo of a confl- derable aftringency (Sect. II. Exp. II.); by which the relax¬ ing power afcribed to a mere aqueous fluid, is in fome mea- fure corredted. It is on account of the latter, perhaps lefs injurious than many other infuflons of herbs, which, befldes a very flight aromatic flavor, have very little if any ftypticity, to prevent their relaxing debilitating effedts. So far therefore Tea, if not too fine, if not drank too hot, nor in too great quantities, is perhaps preferable to any other vegetable infufion we know. And if wTe take into conflder- ation likewife, its known enlivening energy, it will appear that our attachment to Tea, is not merely from its being coftly or fafhionable, but from its fuperiority in tafte and. effedts to moft other vegetables*](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b3041104x_0068.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
