Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Literary
May 27, 1789
Gazette Of The United States
New York, New York County, New York
What is this article about?
An essay critiquing the use of tea, detailing its sedative effects on nerves and muscles, promotion of thin evacuations, and diminishment of strength. It argues tea weakens bodies, introduces disorders, leads to spirituous liquors, corrupts morals, and reduces courage, contrasting its impacts in hot vs. cold climates and among Chinese and Japanese.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
ON THE USE OF TEA.
"TEA appears, from the best experiments, to produce sedative effects upon the nerves, diminishing their energy, and the tone of the muscular fibres, and inducing a considerable degree, both of sensibility and irritability, upon the whole system. It also promotes the thinner evacuations very powerfully, and diminishes the flesh and bulk of those who use it. These effects tend to impair the strength, and promote the other consequences of it upon the nervous system above described. Hence the use of Tea has been found very agreeable to the studious, especially those engaged in the composition of works of genius and imagination; and hence it is emphatically styled the poet's friend. But, on the other hand, I believe that, at least with us, it has had the effect of enfeebling and enervating the bodies of our people, and of introducing several disorders that arise from laxity and debility; and has been still of worse consequence in making way for the use of spirituous liquors, which are often taken to relieve that depression which Tea occasions.
From these effects of Tea, I cannot but think that its consequences on the whole, have been highly prejudicial. It evidently injures the health, and, by the consequences last mentioned, tends to corrupt the morals of the people; and, in my opinion, by the effect it produces upon the nerves, contributes to abate courage, vigour, and steadiness of mind; circumstances surely of themselves sufficient to discredit its use, with those who are engaged in any situation of life that requires exertion and resolution. Perhaps, however, in the hot climates of China and India, the use of this liquor may not be so prejudicial as in the colder ones: It may there tend to abate the weariness occasioned by heat, and, as a grateful diluent, promote the thinner evacuations; which possibly may, by causing it to pass off quickly, counteract, in some measure, its bad effects. But the noxious qualities of this plant are not unknown even in its native countries. The Japanese are subject to the diabetes, and to consumptive disorders, resembling the atrophy, from its use; and the Chinese, it is said, are so sensible of these consequences, that they rarely drink green tea at all, which is the most remarkable for these effects. Perhaps the diminutive stature, and cowardly, and at the same time acute and tricking disposition of the Chinese, may be owing, in no small degree, to the use of this vegetable."
"TEA appears, from the best experiments, to produce sedative effects upon the nerves, diminishing their energy, and the tone of the muscular fibres, and inducing a considerable degree, both of sensibility and irritability, upon the whole system. It also promotes the thinner evacuations very powerfully, and diminishes the flesh and bulk of those who use it. These effects tend to impair the strength, and promote the other consequences of it upon the nervous system above described. Hence the use of Tea has been found very agreeable to the studious, especially those engaged in the composition of works of genius and imagination; and hence it is emphatically styled the poet's friend. But, on the other hand, I believe that, at least with us, it has had the effect of enfeebling and enervating the bodies of our people, and of introducing several disorders that arise from laxity and debility; and has been still of worse consequence in making way for the use of spirituous liquors, which are often taken to relieve that depression which Tea occasions.
From these effects of Tea, I cannot but think that its consequences on the whole, have been highly prejudicial. It evidently injures the health, and, by the consequences last mentioned, tends to corrupt the morals of the people; and, in my opinion, by the effect it produces upon the nerves, contributes to abate courage, vigour, and steadiness of mind; circumstances surely of themselves sufficient to discredit its use, with those who are engaged in any situation of life that requires exertion and resolution. Perhaps, however, in the hot climates of China and India, the use of this liquor may not be so prejudicial as in the colder ones: It may there tend to abate the weariness occasioned by heat, and, as a grateful diluent, promote the thinner evacuations; which possibly may, by causing it to pass off quickly, counteract, in some measure, its bad effects. But the noxious qualities of this plant are not unknown even in its native countries. The Japanese are subject to the diabetes, and to consumptive disorders, resembling the atrophy, from its use; and the Chinese, it is said, are so sensible of these consequences, that they rarely drink green tea at all, which is the most remarkable for these effects. Perhaps the diminutive stature, and cowardly, and at the same time acute and tricking disposition of the Chinese, may be owing, in no small degree, to the use of this vegetable."
What sub-type of article is it?
Essay
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Temperance
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Tea Effects
Nervous System
Health Impacts
Moral Corruption
Chinese Disposition
Spirituous Liquors
Sedative Properties
Literary Details
Title
On The Use Of Tea.
Key Lines
Tea Appears, From The Best Experiments, To Produce Sedative Effects Upon The Nerves, Diminishing Their Energy, And The Tone Of The Muscular Fibres, And Inducing A Considerable Degree, Both Of Sensibility And Irritability, Upon The Whole System.
Hence The Use Of Tea Has Been Found Very Agreeable To The Studious, Especially Those Engaged In The Composition Of Works Of Genius And Imagination; And Hence It Is Emphatically Styled The Poet's Friend.
It Evidently Injures The Health, And, By The Consequences Last Mentioned, Tends To Corrupt The Morals Of The People;
By The Effect It Produces Upon The Nerves, Contributes To Abate Courage, Vigour, And Steadiness Of Mind;
Perhaps The Diminutive Stature, And Cowardly, And At The Same Time Acute And Tricking Disposition Of The Chinese, May Be Owing, In No Small Degree, To The Use Of This Vegetable.