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http://www.archive.org/details/treatiseontobaccOOpaul

TREATISE

O N

Tohaccoy Tea, Coffee, and
Chocolate.

'0> ,

t4 m

TREATr^t

T O B A C C O5
T E A,

Coffee^ and
Chocolate.

IN WHICH

I. The Advantages and Difadvantages at-
tending the Ufe of thefe Commodities, are not
only impartially confidered, upon the Princi-
ciples of Medicine and Chymiftry^ but alfo af-
certained by Obfervation and Experience.

II. Full and diftind Diredlions laid down for
knowing in what Cafes, and for what particu-
lar Conftitucions, thefe Subftances are either
beneficial, or hurtful.

III. The Chinefe or Afiatic Tea^ Ihcwn to be the
fame with the Europan ChameUagnus^ or
Myrtus Brahantica.

The Whole Illuftrated with Copp E R Pl A T ES^ exhibiting
the Tea tltenftls of the Chinefe and Perlians.,.

Written originally by SIMON PAULIj .

AND

Now^Tranflated hy T>x, J A M E S.

Ante omnia fi ire coti'venit Naturam Corporis ; quia alii graciles ^
alii obeji funt, alii calidi, alii frigidiores, alii humidi^
alii ficciores, alios adjiri&a, alios refoluta^ al'vus exer.
cet. Celfus, Lib. 1. Caf. 3^^

LONDON:

Printed for T. Osborn e, in Grafs Inn.,
J HiLDYABD, at York\ M. Bryson, at A^#a>-
cajlle\ and J. Leake, at B^/^,

TREATISE

O N

T 0 B A C CO, Sec.

IS Nicolaus Monardus, in SimpL
Med. tlijlor, has given fo full and
accurate an Hiftory and Defcrip-

tion of tobacco, that others have

only borrowed their Accounts of it from his
Works, we fliall, in the Words of that Au-
thor, in Cap, 14, inform the Reader what
Tobacco is, where it is produced, and to what
Ufes it is applied.

" The Plant Tobacco^ fays he, was for-
merly ufed by the Indians^ and efpecially
by the Inhabitants of New Spairiy for the
*^ Cure of Wounds, A few Years ago it
*^ was imported into Spain^ rather for the
" Decoration of Gardens, than on Account
** of its medicinal Virtues : But it is now

«c

B

C(

more

2 J TREATISE (V2

" more celebrated for the latter, than ufed
" for the former.

' " This Plant is' among the /;2^/^;z^ called

" Pi eel f ; for the Spaniards firft called it

*' Tobacco from a certain Ifland of that Name,

" where great Quantities of it were pro-

" diiced,

" It rifes to a great Height, and is fome-
*^ times as tall a§ the Lemoji-Tree, Its Trunk
" is ftrait, and fends out many largeBranches,
" which bear Leaves almoft refembling
" thofe of the Lemon-Tree^ but larger, like
*' thofe of the Burdock^ of a faint green Co-
^^ lour, and a little rough and fhaggy, as the
" Whole of the Plant is. The Tops of the
** Branches bear Flowers of the Shape of a
'' fmall Bell, which are white at the Extre^
■" mities, but of a purple Colour in the Mid-
^' die ; and when thefe Flowers fall off, they
^ * are fucceeded by fmall Heads, which re-
* femble thofe of the Black Poppy\ and con-
" tain a very fmall cineritious blackifh Seed,
*^ The Root is thick, divided into many
" Parts, internally of a ligneous or woody
" Nature, Saffron-coloured, bitter, and eafi-
" ly deprived of its Bark : But i am ac-
" quainted with no medicinal or other Qua-
" lity of which it is poffeffed.

<t,

«

rOBAC CO. 3

^^ The Plant grows in moft Places of the
IndieSy and efpecially thofe of a moift and
{hady Nature^ and in light well cultivated
Soils : It may be fown at all Seafons ; but
when it appears above Ground it is to be
preferved from the Cold, and may be
tfanfplanted for the Decoration of Garden-
Walls ; for, like the Citron^Tree, it conti«
nues green through the whole Year.

" The Leaves are only ufed ; though when
thefe cannot be had, fome ufe the Seeds in
their Stead. The Leaves are preferved by
pafling a Thread through them, fufpend-
ing them in a fhady Place, and thus dry-
ing them, after which they are ufed either
whole or reduced to Powder.

^^ Tobacco is hot and dry, and confe-
quently heats, refolves, cleanfes, and is a
little aftringent, as will appear from thefe
following Virtues, of which it is pof-
feffed.

" The Leaves of Tobacco heated and ap-
plied, prove an excellent Remedy for a
Cephalaa^ and fi<?/^;?Vr^;//^, provided thefe
• Diforders arife from a cold Caufe, or Fla-
■ tulences, but the Ufe of them is to be often
' repeated, till the Difeafe is removed. Some,
' before the Application of them, anoint the
B 2 " Head

4 A TREATISE 072

" Head with the Oil obtained from the

" Flowers of the Orange-Tree, The fame

" Remedy is beneficial for a Rigidity of the

** Neck or Tetanus^ and for Pains of the

" whole Body, arifing from the fame Caufe,

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" When a Tooth-ach proceeds from a
cold Caufe, the wiping the affefted Tooth
with a Linen-Cloth, foaked in the Juice
of TobaccOy and then putting a Piece of
the Leaf, made up in Form of a Pill,
into the Hollow, not only removes the
Pain, but alfo prevents the fpreading of the
Corruption.

" A Decofliion of Tobacco-Leaves with
Water, and a LinBus prepared of the fame
" Decodtion, are beneficial in Diforders of
*' the Breaft, inveterate Coughs, Afthma's,
" and other fimilar Diforders proceeding
*' from cold Humours. A fmall Quantity
*^ of a Syrup prepared of Sugar, and a De-
" co(5tion of the Leaves eliminates any pu-
*' trid Humours lodged in the Breaft. The
" Smoak of Tobacco-Leaves received into
" the Mouth, fometimes aifords Relief to
" afthmatic Patients ; but proper Evacuations
" ought previoufly to be made, if the Pa-
" tient^s Condition can poffibly admit of it.

^* Tobacco-Leaves heated under the Afhes

" and

"TOBACCO. 5

" and applied to the Pit of the Stomach,
" without fhaking the Aflies off, afford Re-
" Hef to Perfons afflidled with a Rumbling
" of the Inteftines, and Flatulencies. For
" the fame Purpofes others bruife the Leaves
** with their Hand, anointed with Oil, and
^' apply them to the Region of the Stomach.
" The Leaves triturated in a little Vinegar,
**» long ufed by way of Ointment, and bound
" upon the Parts aifedled, are beneficial in
" Obftrudtions, or fchirrous Tumours of the
" Stomach and Spleen ; but over this Pre-
" paration warm Leaves, or a Cloth foaked
" in the warm Juice of the Leaves, are to
" be applied frequently every Day. When
" the Leaves cannot be had, SnufF may be
*^ mixed with any deobftruent Ointment,
" arid the obftrudted or tumid Part Igng
" anointed with it.

" The Indian Women greatly extol the
" \]{QoiTobaccOj not only for Children, but
" alfo for adult Perfons who are affli<fted

with Crudities of the Stomach ; for after

anointing the Abdomen with Lamp-Oil,
" the Leaves heated under the Afhes, and
" applied oppofite to the Stomach, on the
" Breaft and Back, concodl the Crudities,
*' and rendpr the Body foluble, provided the
" Application is repeated fufficiently often.

A finall Quantity of the Juice of Tobacco
B 3 Leaves^

(C

((

6 A TREATISE on

" Leaves, concofted and depurated with
^^ Sugar, expels both flat and round Worms
" from the Inteftincs ; but for anfwering
" this End more effeftually, the triturated
" Leaves ought to be laid upon the Navel;
and a proper Clyfter injefted.

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<«

" The Leaves heated under the A flies, and
applied as hot as the Patient can bear, af-=
ford great Relief in nephritic and flatu«
lent Pains, provided the Remedy be fuf-
ficiently often repeated. Tobacco is alfo
in many Cafes an ufeful Ingredient in
Clyfters, Fomentations, ahd Plaifters. ^

" In SuflTocations of the litems, the
Leaves rendered fufficiently hot, and ap-
plied to the Navel, and Region of the.
Uterus^ afford prefent Relief; and' if d
DeUqidum fhould fucceed, which' it fre»
quently does, the Patiefit will be forthwith
roufed from it by blowing the Smoak bf
Tobacco up her Noftrils. This Pradlice is
fo« coitimon among the Indian Women,
that for this very Reafon they carefully
preferve and greatly efteem Tobacco Leavesl
Some for uterine Diforders previoufly ap-
ply odorous Subftances to the Navel, and
then lay T^/5^?^ro Leaves over them : But
the moft proper Subftances for this Pur-
pofe, are Tackamahachy Oil of liquid Am^

TOBACCO. 7

^^ ber^ Peruvian Balfams, Caranna^ or a

*' Plaifter of all thefe together worn daily
^^' oil the Navel.

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Hi

Arthritic Pains, provided the Humours
" are cold, or at leaft are not too hot,
^^ are greatly relieved by the Application of
^' the warni Leaves, or of a Linen-Cloth
^^ foaked in the waroi Juice of the Leaves ;
'' for thefe refolve and digeft the Humours;
" for which Reafon they are advantageoufly
" laid upon cedematous Tumours, pre vioufly
" walhed with the warin Juice of the
-" Leaves,

^' It is certain from Experience, that ChiU
^^ blanes are cured by rubbing them three
" or four Times with Tobacco Leaves, and

then wafhing the Hands and Feet in

^^ warm Water and Salt.

" A few Years ago T!?^^rc^ has been found
" to j;efift Poifon, even that of the moft
^' virulent Kind, with which the Cannibah
" taint their Arrows. It was formerly cuf-
*' tomary to fprinkle Sublimate into the
" Wounds thus inflid:ed ; hut the Spaniards
found a Method of fubduing the Force
of the Poifon by Means of Tobacco,

" A Company of Cannibals made an At-

B4 . :v^

(C

it

8 J TREATISE on

*^ tack upon a Body of Indians and Spa^
^^ niardsy fome of whom were killed and
*' others wounded with their poifoned Darts.
^' But as thofe who furvived had no Sub-
^^ limatey they were advifed by a certain
* ■ Indian to pour the expreffed Juice of To*
^' bacco into their Wounds, and then apply
^^ the triturated Leaves of the fame Plant
^* to them, by which Means their Pains
were forthwith alleviated, the Symptoms
checked, the Force of the Poifon fubdu-
ed, and the Wounds cured. This Ac-
cident laid a Foundation for the fubfequent
Ufe of Tobacco againft Poifons j and the
" King of Spain^ in order to be convinced
*' of its Efficacy, ordered a Wound %o be
•' made in the Throat of a Dog, and to be
■* anointed with the Poifon ufed by Hun-
*' ters 5 foon after which a large Quantity
■' of the Juice of Tobacco was poured into
^^ the Wound, and the triturated Leaves of
^' the Plant applied to it, by which Means
^' the Dog was effeftually fecured againft
" the Syniptoms ufually produced by Poi-
l^ fons,

■* Tobacco Leaves laid upon peftilential
"^ and malignant Carbuncles induce an Ef-
*^ char^ and induce a Cure; nor are they
^' a lefs prefent efficacious Remedy againft
- ^ the Bites of poifonous Animals.

'' The

Tobacco. ^

" The Leaves, when laid upon recent
«* Wounds, immediately flop the Hcemor-
*^ rhagCy and produce a Conglutination ; but
" if they are large, they ought to be pre-
" vioufiy wafhed with Wine, their Lips
" brought into Contaft, and fprinkled with
" the Juice of the Leaves, after ^^hich the
" triturated Leaves are to be fecured upon
" the Wound : The fame Meafures are to'
" be taken the next and fubfequent Days,

and a proper Regimen obferved.

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An Inftillation of the Juice, and an Ap-
plication of the triturated Leaves deterge,
" cure, and cicatrife old Ulcers and Gan-
** grenesj provided dueEvacuations are made,
" a fufficient Quantity of Blood, if necef-
*' fary, is taken away, and a proper Regimen
^^ obferved.

*^ By this Means Ulcers are not only
" cured in Men, but alfo in Animals. For
through all the Indies^ Cows, Sheep, and
other Animals, are much fubjedt to Ul-
cers, which, on Account of the exceffivc
" Humidity of the Climate, eafily become
" putrid, and full of Worms. In thefe
** Ulcers it was fometimes cuftomary to
*' fprinkle Sublimate^ the Inhabitants being
" deftitute of better Remedies. But as this
*' Medicine is dear in that Part of the World,

" what

io A TREATISE on

*' what was ufed for the Cure of thcfe
" Ulcers generally coft more than the Ani-
** n>al was worth. For this Reafon the
" Inhabitants, fonfcious of the Efficacy of
*' ^obaocQ on Mankind, transferred its Ufe
** to the putrid, fetid, and wormy Ulcers
" of Animals 5 and accordingly . found that
^^ its Juice inftilled into them, not only
^"^ killed the Worms, but alio cleanfed the
" Ulcers, and induced a Gicatra:>^, tobacco,
" is alfo good againft the Gallings of Cattle,
*^ for which Reafon the Indians always carry
f ' the Powder of it about with them.

ec

I knew a certain Perfon Afflicted witf^
*^ Ulcers of the Noftrils, which difcharged
" a feerningly contagious Sanies, By my
^- Advice he dropped the Juice of Tobacco
" into them -, after the fecond Inftillation
*' a large Nurnber of Worms fell away ;
" then a fmaller Quantity ; and after a few
*' Days the Ulcers were cured, though the
♦' Parts eroded were not reftored. The rub-
*' bing Ring- worms and ScalPd Heads with
'' Tobacco Leaves is alfo a beneficial Practice.

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Tobacco is the celebrated Plan^ ufed by
*^ the Indian Pniefts before they give their
" Refponfes ; for it is cuftomary among the
" Indians toconfult the Priefts with refpeft
'' to tlie Event of Wars, and other Affairs

" of

fOBACCO. II

'* of Importance. Upon fuch Occafions, the
** Prieft confulted, burnt dry Tb^^ao Leaves,
** received the Smoak of them into his
" Mouth through a fmallTube contrived for
*^ that Purpofe, then dropt down as it were
^* inan Extafy, lay totally defiitute of Mo-
'' tion, and remained in that Condition for
" fome Time. When the Fumes of the
tobacco were difcufled, he returned to
himfetf, told that he had communicated
the Affair to his Demon, and gave fuch
ambiguous Refponfes, that, whatever the
Event fhould be, the fuperftitious Crowd
might be eafily perfwaded, that he had
prophefied rightly. Thus the credulou^
Barbarians are miferably hood-wink'cl
by the impious and fraudulent Stratagems
" of their Priefts.

" The common People among the In^
■* dians SiKo receive the Smoak of Tobacco
f into their Mouths and Noftrils, when they
^' want either to be tranfported with plea-
*^ fant Dreams, or to prcdicfl the Events of
" their AjfFairs from the Occurrences which
happen to them during Sleep j for as the
grand Impoftor, the Devil, knows the
Virtues of Herbs, he has taught them the
Qoalities of Tobacco^ in order to deceive
them by means of thefe Dreams.

(C

i<

" Various

12 A TREATISE on

" Various Plants, when chewed, or taken
" internally, are obferved to excite falfe and
" delufory Reprefentations and Ideas of Ob-
*' jefts. Thus DiofcorideSy in Cap. de Sola-
" no Maniaco^ feu Furiofo^ tells us, that a
*' Dram of the Root of this Plant, drank in
*^ Wine, produces falfe, tho' not unplea-
'* fant Reprefentations; that double the
*^ Quantity produces an Alienation of
" Mind, which lafts for three Days ; and
*' that four Times the Quantity proves
*^ mortal. It is alfo reported, that if a Per-
" fon, when he is going to fleep, eats Ani^
" feeds, they excite pleafant and agreeable
*^ Dreams ; whereas, the eating of Horfe^
*^ Raddifh procures thofe of a turbulent and
*^ ungrateful Kind.

'^ Garcias ab Orta informs us, that the
*' Juice of a certain Plant called Bangue^
*^ mixed with fome other Juices, produces
*^ Alienation of Mind, excites Dreams, and
" frees the Mind from all Anxiety and Un-
eafmefs : The like Effefts are brought
about by Opiumy v/hich is much ufed by
^^ the Ea/i-Indians, and concerning which
" Garcias has treated very largely.

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" The Indians alfo, when fatigued by
carrying Burdens, or by any other violent
Exercife, fmoak Tobacco, by which Means

" they

TOBACCO. 13

'^ they become as It were ftupid, and fall
*^ afleep 5 but when they awake, they find
^* themfelves refreflied, and their Strength
*' repaired. The Ethiopians brought thither
'^ as Slaves, following the Example of the
*' Natives, fmoak Tobacco too frequently, for
*^ which their Mafters chaftife them fevere-
** ly, and burn their Tobacco, in order to de-
** prive them of an Opportunity of ufing it,
*^ which, however, they continue to do fe-
*^ cretly and in private.

€C

€C
€C

€€

** Tobacco is alfo ufed by the Indians m
order to allay Hunger and Thirft ; for
they calcine fome Shells of River-Snails,
and by Trituration reduce them to a fine
Powder, of which, and Tobacco Leaves,
they take equal Parts, and chew them
together till they are reduced to a Kind of
of Mafs, which they form into Pills, lar-
ger than a Pea: Thefe they dry in a
Shade, and preferve for Ufe. When they
intend to travel through Defarts, where
they expedl neither Meat nor Drink, they
take a fufficient Quantity of thefe Pills
along with them, put one between their
Under-Lip and Teeth, and conftantly
fuck the Liquor from it ; fo that when
one is confumed, they fupply its Place
with another, and thus they perform a
three, and fometimes a four Days Jour-

1 ney ^

J4 4 TREATISE on

•* ney ; during which Time, they fay, they
*^ neither feel the EfFeds of Hunger nor
•* Thirft : The Reafon of this probably is,
*^ that as they continually fuck thefe Pills,
** they draw the pituitous Humours from
** the Brain, which being fwallowed, moi-
" ften the Stomach, and allay its natural
*' Heat, but are at laft confumed by it for
** Want of other AHments. Inftances of a
^' fimilar Nature may be obferved in many
" Animals, which, during the whole Winter^
*^ confine themfelves to their Holes without
*• any Food ; becaufe the natural Heat of
'^ the Stomach is employed in digefting and
*^ confuming the Fat which they had ga-
" thered in the Winter y

Thefe are all the Virtues and Qualities
of Tobacco known to Monardus : But, be-
fides this, Zacufus, in Obfervat, Lib, i. de
Medic, Princip, Hijior, informs Uj^, that hb
had often found the Juice of Tobacco effec-
tual for the Cure of 2in Alopecia or Falling off
of the Hairs : Nor is this to be wondered at,
iince, as the Medicine indicated ought to bear
an Analogy to theandicating Symptoms, as
Tobacco is hot and dry, refolvent, cleanfing,
' and fomewhat aftringent 5 and as all thefe
Qualities are, according to Galen ^ indicated
in an Alopecia^ Zacutus might fucceed in
the Cure of it by means of Tobacco. I re-
member

member two Girls, who being indiipofec^
had a Lixivium^ m which dry Tobacco
Leaves were macerated, prefcribed for taking
the Scales off their Heads ; but the one was
feized with a gentle Vertigo, and the other
thought fhe perceived herfelf, as it were,
drunk. But I mention thefe Accidents for
the Sake of young Praftitioners, without any
Delign to difcourage them from applying
Tobucco and its Preparations to other Parts
t)f the Body ; for the celebrated jHi?r//7?^;z^
feems to have thought the Effence of the
gieen Leaves of Tobacco, obtained by Infij-
•fion in Malmfey Wine, a Specific for the Cure
of the Palfey -, and after a Sweat has been
procured, orders the paralytic Limbs to be
long rubbed with it ^ by which Means, he
fays, he has often feen them happily re-
ftored.

Though Tobacco is a valuable Herb, yet
•the Abufe of it, which we fliall afterwards
confider, is intolerable, and highly noxious,
Befides, Monardus, JEgidius Ever^rtuSy m
1587, tt Antwerp, publifhed a beautiful
Commentary upon the Virtues and Ufes of
Tobacco : And when the fame Work was re-
printed at Utrecht in 1644, various Treatifes
concerning Tobacco were added to it ; fuch
■ as the Mtfocapms, or a Treatife on theAbufe
't)f Tobacco, taken- from the Works of King

, James

,6 ./^TREATISE on

James the Sixth of England -^ Tobacologia
Johannis Neandri, Epijlola ac Judicia da--
rijfimorum aliquot Medicorum -, and the Hym-*
nus Tabaci Raphaelis Ihorii. After thefe
Authors appeared Chryfoftomus Magnenus,
Profeffor of Medicine in theUniverfity of P^-
dua, who in 1648, publifhed very learned Ex-
ercitations concerning Ti^^^r^?. Not only from
the Authors already mentioned, but alfo from
Andreas Cafalpinus-y Dalechampius*s Hijlo^
via generalis Plantarum j Lobelii Adverfa-^
riay Clu/ius in his Notce ad Monardum-y
Dodonceus 5 ^abernamontanus ; Nardi An-
tonii Recchi Res Medicce Novce Hifpania^.
cum Terentii Lyncei Notisy we learn what is
the native Soil of Tobacco^ and how the
knowledge of it was introduced into Europe
after the Difcovery oi America by Chrijiopher
Columbus and Americus Vefputius, Some
of thefe Authors have alfo defcribed its
Virtues and Ufe, whilft others of them have
treated very fully concerning the Abufe of it.
Following the Example of thefe great Men,
I fhall proceed, without any Partiality, and
with that Freedom which is always peculiar
to Truth. This is certainly a difficult At-
tempt, confidering the Oppofition and Pre-
judice with which I have to grapple. But
before I proceed, I fhall take Notice of the
Error of Libavius, who, according to Mag^
nenus in Bxer citato i. Par. i. alferts, that

iobacca

"T O B A C C O. tf

Tobacco was a Native of Europe^ fince it was
found in the almoft inacceffible Places of
the Hercynian Foreft : But adds this Au-
thor, Who denies that Seeds are difperfed^ and
carried every where by the Winds ? But it is
by no means probable, that the Seeds of
Tobacco^ which, comparatively fpeaking, are
as fmall as the Atoms of Democritus^ could,
by a Whirlwind, be conveyed to the Her»
cynian Foreft in Germany^ from France^ Ita--
ly, or Spain, much lefs from America. This
is a Plant of a particular fpecific Kind, $nd
the Native of America : Neither does any
Hiftorian mention fuch a Whirlwind for the
Difperfion of its Seeds. It is true, Mount
Mtna in Sicily, and Mount Hecla in Iceland,
by their fulphureous Eruptions^ throw the
Afhes to a vaft Diftance : But it does not
to me feem probable, that the Air fhould
ever be in fuch a gyratory Motion, as to con-
vey Seeds from one Quarter of the World
to another, or from one Country to another^
though it is not to be denied but they may
be carried from a Plain to a rifing Ground,
or from one Garden to another adjacent to it^

Thofe Authors, who have called Tobacco
Herba rii^aofa^ the Strife-producing Herb, and
Herba infana^ the Plant which excites Mad-
0efs, feem not to have been very much in
the wrong 5 for what is more frequent than

C for

i8 A TREATISE (?;?

for People of all Denominations to fpendf
the whole of the Day fmoaking Tobacco in
Ale-Houfes and Taverns? Nay, fo fond
are young and old Men oi Tobacco yt\\2X the
Father forgets the Interefts of the Son, and
the Son thofe of the Father for its Sake.
Thus fome Men ufe large Quantities of
Tobacco^ whilft, perhaps, their Families are
ftarving at Home : Whereas fome Children
fpend upon Tobacco what their induftrious
Parents had, with Toil and Care, amaffed for
their Ufe. Nay, fuch is the Madnefs of
fome Europea?2S, that they will, for a Trifle,
difpofe of their Goods, in order to gratify
themfelves with Tobacco.

King yames the Sixth of England tells us,
^* that, among the Americans^ a Servant ad-'
' - didted to the Smoaking of Tobacco^ can
^ hardly find a Purchafer ; fo odious is that
" Cuftom to the Authors of it themfelves."
We Europeans^ however, are fo infatuated
and hood-winked, as yearly to fail to Ame^
rica^ fpare no Expences, and expofe ourfelves
not only to Storms and Teriipefts, but alfo to
Sicknefs and Death, for the Sake oiTobacco ;.
and it is eertain,^ that our Men, on their Re-
turn from Afnerica, fpread through all Eu-
rope th^ Neapolitan Difeafe, which, as ive?-
rovanta thinks, was endemial to the Ameri-
cans^ on Account of their eating human

Flefli.

TO BACC O] t^

tiefli. This, to ufe the Phrafe of Agripfa^
de VanitaL Scientiarum^ Cap. 84. is to pur^
chafe D^eath dt a great Pyiee. The Indians
and BarbariaHs have fuch an Averfion to the
Abufe of tobacco, that they feverely chaftife
the Ethiopians and Slaves for it, and burn
their Tobacco 5 probably, beeaufe they fufpeft
that it renders them valetudinary j and difa«
bles them to work 5 in which Situation they
are a Burthea upon their Mafters. Accord-
nig to Viganeniis^ in hib, de Ritibus Mori^
bufqy Turcarii?n', ?ir\d Johdnnes Chryfoftomus
Magrimus^ in E^xercitat. de Tahac, Exercif.
6. §. 10. Amureth^ th^ 4th Emperor of the
Turks ^ - by an Edid:, prohibited the Ufe of
Tobacco y under Pain of Death, left, by the
Abu^e'^f it, his Subjecfis fhould become ef-
ferttiEiatej Yeeble, and barren. According to
jAdafnusOleanius^ in luib, 3. Cap,b, the Em-
peror of -M^rf^-uy, in i6'34, by an Edidt pro-
hibited! the Importetion of Tobacco and Snuff"
intb ; Ms'TerritoFieS', under the Penalty of
being beat Vi^ith Rods, and having the No-
ftriis.flit in Cafe of Difobedience : And the
fanie Author fays, he fiv/ fome who had
tliefe IVfark^ of Infamy infiided upon them.
InLib, 5. Cap, 3 1. he alfo tells us, that Schach
JBbas\^tht Perjian Monarch, prohibited all
Ufe Off %^/^^c(? in that Army, which he rait-
ed againft Tamer an Chan under the Penalty
©f the Offender's having his Nofe and Lips
C 2 '' cut

^o A TREATISE on

cut off; nay, he was fo rigid, or rather Gruel
in his Difcipline, that when a certain Perjian^
ignorant of the Edidl, came into his Camp
with fome Tobacco to fell, he ordered both
him and his Commodities to be thrown in-
to one Funeral Pile and burnt.

Thefe, and other fimilar Examples, might
perhaps have a lucky Influence on fomie Eu^
ropeans^ unlefs the Cuftom of ufing Tobacco
had become fo prevalent and univerlal, that
Jame^ the Sixth faid he believed " that a
" whole Wood in England would hardly af-
" ford Trees enough for hanging the Deal-
" ers in Tobacco,'' Hoffman^ in Lib. 2. de
Medicam Officinal Cap, 3. informs us, " that
*' this Prince, in the Univerfity of Oxford^
*' difputed publickly againfl: the Ufe of 9fl-
'* baccOy giving Inftances of Perfons who
*V ufed it, who were afBifted with incura*^
*' ble Diforders of the Breaft,. Deliriums,
** Watchings, and Convulfions -y and after
*' whofe Death, the Lungs were found
** black and parched, juft as if they had been
" indurated in Smoak." The fame Hoff-^
man informs us, that he was told by fomc
Soldiers who had refided in Holland^ " that
" upon diffedting the Heads of fome Snuff-
" takers, who had been executed, they ob*
" ferved, that the whole internal Part of
^' what Anatomifts call the 'Patera of the

" Brain;,

"TOBACCO. 21

** Brain, was black with SnufF." He was
alfo told by Patricias Nor ecus ^ '^ that in
^^ the laft Bohemian War, he faw ail the
" Heads of the Englijh Soldiers, who were
*' killed, in the fame Condition/' Nardus
Antonius Recchus^ in Lib, j. Rer, Medicar,
Nov. Hijp. obferves, *^ that thofe who ufe
"Tobacco too frequently, become ill co-
" loured, have a fqualid, fordid Tongue, a
*^ Palpitation of the Throat, and a preter-
** natural Heat of the Liver, and fall into
** Cachexies and Dropfies, by which they
** are at laft cut off/* Thus they fuffer for
their Folly in gratifying themfelves in fo pre-
pofterous a Manner •

But without expatiating farther upoi|
Things fo obvious, let it fuffice to have
warned the Reader of his Danger, by the
foregoing Obfervations. That Smoaking is
more prejudicial and injurious than Snuffing,
I think may be juftly afferted, if we confider
the Inftances which Anatomifts give us of
the Effedls produced by each, which we
fhall hereafter do : I muft, however, here
obferve, that we cannot enough admire the
Zeal of James the Sixth of England, for the
Good of his Subjefts ; fince, in the laft Words
of his Mifocapnus, he expoftulates with them
in the following pathetic and affeftionate
Manner ; *^ At laft, therefore, O Citizens, if
C 3 ^' you

^2 A TREATISE C7i'

■' you have any Senfe of Shame, or Dread of
J, Infamy, left in your Bofoms, lay afide the
n Ufe of TobaccOy a Cuftom attended with
«c Ignominy, received through Error, and
" eftablifhed by Stupidity. By its Means
«* the Wrath of Heaven is excited againft us,
^' the Health of our Bodies impaired, our
*^ Subftance wafted, and the Dignity of our
Nation not only diminiflied at Home^
\^ but alfo defpifed Abroad J for T'obacco is
„ a Subftance loathfome to the Sight, difa-
«c greeable to the Smelly noxious to the Brain,
« injurious to the Lungs, and, by its, Clouds
«' of black Smoak, nearly refemblirig' th^
^« horrid Steams of Hell/'

If any Champion for the Interefts of 7^-
^^ct^, deaf to my falutary Inftruftions, ftiould
ask me whether I v/ould have the Pope, tlie
Emperor, and all the Kings, Eleftors, Prin-
ces, and Dukes in Europe^ prohibit and dif-
charge the Ufe of Tobacco ? I anfwer, that
fuqh a Revolution is really to be wiflied
for, on Account of the Abufes of Tobacco
before enumerated. But, before I proceed
to give a fuller Anfwer, I would have the
Perfon who asks this Queftion, attentively
liften to the following fublime and truly
noble Sentiments of Seneca, in Lib, de Vita
Beata, Cap. i. " Nothing, y^5 he, is more
^* worthy in itfelF, nor more becoming the

'' Dignity

TOBACCO. 23

" Dignity of a free-born Soul, than not, like
[^ the Cattle, implicitly to follow the Van of
<c the Flock, going, not whither we ought
fic to go, but whither tliey go before us.
«c But nothing involves us in more terrible
" Misfortunes, than our judging of Things
*' by Fame and Report, efteeming thofe
** Things beft, which are moft univerfally
affented to, and approved, as we find in
^j numberlefs Inftances. We neither live
<:c agreeably to the Didtates of Reafon, nor
«c in a Manner that is uniform and con-
ce fiftent with itfelf : Hence it is, that fuch
« Numbers of Individuals fall, as it were,
^^ Upon others. In a large and crowded
" Army, none falls without drawing another
*' along with him, and the foremoft prove
^^ fatal to thofe who fucceed them. The
^^ like happens in every Part and Circum-
tc fiance of human Life ; for it is the uni-
4C verfal Praftice to impofe upon our own
« Reafons, and, by that Means prove the
« Caufe of Errors to others.'' It is there-
fore to be lamented, that we Europeans
fhould thus brutally follow the Cuftom of
the Barbarians, without liftening to Reafon^
in which we fo far excel them, fince, to
ufe. the Expreffions of Sahiji, '^ They are
^* addidled'to Intemperance and Sleep, fo
^* mde and uncultivated, . that they feem to
^^ lead the Life of Bmtes, rather than that
C 4 " of

24 A TREATISE on

" of Men, lince they indulge themfelves ia
" Voluptuoufnefs, whilft their Souls are a
^^ Burthen to them." In a word^ they live
in a no lefs brutal Manner, than the Inhabi-
tants of the Main Land of Africa^ who, ac-
cording to Hippocrates yin Lib; de Morbo fa^
fray " lie upon Goat-Skins, and eat Goat's
^' Plefh, without any Bed-Cloths, or Gar-
f^ rnents, or Shoes, except what are made of
^^ Goat-Skins/* The Americans are ftill
worfe, fince they feed upon human Fle(h,
have nothing to cover them, and pafs their
Time in defart Places, and lurkjng Holes.
Since, therefore, the Climate, Soil, and
Non-Naturals of the Americans y are widely
different from thofe of the EuropeanSy it
is highly reafonable, that we fliould neither
admit, nor tolerate, the continual and habi-
tual Ufe of Tobacco in Europe.

Cornelius Agrippa^ in Lib, de Vanitaf, Sci^
int. Cap, 84. fepms, with a good deal of
Jleafon, to think, " That it would greatly
" contribute, not only to the Health of Man-
^* kind, but alfo to the Intefefts of particular
** States, to prohibit the Irnportation of fo-
** reign and exotic JDrugs, v/hich are often
?* counterfeited, or adulterated, by thofe who
•* deal in them, to the great Detriment of
" the State.'* No lefs falutary and reafon-
able is that Law enafted at Rome, by NerOy

v^hich

(C

<c

. TOBACCO. 2$

iyvWeh runs in the following Tenor : " Apo-
" thecaries are hereby injoined, to ufe no
^^ other Medicines, but thJofe found in Italy,
** fince thefe are not only better fuited and
'*' adopted to the Conftitutions of Romans,
*• but may alfo be had far frefher, more ge-
** nuine, and with lefs Difficulty, Expences,
*' and Danger, than foreign Medicines, the
." moft of which are juftly to be fufpefted,
as fophifticated, fpurious, fpoiled in the
Ship, corrapted by Age, or not collected
at due Seafons, or in proper Places.'* Since
the Difeafes defcribed by the Antients, fome-
times feize the Europeans, though with new
and uncommon Symptoms ; and fince new
Difeafes alfo appear in Europe, I think it is
not to be doubted, but the Meats, Fruits,
and other Delicacies, fent from jifia, Africa^
and America, into Europe, are, in fpme Mea-
fure, the Sources of our Calamities.

But, without any farther Digreffion, I fhall
confine myfelf to the Abufe of Tobacco, That
Tobacco, when ufed with Prudence and Pro-*
priety, is a falutary Medicine, I do not de*
py ; fince I myfelf ufe it with great Advan-
tage in the Spring and Autumn, at which
Seafons I am afBidled with catarrhous De*
fluxions. Moft People, when only feized
with a gentle Cough, are fo cautious, as not
to venture upon a fmall Dofe of the Syrup of

Violets,

26 A TREATISE on

Violets, or Liquorice, without conlultifig
their Phyficians, Friends, and Nurfes ; but
vaft Numbers of the 'Europeans, without any
Advice, greatly incommode and difturb the
Brain, the Seat of their Reafon, by ufingthe
highly penetrating "^vaozkoiT^obacco^ in the-
Morning and Evening, in the Night as well
as the Day, and in all States and Conftitu-
tions of the Weather, calm and ferene, as
well as cloudy and over-caft. Let us there-
fojre lay afide this^ barbarous Cuftom, fo fatal
and prejudicial to Healthy

Befides, it is probable, that the crafty
Americans, fenfible of the vaft Quantity of
Tobacco yearly imported into Europe, niay,
for the Sake of Gain, impofe upon us ^ for it
is certain, that our own Merchants, influ-
cenced by a bafe and fordid Principle of Ava*
rice, have long ago found Methods of adulte*
rating Tobacco by Means of Brine, Lemons,
Vinegar, Wine, and Euphorbium. But with
refped: to thefe Frauds, the^ Reader may
confult Neander in his Tabacohgia, Befides,
it is hardly credible, that the Roaps brought
from America, under the Name of Tobacco^
con fill: intirely of good and found Tobacc6
Leaves : For alrnoft every one- knows, that
the Marks of the Goodnefs of Tobacco^ whe-
ther draWn from the Colour, Smell, Tafte,
or Weight, vaty very greatly among the Eu^

ropeam^^

r O B A C C O. \j

ropeans'^ who, to their Difgrace be It faid,
have learned to hang their Tobacco^ when
corrupted, infipid, or light, in Houfes of Of-
fice, or Vaults, in order to be rendered more
acrid and ponderous by the volatile Salts of
human Urine and Excrements, under a fpe-
cious Pretence, that thefe Salts render it
beneficial and falutarj'', by cleanfing the
Jieadj which, they fay, is highly bene-
ficial to Perfons who drink much. But
this is certainly an improper and prejudicial
Method of treating the Head, and, evacua-
ting its Excrements ; concerning the copious
Production of which, by means of the cor-
jTipted Temperature of the Brain in Perfons
who daily fmoak T'oba^cOy we fhall afterwards
treat.

Having premifed thefe Things, we now
come to decide a Quefcion lately begun to bf
agitated, namely. Whether Snuffing or Smoak-
ing is the more innocent and fafe Cuftom }
I affirm, then, that both are generally per-
nicious, and none of them to be recom-.
mended to any one without great Caution
and Deliberation : Though I remember I was
formerly a imodktx oiToBacco^ yet, I am of
Opinion, that Snuffing is a lefs injurious and
hurtful Pradlce. Some are of Opinion, that
by the conftant Ufe of Snuff, the Sight is
rendered more clear and penetrating ; but

with

ij8 A TREATISE on

with how great Danger this Pradice is ac-
companied, is fufficientiy confirmed by A-*
drianus Spigelius^ in Corp. human. Fabr, Lib,
7. Cap, 2. where he propofes a Problem, to-
gether with its Anfwer, in the following
Words : " What is the Caufe, why many
" Perfons, by often repeated Sternutations,
*' efpecially when induftrioufly excited, fud-
** denly become blind ? This happens, eir
*' ther becaufe the Ramifications of the ca-
" roted Arteries, which are fb near the Op-
*' tic Nerves as to touch them, are fo filled,
" as tocomprefs them -, or, becaufe a large.
*^ Quantity of pituitous Humours is convey-
" ed from the Brain to the Optic Nerves,
" which are thereby obftrudled. When the
*' Diforder arofe from the former of thefe
** Caufes, I have feen the Patients cured by a
" Set on ; but, when it proceeded from the
J* latter, I never remember to have feen it
" cured. " Joh.ChryfoJiomus Magnenus^ in
Exercitaf. 8. de Tabaco. §. i. affirms, "that
.*' by violent Sternutation, fome Perfons have
." died J fince hy it the Head has been fo
^* flrongly agitated, as by the Effort to burft
*' the Meninges^ and relax the Compages of
^^ the Brain." And this Opinion he con-
firms by the Example of a certain Baker^
intntiontAhyFamianus Strada^ " who, when
" he had twenty-four Sternutations im-
?^ mediately fucceeding eagh oth^r, died of

'' th§

TOBACCO. ^

** the twenty-fijfth, by the violent Shock, of
^* which the Arteries of the Brain, and Mem-
** branes furrounding it, were broken." The
fame Author, in Se5l, 4. of the laft-cited
Chapter, affirms, ** That he faw a certain
" Man, who by the exceffive Ufe of Snuff,
•' had the chryftaline Humours of his Eyes
" corrugated, fo that all Objefts feemed to
** be in a Kind of fluftuating Motion bc-
" fore him."

If it {hould be objefted, that fuch Acci-
dents are rare ; I anfwer, that though they
are rare, yet they are not impoffible ; and^
what has happened to fome, may alfo be the
Fate of others. Though, therefore, tlie Falx
of the Dura Mater ^ and the Torcular ofHe^
rophilus^ the fatal Seat of an Apoplexy^ are
not forthwith fo difordered aS to yawn by
Snuffing, yet the Interefts of the Five Senfes
are but ill confulted, by often drawing froni
the Brain ^ with Snuff, what we call Snot or
Mucus ^ which is evacuated through the Nofe^
or rather, according to Galen^ and other Ana-
tomifls, through the Os Ethmoides^ which is
the Organ of Smell, but not at all deflined
for eliminating the Excretions of the Brain,
^hus Perfons who ufe Snuff to Excefs, in-
ftead of bettering, rather impair their Sight,
and for their Pains generally lofe the Senjfe
of Smelling.

As

30 A TREATISE on

As the Perfon v/ho^ for his Crimes, \\zt
loft his Ears, is looked upon with Infamy ^
what better Treatment does he deferve, who;
cither through a Contempt of MedicinCj oi:
an obftinate Fondnefs to gratify his own
Inclinations, either impairs or deftroys thofe
Senfes, which indulgent Heaven has beftow*
ed upon him for fo noble Purpofes ! With
refpeft to Inftances of this Misfortune, and
the Reafons why it happens, Magnenm in
2r. de Abufu Tabaci^ Exercitat, 6. SeB. 1 5.
il^caks in the following Manner: '* The Senfe
" of Smelling, as I have been told by many,
" who have either fnuffed or fmoaked to
" Excefs, is abolifhed by the Abufe of To^
" bacco^ becaufe the mamillary Proceffes are
*' thereby dried, fo that when they are ren^^
" dered drier than the Effluvia exciting the
Perception of any Smell, they cannot he
duly afted upon by fuch Efiiuvia ; ,foi'
Smell, according to Arijiiotle, in Lib, 3,
de Animal confifts in the dry Effluvia fiur^
paffing the Moifture of thefe Procefles ;
fo that the common Senfory .may have a
Change produced in it by proper and ade^
" quate Objeds." MagnenuszKoy in Exer^
cifat. 28. Se3}. i. tells us, " That he knew
" a Man, who, in one Day, fnuffed four
" Ounces," After which, he proceeds td
enquire into the Advaijtages and Injuries at--
tending the Ufe of Snuff 5 and to confider

why

TOBACCO. 31

why it excites Sternutation in thofe who are
not accuftomed to it, but not in thofe who
afe. This accurate Author alfo, among other
Reafons againft the exceffive Ufe of Snuff,
advances this, that it may enter the PaiTages
of the Os Ethmoides^ form itfelf into Con--
cretions^ and there lodge for a great while.
Hence, it is fufficiently obvious, that when
the Paflages and Perforations of this Bone are
obftrud:ed by Snuff, the Air can neither have
Accefs to the Brain for its Ventilation, nor
can the Effluvia of odorous Bodies be con-
veyed to it ; in Confequence of which, the
'Senfe of Smelling muft neceffarily be loft.
Though this fhould, perhaps, be looked up-
on as a trifling and inconfiderable Lofs • yet
Snuff, by its highly narcotic, heating, dry-
ing, penetrating, and unduous Qualities, has
foch an unlucky Influence on the eighth
Pair of Nerves of Spige/lius, or the firft of
Bartholin, which are appropriated to Smell-
ing, that it gradually impairs, and, in procefs
of Time, totally deftroys that Senfe 5 becaufe
this Pair of Nerves is conveyed to the mamil-
lary Proceffes, which are lituated in the inte-
rior Part of the Brain, near the Os Ethmoides^
which is covered with the Dura Mater. Since,
therefore, a large Quantity of Snuff is vio-
• lentrly attracted towards the Root of the Nofe^
and fince, according to the Doftrine of i£/-
pocrates^ Nature is never one Moment idle

in

32 A TREATISE tn

in a living Body, all whofe Parts arc pervious
and tranfparable, it muft neceflarily happen^
that the Parts fubfervient to the Senfe of
Smelling muft be greatly injured by the nar-
cotic C^lity of SnufF. Having faid thus
much of the Misfortunes produced by ex>-^
ceffive SnufSng, v\^e now co;?ie to confider
thofe attending the Abufe of Smoaking 5
in doing which, we ihall confine ouifelves
to Examples, which have a better Effed: on
the Vulgar, than the nice and fine-lpun
Deduftions of a Philofopher's Reafon*

It is therefore certain that tobacco is pof-
feffed of an highly penetrating Quality. Thus
the celebrated HeurniuSy in Lib, i. Method*
ad Prax. fpeaks of it in the following Man-
ner: " Tobacco y when fmoaked, produces
very Angular Effefts, fince it draws a fur-
prizing Quantity of Phlegm from the
Mouth and Noftrils: The Smoak arifing
from its dry Leaves laid upon live Coals,
when received into the Mouth by a Fun-
** nel, pervades the whole Brain, and is
" alfo conveyed to the Ears, and Uterus.
" But I can affirm, that this Herb is, in a
*' peculiar Manner, appropriated to the Brain ;
*' eafily conveys its Virtues thither, and eva-
" cuates all its Sordes : For, about a Year
" ago, when I was afflifted with the Tooth-
" ach, I made a Decodlion of Tobacco with

[^ Water/

TOBACCO. 33

*• Water, adding fome Camomile ¥\q\vqys :
" A Spoonful of this Decocftion, when te-
" pid, I put in my Mouth, and fpit it out
" fome Time after ; and this I did for two
" Hours ', by which Means my Pain was
" confiderabiy alleviated. Next Day, when
*^ I went to my Garden, and ftooped to
" pull up a Weed, a large Quantity of a
*^ Saffron-coloured Liquor, which fmelled
*' like Tobacco, flowed from my Nofe, upon
*' which my Tooth- ach was immediately

removed. During the whole of my Life,
^j neither 'Blood, nor any other Liquor, ex-
,c cept a ferous Phlegm, had flowed from
cc my Nofe, but upon this Occalion I never
« faw any Liquor of a deeper yellow Co-
" lour." Other iimilar Accounts of the pe-
netrating QuaHty oi Tobacco^ I have had from
my old Maft:er, Henningus Arnefaus, Phy-
iician to Chrijiianus, the, fourth King of
Denmark, who affirmed, *^ That not only
" the Smoak of Tobacco, but alfo that of
*^ every other Subfl-a'nce received by the

Mouth, was penetrating on Account of its
jg Acrimony -, in Confequence of which, it
4c muft pervade and alter the whole Sub-
cc fiance of the Brain, both Meninges, and
«' all the VeflTels, and Contents of them."^
Bpfides, as the '^vnodk, oi Tobacco is hot, pro-
ceeding immediately from kindled Tobacco ;
and as, according to Arijlotle, it is the Pro-
D perty

34 ^ TREATISE on

perty of Heat to coUecft homogeneous, and
feparate heterogeneous Subftances, it muft
neceffarily happen, in the very Nature of
Things, that this Smoak (hould fufe and
colliquate the Phlegm, the Receptacle of
which is the Brain, which, according to
HippocrateSy is the largeft of all the Glands.
I do not in the leaft doubt of, the Truth of
Arnefaus'^i Opinion ; for I think that all the
Fore-runners of Catarrhs, fuch as Sternu-
tations, Spittings, and Difcharges of Saliva,
are produced by Heat, which is the neceffary
Caufe of Catarrhs, though not the produ(5liye
Caufe of the morbific Matter. Thus the
ct\thv2iU6. Hoffman, mLib. 3. LtJH tut. Me-
dic, Cap, 193. informs us, ^^ That Heat
*^ alone, and, for the moft part, of the exter-
*' nal Kind, fuch as that of the Sun, or that
" procured by Exercife, Wine, and Aro-
" matics, among which are Cinnamon and
*' Saffron, with which we fo plentifully fea-
" fon our Aliments, is fufficient to fufe and
*' colliquate the Phlegm, or acrid Serum."'
Thus a Pipe filled with the burned Wicks of
Candles, gathered out of Snuffers, or with
a Piece of Match ufed in difcharging Can-
nons, or with a Piece of bituminous, foffile
Earth, efpecially that of Holland, will pro-
cure as copious a Spitting, as a Pipe of the
befl Virginian Tobacco. Soldiers alfo, and
Sailors, produce the fame Pleafure and Ef-

feds

T O B A C C O. 35

fefts in themfelves by fmoaking kindled Pa-
per, as are produced by fmoaking Tobacco,
Since, therefore, acrid Smoak and Heat of
every Kind, conveyed to the Brain, fufe the
Phlegm, and eliminate it by the Os RthmoU
des and Sphmioides^ the Nofe and the Palate of
the Mouth, I fee no -Reafon w^hy Heurnius
fhould affirm, ** That it has a furprizing
" Faculty of drawing the Phlegm from the
** Mouth and Noftrils ; that it is peculiarly
" adapted to the Brain, eafily conveys its
*^ Virtues thither, and eliminates all its
« Sordes.

As Tobacco is hot, dry, undluous^ and pe-*
netrating ^ it muft, on account of thefe Qua-*
lities, foon take Flame : And, as it is pojf»
feffedof an highly narcotic Quality, it, by its
narcotic Sulphur, ftupifies thofe who ufe it,
corrupts the Temperature of the Brain, and
deftroys its Tone 5 whereas, the moderate
Smoaking of Marjoram^ Betony, Rofemafy^
Amber ^ and other Subftances of a like Na-
ture, would eliminate the Phlegm more fafe-
ly, and without producing any of thefe ill
Confequences. This narcotic Quality of To-^
bacco^ is the Reafon why great Smoakers are,
during the whole of their Lives, afflided
with a continual Spitting, as I have obferved
in Hiftor. Pompinellce Clajj\ fecund, ^adri-
partit. Though by the frequent Ufe of To^
D 2 bacco^

36 ^ TREATISE on

bacco^ a large Quantity of Phlegm is elimi-
nated from the Brain ; this Plant is not,
therefore, a peculiar Specific, adapted to that
Organ : For, on the contrary, fince it mani-
feftly abounds with a narcotic Sulphur, it is
highly injurious, not only to the Nerves, but
alfo to the whole Subftance of the Brain.
Hence, as I obferved before, many Ufers of
Tobacco^ not only have their olfaftory Nerves
fo injured by its narcotic Sulphur, as to lofe
the Senfe of Smelling, but are alfo obferved
not to have a very exquifite Tafte, the fourth
and feventh Pairs 6f Nerves being affefted.
Perfons of this Kind are alfo obferved to be
fond of Malt Liquors, and to complain of a
languid Appetite ; becaufe the fixth Pair of
Nerves, which defcends into the Stomachy is
ftupified by the narcotic Sulphur of the To-
hacco : It is, therefore, abfurd to maintain,
th&t Tobacco is of a cephalic Quality, and pe-
culiarly adapted to the Diforders of the Head,
fince it is fo unfriendly to the Nerves as to
produce a Stupor in them. It is more rea-
fonable to argue thus : Tobacco is hot, con-
fifts of very fubtle Parts, and is highly pene-
trating 3 therefore, being at the fame Time
narcotic, it will prove the more hurtful, the
more penetrating it is ; becaufe the narcotic
Quality oi Tobacco^ which is otherwife flow,
like that of Ophini^ or Hemlock^ is, by its
other Qualities, exalted, and put in Aftion ;

or.

TOBACCO. 37

or., to fpeak my Sentiments more freely, by
means of the Acrimony afcribed to its Salt,
'whether fixed or volatile, the narcotic Sulphur
is conveyed in its fiill Strength to the Nerves
of the Head. That this Sulphur remains
pretty long intire, even in a living Perfon, is
iufficiently evinced, by that Saffron-coloured
Liquor, fmelling like Tobacco, v^hich w^as
difcharged from the Noftrils of Heurnins^
next Day after the Abufe of a Decoiflion of
Tobacco and Camomile Flov^^rs. I w^ould
not have any one imagine, that as foon as he
lays by his Pipe, his Brain is no longer heated
by theSmoak, which, for two or three Days
after, he fmells, or expires, when he fneezes.
Thus, this narcotic, unftuous, and ftrong-
fmelled Sulphur, adhering to the Mem-
branes, Ventricles, Gyrations, or other la-
tent Paffages of the Brain, and being left
alone without either Smoak or Heat, gra-
dually and infenfibly corrupts the whole
Mafs of the Brain, by which Means Tobacco-
Smoakers are obliged to fpit and expeftorate
continually. When the Brain is thus weak-
ened by the copious Spitting excited by the
narcotic Sulphur, neither the Tonfih northe
Thymus, which are deftined for imbibing the
natural excrementitious Humours of the
Brain, are any longer fit for that Purpofe.
When fuch an Accident happens, the To-
^^^co-Smoaker begins to yawn, to have a
D 3 hoarfe

38 A TREATISE on

hoarfe and fhrillVoice, and a ftinking Breath,
like thofe labouring under a Lues Venerea,

I think I have now fufficiently proved,
that as Tobacco is of a narcotic Quality, and
its Fumes penetrate intimately into the Brain,
fo, of courfe, Smoaking muft be more pre-
judicial than Snuffing, But, if People v^ill
ft ill obftinately indulge themfelves in the
\j\c of this noxious Plant, all I can do far«
ther, is to v^arn them of their Danger.

r B A. 39

TREATISE

O N

a

TEA

I Have hitherto ftrenuoufly endeavoured
to preferve the Health of the 'Europeans y
by' difcarding and exploding the Abufe
of tobacco : But if any one fhould ask my
Sentiments of Tea, which fome Years ago
began to be imported from ^a, and the
Eaftern Countries, and which has Qualities
quite contrary to Tobacco, fince it prevents
Sleep, and therefore is by fome Authors
highly commended as an excellent Cephalic,
and very grateful to the Vifcera, fubfervient
to Nutrition : I anfwer, that no fatisfadory
Reply can be made, till we know the Genus
and Species of Tea, and to what Species of
European Herbs it may be referred or com-
pared ; for Tobacco is by us called the Peru-
vian Hyofciamius, but we give no Name of
any of our Plants to Tea : Nay, it is not
D 4 known

40 A TREATISE on

known, whether 'Tea is what the Greeks call
noct, an Herb, or eotAiviVx/cv, a Shrub, which
Words, according to Ruellius^ Morantha^ and
others, arc fo confounded by Diofcorides^
Theophrajius^ and other Botanifts, as to occa-
lion great Difputes among the Learned. But
the Authors, who have moft faithfully collect
ted whatever has been wrote upon Tea, either
in the* Spanijhy French, Latin, Englijh, or
Dutch Languages, are Nicolaus Tulpius, and
Nicolaus ' Trigautius, from the Works of
whom I fhall enquire,

iji. Of what Kind and Species the Herb
Tea is ?

2^,. Whether Tea is only the Produce of
jifia, and whether it is ever found in Europe^
or not ? And,

3 J, Which of the European Herbs may
be moft properly ufed in its Stead.

Tulpius, then, fpeaks in the following
Manner : '^^ In the Eaji Indies nothing is
" mpre common than drinking the Decoc-
*^ tion cf an Herb, which the Chinefe call
" Thee, 2indi the Japonefe, Tchia, As my
*' Accounts of this Plant were received from
" thebeft and moft impartial Authors, I fhall
" willingly hand them down to Pdfterity.
J* The Herb Tea^ therefore, has long acumi-

" nated

T E A. 41

*^ nated Leaves crenated about the Edges.
*^ Its Roots are fibrous, and divided into
*' very fmall Shreds. It grows not only in
^' China and Japan ^ but alfo in Ckiam^ only
" the Leaves of the Chinejh Tea are of a
*^ blackifli green Colour : Whereas the Ja-
*^ ponefe Tea is of a fainter Colour, and more
grateful Tafte. Hence it alfo happens,
that the Tchia of the Japonefe^ is far more
efteemed than the Thee of the Chinefe ;
fince one Pound of the former is frequently

c<
it

^* fold at an Hundred Libra ; for it is in
'' thefe Parts of the World believed, that

** bothing is more falutary and beneficial
*^ than this Herb, w^hether for protract-
ing Life to extreme old Age, or for pre-
venting the Attacks of Difeafes. It not
only renders the Body vigorous and aftive,
and prevents the Stone, to v^hich none of
the Inhabitants are for this Reafon fub-
jeft, hut alfo removes Head-achs, StuiP-
fings of the Head, Inflammations, and
Diftillations of the Eyes, a Difficulty of
Breathing, Weaknefs of the Stomach,
Gripes of the Inteftines, and Wearinefs.
It alfo fo eiFedlually prevents Sleep, that
thofe who drink it at Night, can fit up,
without feeling the leaft Inclination to fleep;
for it is moderately heating, and by con-
ftriding the Mouth of the Stomach, hin-
*^ ders the Afcent of thofe Vapours which

r<

<<

" are

cc

42 A TREATISE on

*^ are neceffary to procure Sleep ; fo that,
" by Its MeanS) nothing hinders or interrupts
thofe who intend to read or write all Night.

" This Plant, however, feems neither to
have been long known, nor long ufed,
among the Chinefe^ fince they have no
hieroglyphical Charadlers, fuch as moft of
their Letters are, which exprefs its Nature
and Qualities. Thefe two N ations alfo differ
widely, with refpe<^ to the Manner of ufing
Tea ; fince the Japonefe mix the Tea^
powdered in a Marble Mortar, with warm
Water : Whereas, the Chinefe^ boil the
Plant itfelf with fome Liquor, adding a
few Grains of Salt, or Sugar. This De-
cocftion, they drink with their Friends and
Vifitors ; and even their leading Men do
not think it beneath them, but rather a
Piece of Honour to prepare the Tea for
their Guefts ; for which Purpofe they
have Clofets in their Palaces, fitted up on
purpofe, in which they keep their Pots,
Tripods, Tunnels, Cups, Spoons, and
other Tea Utenfils, which they buy at an
exorbitant Price, preferve in Silk, and only
ufe when their beft Friends vifit them.
Thefe, they efl:eem as much as we do
x\damants, Gems, and the mofl: precious
Stones. See Job, Maffam^ Rer. Indicar.
Lib.t, <S' 12. LudGvic, Almeid. SeleB.

" Epiji*

r E A. 43

** Fiplji, Lib, 4. Fetr. Garric, Tom, 2. Lib.
" 2. Cap, 17. M^//i6. i2/a^^j, ^^ Chrift.
" Expedif, apud Sinas, Lib, i. Gt^. 7.
" Alois Froisy in Relat. Japon, Jac, Bontius^
" Dialog. 6. Med, Indoriim^ & Johan. Lin--
'' feot. Cap, 26:'

Nicolaus Trigautius^ in TraBat, de Regno
China ^ Cap, 3. where he treats of the Things
produced in China, gives us the following
Particulars, with refpeft to Tea : " I pur-
pofely, fays he, omit th^ Defcription of
niany Things neceflary, fuch as Marbles
of different Colours, Carbuncles, and other
Stones and Gems, not unfit for painting ;
odoriferous Woods, Bitumens, and an in-
credible Number of other Curiofities;
but I neither can, nor ought to pafs over,
in Silence, two or three Things, unknown
to the Europeans ; the firft of w^hich is,
that Shrub, of the Leaves of which is
prepared that celebrated Liquor, called
Cia, by the Chinefe^ 'Japojiefe, and neigh-
bouring Countries. It is not poffible, that
the Herb from which this is prepared has
been very long ufed by the Chinefe 5 fince,
in order to reprefent it, they have no
hieroglyphical Characters, fuch as all their
Letters are. Hence it may, perhaps, be
fufpeded, that our European Woods pro-
duce this Herb. They gather the Leaves

in

44 ^ TREATISE on

in the Springs dry them in a Shade, and
keep them for preparing a Decodion,
which they almoft continually ufe, not
only at their Meals, but alfo when their
Friends come to vifit them^ for this is gene-
rally the Entertainment to which they inr-
vite each other. It is always drank, or rather
fipped warm ; nor is it ungrateful to the
Palate, in confequence of its temperate
Bittern efs ; but it is very falutary, and
frequently ufed for various Diforders. T^ea
is not with tKem all of one Price \ fince,
fometimes, a Pound is fold for a Noble,
and, at other Times, for t\¥o or three, if
it is accounted good : The beft of the
Japonefe Tea is often fold for ten or twelve,
and the Method of preparing it with thefe,
is fomewhat different from that of the
Chinefe ; for the Japoneje^ having reduced
their Tea to a Powder, mix two or three
Spoonfuls of it with a Cup of boiling
Water, which they drink when moderately
coo! : Whereas, the Chinefe throw fome
of the Leaves into a VelTel of boiling
Water, which, after it has imbibed the
Force of the T'm, they drink, leaving the
Leaves/' But, in the feventh Chapter of
the fame Work, which, treats of fome of
the Cuftoms of the Cbhiefe, the Author fpeaks
in the following Manner : " When any one
* • receives a formal Invitation to a Feaft ;

'' the

cc

r E A. 4^

the Day before, or feveral Days before, it
is to be kept, the Mafter fends him a Kind
of Ticket, defiring his Prefence : When
he is come to the Houfe, and the ufual
Ceremonies paft, he is fet down in the firft
Hall, where he drinks his ^ea ; after
which he is conduced to the Feafting-
" Room, which is not adorned v/ith Car-
" pets, which they never ufe, but with Pic-
" tures. Flowers, Veffels, and other antient
" Houfliold Furniture." Though thefe
Accounts may fatisfy the Vulgar, yet they
will not prove fatisfadlory to Phyficians,
who want to know, whether Tea is an Herb,
a Shrub, or a Species of Copfe -, for the two
laft quoted Authors differ from each other ^
fince Tulpius calls the Chinefe Tea^ " an
*' Herb, with darkifh, green, oblong Leaves,
" acuminated and crenated about the Edges,
" with fibrous Roots, divided into many
" fmall Shreds. Whereas, 'the Leaves of
" the Japonefe Tea are of a fainter green Co-
" lour, and of a more grateful Tafte." But
Trigautius affirms, " that it is a Shrub of
the Leaves, of which the celebrated Cia^
of the Chinefe and yaponefe^ is prepared
by Decoftion.'* The former afTerts, that
the Herb Tea^ grows not only in China and
yafan^ but alfo in Chiam : The latter thinks
it is to be fufpeded, that it is alfo produced
in the European Woods: But, as I fhallaf-r

terwardi

46 A TREATISE on

terwards accurately difcufs thefe Points, I
fhall only here obferve, from Olearius^ that
Maffceus^ in Tr, de Rebus Indicts^ affirms,
that the Japonefe^ from a certain Plant, ex-
prefs an highly falutary Liquor, which they
call Chia ; and Linfchotanus^ in Tr. de In-
fula Japonice^ tells us, that the Inhabitants
of 'Japan prepare a Drink called Chaa, from
a certain Herb : But thefe Authors neither
mention the Shrub, nor the Leaves, but
unanimoufly alTert Tea to be an Herb. Ja-
cobus Bontius^ Phyiician in Ordinary to the
Town of New Batavia^ in the liland of
yava^ in the Eaji Indies^ in Medic. Indor,
Lib. 2. de Conferv. Valet ud. Dialog, 6. af-
firms, " that the Leaves of the fmall Herb,
" from which "Tea is prepared, refemble thofe
*' of the Daify or lefler Confound^ and have
** fmall Incifions about their Edges/' But
fince, in the fubfequent Chapter, he affirms,
that the Inhabitants of that Country, though
brutally ignorant in every other Refped:, have
yet fuch an exaft Knowledge of Roots and
Plants, that if Pavius, the greateft Botanift
of his Age, was to rife from the Dead, he
would wonder to find that he could be in-
ftrufted by thefe Men ^ I am furprized, he
fhould have defpifed their Information, and,
contrary to the Cuftom of their Hiftoriogra-
phers, given us (Europeans) fuch a lame and
imperfeft Defcription of Tea^ when com-
menting

meriting on the Indiaft Plants. One would
be ready to take it for an Herb, when he is
told, that its Leaves refemble thofe of the
Daify^ and have fmall Incifions about the
Edges, which Tidpius alfo afcribes to them.
It is vi^orth our Obfervation, that ^idpiuSy
Trigautius^ Bontius^ and other Authors, una-
nimoully agree in this, that the Decodion of
Tea is of a pretty, grateful, bitter Tafte. In
order, therefore^ to clear up thefe Difficulties,
I muft have recourfe to the Reverend Fa-
ther, Alexander de Rhodes^ who, in his Som-
maire des divers Voyages & Mijfions Apojio-
liques, fpeaks in the following Manner:
'^ Among the moft memorable Things in
" this Country, is Tay ; the Ufe of which
" is not only common to all the Eajiern
" Countries, but alfo begins to be known
" in Europe : It is juftly to be reckoned
" among the moft falutary Subftances which
" I obferved in this Country ; and I do not
^' know but it is one of the principal Cau-
" fes, why the Inhabitants not only enjoy
" fuch a good State of Health, but alfo
" arrive at fo extreme an old Age. The
" Leaves are as big as thofe of the Pomegra-
'*'nate Tree, and the Shrub itfelf refembles
*' the Myrtle Bufh. Nor does Tea grow in.
*' any Part of the World, except in two
*^ Provinces of China, which are Nanquin
l^ and Chintj the Inhabitants of which have

" their

48 A TREATISE on

" their Harvefts for T^ea Leaves, as we have
^' for our Grain in Europe. Thefe Leaves
they dry in Furnaces, and preferve for Ufe
in clofe flopped Veffels. It is frequently
ufed through all China^ Japan, To7iquiny
and other Kingdoms 5 and there are fuch
great Quantities of it, that it is fold at a
fmall Price. For this Reafon they ufe it
frequently every Day, or rather each Hour,
'* prepared in the folio w^ing Mariner : They
" throw the Leaves into boiling Water,
*^ which they forthwith take off the Fire ;
*' and when the Leaves have fubiided, which
'^ is generally in a Quarter of an Hour, they
" drink the Water, from which they find
*^ three very happy Effe^s ^ the firfl: of
*^ which is to reprefs Vapours, and alleviate
" Pains of the Head : For when I laboured
under an Hemicrania^ or any other Difor-
der of the Head, by drinking this Water,
I had my Pain fo quickly alleviated, as if
" a Perfon had done it by the Application
" of his Hand. When, for the Sake of
" hearing Confeflions, I was obliged to fit
" up whole Nights, I ufed the fame Remedy,
" and, by its Means, was not only hindered
" from fleeping, but alfo felt no more Un-
'^ eafinefs next Day, than if I had not fat
^^ up. I once made an Experiment of this
*^ for fix Nights furceflively, but muft con-
** fefs I found myfelf wearied and exhaufted.

'' The

cc

<c

<c

T E A. 49

" The fecond Virtue of this Water, or De-
'^ codion, is to corrjoborate the Stomach,
" and the third to purge the Kidnies from
" Stones and Gravel.' ' Bernardus Vare-^
nius^ in Defcript, Regni Japonic^ ^ Cap, 23.
fpeaJks in the following Manner : " Not
" only the Japonefe^ but alfo the Chinefe^
" are delighted with Draughts of almofl:
boiling Water, in which the Powder of
Tea is fprinkled. The Herb T^ea is not
" only Green itfelf, but alfo tinges any
" Liquor with the fame Colour. It grows
*' only in fome, and not in all Coun-
" tries, and the finer Kind of its Leaves is
" thought to be very valuable. Thefe Leaves
*^ are, by the richer Sort, kept in large Vef-
" fels, clofe flopped, in order to prevent the
*' Accefs of the Air. The Leaves, before
" they are ufed, are reduced to a= Powder.'*
And a little after he fubjoins^ " This Liquor
" is pleafant to the Tafte, and highly falu-
" tary, efpecially for carrying off the Un-
*^ eafinefs produced by Surfeits, and for re-
*' moving all pituitous Diforders : So that
" it is become a proverbial Saying, with re-
" fpeft to the Rich, How is it pojfibk they
*' Jhould not enjoy good Healthy Jince they
" drink the beji Tfia?" OleariuSy in the
Work before quoted, fpeaks of 'Tea in the
following Manner : " We have already ob-
" ferved, that at the Maidan in Ifpahan^
E ** there

^o A TREATISE on

'* there are, among others, particular Species
*' of Inns, called Tzai^ Cbattaiy 2ind Chane^
" in which, as well as in other Places, the
" Perfians drink an hot, black Water, pre-
" pared of an Herb, brought into their
" Country by the Usbeck Tartars. This
'' Herb has oblong pointed Leaves, about
*' an Inch'^olgigj-^-and half an Inch broad,
** which, when'drieci, are of a blackifli Co-
*' Ibti^r, and {hrivel up^ .into the Form of a
'' Worm ; but they are ihe fame with what
*' tkt ChinefecAl^^ea^ ^tid ihe Japone/e Siud
*' lndi4Hsi :Chiar2^d,.0ba^ In each of thefe
'^ Nations, ^thir'^Herb is highly efteemed ;
^' the Perfiam boil it wi^ Spring- Water,
" Anife and Femiel : Some of them alfo add
" a fmall Quantity of Cloves to it. The
*' PerfanSy Chinefey yaponefe, and Indians^
^\ afcribe uncommon Virtue and Efficacy tD
*' this Water, affirming, that it produces the
'.' moft falutary Effeds on the Stomach,
'.* Lungs, Liver, Mafs of Blood, and all
*.' xheViJceray which it deterges and corro*
** borates. It alfo expels the Stone, removes
" the Head-ach, and diffipates that fuper-
*' fluous Humidity, which produces Laffi-
^' tude and Drowfinefs. By drinking this
*'' Water, a Perfon is rendered fo lively, brisk,
*' and -alert, as chearfuUy to bear the Want
" of Sleep for feveral Nights, and without
^^\ any Pain^ or Fatigue, apply long to Bu-

finefs

r E A. ,51

*^'iinefs of the greateft Importance. This
'* Liquor, when drank in Moderation, not
'^"^ only preferves Health, but alfo protradls
** Life to an exceffive old Age. This Herb
** T:ea is, at prefent, well known in Holland^
"*'^:fince the Eafl-Indiamen bring large Quan-
*** titles of it to Amfterdamy "Johannes jil-
bertus von Mandeljlo^ in Itinerar. Indice Ori-
entails^ Cap. 11. gives us the following me-
morable Account of T'ea : "In our Vifits,
*^ we make ufe of the black Water, in which
" the Herb l^ea is boiled. This Liquor^
which is very common in the Indies^ is
greatly admired, not only by the Natives,
but alfo by the Englijh and Dutch ; iince
it is faid to carry off Phlegm, warm the
Stomach, and procure Digeftion, We
*• drink it three Times a Day, namely, in
*' the Morning, Afternoon,' and Evening.
^'^ . The Perfans alfo drink a black Water,
'**' called Chavve, which, in Colour, refem-
^* bles the T'ea, though its Virtues and Effi.-^
" cacy are different ; fince the Chavve is
** a great Cooler, and procures Sterility, on
** which Account, the lafcivious Terfiam
*^ chufe to drink it : On the contrary, the
" ^ea moderately warms, and ftrengthens,
" the Bowels and Stomach/'

Gulielmus Leyly 2l Native of Denmark^

after his Return from the Eaji Indies^ at my

E 2 Requeft,

52 A TREATISE on

Requeft, courteoully wrote me the following
Particulars with refpedl to Tea : *^ I was
*' informed by the Chi^efey in the Iflands
•' of Java^ Macafcar^ Celebes ^ and other
" Places, that the Cka^ or Thee, grew in
" China ^wA Cathay a ; but that the beft
" came from Cat hay a, a Country belonging
" to the Tartars, The Herb Is, in the
" Chinefe^ Japoneje, Tartarian, Perjian,
*' Arabic^ Turkifi, and Indoftan Languages,
*' called Cha 5 in the Pronunciation of which
^^ Word, it is to be obferved, that the Ch is
" founded as it is in Spain and England-,
" but is by the F erfians^ Arabians, and Turks,
" expreffed by one of their own Charafters.
*' By fuch of the Chinefe as border upon the
** Sea it is called The, In thefe Countries.,
^' vaft Sums of Money are laid out upon this
^* Herb, which is faid to be poffefled of very
" coniiderable Virtues ; for it corroborates
'' the Stomach, and produces a good Di-
** geftion ', nourifhes the Limbs,and diffipates
'*' and carries off by Urine, or otherwife,
*^ all peccant and redundant Humidity. It
^' alfo cures the Gout, and prevents^ or ex-
*' pels the Stone and GraveL During my
** Refidence, for many Years there,. I never
" had the fmalleft Symptoms of the Gout,
*^ with which I have been violently afflicfted
" lince my Return into Europe, The C6/-
*^ nefe are alfo Strangers to the Stone, and

" their

<c

'T E A. SI

^^ their Tea not only preferves the Body in
** good Health, but alfo removes Intoxi-
" cation. It prevents Sleep, and renders
" Perfons alert and chearful in the Difpatch
" of Bufinefs. The Water prepared of this
" Herb, is to be drank in a Morning fail-
ing, with preferved Ginger, as alfo after
Dinner, between Meals, after Supper, or
at any Time, fince the frequent Ufe of it
is not hurtful. They boil a Pint of Wa-
ter in a Pot, then put a Spoonful of
Tea into it, and cover it clofe up for a
Quarter of an Hour, during which Time
they fhake it frequently. Thofe to whom
this Liquor is difagreeable, on accouut of
its bitter Tafte, put Sugar-Candy into the
Cup; but, its Efficacy is greater, when
drank without it. The People of Fafhion
in China and Japan^ have their particular
Kettles, in which they boil the Water by
*' itfeif, and then pour it upon the Tea in
" another Veffel, which they cover for ' a
"a Quarter of an Hour, fhaking it fre-
'' quently.''

In order to determine that dubious and
perplexing Queftion, Whether the Tea of the
Chinefe is an Herb, or a fmall Shrub ? It is
neceifary I fhould previoufly enquire, whe-
ther it is only produced in J^^, or whether
any of it is alfo to be found in Europe ; as
E 3 alfo

cc

54 -^ TREATISE on

alfo which of the European Plants is the moft
proper Succedaiieum to it ? In thefe Difqui-
fitions, I muft, therefore, have recourfe to
the Suffrages of the before-quoted Authors,
But I muft here advife all Phyficians to diveft
their Minds of Prejudice, and carefully perufe
Hippocrates' s Treatile ^^ jiere^ jiquis^ &
Locisy by which they will be informed, how
much Airs^ Waters^ and Si?//y, agree, or dif-
agree, and what proportionable Variations,
or Alterations, thefe Agreements, or Diffe-
rences are capable of producing. The ce-
lebrated Hoffman^ in Lib, 2. de Medicament,
OfficinalibuSy Cap, 1 5. when fpeaking of the
Myrtle, tells us, " That we are carefully to
" attend to the native Soil and Climate of a
" Plant, by which it is rendered either bet-
^^ ter or worfe, in confequence of which, its
*' Faculties andVirtues will not be the famein
^^ different Countries." This Doftrine I have
everywhere inculcated in my ^adripartitiuniy
but efpecially in the Hiftories ofBetony^ Car-
duus BenedidiuSy Scurvy^Grafs, Marjh Trefoil^
Dragons and Squills. My Defign in advancing
this is, to fhew the Probability of the Pro-
du6lion of Tea^ not only in the Kingdoms
of the Eaji Indies^ fuch as China, Japan^
Chian^ Nanquin, and Cham ; but alfo, ae-'
cording to the Conjecture of ^rigautius, in
the European Woods and Forefts : And I
am the more inclined to this Opinion, be-

caufe

T E ^. s5

caufe the celebrated Olearius informs us, that
the Tartars of Uzbeck^ who, according to
De Laet, in Defcript. Perjice^ Cap, i. are
feparated from the Perfians^ wage War
upon them, and export ^ea from Cattajo
into Perfta : Befides, Gulielmus Leyl^ a Gen-
tleman, not only of Diftinftion, but alfo of
untainted Veracity, informs me, in his Let-
ter, that in Java the greater, MacaJJar^ and
Celihs, he was told by the Inhabitants, that
Cha or The grows in China and Catajo 5 but
that the beft is, by the TartarSy exported
from the latter of thefe Places, Now, it is
fufficiently known, that Tartary\ on ac-
count of the Elevation of the Pole, in many
Refped;s, agrees with the Ruropean Provin-
ces, iituated under the fame Degree of Ele-
vation ; fo that, it is by no means abfiard to
aflert that many Trees, Shrubs, and Herbs,
{hould thrive as well in thefe Northern Pro-
vinces, as in Tarfary^ which, like them, is
diverfified with Precipices, Forefts, Moun-
tains, Pafture-Grounds, Vallies, and Rivers.
In a word, as Tulpius and ^rigautius think
that neither Tea^ nor its Ufe, were long
known to the Chinefe^ becaufe they had nei-
ther any antient Names for it, nor Hierogly-
phics to exprefs its Nature • I am more and
more confirmed, that Cha^ or T'he, grows
more plentifully m Catajo thsin in China
itfelf, efpecially fince 0/^^m/^ and Ley I in-
E 4 form

56 A TREATISE on

form us, that Cba is a TartarianWovA ; and,
according to the latter of thefe Authors, only
forne of the ChtJiefe, who live upon the Shore,
have begun to call Cha^ l^e. Since, therefore,
the Europeans frequent China ^ or its adjacent
Iflands, much more than they do Tartary^
and fince the Chinefe call the Cha of the
Tartars 7he^ it is probable, that this is the
Original of the Word Tea in Europe, But it
is to be obferved, that Tulptus afferts, that,
the Tchia of the Japonefe^ is far more va-
luable than the Tkee of the Chinefe ; fince a
Pound of the former is fometimes fold at
an Hundred L/^r<^ of Silver, which, if I
am not miftaken, amount to forty Crowns.
But Trigautius affirms, that a Pound of the.
Chinefe is fold at one Noble ^ and at moft for
two or three ; whereas, a Pound of the beft
yaponefe is often fold at ten or twelve. Fa-^
ther Rhodius tells us,, that Tea is no where
produced, except in two Provinces oi China ^
Nanquin and Chim ; and immediately fub-
joins. That there was fuch Plenty of it, that
it fold at a very low Rate : Though thefe
Accounts are inconfiftent with each other,
yet it is none of my Bufinefs to reconcile
them ; fmce my Defign is only to fhew, that
the Cha^ the Tchia, or Thee ^ whether a Spe-
**ples of Copfe, or an Herb, is indigenous to
Tartary, Now, as Tulpius and Trigautius
have ihewn, that Tea has not been long

known

TEA. ^j

known to the Chinefe ; and, as Olearius and
Leyl affert, that it is exported from Tartary
into Perjia^ as well as China, I am of
Opinion, that it probably began to be known
in Chi?7a when the Tartars in 1 644 made an
Incurfion into that Country, and that it was
firfl: tranfported into Europe from the Eaft-
Indies. And though the Authors mentioned
by Olearius affirm, that the Thee oi the C6/-
nefe was known before this Incurfion 5 yet as
the Tartars had feverai Times before laid
China wafte, it is not improbable, but the
Chinefe were, by the Tartars^ with whom I
'believe it is cheap, firft taught the Ufe of Tea^
as we were by the Chinefe : For if, accord-
ing to Tulpius^ Tea is fold at fo great a Rate
in China, or, if a Pound of the befl: Tea is
often fold at twtlvt 'Nobles in Japan, I can-
not fee how the Merchants of Amflerdam
and Hamburg, who may reafonably be al-
lowed a fourth of Profit, could afford a Pound
for eight Nobles, Since, therefore, Tartary
is a very extenfive Kingdom ; and fince, ia
fome Provinces of it, the Tea of the Chinefe
grows, I think it very probable, that the fame
Tea may be found in the fimilar, heathy,
copfy, and uncultivated Places of Europe,
We now come to enquire, whether Tea is an
Herb, or a Kind of Copfe : Befides the Au-
thors, therefore, already quoted from 0/t%
arius^ as affirming that it is an Herb, Bon^

tius.

5? A TREATISE on

tius, Varenius^ Olearius^ yohannes Albertm
von Marideljlo^ and Leyl^ alfo call it an H^rb :
But Trigautius and Rhodius pronounce it a
Kind of Copfe, or fmall Shrub. If, there-
fore, we are fwayed in our Judgment by the
Plurality of Voices, we muft infallibly con-
clude T'ea to be an Herb. But as, in all Ca-
fes, one Eye-Witnefs is better than ten who
take Things upon Report ; and as the two
laft- mentioned Authors travelled through the
Eaji-Indies, it is more reafonable to truft to
their Defcriptions, than to thofe of the others,
who, being no profeffed Botanifts, were, in
fome meafure, mifled by botanical Authors,
who too often confound Words, as we have
fliewn in the DilTertation onTobacco : How-
ever, to reconcile thefe Differences, we fay,
that T^^ may be defined and defcribed, either
as an Herb, or as a Kind of Copfe, or fmall
Shrub ; for as Geographers, in their De-
fcriptions of Nova Zembla^ and the T-erra
Aujlralii incognita^ make Conjectures about
fome Things which they never faw, becaufe
they were never there ; fo, why may not I,
though I never was in A/ia^ make an At-
tempt to delineate an Afiatic Plant, which is
the Herb, or Shrubs Te'^, in order to prevent
that exceffive Import of it, which corrupts
our Regimen, and impairs our Health no
lefs than the Tobacco fent us from America f
Now, though ^^ fiirnifhes the Chinefe with

fed.

cc

C(

TEA. 59

'Tcdy as a falutary Medicine, yet fhe obtrudes
it upon us, at the fame Time we are ignorant
what it is > for which Reafon 1 fhall defcribe
Tea^ both as an Herb, and as a Kind of
Copfe, or fmall Shrub. '' ^ea^ therefore, as
" an Herb, has oblong Leaves, acuminated,
** crenated about the Edges, and about an
*' Inch long, and half an Inch broad. In
** China thefe Leaves are of a dark green
Colour, and of a bitter Tafte ; whereas
thofe produced in Japan^ are of a fainter
Green, and more grateful Tafte, ting-
" ing any Liquor with the fame Colour.
" Thefe Leaves, when dried, become black,
" and fhrivelled up, like fmall Worms, and
** the Herb has a fibrous Root, divided into
many fmall Shreds." If any ihould tell me,
that this feems to be a Defcrlption of Be^
teny, I anfwer, fo it is ; and I would rather
perfwade the Europeans to ufe this Herb,
pofTeffed of numberlefs known Virtues, than
to perfift in the Ufe of the unknown Tea of
the Cbinefey purchafed at a great Expenee,
and calculated for impoveriftiing Families.
It is indeed certain, that, as the moderate Ufe
of it, without producing a preter-natural Heat,
conforts and dries the Brain, and whole ner-
vous Syftem, fo the immoderate Ufe of it,
cannot fail to be equally noxious to the Ew-
ropeans as the Abufe of Wine, Tea^ as a Kind
of Copfe, or fmall Slirub, may be defcribed

in

6o A TREATISE on

in the following Manner : '' l:ea is a fmall
^' Shrub, greatly refembling the Myrtle-
" Bufh, with dark green Leaves, as large as
" thofe of the Pomegranate^ but with fmall
*' Incifions about the Edges, like thofe ob-
"' fervable in theLeavesoftheD/^/^. Thefe
" Leaves are carefully collected in (ht Springy
*V dried in a Shade, or in proper Furnaces,
" and prefer ved in pretty large Veffels, clofe
*^ flopped, in order to prevent the free Ac-
*' cefs of the Air.'* If any onefhould find
fault with me for defcribing ^ea^ both as
an Herb, and as a Kind of Copfe, or fmall
Shrub ; I can vindicate myfelf, by defiring
him to compare each of thefe Defcriptions
with the different Accounts given by all the
before-cited Authors, whofe Veracity cannot
be. called in Queflion. But, perhaps, it may
be objedled, that Bontius aflerts, that T'ea is
an Herb, and defcribes it as fuch, and con-
fequently, that I corrupt what I intended
tp corre<ft, which happened to Epicurus^ at-
tempting to redlify the Dodrines of Demo-
critus : I anfwer, that Bontius^ through an
Affedation of laconic Brevity, darkened his
Defcription of Tea^ by comparing its Leaves,
which are crenated, to thofe of the Daifyy
M^hich have fmall Inciiions : Whereas, he
might, Vv^ith more Juflice, have compared
them to the Leaves of any Shrub, or Copfe :
But the Reader will, poflibly, condemn me

for

ir E u4. 61

for Pyrrhonifm, or Scepf id/my and upbraid
me with treating of Things, without com-
ing to any fixed and final Conclufion. But,
in anfwer to this Charge, I affirm, in the
.Words of Vqfjius de SeB, Philofoph, Cap, 20.
y That Scepticifm is not abfolutely to be
V^ condemned r, fince, though many Things
" are certain, yet far niore are uncertain;
/' and thefe latter combined and interwo-
" ven with the former, impofe on the Mind
" by their Similitude to Truth 3 fo that it
*' is neceffary to ufe all Diligence in diftin-
" guiihing Truth from Error/' Cicero, in
Ltb. I. de Natur, Ueor. profeffes himfelf of
the fame Opinion : " I am none of thofe,^
*\fays be, to whom nothing appears true;
" but I affirm, that Truth and Falfhood are
*^ fometimes fo intimately mixed, and bear
" fo near a Refemblance to each other, that
"there is hardly any Criterion for diftin-
" guifhing them." But, leaving all dubious
Ratiocinations, we fhall now declare our
Sentiments in an expHcit Manner, and come
to a fixed and determinate Conclufion. For
this Purpofe, let us compare the Defcriptions
which DodoTKeus gives us of the Herb Be-
tony, and of the Shrub Chamelceagnus, with
thofe two I have given of the Chinefe Tea :
I am then intirely free from Partiality, when
J think that the Properties afcribed to thefe
two,efpecialiy to the Chamelceagnus y exacftly

agree

62 A TREATISE on

agree to the Chinefe Tea*, rior, confideritig
how far I am advanced m Years, do I tare
how much I may be ridicukd for maintain-
ing fuch an Opinion, fince I hive long ago
formed my Mind upon thofe noble and ex-
alted Sentiments, which Epidtetus, in En-
chirid. Cap. 29. expreffes iri the follovt'in'g
beautiful Manner : " If thou inclineft to
^^ commence the Study of Wifdom and Vlr-
*^ tue, thou muft forthwith prepare thyfelf
*^ for future Reproach and Contempt, fince
" many will hifs thee, upbraid thee with be-
" coming a Philofopher all on a fudden, and
*^ fneeringly ask the Reafon of thy fupferd-
** lious Air : Do thou, in the mean tifne,
*^ guard againffi a fupercilious Behaviour, as
*' much as -thou poffibly canft ; but, like a
" faithful Centinel, placed in a particular
^^ Poft by thy Mafter, rigidly maintain and
adhere to thofe Things which, to thee,
appear beft and moft praife-worthy j and,
for thy Comfort, remember this, that if
" thou refoltitely keepeft thy Poft, thou wilt,
** at laft, become the Admiration of tfhofe
^' who before derided thee: Whereas, Jf
" thou fhameftilly quitteft thy Station, and
** fuccumbeft to the heedlefs and unthinfc-
** ing Herd, thou wilt be doubly derided,"
But, as moral Refleftions may be thought
impertinent on fuch Occafions, wefhallre^
turn to our ^bjeft. Dodonaus^ therefore,

in

<c

<c

in Pemptad. i. Lib. 2. Cop. 20. tells us,
" that Betony has oblong, broad, and green
" Leaves, fomewhat rough, ferrated about
t^ the Edges, and refembling thofe of the
** Oak, though fomewhat fmaller/' Now,
Tulpius informs us, that the Leaves of Tea
are oblong, acuminated and ferrated about
the Edges : And Olearius affirms, that they
are about an Inch in Length, and half an
Inch in Breadth. Tulpius alfo afferts, that id
China^ they are of a dark green Colour;
whereas, in Japaft, they are of a fainter Co-
lour -y fo that thefe Defcriptions quadrate very
exaftly with Betony, The Chamelaagnus is,
by Dodonaus, m Stirp, Hijlor, Pemptad, 6.
Cap, 20. defcribed in the following Man-
ner : " The Chamelaagnus is a fmall and
low Shrub, rarely riling to the Height of a
Cubit : It fends forth fomeBranches, which
bear fmall, broad, and oblong Leaves, not
unlike thofe of the Myrtle , but harder, and
frequently longer: Ail the Parts of th^
*^ Shrub, and efpecially its Seeds, are fome-
" what odorous : It delights in wild and
** uncultivated Soils, which are fomewhat
" marfhy arid aqueous." The Authors be-
fore quoted, have made no Mention, either
cf the Seeds, or Flowers ; nor, though I have
had an Opportunity of turning over large
Quantities of Teay have i ever found any
Part of a Flower, Stem, Apex, Calyx, Down,

Seed,

«c

fc

64 ^ TREATISE on

Seed, Pods of Seed, Berries, or arty Thing
analogous to any of thefe, except fome few
Pieces, of a Kind of arundinacious Grafs ;
from which v/e may juftly infer, that the
Chineje Tea delights in uncultivated, aqueous^
and marfhy Soils, as well as the European
Chamelceagnus ; which, as defcribed by D(?-
donceus^ exadly refembles the "Tea of the C6/-
nefe. The Reafons why I have compared
flea to Betony^ are fufficiently obvious ; fince
my Accounts of the former, taken from Tri-
gautiuSy RhodtuSy and Bo?itiz{$, exaftly agree
to the latter ; for Trigaufius affirms, that the
Leaves called 'Tea, when gathered from a
certain Shrub, and boiled in Water, afford
that celebrated Liquor, fo much ufed by the
Chinefe, yaponefe, and their neighbouring
Nations : And Rhodius aflerts, that the Leaves
of Tea are, in a great meafure, like thofe of
the Myrtle, and, in Bulk, equal to thofe of
the Pomegranate, I have, in a particular
Manner, mentioned the Crenations of the
Leaves, becaufe no fuch Circumftance is fpe-
cified, either hjDodonceus, in his Defcription
of the Chamelceagnus, or by Trigautius and
Rhodius, in their Accounts of the Leaves of
Tea, which, according to Olearius, are about
an Inch long, half an Inch broad, and, when
dried, afliime a blackifli Colour, all which
Circumftances hold true of the Chamelceag-
nus, Tulpius informs us, that the Leaves of

Tea

r E A. 65

^ea are of a dark green Colour, oblong,
acuminated, and crenated about the Edges 5
and Bontius defcribes them with fmall Inci-
fions about the Edges, like thofe oithtDaify:
Befides, if the Reader compares what Dodo-
^nceus advances, with refpedt to the native Soil
of the Chamelceagnus , with the Defcription
I have given of it^ he will find it probable that
it is alfo produced in Tartary ; fo that we
have juft Reafon to conclude, that the Cha
of the T'artars, and Thee of the Chinefe^ are
nothing elfe but the European Ckamelceagnus^
Another Analogy is alfo to be obferved be-
tween the l.eaves of Tea^ and thofe of the
Chamelaagiiiis^ which is, that only the lar-
ger Leaves of each of them are crenated. If
it fhould be obje(fled, that Dodonceus inclined
to infinuate, that the Leaves of the Cha-
melceagfius are like thofe of the Myrtle ; and
that the Leaves of the true Myrtle are not
crenated : I anfwer, that I am fufSciently
apprifed of this ; but, at the fame time,
would have the Objector remember, that
Cafpar Bauhine finds fome Things wanting
in ' the Figure of the Chamelaagnus^ exhi-
bited in the Latin Edition ©f Dcdom^us, and
for that Reafon, prefers the Figure in the
Dutch Edition to it. His Defcnptio is alfo
very defective, fince he neither mentions the
Crenation of the Leaves, nor the Sporting
of Nature, which are very material Points ;
F lince

66 A TREATISE on

fince theLeaves are not all crenated in the fame
Manner, and fometimes not crenated at all,
efpecially at the Points, till they have arrived
at a certain Age and Bulk. Similar Sport-
ings of Nature are frequently to be obferved ;
fmce, in one and the iame Mallow, it often
happens, that one Leaf is not like another.
Th^re is alfo a furprizing Variety, both in
the Form and Number of the Leaves of the
Eupatorium Canadenfe Foliis Enula Jacobi
Cornuti of the Lyjimachia Lutea Major and
Minor, and of the Pfeudolyjimachia. It is
alfo fufficiently known, that the Peruvian
Flower in Europe, varies every Day confide-
rably from the fame Flower in Peru ^ but
we are not, for this Reafon, to deny that
they both belong to the fame Species. Thus,
though in Europe, there is a Kind of Sport-
ing of Nature in the Leaves of the Chamela-'
agnus y yet all thefe Leaves, when moft ac-
curately compared with the 'Tarta?''ian or
Chinefe Tea, are only found to dijffer incon-
fiderably from them in Size, Colour, and
Crenations : So that we may conclude, that
the Shrub Chamel^agnus belongs to the fame
Species with the T'ea of the Tartars and
Chinefe : But, left my own Authority fhould
be queftioned, I fhall, from that of other
Botanifts, prove this furprizing Variation in
our own Chamelce agnus, I am indeed forry
that the Chamelceagnus is not fufficiently and

fully

Tea, 67

■fully treated of, either in the laft Edition
of T'abernemontanus^ or in the Ebrodimenfe
Herbarium, But we muft fupply this De-
fed: from BauhinCy whoj in Ptnax, 40. Lib.
II, SeB, 4. tells us, '' That the Rhu$ Myr^
*^ tifolia Belgica^ or ChamelceagnuSj has its
•' Leaves fometimes broad, and fometimes
*' narrow j and I have been" told by Dr.
^' Backma/ter^ that its Leaves are fometimes
^* crenated like thofe of a Shrub ; fuch as
" the Rofemary oi t\\Q Northern Nations, or
" our ov^n Myrtle J' In 1622, when walk-*
ing in a Copfy Field, near Rojiocky I broke
off a fmall Twig of this Chamelceagnus in
the Spring, before it was in the Flower.
This I carefully preferved till it was fully
dry, and found the Leaves exactly to refem-
ble thofe of the Chinefe Tea ^ in Tendernefsy
Size, Colour, and Crenatlons. But that this
Affinity and Refemblance might be ftill far-
ther evinced, I hdNtyin^adripartit, Botan,
given a Cut of one of the tender Leaves of
the Chamelaagm^s, gathered in the Springs
and another of a full grown Leaf, gathered
in the Summer 5 and to thefe I have added
two Cuts of T'ea Leaves, produced in China :
But, fome may objeft, that the Chinefe Tea
differs from the Chamelaag72us, becaufe, ac-
cording to Rhodius^ the Leaves of the former
appear in the Beginning of the Spring at
Nanquin and Chim 5 and, when dried ^ are (o
F 2 ~ ' far

68 A TREATISE on

far from refembling Leaves, that they rather
feem to be fmall Buds or Gems of Shrubs, or
Trees : Whereas, the Branches of our Cha-
melee agniis are not cut, till the Middle, or
latter End of the Summer, and are negligently
hung up in the Shops, with the Leaves, Seeds,
and Flowers. Thefe Circumftances, I con-
fefs, muft produce a confiderable Difference
in thefe Leaves, not only with refpedt to Co-
lour and Smell, but alfo, perhaps, with re-
fpefl: to Qualities and Virtues. If I fhould
be asked, whether it is expedient to recom-
mend the Chamelceagnus as a Succedaneum,
to the Chinefe Tea ? I anfwer, it is highly
expedient. If it fhould be faid, that it affefts
the Head ; I reply, fo does Betony^ which
procures a certain Hilarity, or Agihty, to the
Brain and Members, by which Means, it
greatly invigorates the Animal Faculty : For
this fpecific Quality of T'^^, it is fomuchufed
by Statefmen, in order to render them brisk
and adlive, for the Difcharge of their Offices :
For this Clafs of Men, as well as Phyficians,
are allowed lingular and uncommon Indul-
gences by Flato^ in hib, 3. de Republica,
" The Gods, fays he, can obtain no good
'^ End by lying to Mortals ; but, a Lie may
.** be ufeful to fick Perfons ; for which Rea-
*^ fon Lying is pardonable in Phyficians, im-
*' mediately employed in their Bufinefs, but
** not at at all in Perfons of a private Cha-

** rafter.

r E A. 69

" rafter. In Governors alfo, Lying is par-
" donable, when it "has a Tendency, either
" to promote the Good of their Subjedls, or
'* fruftrate the Defigns of their Enemies/'
Some affirm, that Ale, prepared with the
Chamelceagnus, excites violent Head-achs,
from which they infer, that its Sulphur is
injurious to the Head : But I would have fuch
Perfons remember, that the beft Things may
be ufed to Excefs. Thus a Pain is imrne-
diately produced in the Head, by the Abufe
of the Wine of the Rubus Idceus^ or that in
which the Pimpinella Sanguiforba has been
macerated. Hence, if you mix but a fmall
Quantity of the Chamelceagnus, full of its Seeds,
with Ale, fuch Ale will fpeedily intoxicate
thofe who drink it 5 but if you put only a
few of the Leaves to the Ale, it v/ill revive
the Spirits as effedlually as the Aftatic Tea.
At the Hague, Sinapi is called Senney, and in
the Netherlands^ Muftard -, but this Change
of Names does not hinder Sinapi from being
an Herb of the fame Species in thefe different
Parts. In Europe we are to have a due Re-
gard to the moft commodious Time of
gathering the Leaves of the Cha?nelceagnii$y
which, in AJia, is the Sprifig^ and after they
are gathered, we are carefully to keep them
in large, clofe-ftopped Veffels. Befides, we
are to conlider, that the Climates of Afia
and Europe differ very widely ; though I
F 3 have

70 A TREATISE on

have fliewn, that from the fame Elevation of
the Pole, fome Northern Countries have a
Climate, not much unlike to that of the
Tartars. But fome may fay, granting that
the Chamelceagnus^ or Myrtus Nojiras SyU
nJ^Jiris^ is really the Cha of the 'Tartars^ and
the 7he of the Chinefe and Perjians ; yet it
liever arrives at fuch Perfection in any Part
of Europe^ as in Tartary or China : This,
perhaps, I may grant, with refpedl to China^
but not with refpefl: to Tartafy^ for the Rea-
fons before fpecified, and on account of the
Climate, which, it is to be fufpeded, pro-
duces Tea of little or no Value ; for i't is not
fo much as mentioned in the following Ac-
count of the Tartars, and their Herbs, given
hy Antonius Maginus, in Comment. Nov, Geo-
graphy ^^ The Tartars live in a moft fordid,
'^ nafty Manner -, ^ finee only a very few of
" them ufe Table-CIoths and Napkins at
'' their Meals : They drink Water, Milk.,
'' and Ale prepared of Millet. Very little
" Wine is produced in their Country > and
wdth that which is imported they intoxicate
themfelves, which is with them confidered
as an honourable and glorious Things
They commend the Juice or Milk of Sor-
rel, becaufe it corroborates the Stomach,
^' and proves purgative at the fame Time.
*' They chearfully eat various Herbs, efpe-
^* cially liTcli as grow near the Tanais^

^* among

cc

cc

6C

TEA. 71

** among which they greatly extol an Herb
*^ called Baltrecany which greatly nourifhes
*' them, and reftores their Strength. At the
" Seafon, therefore, when this Herb bears
" Fruit, the Tartars freely wander through
" thefe Defarts, in which no other Kind of
" Food or Aliment is to be found ; for, if
" they can provide nothing elfe, this Herb,
" which they frequently find, and carry
*' home on Carts and Horfes, proves fufS-
" cient for their Suftenance." But I ihall
proceed to contemplate our Chamelc^agnus,
with greater Accuracy. It is, therefore, cer-
tain, that Iceland f a cold and harfh Climate,
produces the beft Angelica in all Europe ; and
Norway^ which is fomewhat milder, though
intolerably cold in the Winter, yet affords
thofe large Quantities of Gentian^ and other
medicinal Herbs, which the Traders in G^r-
many and Holland have annual Occafion for.
It is therefore probable, that our Chamela-
agnus may alfo be pofTefTed of very Angular
medicinal Virtues ; and, that it is fo, we (hall
afterwards fully demonftrate. If it fhould
be objedled, that the Chinefe and Tartarian
Teas have become famous, but not the Eu-
ropean Chamelaagnus ; I anfwer, that the
Objeftlon has no Foundation in Reafon ; be-
caufe the Qualities and Temperaments of
Medicines are not altered by the Time at
which they began to be in Repute : Thus

F 4 the

72 A TREATISE on

*Be Angelica of Iceland, and the Norvegian
Gentian are celebrated in Europe ; and tho'
it is not to be doubted, but Tartary^ and
other Countries, lying under the lame Ele-
vation of the Pole, produce Angelica and
Gentian equally good, yet thefe Medicines
are not there celebrated, becaufe the Inhabi-
tants have not ventured upon the Ufe of
them. Thus, the perfumed Gloves fent us
from Greece, are more efteemed than thofe
fmelling of Amber ^ Musk, StaBe, and Caflia^
fent us from Italy^ and Spain^ only be^.
caufe they were famed before thefe latter
Countries began to ufe fuch a Pradlice ; fuch,
and fo great, is the Tyranny of Opinion,
and the Force of Cuftom ! It is, therefore,
merely an ill-grounded Opinion, to believe
that our Chamelaagnus is inferior in Virtues
to the Chinefe or ^Tartarian Tea ; or that it is
to be negleded, and not introduced into the
Shops. Nor is it reafonable to infer, that it
is not the Chinefe Tea^ becaufe it has never
been prepared in their Manner ; or that it
ought not to be fubftituted in its (lead, be-
caufe it has hitherto been little known, and
only ufed by a few inftead of Hops. Tho'
I am always willing to yield to fuperior and
more powerful Reafons, yet I cannot help
thinking, that our Chamelceagnus may be very
commodioufly fubftituted to the Chinefe Tea,
Thus the Scorditm of Crete is generally ~

thought

TEA. y^

thought the beft of all others, for no other
Reafon, but that it grows there. The Ger-
mans and Danes, however, ceafed to import
it from Crete and Venice^ after they difco-
vered the true Scordium^ and found large
Quantities of it produced in Lapland^ which
alfo yielded great Plenty, not inferior to that
of Afia ; fo that we defpife the AfiafiCy m
comparifon of our own. Thus, alfo, when
we jfound from Experience, that the Qualities
of our common Wormwood, were not in-
ferior to thofe of the Wormwood brought
from Pontus znd Rome, we ceafed to bring it
from thefe Places, and wifely ufed our own.
Hoffman^ in Lib, 2. de Med, Offic. §. 5. tells
us, ^' That thefe European Mountains which
^^ are moft expofed to a free Air, pro-
" duce the wild or common Wormwood -,
" whereas, thofe of the Pontic and Roman
'* Kinds, are only to be found in Gardens."
But how oppofite is our Conduft with refped:
to Tea, which, at greatExpenee and Trouble,
we bring from AJia, when large Quantities
of it are produced in Europe ? It is certainly
unaccountable, and an unpardonable Folly, for
a Man, who is rich at Home, to go Abroad
a;nd beg : Now, we are equally foolifli, for
defpifing that Plenty we have at Home, and
purchafing, at a great Price, the Chinefe Tea,
when its Virtues are almoft deftroyed, as I
ihall afterwards demonftrate. Some Perfons

may,

74 ^ TREATISE ^;2

may, perhaps, rejecft my Sentiments, unlefs
they found an exad: Agreement between the
Decodions oiChmefe znd T^artarian Tea, and
the_ ChamelaagnuSy in Colour, Tafte, Smell,
and other Qualities ; and I doubt not in the
leaft, but they would find this Agreement,
provided our Chamelceagnus was gathered at
a proper Seafan, treated in the fame Manner
with the ChiJieJe 'Tea, and prepared in the
Method ufed by them. I would have tried
Experiments of this Kind, had not I wrote
this Treatife ia the Winter Seafon ; but I
thought a Delay of its Publication might be
attended with bad Confequences ^ fince all
Europe has large Sums of Money annually
drained from it by the Afiatic Tea, I there-
fore obteft, not only all Phyficians, but alfo
others, fairly to examine, whether my Sen-
timents and Reafonings on this Particular are
true, or only probable ; for moft Truths, ac-
cording to Cicero, have the Difadvantage to
be blended with Falfhood and Erron But
fome Perfons may fay I advance many
Things without eftabliihing any. I own it
is fo ; for I am like the Images of Mercury
fet up by the Highways of the Antients,
which pointed out the Road to others, with-
out ever entering it themfelves. Perhaps
pradical Phyficians may blame me for ma-
king the Chamelceagnm a Succedaneum fcM*
the Chinefe Tea ^ fince it is fufficiently known

that

TEA. 7f

that the former greatly affecfts the Head, I .
own, indeed, I am fubjedl to Error and Mif-
take, as well as other Mortals ; But I would
have thefe Phyficians confider, that T^rigaU"
Uus and B-hodius affirm, that the Leaves of
Tea refemble thofe of the Myrtle. Now,
the Leaves of the Chamelceagnus^ when ar-
rived at their full Growth in the Summer^ are
fo like thofe of the Myrtle^ except that
thefe laft are crenated at the Points, that the
one cannot be diftinguifhed from the other.
They alfo produce an Effeft fimilar to thofe
of the Myrtle 5 we muft therefore compare
the Chinefe Tea^ the true Myrtle, and the Chor-
melaagnus, with one anqth^^^ in order, from
this Comparifon, to afcettain and determine
the Virtues and Faculties of the Leaves of
each of them. The Virtues and Faculties,
then, of 7>^, according to Tulpius, are thefe
following : "It renders the Body vigorous,
" and removes nephritic Pains, to which
" none of the Chinefe 2Lve, for this very Rea-
" fon, obnoxious. It carries off Pains and
'• Stuffings of the Head, Inflammations of
" the Eyes, Defluxions, Difficulty of Breath-
" ing, Weaknefs of the Stomach, Gripirigs
" of the Inteflines, and Wearinefs : It alfo
prevents Sleep, heats moderately, and by
conftriaing the Mouth of the Stomach,
hinders the Vapours from afcending to the
Head, This Liquor, when drank warm.

<c

76 A TREATISE on

" T^rigautim thinks highly falutary in a great
*' many Cafes/' Though I do not deny
thefe Things, yet, when the Chinefe affert,
that 'nothing is more conducive to the pro-
trading of Life to an extreme old Age than
Tea^xhty run into an Hyperbole, no lefs glaring
and often tat ious than that oi Cicero^ when de-
fcribing his own Return, in jL. Calphurn. Pif,
*' Rome herfelf, fays he^ feemed to move
*' from her Foundation, in order to con-
" template her returning Guardian and Pre-
*' ferver, whom flie received with fiich un-
" bounded and univerfal Joy, that even the
" Walls and Temples of the City feempd to
'* rejoice/' This Happinefs of the Chinefe^ is
intirely owing to other Caufes ; for their Air is
clement, and their Regimen fo temperate, as,
almoft, to come up to that of the Pytha-
goreans ; though the Tartars cannot boaft
either of fuch a Climate, orfuch Moderation.
But, with the Europeans^ a fuller and more
copious Diet is ufed, which is therefore pro-
dudl:ive of more Difeafes : Hence, the in-
comparable Bartholine^ in ConJiL Med, de
Cometa, gives the Europeans a moft falutary
Advice, by recommending a fpare and {len-
der Diet, and condemning a full and copious
Regimen : " Moderate eating of Flefb,7^j5
*' he, is to be injoined ; iince Excefs, in this
" Refped:, is the Origin of violent Putre-
" fadlion, and various Diforders. . Thus

" Diogenes

Tea. 77

^^ Diogenes apud Porphyr, in Lib, i . de Ab-
•' flinen, ufed to fay, that ' thofe who eat
" much were generallyThieves, and Soldiers;
" and fuch as eat Flefti were Sycophants and
" Tale-Bearers. Hence the ^adragejimal
" Faft, in ConciL Laodicen, Canon, 50. is or-
*' dered to be kept with Bread, Salt, and
" Water, as Chrijloph, Jujiellus explains
" the Word Et)^o(^cL\U from Epiphanius : "
Hence the eating little Fleih, but fomewhat
more Broth, is conducive to the Prefervation
of Health : So that the flender, fpare Diet of
t\iQ Afiatics protrafts their Lives to extreme
old Age; whereas, the full and luxurious
Regimen of the Europeans^ cuts them off,
before the natural Period of their Life is ex-
pired : So happy a Tendency have a clement
Air, and a proper Regimen, if not to pro-
tradl Life, yet, at leaft, to preferve Health,
and prevent Difeafes. Not only Tea^ which
we have from the Eajt^ but alfo Chocolate^
which is imported from thQ JFeJi Indies, be-
gins to be famous : With refpecS to this
latter Commodity, the Reader may confult
Antonius Colmerus de Ledefma, whofe Work
is tranflated from Spanijh into Latin, by
Marcus Aurelius Severinus, But I proceed in
the Hiftory of Tea, which is poffeffed of ad-
mirable Qualities ; fince, according to Rho-
dim, '' It relieves the Head, prevents Va-
[^ pours, - and is a Specific againfl the Hemi-

'* crania ;

7S A TREATISE on

" crania ; fince, when he was afflicfted with
*' this, or any other Diforderof the Head, he
*^ was, by drinking Tea, immediately re-
" lieved. It alfo prevents Sleep, corroborates
*' the Stomach, purges the Kidnies from
" Stones and Gravel -, and, according to Fa-^
*' re?tmSy is of lingular Efficacy in removing
" the Uneafinefs arifing from previous Sur-
" feits, and all pituitous Diforders/' Ok-
arius alfo affirms, that it is poffeffed of a con-
llridive and aftringent Quality^ and is high-
ly falutary to the Stomachy Lungs, Liver,
Blood, and all the human Vifcera^ which it
deterges and corroborates ; that it expels the
Stone, removes Head-achs, and dries up all
fuperfluous and redundant Homours, which
occafion Lazinefs and Drowfinefs. yohan-
nes Albertiis von Mandeljlo^ informs us, that
the Water impregnated with Tea^ is not only
much admired by the Indians, but alfo
highly efteemed by the Dutch, who fre-
quently ufe it for evacuating Phlegm, corro-
borating the Stomach, heating and ftrengthe^-
ing all the Vifcera ; and that he was con-
vinced, that by drinking three Times a-day,
large Quantities of 7f^, which is of an aftrin-
gent Quality, he was freed from a violent
Uneafinefs and Diarrhaa at Siirat. Guli^
elmus Leyl afferts, that it corroborates the
Stomach, and affifts its concoftive Powers,
heats the^Members, and- removes all excre-

mentitious

T E A. -79

mentitious Humours, which it expels by
Urine, or in fome other Manner ; that it
removes the Gravel and Gout, as he expe-
rienced in himfelf, when Governor of the
Camp of Danisburg^ in the Ifland of Cor-
mandely in the Eaji Indies 3 that he was
racked with the Gout upon his Return into
Europe ; that T^^ removes Intoxication, ren-
ders Men^a(flive in tranfadting Buiinefs, and
prevents Sleep. Though I do not in the
leaft doubt of the Truth of thefe Affertions,
yet I fhall prove, that the true Myrtle^ is
poffeffed of the fame, and other excellent
Qualities ; fince it not only feems to be^^ but
really is, a Species of Tea. If, therefore, the
Leaves of the DaniJIo and German Myrtle,
called Char?jelceagniiSy vary much among
themfelves, and greatly refemble Tea, may
we not conclude, that the Leaves of TCea^
the Myrtle^ and the Chamelcjeagnus^ alfo agree
in Virtues and Qualities. This is what I
now intend to evince. Hippocrates^ there-
fore, in order to fhew the Efficacy of the
Myrtle in curing and removing Difeafes, in
Lib, de Superfatat^ Se5i, 3. tells us, that
when the Mouth of the Uterus is prseter-
naturally conftridled, it is opened by a Suifu-
migation, for which Purpofe, among other
Things, he orders green Myrtle Leaves con-
tufcd. He prefcribes them green, and not
dry, becaufe the former moft abound with

Sulphur

8o A TREATISE on

Sulphur and volatile Parts -, whereas the lat-
ter contain little of thefe 5 but, on account
of their terreftrial, and fomewhat hot Parts,
are violently drying ; for which Craiis and
Diverfity of Parts, as Myrtle is but gently,
or hardly, hot at all, Galen calls it cold.
This EfFedt, therefore, mentioned by Hip-
pocrates, evinces, that Myrtle confifts of very
fubtle Parts, and is of a highly drying Qua-
lity. I am furprized, that the Writers of
the Chinefe Hiftory, have not determined,
whether Tea was beneficial for both Sexes.
The fame Hippocrates^ in Lib, i. de Morh,
Mulieb, Sedt, 5. Ver, 6. among other Things
proper for expelling a corrupted Fa^tus^ pre-
scribes Myrtle-Berries^ Sweet Flag, and Le?2^
tileSy boiled inWine, and, a little after, he re-
commends P^^^ry of the Leaves oi Myrtle for
the fame Purpofe : And in Lib,deNatur.Mu^
liebr, Se6l. 5. he orders the Fruit of the Black
Myrtle macerated in Water, and mixed up
with fine Flower, to be exhibited as a Me-
dicine for rendering the Body foluble, and
opening the Uterus. Galen alfo, in Lib. 7.
Med. Simpl. informs us, " That Myrtle con-
fifts of contrary and heterogeneous Sub-
ftances, that a cold and terreftrial Princi-
ple, however, predominates in it, not-
withftanding which, it has a certain fub-
tile Heat, in confequence of which, it is

of

IC

**^ of an highly drying Nature : That the
*' Leaves, the Buds, the Fruit, and the
" Juice, have different Degrees of Aftrin-
" gency 3 that the dried Leaves are more
" exficcant than fuch as are green 5 and that
" all Parts of the Plant are of an aftringent
" Quality, w^hether ufed internally or exter-
*' nally/' The fame Author, in Lib. 2. de
Aliment. Facultat, Cap. 18. affirms, that, like
the Fruit of the Juniper^ it nourifhes little^^
though it is poffeffed of a contrary Quality 2
" FoY^fays he, it is highly aftringent ; and,
" for that Reafon, ftops Fluxes -, but its
*^ Coldnefs does not bear a Proportion to
" the Degree of its Aftringency/' (Circum-*
ftances which ought to be carefully adverted
to in inveftigating the Virtues of Tea^ the
Myrtle^ and the Chamelaagnus) " becaufe
" it is not only aftringent, but alfo poffeffed
" of a -certain Acrimony* Befides, it is pe-
*^ culiar to all Aliments, poffeffed of a ftrong
" medicinal Quality, to lofe that Quality, '^
(which Words I would have the Reader
carefully obferve) " by boilings roafting, of
*^ Maceration ; after which they afford but
*^ little Nourifliment, and before none at
" all : This holds true in Onions and
" Leeks." Diafcorides^ in Lib, i. Cap. 156,
tells us, " That the Myrtle and its Seeds are
*^ of an aftringent Quality 5 and, that the
G Juice

82 A TREATISE on

*' Juice expreffed from the green Berries,

*•"" produces the fame Effects, is beneficial to

" the Stomach, creates a Difcharge of Urine,

'* and cures the Bites of venomous Spiders

'* and Scorpions, if drank in Wine/' He

alfo informs us, that there are two Kinds of

Myrtles, in like Manner as there, are two

Kinds oiTeay fent into Europe, by the Chi-

nefe. Atbenceus, In DeipnofcphiJi.'Lib, 15.

tells us, " That fuch of the Greeks 2i$ were

*^ ajfflicfted with Head-achs by drinking too

*' much Wine at their Feafts, flood in need

*\of a Remedy for their Diforder, which,

*' by a certain Inftinft of Nature, they knew

'^ to be moil ei^peditioufly removed by

y- Bundles of Flowers, and efpecially by

*' Garlands wore on the Head ; for, accord-

*' ing to A^idreas, when any one was feized

" with an Head-ach, his Pain was forth-

" with alleviated by tying it tight up:'*

(This may be accounted for from Harvey's

late Difcovery of the Circulation of the Blood)

" For this Reafon they fwathed the Heads

*' of thofe who had drank to Excefs, with

" a Crown wove of an hederaceous Plant,

" which is plentifully produced without any

" Culture, which is fufficiently beautiful, and

'' throws a grateful Shade over Forehead and

" Eyes. For this Reafon fuch Crowns feem

** to have been dedicated to Bacchus, who

*' both invented Wine, and was fuppofed to

" remove

r E A/ 8^

^^ remove the Diforders produced by it : But^
*^ in procefs of Time, Mankind became fo
" voluptuous, that they were not content to
*' have the Effects of Drunkennefs removed
" by this Diforder j but alfo fought to gra-
*' tiiy their Smell and Eyes, Then they
^* began to ufe a Crown of Myrtle^ which is
" aftringent, and difpels the Exhalations of
" Wine, or a Garland of Rofes, which, in
" fome meafure, alleviates the Pain of the
*^ Head; and cools thofe who are overheated
*^ by exceffive Drinking : But over their
" Cups, they never ufed the Laurel, which
*' is heating, and of a difagreeable Smell :
*' They alfo rejedted Violets, which by their
" Smell offend the Head, and every other
*' Thing, which could either create Uneafi-
^' nefs, or produce Obflrudions.*' And af-
terwards, he declares himfelf of Fhilonis''^
Opinion, in the following Words : " But I
*' am intirely of the Sentiments of Philonis^
" who affirmed, that a Crown of Myrtle
" difpelled the Vapours of Wine, and a
'^ Garland of Rofes refrigerated and allevi-
" ated the Pain of the Head." Bodaus, a Sta-^
pele?i. in Comment. Lib, 4. HiJi,Plant.Theophr,
informs us, from Clemens AlexahdrinuSy
*' that .the Myrtle was efficacious for exciting
*^ Laughter, which is reprefented as the Con-
^* comitant of ^'^'/^//^ : '' And he adds, that
M)t/Z? was fuppofed to be io grateful to this
G 2 Goddefs^

S4 A tREATISE on

Goddefs, that all who celebrated her Fefti-
yals, were adorned with Crowns of it. The
fame Author, from Athenaus informs us, that
thtLesbians crowned themfelves with Wreaths
of Myrtle Twigs, which they called Hypo-
thymidce ; becaufe, as he tells us, they re-
freihed and revived the Brain by their grate-
iul Fragrance. Thofe who delire to know
more concerning the Virtues of the Myrtle^
may confult the Hijior, Plantar. Univerfal,
Ebrodunens. Herbarior. Lib, 5. Cap. i.
where, what we have advanced, is farther
confirmed, or fimilar Qualities of the Myrtle
afcertained. But we proceed to enquire into
the Virtues and Qualities of the Myrtus
Brabantica, or Chamelaagnus. Though a
great deal is not faid of this Plant, which
Bauhine calls the Rhus Myrtifolia Belgica,
either by the antient or modern Botanifts ;
yet that it is poffeffed of Angular Virtues, is
evinced from this, that Plmy, in Lib, 24.
Cap. 1 1 . informs us, that the Herb called
Rhus, which, according to Clii/ius and Do^
donceiis, is our Chamelceagnus^ expels Poifon,-
and cures fcalled Heads ; a fignal Proof, that
whether green, or dry, it abounds with a An-
gular volatile Salt and Sulphur ; which is alfo
farther confirmed, partly by its acrid, tho*
not ungrateful Smell, and partly by the E£-
fefts it produces. This is fufficiently con-
firmed by the Authority of Dodonceus^ who

fpeaks^

TEA. ^ 85

fpeaks of its Qualities and Virtues in the fol-
lowing Manner : " Its Seeds, y^^i he, are in-
*^ tenfely hot and dry, almoft in the third
*^ Degree : Its Leaves are alfo hot and dry,
'^ though in a much fmaller Degree : Its
^^ Fruit, which is prejudicial to the Brain,
** when ufed in preparing Ale, which is
" cuftomary with many, renders the Ale
" highly offenfive to the Head, and foon
" produftive of Intoxication or Drunken-
*' nefs. The whole Shrub, and its Fruit,
^' when dried, and laid among Clothes, pre-
" ferve them from Moths and Worms.'* It
alfo banifhes Dormice, as I have obferved in
my ^adripartit, Botan. Befides, a certain
Perfon of great Diftindlion in Holjiein^ and a
Man of the ftrifteft Veracity, informs me,
that the Polanders ufe our Cha7neloeagnm for
killing the Lice of their Hogs; for, if this
Plant is ftrewed under them in their Styes,
the Lice which infeft them will be deftroyed
in a few Hours ; nor will their Nits ever
become alive. Befides, Serpents are never
found to have their Holes in thofe Forefts,
which produce the Chamelcjeagnm^ nor are
they ever obferved to come near it, much lefs
to creep through it, as I have been informed
by Foreft-Keepers of great Veracity. It is
not, therefore, to be denied, but the Chamela^
agnus is an Herb of fingular and excellent
Virtues, fince it produces thefe, and a great

many

86 A TREATISE on

many other uncommon EfFedls. Dalecham-^
fius^ Author of the Herbarum Lugdunenfe^
in Cap. I. gives us the following Account of
k : " The Rhus Sylvejiris Dodo?icei^ and the
^- Rhus Plinii feems to be another Plant ,
^^ which is by fome called the Myrtus, by
*^ others the Pfeudomyrfne ^ and the Myrtus
" Brabantica. It is a low, woody, hard Plant,
^' with many Branches, which bear pretty
" long Leaves, not unlike thofe of the Box^
" Tree, Between the Branches rife many
" Twigs, bearing, as it were, a great Num-^
^- bar of Ears, which are, at firft, loaded
" with many fmall Flowers, and afterwards
"^^ with a Congeries of many angular Seeds,
^^ full of a certain pingueous Humour, of the
/^ fame bitterTafte with the Leaves, Flowers,
^^ and Fruit, but of a pleafant grateful SmelU
"*^ The Inhabitants of Roan in Noi'-mandv.
*' whofe dark and gloomy Forefts produce
^' great Quantities of it, call it Piment Roy ale ^
*' as it were MelyJJbphyllum Regium, The
" Country People in Summer gather the
" Branches loaded with the Leave§ and
*' Seeds, tie them up in fmall Bundles, for
^* no other Purpofe, but to give Clothes an
*' agreeable Scent, and hinder them from
*' being corroded by Worms and Moths.
*' Its highly bitter Tafte evinces that it is
*^ remarkably drying and difcutient, and that
** it is in a peculiar Manner adapted to kill

" and

T £ A. 87

" and expel Worms, whether exhibited in-
" temally, or applied externally : It flow-
*' ers in the Months of May and June^ and
" bears Fruit in July and Augiifiy An
anonymous Author, who makes fome Ad-
ditions to Dodo7iceuSy fpeaks of it in the fol-
lowing Manner : "The G^^v^/has, in Eiig-
*• lijh^ the Appellation of Gold from the
" Gold-coloured Flowers, or the clammy
" fulphureous Matter lodged between the
" Seeds and their Husks. Gagel is, by fome,
" efteemed a good Remedy, in all Cafes,
" wherein the true Myrtiis is ufed ; but this
'' Opinion is falfe : The Flowers and the
" clammy fulphureous Subftance lodged be-
*' tween the Seeds, and their Husks, are,
" by fome, accounted good in Confumptions
" and all other D.iforders of the Breaft.
'' Thefe are alfo ufed in making Gold ;
" others ufe the whole Plant as an Antidote
" againft Poifon. Some put Gagel into
" Beer inftead of Hops 5 whilft others put
^' it into Muft, affirming, that it gives the
" Wine an agreeable Flavour, without inju-
'' ring the Brain.'' Thefe laft Words ex-
cellently defcribe thofe Virtues of the Cha-
mek^agniis^ in which it agrees with the Chi^
nefe Tea, efpecially as the Author had be-
fore informed us, that, in confequence of
its abounding with a vifcid, yellowifli Dew,
or rofcid Sulphur, it was of a drying Qua--
G 4 lity.

8S A TREATISE on

lity, and that it has hitherto been defpifed,
as an Herb poffefled of no other Virtues,
than that of intoxicating, when Ale is pre-^
pared with it ; and certainly, this EffeA is
to be afcribed to no other Caufe, than the
large Quantity of Sulphur contained in the
Chamelceflgnus : But I ana fenfible, that I
am entering upon chymical Principles,
which I have fully explained in another
Work, when treating of malignant Fevers,
and efpecially the Nature, Genius, and Ef-
fects of volatile Salts and Sulphurs. Now, as
no one has hitherto contradicted any of my
Opinions, I hope this feeming Paradox, with
refpecl to Tea, will meet with the like fa^
vourable Reception ; for, from the Compari-
fon inftituted between the Chinefe Tea^ and
the true Myrtle^ it is evident, that they
agree, not only in Form, but alfo in Virtues
and Faculties : And as, not only Tea^ but
alfo the Chamelceagnm^ is like the trueA/yr//if,
and maybeufed as a Succedaneum to it, we
cannot doubt, but the Chamelaagnus is the
genuine Cha of the Tartars^ or Thee of the
Chinefe ; and as I have fufRciently demon-
ftrated this, I hope the Europeans will not,
for the future, be fo foolifli, as to defpife
the Tea produced in their own Climate, in
comparison of that which is brought from
China : Befides, that Tea is nothing elfe but

our

r E A, 89

our ChamelceagnuSy may be proved by the
following Syllogifm.

Whatever Things agree in Form and Vir-
tues^ are of the fame Species :

The Cha of the Tartars^ the ^hee of
the Chinefe^ and our Chamelaagnus^ agree
in Form and Virtues :

Therefore, they are all of the fame Spe-
cies and Kind,

But Phyficians may objeft,that I am ftill be-
wildered,and at a Lofs ; fince the Chinefe Tea;
and our Chamelceagnus^ produce different Ef-
fedls : For, as all the Effeds which xhtChinefe
or Indians afcribe to their Tea^ feem to arife
from the Diverfity of its Parts, fome of which
are moderately warm, others exceffively dry,
fome grofs, and fome fubtle : Hence, both
T'^^^and the true Myrtle^ prevent Intoxication;
nay, an Infufion of Tea furprizingly keep$
thofe who drink it in China^ from ileeping
for fome Nights. It may, therefore, be ob-
jedled to me, that the Chamelceagnus is fo far
from preventing or removing Brunkennefs,
that it forthwith intoxicates the Perfon who
drinks the Ale in which it has been boiled ;
but thefe Effedts are as diametrically oppo-
fite to each other, as thofe others are of the

Chinefe

90: A TREATISE on

Chinefe Tea removing an Hemicrania^ and
Head-achs, and the European Chameloeagnus
exciting them : I anfwer, all this is true ;
but, at the fame time, it is to be re-
membered, that Galen every where demon-
ftrates, of how great Efficacy, the Diversity
of Parts, in a compound Body, is ; a memo-
rable Example of which he has given, in
Acorns arrived at perfefl: Maturity, in Tr, de
Compojit, Medicament, hoc. i. Lib, 6. I (hall
not affirm, that this Diverfity of Parts alone,
is fufficient to account for all the Effedis
produced by Tea^ and the Chamelceagnus :
But I am of Opinion, that both confidered,
with refpedl to their whole Subftance, and
the Mixture of Parts peculiar to each, aft not
fo much by their weak Heat, as by their
excellent drying Virtues ; fo that they pro-
duce their refpeftive Effefts only by their
primary or fecondary Qualities. But I can
eafily prove, whence this Difagreement of
Qualities derives its Origin. We are, there-
fore, to coniider, that the Chamelceagnus
abounds with a Salt, and a glutinous Sulphur,
of which, according to Dodonaus^ the Seeds
and Fruit cannot be deftitute : But, I deny
jhat this Sulphur is, in theleaft, offenfive to
the Brain and Nerves ; and affirm, that like
the Wreaths of Myrtles^ wore by the Les^
Mans, it, by its Fragrance, comforts and
revives the Brain 5 for, if it was otherwife,

I

TEA. 91

I do not fee how Minifters and Ambaffa-
^ors to the Courts of China, (hould often, by
theUfeof Ti?^, be enabled to attend Bufinefs
for whole Nights, without fleeping : This
Account, however, muft either be confirmed,
or refuted, by Experience. Diogenes Laer-
tins Informs us, that Democritus, when no-
thing elfe could be of any Service to him,
protrafted his Life three Days longer, only
by the refrefhing Smell of Bread, newly
taken from an Oven. Thus, alfo, the mo-
derate Ufe of Wine revives, corroborates,
and, by its Sulphur, dries the Nerves^ which
is fufficiently known by Dancers, who fre-
quently bath. their Feet in Wine, in order to
ftrengthen them 5 and by Muficians, who
take the fame Meafures with their Hands :
And if other Perfons would frequently bathe
their Feet and Hands with Wine, impreg-
nated either with Rofemaryy Sage, or Betony^
it is incredible, how much it would contribute
to their Health . Befides, it may happen,
that, by this Means, malignant Diforders may
be prevented. This Redundance, therefore,
of a volatile Sulphur in the Chamelceagnus^
which palpably affedts the Smell of thofe
who walk in Copfy Ground, difturbs the
Brain, intoxicates, and produces Head-achs.
Thus, in Wine-Vaults, a Perfon is intoxi-
cated by drinking, fooner than elfewhere,
becaufe the Wine^ though contained in clofe

Casks,

92 A TREATISE on

Casks, fends forth fulphureous Exhalations,
which efcape the Sight. It is certain, that
the Tartars import their Cha^ or Chamela^
agnus^ into China ; but, it is not, to me,
probable, that they prepare it in the fame
Manner with the Chine fe : For, if we con-
iider the Cuftoms and Regimen of the Tar^
tarSy we find them intolerably addidled to
Drunkennefs ; notwithftanding which, they
are very robuft and hardy : Hence, if they
eat Herbs crude, and alfo boiled, as they do
their Baltracan^ it is probable, they toaft
their Cha^ or dry it, and ufe it, whether after
a Crapula^ or not, and whether they are af-
flidled with a Pain of the Head, or not 5 pro-
vided they are intoxicated with it, as the
Country People of Europe are with the Cha-
melceagnus. In order to corredl this intoxi-
cating Quality of the Chamel(^agnu$, the Chi-
nefe gather the Leaves in the Spring, and
not in the Summer : Now, it is fiifficiently
certain, from chemical Obfervations, that the
fulphureous Parts of Herbs are eafily exhaled.
This was well enough known to Galen, fince^
in Lib. de Aliment, Facultat, Cap. 18. he
tells us, that the draftic Qualities of Subftan-
ces, that is, their faline, fulphureous, and vo^
latile Parts, are corrected, or drawn out by
boiling, roafting, or Maceration. Hence,
the Chinefe toaft, or carefully dry their Tea,
in a Stove ; after which, they macerate it

for

for a Quarter of an Hour in warm Water,
but do not boil it, left, by that Means, it
fhould be deprived of all its Virtues : Thus^
it is fufBciently known, that Rhubarb is de-
prived of its purgative Qualities by toafting
it, and Alexandrian Senna by being boiled,
and ftrongly expreffed. If, therefore, as I be-
fore hinted, the Europeans would imitate
the Chinefey they would only ufe thofe Leaves
of the Chamela^agnuSy which are gathered in
the Spring 5 but not the Shrub itfelf, nor the
Flowers, nor Seeds, boiled in Ale inftead of
Hops ; for the Leaves ought only to be mace-
rated : Nor is it probable, that the Chamela^
agnus, would intoxicate fo foon, if it was in-
tirely deprived of its Seeds ; for this Eifecfl is
produced by the Sulphur which abounds in
other Herbs and Shrubs, as well as the Cha-
melceagnus^ and is fometimes more, and
fometimes lefs volatile, or fixed : Thus, the
Scent of the Heart of the Mofchatella is in-
tirely loft, by being frequently fmelled. The
Geranium Mofchatum alfo, has this peculiar
to itfelf, that when it appears half withered,
it emits no Smell ; but fends forth a ftrong
one when gently rubbed between the Hands ;
for if it fhould be bruifed, the Labour would
be loft. Rue alfo contains fo volatile a Sul-
phur, that, when it is dry, it has almoft no
Colour, whilft its Seeds are oleous and fulphu-
reous. Wormwood holds a Kind of Medium,

con-

'^4 -^ TREATISE on

confifting of one highly volatile Principle,
which greatly aiFecfts the Head y for which
Reaibn fome wonld have it waflied in warm
Water before it is ufed for the Preparation
of the Vinu7n Abjiiithites^ and another of a
more fixed Nature ; as alfo a volatile and
fixed Salt: Thus, alfo. Garlicky Mother of
Thyme^ and efpecially the Laurel, abound
in Sulphur, as well as the Chamelceagnus, in
which, indeed, it is more flowly and difE-
culty confumed, than in the others. When:,
in order to inveftigate the Virtues and Fa^
culties of the ChamelceagnuSy I kindled fome
Part of it, together with the Seeds ; it did
not burn fuddenly, like the Juniper^ but
flowly, like the Beech, with certain Noifes,
or Kinds of Explofions, intermixed. The
Smoak, which filled the whole Laboratory,
was of an acrid Smell, highly refembling
that of the kindled Twigs of the Beech :
Hence, we infer, that the Chamelaagnus
contains a large Quantity of Sulphur and
^ volatile Salt. From thefe Reafonings and
Experiments, I think it is fufficiently ob-
vious, that it is, upon account of the grate-
ful and duly correfted Sulphur of the Chi-
nefe Chamelceagnus^ that the Brain is fo much
refreshed, and that Perfons who ufe it in
China, can, without any Lofs, fit up whole
Nights in tranfading Bufinefs ; a meraorable
Inftance of this we have mAlexanderRhodius^ .

who

T E A. 95

who always had Diforders of his Head re-
moved by drinking it : Whereas, the Eu^
ropean Chamelceagnus^ efpecially that which
is full grown, and abounds with Seeds and
Flowers, when boiled in Ale, intoxicates
thofe who drink fuch Ale, procures Sleep, and
excites Head-achs. Thefe Circumftance^,
when impartially weighed, will vindicate
me from Partiality, when I defpife thecoftly
Chinefe Ckamelceagnus, and, in its ftead, fub-
ftitute our own, a Shrub of uncommon and
excellent Qualities againft Poifon, and the
Bites of Serpents : Since, according to Pliny^
thefe noxious Animals cannot endure the
Smell of it. Thefe Virtues of the Cbame-
l^agmis, we can teach the AfiaticSy but can
hardly believe that, by Virtue of their Tea^
Perfons may fit up all Night, without fuftaiu-!
ing any Loifs.

Every one is convinced that two Kinds
of T'ea are fold in the Shops, one of a black-
ifti Colour, and the other of a faint Green ;
the one pretty much, and the other farlefs
qrenated: This Variation of the Chinefe Tea,
I can liifficiently account for ^ lince Tulpius
tells us, that the Leaves of the Chinefe Tea
2u:e of a dark green Colour -, whereas thofe
produced in Japan are of a fainter Colour,
aaadmore grateful Tafte ^ for which Reafon,
one Pound of the latter is, in the Indies, fre-
quently

-^6 A TREATISE on

quently fold for an Hundred Libra of* Silver^
or, according to Trigautius, only for ten ot
twelve Nobles. Notwithftanding this, the
Shopkeepers of Amjierdam and Hamburg fell
a Pound of this Commodity for eight iVi?-
bles^ as I have often before obferved,

I cannot, on this Occaiion^ forbear re-
commending the Conduft of Oluh Wormius^
who, in his Mufceum^ Lib. 2, Cap, 14^ in-
forms us, that he macerated a certain Quan-
tity of both Kinds of 'Tea^ in warm Water,
and found theLeaves of the one, when fpread,
of a dark green Colour, crenated like Rofe^
I'ree Leaves, oblong, and about an Inch in
Length. Mv. Harford^ the King's Apothecary,
made me a Prefent of two large Boxes full
of Tea^ of different Colours : In the one
Box, which contained the green, I found
neither Stalks, nor Flowers, nor Seeds of the
Plant, but only the Leaves ; but, in turn-
ing over the Bohea Teay contained in the
other Box, I found three Stalks, fo nearly
refembling thofe of the Myrtle^ that, not
only Mr. HurfordzxiA. I, but alfo fome others,
thought that they might be juftly accounted
the Stalks of the Myrtle : This, in fo du-
bious a Cafe, is a pretty flrong Argument,
that Bohea ^ea is adulterated with Myrtle^
which may, very properly, be fubftituted in
its ftead, or rather exadly agrees with it.

This

TEA. 97

This blacker Species of T'ea^ or Myrtle^ is
far cheaper among the Indians than thq
green Kind* The celebrated Olaus WormiiiSy
on account of the vaft Diverjfity in the Leaves
of T'eUy fufpeds that the Leaves of fome
other Plant are often fold in their Stead.
This alfo, as I before obferved, often hap-
pens with refpecft to 'Tohacco. That I might
noti however, be charged with Rafhnefs, or
falfly acculing thQAfiatics of Fraud, I thought
it incumbent upon me, attentively to view
the Chinefe Tea 5 for which Purpofe, I or-
dered Mr. Harford'^ two Apprentices, to
pick out fome of the largeft, and moft perfedl
7>^ Leaves, to be macerated in warm Water,
and then ipread and unfolded : According-
ly they fhewed me ten, which were neither
lacerated, nor torn 5 and two of the moll
perfeft of which were accurately engraved
hy Albert Halwey^ the King's Engraver. See
Hijior, Cochlear, 4. ClaJJ] ^adripartit. Bo-
t antic. Thefe Leaves were of different Shapes
and Bulks, but fo like thofe of the Cha-
melceagnuSy that the one could hardly be di-
• ftinguiflied from the other. The Leaves of
the green Kind feemed tabe produced by an
Herb, or Shrub, of a quite different Species
from, the CbamelceagnuSy the Leaves of which,
when gathered fmall, and in the Spring,
make, in my Opinion^ the moft genuine
Tea.

H But

9? A TREATISE on

But though I have before iliewn, from the
Authority of Bauhine, that the Leaves of
one and the fame Chamelceagnus^ fport and
vary confiderably from each other ; yet, I
would notj becaufe this may alfo probably
happen to the Chinefe Tea^ have any one
infer, that, in China, the T'ea, which fome
maintain to be the Cha of the T'artars, is
not adulterated. I am, indeed, of Opinion,
that it is adulterated, but never either affirmed,
or fo much as intended to infinuate, that Na-
ture fported and varied fo in the Chamelce^
agnus, either of the Tartars^ or Europeans^
as to produce Leaves of a different Species :
Nor is this Variation, and Sporting of Na-
ture, furprizing in the Chamelaagnus ; fince
it is equally, if not more, palpable, in Prunes
of different Colours, Peaches, Apricots,
fweet and bitter Almonds, and the Leaves
produced by thefe Trees. I have often care-
fhlly viewed and turned over all the three
Thcf4fand Plants, with which my Repofitory
is enriched, in order to fee whether any of
them refembled the fpurious Chinefe Tea^ or
that with which the genuine is adulterated ;
and I found the Leaves of two Shrubs highly
fimilar to thofe of the fpurious Tea : The
one is by Carolus Clujius^ in Lib, 5. Rarior^
Pla?2tar, Hi/ior. Cap, 20. called Pyro/^ quarta
Frtiticans ; and Bauhine^ in his PinaXy calls
it the Pyrola Frutefcens Arbuti Folio : The

other

TEA. 99

other IS a Shrub, called by CluJiuSy in Lib,,
I. Hijlor, Plant. Cap. 53, the Spiraa Theo-
phrafti^ and by Bauhine^ Fruteoa Spicatus
Foliis Salignis Serratus diBus.

As it was expedient to compare my De-
fcription of the ChinefeTea with thofe which
Dodonaus gives of the Herb Befony^ and the
Chamelcsagnus • fo, in this Place, I think it
proper to infert the Defcriptions which Clu--
Jim has given of the Pyrola Fruticans^ and
the Spiraa Hheophrafti • the former of which
he defcribes in the following Manner : " One
*' Genus of this Plant is fometimes of a
** fhrubby Nature 5 for new, Ihort, and fmall
" Branches fpringing up every -Year, remain
** firm and green for fome Years, and rife
^^ above the Earth, till by their own Weight
*^ they bend downwards, hide themfelves in
" theGround, and fometimes fend out fibrous
*' Roots. Two, three, or four fmall car-
** nous Leaves generally grow between the
*^ Nods t The fuperior Parts of thefe Leaves
" are of a deep green Colour, and fhining,
** whilfl, in Form and Bulk, they almofl
" refemble thofe of the Chamadapkne^ ot
** Laureoky only they are ferrated about the
" Edges, arid of an highly drying and bit-
" terifh Tafte, like the Leaves of the other
" Species of Pyrola.'' Thefe lafl Words
ought carefully to be adverted to. The fame
H z Ckfius^

loo A TREATISE on

ClufmSym Lib, i. in Rarior Plantar, Hi'
Jlor, defcribes the Spiraa in the following
Manner : *' It rifes to about the Height of
'' two Cubits, with fmall Branches, or
*' Twigs, covered with a reddifh Bark. A-
/' mong thefe Branches arife, without any
" Order, numerous, long, and narrow
*' Leaves, refembling thofe of the Willow,
*' ferrated about the Edges, with their fu-
" perior Surfaces of a faint green, and their
" inferior as if they were befprinkled with
*• Verdegreafe : They are of a drying and
'' kind of bitter Tafte/' The laft Words
of this Defcription are alfo to be carefully
adverted to, fince the Leaves of Tea are not
only ferrated, but alfo of a drying and bitter
Tafte. As, therefore, the Pyrola Fruticans
of CluJiuSy and the Spircea of 'iheophrajius,
and efpecially the former, are of a drying and
bitterifh Tafte, it is highly probable, that
the Chinefe Tea may be adulterated with one,
or both of thefe ; efpecially, iince they not
only greatly refemble each other in Form,
but alfo in Tafte, A Cut of one Leaf of the
Pyrolay I have annexed to the Defcription
of Scurvy-Grafs, in my ^adripartitiumy
No. 9. and another of a Tea-Leaf ^ produced
in China, As for a Cut of the Spiraa^ the
Curious may have recourfe to Clufius^ or
they may find one Leaf of it accurately en-
graved in Plate 2, of this Work ^ where

two

"T E ^. 101

two Leaves of Chhtefe Tea are engraved.
The larger of thefe is fo like the Spircea
of T'beophra/ius^ both in Length, Breadth,
Bulk, the Courfe of the Veins, and the Dif-
pofition of the Crenations, that there is hard-
ly the fmalleft Poffibility of diftinguifliing
the one from the other : But bpth thefe
Leaves are vaftly unlike to that Ted Leaf
which, in No. 7. of the laft cited Plate, I
ordered to be engraved, with the Cochle^
aria Danica : But the other fmall uncrenated
Leaf is like the Chinefe Tea^ as the latter is like
the Chamelceagnus^ which, as I have already
obferved, fports and varies very furprizingly
in its Leaves : This latter, I take to be ge-
nuine Tea 5 whereas, I am of Opinion, that
the former, refembling the Spircea^ is ipu-
rious. Since, therefore, both Tartary and
China^ abound with the Pyrola, and the
Spircea of Theophrujlus^ I think we have juft
Reafon to conclude, that all the Leaves
fold among us ^oxTea^ have not been gathered
from one Species of Shrub, or Herb, but
ar^ adulterated with thofe of the Pyrola^ the
Spiraa, or fome other Shrub ; among which,
we may juftly reckon the Rhus^ or Sumach^
on account of the Similarity of its Leaves,
Flowers, Tafte, and Bulk; though I am
fenfible, that the celebrated Baiihine^ in his
PinaXy has placed it among the Species of
Agnus CaJluSy and made it a Kind of inter-
H 3 mediate

102 A TREATISE on

mediate Plant, between the Vitex and Lu
guftrum, calling it Frutex Spicatus Foliis Sa^
lignisferratis. In confequence of this, it
feems dubious to what Kind of Shrubs it is
principally to be referred : Its Flowers grow
in a Ipicated Order, on the Tops of the
Twigs, like thofe of the Agnus Cajius ; fo
that the Spiraa very much refembles the
Vitex : But, when the Flowers, and crenated
Leaves of the Spiraa^ are accurately viewed,
we find, that it is more juftly referred to the
Rhus, or Sumach^ than to any other Species
of Shrub. As neither Theophra/ius, CluJiuSy
nor Bodaus a Sfapelen^ have mentioned its
Virtues, I fliall notaffert that they agree ex-
adlly with thefe of the Chinefe Tea ; only,
it is highly probable, that the Chinefe "Tea is
adulterated with the Spircea^ either by the
Afiatic or European Dealers. Avarice has
not only prompted People to this Piece of
Fraud, but alfo to lodge T*obacco in OfRce-
Houfes, in order to render it more acrid.
In order to evince how like the Chinefe, or
yaponefe Tea is to the Spircea, I refer the
Reader to Tab, i. Fig. 6, & 7, the former
of which is a Leaf of Tea, and the latter
that of the Spiraa,

Happening one Day to vifit Hieronymus
Molmanus, a learned Jefuit, to whom I com-
municated my Paradox sihoutTea ^ that Gen-
tleman,

1 E A. 103

tleman, upon my commending Trigautim
and RhodiuSy ordered me to read Martini
Martinii novus Atlas Sinenfis, as the beft and
lateft Account of the Eajl Indies^ or rather
of China, When I found this Work, I was
glad to meet with a Defcription of the Cha^
in the Account of theTown Hojechu in Nan-
quiuy in which the Author affirms, that it is
no where better and more valuable. Marti-
nius informs us, that the Chinefe Tea belongs
to the RhuSy and is highly fimilar to it:
But this RhuSy as I have already fhewn from
Pliny^ CluJiuSy Dodonc^euSy and Dakchampius^
is the fame with our Chamelceagnus, Hence,
it is not only obvious in itfelf, but con-
firmed by the Authority of MartiniuSy that
the Chinefe are guilty of Fraud and Impof-
ture in adulterating their 7V<^.

The Defcription which Martinius gives
of the Thee, is as follows : " The Leaves,
" moft commonly known by the Name of
" Cha^ are no where more valuable, than in
*^ the Province of Nanquin ; and, for the
*' Sake of the Curious, I fhall defcribe them
as briefly as poffible. The Leaf is exactly
fimilar to that produced by the Rhus Co^
riaria ; and I am apt to think the former
is a certain Species of the latter, though
the Thee is not wild, but cultivated, is not
a Tree, but a Kind of Shrub, fending forth
H 4 " various

<c

104 A TREATISE on

' various fmall Branches : The Flowers of
' the one do not much differ from thofe
*^ of the other, except that thofe of the
*' latter are of a more yeliowifh White than
'^ thofe of the former. The Tea flowers in
'' tht Spring, and the Flower emits a gently
^' fragrant Smell. It is fucceeded by a green
'^ Berry, which foon affiimes a blackifh Co-
^' lour : The tender Leaves appearing in
^^ the Spring, are thought beft. Thefe,
^' when gathered, they put into an Iron
^^ Fan, over a How Fire, and heat them a
^' little ; then they put them in a thin fine
^^ Cloth, and again expofe them to the Fire,
■^ till they are intirely dry, and ihrunk up,
^' When thus prepared, they generally keep
*' them clofe flopped leaden Veffels, in order
^' to prevent Evaporation, and the freeAcceft
^' oftheAir. Afterthey have been kept along
^' Time, they refume their primitiveVerdure,
^^ and expand themfelves when put into boil-
^' ing Water, in which they produce a green*.'
^' ifli Colour, and communicate to it a pretty
■ ' grateful Tafte, efpecially to thofe who are
accuftomed to drink it. The Chinefe
greatly extol the Virtues of this warm Li-
quor, which they frequently ufe by Day
and Night, making it the common En-
tertainment for Strangers and Vifitors.
The Price is very various, fince a Pound
afcends from an Halfpenny, to two, or

'' or

cc

r £ A. io$

* * or more, Nobles : To this Liquor, it is
" principally faid to be owing, that the.
^^ Chineje are never afflifted with the Gout
" and Stone. When drank after Meals, it
** removes Crudity and Indigeftiort, for it
*' greatly affifts Concodion : It affords Re-
" lief after hard Drinking, and Surfeits of
*^ every Kind ; for it is of a drying Quality,
*^ removes fuperfluous Humours, expels fom-
^^ niferous Vapours, and prevents Drowfi-
" nefs and Oppreffion in thofe who incline
" to ftudy : It has various Names in China,
" according to the Places where it is produ-
- ' ced, and the different Prices of it. The
beft in Nanquiuy is generally called Sun-^
glocha. For a farther Account, the Cu-
rious may conialt Rhodius de Regno Twi--
** king J' Martinius alfo inforrns us, that
the City Lucheny in the Province of Kiang-'
^an^ is celebrated both for the great Quan-
tities, and the Goodnefs of its T^ea*

I could heartily wifh, that all the pradli-
cal Phyficians in Europe would concur to
giving a Sandlion to this Dodlrine by their
Pradlice ; for, befides the Teflimonies of
Trigautius and Rhodius, I am certain from
Experience, that the Cha is the Rhus Co^
riaria^ or a certain Species of it, whofeQua-^
lities and Marks are known from what has

been

cc

cc

io6 A TREATISE on

been already faid. I do not, in the leaft,
doubt, but the Cha of the Tartars^ or the
Thee of the Chinefe^ is our ChamelceagnuSy
or Pliny's Herb Rhus ; efpecially fince C/w-
JiuSy in AiiElar, Eyioticor. Libror. exprefly
aflerts, that from the Cuts of fome Chinefe
Books, which Pavius and Jofeph Scaliger
received in a Prefent from fome Eq/i India
Merchants, though coarfely engraved, he
perceived that many Chinefe Plants are 'ex-
adlly fimilar to fome of thofe produced in
Europe, This Circumftance renders it highly
probable, that China which borders upon
Tartary^ produces our Chamelceagnus. I am
heartily forry, howeyer, that I have not had
an Opportunity of converfing with Mar-
tinius on this Subjedt, jSnce, according to
Galen ^ in Lib. de Compof. Med, Cap, 3. read-
ing an Author^s Works, is not fo Satisfac-
tory, as a perfonal Converfation with him.
However, as I have only followed Reafon,
and the Courfe of my own Thoughts, I
hope I fhall have no Caufe to repent my
Labour ; fince, according to Corneliui Ta--
citusy in Annal, 15. many Things are obtained
by Experiments and Efforts, which, to the
lazy and fluggiih Part of Mankind, feemed
highly difficult, if not impoffible. Thus the
Romans^ by Bravery and Aftivity, raifed their
originally petty State^^ to a moft extenfive

and

TEA. 107

And powerful Empire. Columbus difcovered
America by Reading and making* Efforts
for that Purpofe. Copernicus^ and Ticho
Brahe, by their extenfive Acquaintance with
Mathematics, difcovered and demonftrated
many important Things, unknown to our
Forefathers. The illuftrious Hoffman^ in
Parakip. Officinal^ when giving a noble
Scope to his Imagination, in the Inveftiga-
tion of Mineral Waters, tells us, that the
advancing probable Things, is an Advan-
tage to the Caufe of Truth, and was always
looked upon as fuch by Plafo^ Arijiotle^ Ga^
len, and all other Philofophers. Notwith-
ftanding the incomparable Learning and
Induftry of MartiniuSy I cannot compre-
hend fome Things in his Defcription of
^ea 'y for I cannot conceive why he afferts,
that the Rhus Coriaria is not wild, but culti-^
vated among the Chinefe 3 fince Matthiolus^
Bauhine^ 'Sixxdi Hoffman, do not, with Galena
make a Diftinftion between the Rhus Co-
riaria, and Culinaria^ which, by Trigautius
and RhodiuSy is called the Cha^ or Thee ^
but if Martinius had mentioned the Myrtle^
I fhould have conjecftured, that he followed
other Botanifts, who exclude the Myrtus Syl^
*uejlris Diofcoridis^ in the Shops known by
the Name Rufcus, or Brufcus^ from the
Species of true Myrtles. Thus Marcellm

Vir^

io8 A TREATISE on

Virgilius^ m Comment, in Diofcorid. Lib. il
Cap. 132. makes a great Difference between
them in the following Paifage : •* The
" Myrtus Sativa o{ Pliny, which. I defcribe
- " in this Chapter, is not like other Plants,
*' fown in continued Tradls of Ground 5
" and though it thrives better in Gardens,
*' than in uncultivated Soils, this is not the
" only Difference between it and the Myr-
** tus Agrejiis^ which is a Plant of an in-
*' tirely different Kind, which the Greeks
*^ call Oxymyrfene, and the Latins, Rufct^s^
" for, upon Comparifon, the Myrtle is
" milder than the Rufcus, whof^ cufpidat^d
*' Leaves are pricking and fliarp. It is,
*^ however, certaiin, that the Rufcus was,
"by fome of the Antients, called Myrtus
" SyheJif'-isJ' I do not remember, that any
Botanifl has brought fuch a Charge againft
our Chamelceagnus, fince it-is univerfally enu-
merated among the Species of true Myrtle,
though of the wild Kind. The Reafon
vA\y^ Marfiniiis calls the Chamelceagnus a
cultivated Plant, as I fuppofe, is, hecaufe
the Chinefe, feeing us fo fond of Tea, have
begun to cultivate it, in order to draw the
Profits arifing from it, juft as the Europeans
do the Vine, for the Sake of the Grapes,
the Perfians the Mulberry-Tree, for the Silk ;
the Inhabitants of Narbon and Proveitce, the

Ile^

^ E A. 109

Ilex Coceigeray for the Sake of the Cochineal •,
or the Americans the Tobacco^ on account of
the large Quantities of it imported into Eu-^
rope. As Trigautius thinks it not impoffible
for Tea to grow in fome Parts of Europe^
and as Rhodius affirms, that the Chinefe are
as bufy in the Time of gathering their Tea^
as the Europeans are in their Harveft ; fo,
it is probable, that fonie Trails of Land
may be fown with Tea in China ; not-
withftanding ^which, it is more agreeable
to the ufual Way of fpeaking, to call Tea
rather a wild, than cultivated Shrub. The
Chinefe alfo, according to RhodiuSy do not
gather all the Leaves produced by the Shrub,
but only fuch as appear firft in the Springs
and are foft and tender, which they alfo
gather, one after another. -^Hence I infer,
that the Leaves in the Summer ^ are very un-
like thofe in the Spring, which is alfo ob-
ferved in thofe of our Chamelceagnus, with
refpeftto Softnefs, Smoothnefs, and Colour;
fo that it is not to be wondered at, if the
Chinefe Chamelaagmis appears milder than
our own; fince they colled:, prepare, and
dry theirs in a quite different Manner from
us : " For, firft, they put it in an Iron
^' Pan, and warm it gently over a flow Fire ;
*' then, they wrap it up in a fmooth, thin
" Cloth, and again expofe it to the Fire, till

it

^no ^A TREATISE en

it is corrugated, and fhrivelled up/' Hencef
it is, that our Chamelceagnus^ when mace-
rated in warm Water, is of a different Co-
lour, Tafte, and Smell from the Chinefe TeUy
though their EfFefts are the fame, only thofe
of the former are ftronger and more con-
liderable than thofe of the latter. If, there-
fore, in our Country^ the Chamelceagnus was
gathered with the fame Circumftances^ Pains,
and Precautions obferved by the Chinefey I
doubt not but it would be equal to their
^ea ^ for if the fame Meafures are not ta-
ken in the Preparation of the fame Herb^
how is it poffible, that it fhould produce fimi-
lar and uniform EifFefts, efpecially if the one
is gathered in the Springs and the other in
the End of .the Summer : The one artificially
dried in the Houfe, and the other dried ^ in
the open Air by the Heat of the Sun ; the
one coUefted when it begins to appear, and
other when the Plant is fiill of a rofcid,fulphu-*
reousDew, and bearsFlowers, and Seeds. For
this Reafon, &y&^r^Wjuftly obferves, '* That
" when many Things concur to the Pro-
" duftion of the fame Effed j all thefe
'* Things ought to be exadtly the fame. '*
Hoffman^ in Comment. Lib. j. reprefents this
Dodlrine in the following accurate and beau-
tiful Manner : ** Individual Objects often
" appear to our Senfes to have no Difference;

^\ whereas.

r E A. Ill

** whereas, a very confiderable one is ob-
*' ferved in their EfFecfts. This Circum-
** ftance conftitutes that Individuality, which
*' cannot be defcribed, and which, 1 remem-
* ' ber, Scherbius^ my old Matter, ufed to il-
*' luftrate by the following Simile : If a Bell-
" Founder fhould make twenty fmall Bells,
" of the fame Metal, in the fame Mould,
*' at the fame Time, and in the fame Place;
*^ yet the Sound of no one of them will
*' be perfeftly fimilar to that of another.
*^ What can be the Caufe of this Variation ?
" The Artift, the Mould, the Metal, and
*' the Fire, concur to produce the fame
** Effefts, which, however, is not obtained.
*' Befides, if we were carefully to examine
*' thefe Bells by the Sight, the Touch, the
" Weight and other Circumftances, we can
*^ difcover no Difference ; which, however,
is fufficiently evinced by the Sound, Some
Things, faid my Matter, can neither
be defcribed, nor exprefled, and of this
Kind are thefe Differences. Perhaps, in
this Cafe, there is not an equable Thick-
nefs of the Metal, becaufe the Fire has
not equably pervaded all its Particles. Per-
haps the Surface is not every where fmooth
becaufe the fufed Metal might have been in
fome Parts more refrigerated than in others:
and perhaps, there maybe other Variations;

for^

cc

ii2 A TREATISE on

-^ fof, unlefs all Circumftances exadly coii-
" cur, the fame Sound cannot be produced
*\m all the Bells/' I have quoted this
Paffage irom Hoffman^ left, ^ny Perfon^ ob-
ferving fome Differences between our Cha-^
tnelceagnus^ and the Chinefe^ or Tartars Tea^
lh®uld forthwith doubt, -whether they are
Shrubs of the fame Species, as I have already
proved them to be. The Chinefe Tea^ there-
fore, and our Chamelceagnus^ are Shrubs of
the fame Species ; though, for the former,
we go beyond the Cape of Good Hope^ into
China^ crofs the Equator four Times in every
Voyage, and expofe ourfelves to uncommon
Hardfhips and Dangers, in order to bring
Home the Leaves of an unknown Shrub,
which has not the fame Virtues and Qua-
lities for which tht Chinefe Tea is celebrated
in China^ and to which our European Be*
tony is preferable. Since, therefore, the Cha-
melceagnm is now fufficiently known, we
have no* more Occafion for Tea from Chind^
than we have for Arum from Afia^ Worm-^
wood from Pontus^ or Scordium from Crete,

I now proceed to confider the peculiar

Virtues commonly fuppofed to relide in Tea^

but which I affert are equally to be found

in European Plants ; for the Chinefe are

,guilty of a fulfonle Exaggeration, when they

aflert

T E j^.^ 113

aflert that it has a Tendency to prolong
Life. The Virtues, then, of the 7ea^ feem
^to be moft accurately defcribed by Rhodius
and MartiniuSy who feem to have reduced
them to three Heads -, the iirft of which,
according to Rhodius^ is, that it alleviates
Pains of the Head, and repreffes Vapours :
The fecond, that it corroborates the Sto-
mach : And, the third, that it expels the
Stone and Gravel from the Kidneys. Thefe
Virtues are, by Martmius^ recited in the
following Order : To the drinking of this
warm Liquor, it is faid to be owing, that
the Chinefe are Strangers to the Gout and
Stone. When drank after Meals,k removes
Crudities and Indigeftion. When exhibited
to drunken Perfons, it affords them Relief,
and prevents the bad Confequences of Sur-
feits ; for it is of a drying Nature, carries off
fuperfluous Humours, expels fomniferous
Vapours, and removes the languid State of
Students, who are oppreffed by long Appli-
cation. Thefe Virtues are, at prefent, to be
careflilly examined. I fhall aot here fpeak
of thofe Qualities, which are the Refult of
its Temperature ; fince I before evinced, that
the whole Subftance of the Tea was grate-
fill to the Brain; but at the fame time
fhewed, from a lingular Obfervation, that
Befony was poffeffed of the fanie Virtues and
Qualities.

I Firft,

114 A TREATISE on

Firft, then, it is aflerted of Ttea^ that it
removes the bad Confequences of Surfeits^
becaufe it is of a drying Nature, and carries
off fuperfluous Humours : The fame EfFeds
are alio produced by Betony : Biit as for the
E'xpulfion of fomniferous Vapours, and re-
moving the languid State of hard Students 5
thefe Properties are more frequently afcribed
to the true Myrtle^ than to Betony 5 which,
however, as we Ihail afterwards fhew, is
alfo recommended againft Intoxication.

The fecond Virtue of Tea macerated in
warm Water, is, that it corroborates the
Stomach ; which Effed: is alfo remarkably
produced - by Betony.

The third Virtue it is faid to Be poffefled
of, is, that it frees the' Kidneys from Stones
and Gravel ; fot which Reafon, according
to Martinius^ the Chine fe are Strangers to
nephritic and arthritic Diforders. Betony
remarkably produces this Eifedl, and, at the
• fame time, is a powerful Prefervative againft
the Gout. The other Qualities of Tea^ enu-
merated by other Authors^ I fliall not here
mention, that I may, at more Length, com-
pare it with Betony, The Reader may,
however, confuit my Sluadripartitium^ and
A?2toniiis Mufa, who, m LihelL de Ueionica^

affirms^

TEA. 115

affirms, that Betofiy is pofleffed of fo ex-
cellent medicinal Virtues, that it cures no
lefs than forty-feven Diforders 5 which none
of the Chinefe have ever dared to afTert,
concerning.their 'Tea : The Afiatic T'ea is,
therefore, far inferior to the European Be-
tony. The fame Author affirms, " That
" Betony^ previoufly taken, prevents Intoxi-
" cation/' By vs^hich Words, Mufa infi-
nuates, that it guards againft a Surfeit, and,
confequently, frees us from Drowfinefs ; fo
that the v^hole Subftance of it is equally
grateful and refrefhing to the Brain with
'Teay It were to be wifhed, that this Phy-
iician had directed the Method of preparing
Betony, in order to prevent Intoxication;
by which Means the Europeans would, in
all Probability, have been encouraged to
greater Care and Diligence in cultivating,
drying, and feparating the fmall from the
large l.eaves of our Cha7nel(^agnuSy a De-
codtion of whofe Flowers would have been
as grateful to them as that of the Chinefe Tea
is to them. But if any fhould foolifhly
dread the Ufe of the Chamelaagnus^ which,
however, is much ufed, and greatly extolled
in Denmark^ and the Lower Saxony ; fuch
Perfons may, I think, fubftitute Betony in
its Room. But, if a Phyfician fhould order
an European Cobler, or Day-Labourer, fre-

\ 2 quently

•n6 A TREATISE on

quently to ufe a Dccodlion of Betonyy they
would fneeringly bid him ufe his infipid
Water himfelf But the Cuftom of drnk-*
ing 'Tea only prevails, becaufe it is a new
Thing, unknown to the Forefathers of the
Chinejey and is imported from Afia into
Europe^ whofe Inhabitants of all Ranks are
fo exceffively fond of it, on account of its
grateful Bitter, and fub-aftringent Tafte :
The fame may be faid of the Indian Cho^
eolate, and the Water impregnated with
the Chavva of the Ferfiam^ fince thefe three
Liquors have generally no more grateful a
Tafte, than a Decodlion of coarfe European
Pears,^ or what the Get^mam call a Pear^
foufe.

But, as Antonlu^ Colmeri de Lodefma has
given a diftinft Account of Chocolate^ and
the Method of preparing it, the Reader
may expeft that I ihould fay fomething of
the Ufe and Method of preparing the Wa-
ter of Chavva ; and this I fhall the more
willingly do, becaufe no Phyfician, or Bo-
tanift, fo far as I know, has exprefly^ but
only accidentally, and imperfectly, given
the Hiftory of the Chavva. But I would
advife Phylicians to order the Ufe, not only
of Chocolate y but alfo of the Chavva y very
fparingly ; though both Liquors are highly

com-

"TEA, CHOCOLATE, &c 117

. commended by the high and learned, as
well as the low and illiterate Part of Man*
kind : For Hieronymus Benzo, who, accord-
ing to Dalechampus, Lib. 1 8. Hijior. Gene-
ral. Plant, calls it, '* A Wafh rather fit
" for Hogs, than a Liquor proper for hu-
" man Creatures." Benzo, after refiding
above an Year in the Province of Nicari-
quan^ in America, had, all the while, a mor-
tal Averfion to this Liquor 5 till, falling fhort
of ?Wine, he learned to imitate the Natives,
that he might not be under a Neceflity of
drinking Water perpetually. This Liquor,
by its fomewhat bitter Tafte, refreshes and
refrigerates the Body, without intoxicating
thofe who ufe it. This is the principal and
deareft Commodity of thofe Countries ; nor
do tliQ Indians, who ufe it, efteem any thing
more highly, according to Clujius, Lib. 2.
Exot. Cap. 29. and Anonym. Au5lar. in Do^
don. I muft own I ftiould, with Benzo,
have preferred pure Water to this unnatural
Mixture, which, as well as Coffee, and Tea^
•the Europeans may very well want, without
any Lofs.of Health: And it were to be
wifhed, that the exceffive Demands for all
thefe, did not excite People of fordid Tem-
pers, to adulterate them, with Subftances of
heterogeneous Parts, and fuch as are un-
iriendly to Nature. This, as I have before

men-

ii8 A TREATISE on

mentioned, with refpeft to l^obacco, is the
Reafon why, in our Age, we are feized with
Diforders, the Names of which are not fo
much as mentioned in the Writings of the
Antients. Hence Bartholi?i thinks, " That
iVromatics and Spices, which are no lefs
the Caufes of Wars in Europe^ than of
Commotions in the Body, ought to be
prohibited 5 fince the Purpofes of Life and
' Health will be far better anfwered, by
^ cleanfing the Blood now and then with
' the Leaves of the Cohithea^ Water- Cref-
' fes, Qv Fumitory. We are alfo to chuf?
^ an Antidote for common Ufe; but not
^ the T!heriacay of which the Em'peror An-
' toninus took the Bulk of a Bean every
Morning, nor the Mithridate -^ for theft
are injurious by their Heat, and confe-
quently irnproper for us. But we, are to
ufe Conferee cf Rofes, Rob. of Elder^
Eleduaries of Mary golds ^ the Morns Nor-
vegica, and other indigenous Plants, whofe
Qualities are bell fuited to our Tempera-
ments and Conftitutions." But the Ufe of
the Herb Tea, if it could be brought frefli
and recent from China into Europe, would
be more tolerable than that of ChocolatCy
and Coffee, which is of all others the worft i
Since aDecodlion of the C/6<3:i;i;^ furprizingly
effeminates both the Minds and Bodies of

thi

"Tea, chocolate, &c. 119

the Perjians ; by imitating whom, we fhall
jiever arrive at that Vigour and Hardinefs,
which Julius Ccefar, and Cornelius Tacitus^ '
fo much admired in our Forefathers.

We have before obferved, that Amurafh^
the fourth Emperor oi th^Turks, under Pain
of Death, totally prohibited the Uic of To--
baccOy left his Subjefts fhould become barren.
But we Europeans heedlefly go on by the A-
feufe oi Coffee , to emafculate ourfelves lil^ethe
PerJtanSy' vj\io are fond of Sterility, and, ac-
cording to OleariuSy much more falacious
than the Europeans :. But of this Eifed: of
Coffee we fhall afterv^ards treat.

As the Fruit of the Cacao y or CacarafCy
which refemble Almonds, are the Balis of
Chocolate, they are found engraved in Taber--
nemontan. Lib, 3. Cap. 16. So that I fhall
here give no Cuts of them, fince I have done
that in ^adripartif. Botan. Claff, 3. No. 1 1,
t2v when, defcribing the Seed 5^/2, or Ban^
which is alfo called Buna, or Buncho, and
Buned, *6r the Seed from which is prepared
the Coava,' Caova, Cavve, Choava, and
Cahvve, Which, by a » Corruption, is, no
(doubt, the Coffee of the Europeans^

If it fhould be asked, to what Clafs of
J 4 ' " Simples^

I20 A TREATISE on

Simples, whether that of Herbs, or Trees,
we are to refer the Plant which bears the
Seed Bon^ from which the Water of Chawe
is prepared, and which is alfo mentioned
by Olearius^ in Itinerar, Perjia, Cap, ij,
I anfwer, that fome, ignorant of Botany^
may take it far an Herb, whofe Seeds re-
femble thofe of the Turkijh Corn, or the
Indian Corn, by Bauhine called May^^ or
for our Wheat : Whereas, it is no Herb,
but a Tree, hy OleariuSy in the laft quoted
Paffage, defcribed in the following Man^
ner : " The Perjtans^ in fmoaking T'obacco^
have always the black Water of Chavve
prefent. The Fruit with" which they
prepare this Liquor is fent from Egypt ;
and, in the inner Side,, refembles the
^iirkijh^ though on the outer Side, the
European Wheat. This Fruit is of the
Bignefs of a T^urkey Beany and the Shrub
bears a white Flower. The Fruit, or'
Berries, they burn, or roaft, in a dry Pan j
after which they grind them, and boil them
in Water, which theydrink, and which has
a Kind of hot, unpleafant Tafte. It is
efteemed a great Cooler ; for which Rea-
fan it is drank by moft ; but if it is ufed
to Excefs, it extinguilhes the Inclination
to Venery, and induces Sterility." The
Seed Bony or Ban^ is coUedled from a Tree
bearing its own Name, if we may believe

Profper

TEA, CHOCOLATE, &CC, 121

Pro/per AlpinuSy Lib, de Plaut. Egypt. Cap.
16. This Author, after refiding fome Years
in Egypt^ faw xht Bhofi-Tree in the Green-
Houfe of Hali Bei^ the Turk, An ihtire
Defcription and Cut of this Tree is alfo t6
be found in Tom, i . Lib, 4. Hiflor, Plantar.
Univerf. Cap, 5. Since, therefore, Alpinus
compares thisTree to our Euonymusy and fays,
that the former refembles the latter : Henc6
Cafpar Bauhine/m hisPinax, places it among
the Species oi Euonymus^ and calls it the
Egyptian Bon^ like the EuonymuSy with a
Fruit like Bay-Berries, from whofe Seeds
the Egyptians make their Liquor , called Coa--
va. Though this Fruit, with refpedt to Fi-
gure, Bark, and Colour, is highly fimilar to
Bay-Berries, yet it is far lefs in Bulk. In
my Opinion, it moll refembles the Seeds of
the admirable Peruvian Tree, Decodlions of
which, are ufed by the Eajiern Nations, the
Egyptians, Turks, and Perjians, for corrobo-
rating a cold Stomach, affifting Concodion,
and removing Obftrudlions of the Vifcera.
They alfo, with Succefs, ufe this Decoftion
for many Days againft old Obftrudlions, and
cold Tumors of the Liver and Spleen. This
Decoftion, according to Alpinus, feems alfo
appropriated to the Uterus, which it warms,
and frees from Obftradtions : Thus, the
Egyptian and Arabian Women, for the due

, Evacuation

122 4 TREATISE m

Evacuation of their Menfes^ ufe this De-
coftion for feveral Days after they commence/
Hence, according to Olearius^ the Perfiam
are not afraid, left the Decodion of Cavve
render theni cold ; unlefs we fhould alfo
fay, that Agnus Cqftus, which induces Ste-
rility, is alfo of a cold Temperature : But
this Doubt will be cleared by-and-by. It
^erp to be wiflied^ that the celebrated Jo-
hannes^ Wejlingius^ who alfo travejled ihto
Bgypf^ had had an Opportunity of feeing
thisi Tree 5 fince he would have given uS a
more accurate Defcription of it, than we
iiay^ hitherto got ; for, in Comment dr. in
Pro/per. Alpin, he tells us, that the Fruit of
this Tree is brought from yamin^ or Arabia
Felix into Egypt ', and, that a Decod:ion of
it is fojd io feme Thoufands of Taverns at
Memphis, Pro/per. Alpinus alfo, in hib, de
Medicina Egyptor. Lib, 4. Cap, 3. when
treating of the Decoftions ufed by the Egyp-
tians^ v^hether lick, or in Health, tells uSj,
that, in a particular Manner, they make uf6
pf the Decodtion called Ckoanja^ prepared with
the Coats or Hulk of the Seeds called Bojz,
Then he defcribes the Preparation of^on^ by
telling us, that it fmells like Corn, Rye, Bar-
ley^ or Peafe, when thrown upon live Coals^^
'and burned a little, Alpinus^ however, en-
favours to evince^ that the Seeds of Bon

confift

tEA, CHOCOLATE, Sec. 123

confift of two Subftances, the one thick and
earthy, by which they brace up and corro-
borate, and the other thin and fubtile, by
which they heat, abfterge, and remove Ob-
ftruclions. That they are highly drying is
certain, but I cannot for this Reafon com-
prehend why Pro/per Alpinus afferts, that
Cold prevails moderately in them ; for they
adt by their whble Subftance, both by their
Salt and both Kinds of Sulphur : So that it
is highly probable they produce thefe EfFedls,
.on account of their ungratefiil Tafte and
Smell. But it is faid thefe Seeds are corredled
with Sugar. Thus Wejlingius informs us,
^' that fome corred: the Bitternefs of this
/' Decoftion with Sugar, and preferve the
" whole Kernel of the Fruit incruftated with
Sugar. Nor is this only cuftomary in
Egypt, but alfo through all the Provinces
of Perfia. This renders the Seeds Bon
not only dear, but fcarce, in Europe'*
Though Wejlingius thinks that thefe Seeds
are ufeful to the Europeans, yet I am of
a different Opinion ; for, in like Manner, the
Europeans haVe refolved to fweeten, not
only their Coffee, but alfo their Chocolate
^ndTea, without having any View to pre-
vent Diforders, or recover Health ; but only
to follow the Cuftoms of the Afiatics, and

indulge

IC

fC

124 A TREATISE on

indulge themfelves in a Liquor, whofe Tafte
is pleai^nt to them.

If it fhould be faid^ that Tulpius informs
^is, that the Chinefe diffolve a few Grains of
Salt, or S'agar, in their Infufions of Tea^ I
anfwer, we here enquire not what is done, but
what ought to be done ; not what is pala-
table, but what is conducive to preferve
Health, and reftore it when loft. Though
I do not altogether difapprove of Salt in Tea^
yet I abfolutely condemn Sugar, How ill
the Europeans^ efpecially thofe of the North-
ern Countries, confult their Health, by mix-
ing their Muftardy and their Sauces of Vi-.
negar, and Horfe-Radijh, defigned as a
Prefervative againft the Scurvy ^ with Sugar ^
I have already fli^wn, in Clajf, 3. ^adri-
far tit. Botan. For the fame Reafon, Sugar ^
mixed with an Infufion of Tea^ infringes and
impairs its Virtues ; fo that, by this means,
We drink, not a medicated Water, but little
more only than fimple European Water,
edulcorated with JSugar, This, no doubt,
is an excellent Remedy againrc Intoxication •
but certainly if we read both antient and
modern Authors, we fhall find, that Drunk-
ennefs may be removed by drinking cold
Water. ^Befides, an Intoxication, next to
Madnefs, may be greatly alleviated by wrap-
ping up the Scrotum in Cloths dipped in cold

. Water.

"TEA, CHOCOLATE.Scc. 125

Water. Hence we have but little Reafon to
bring Tea from China ^ Tartary , ^nd Japan, at an
extravagant Price, which might be far better
laid out, in relieving poor indigent Families at
Home. But the prefent Eiiropeam are vaftly
different from What they were before the
Afiatic Effeminacy was known among us.
The Europeans might, perhaps, be indulged
in the perpetual Ufe of jT^^jprovided their Re-
gimen was the fame with that of ih^AJiatics,
Now, Regimen iiicludes all the five Non-
Naturals, which are Air, Meat and Drink,
Excretion and Retention, Motion and Reft,
Sleep and Watching, and the- Paffions of
the Mind. Now, all thefe, in Europe^ are
vaftly different from what they are in the
Indies, as is obvious from the faithful and
impartial Accounts, given us by Martinius,
and Mandeljlo. This Subjed: is excellently
handled by Hippocrates, in 7r. de Aere,
Aquis, & Locis, who joins thefe three to-
gether, with great Judgment, and for very
fufticient Reafons ; fince each of the three
has Atoms, in a manner, peculiar to itfelf,
which it continually fends forth, and diffu-
fes even to a great Diftance : So thatfome
Bodies,, according to Barfholine, may, by
means of the Atoms they emit, propagate
the Sphere of their fympathetic Adlions, to
the Diftance of a Thoufand Miles, About

the

126 ^ TREATISE ofi

the Equinoxes, and Sol/iices, the fudden
Changes of the State of the Atmofphere,
and the Variety of Vapours exhaled from
the Earth, produce furprizing Alterations in
Health. And thefe Exhalations rife fome-
times in fuch large Quantities, as to be con-
denfed, and by their own Weight to fall
down, in the Form of fulphureous Showers :
A memorable Inflance of this we had in
Norway, where, on May 19, 1665, a violent
Tempeft, accompanied with uncommon
Thunder, and thick Clouds, broke out :
During this Storm, there fell from the
Clouds, a Subftance, highly fimilar to Sul-
phur, which not only floated on the Wa-
ter, but alfo feemed to cover the Earth.
When Stobaus fubjeded this Matter to anEx-
amination, he found, after drying, and paffing
it through a Sieve, that when it was become
moderately warm, on an heated Tile, it
emitted a fetid Smoak of the fame Colour
with that of the Spirit of Nitre, in Diftil-
lation. But this Matter could not be fufed
by the ftrongeft Fire ; by which Means,
liowever, it became inodorous, and like
fmall Sand, though before it refembled a
fetid, coarfe Sulphur, reduced to Powder.
The fame Author, in his Letters alfo, informs
me, that, when about as much of the recent
Matter, as would lie on the Point of a Knife,

was

TEA, CHOCOLATE, Sec. lif
was laid upon a red hot Tile, it was fpcfn-
taneoufly kindled, made a Kind of Noifej
and emitted a reddifh fetid Smoak. JvFext
Day Stol?aus endeavoured to fublime this
fcmde and fulphlireous Matter, by itfelf, with-
out any Addition, in order to difcover,
whetherFlowers of Sulphur could be obtained
from it 5 but his Labour was in vain ; fot
though the Matter became red hot by due
Degrees of Fire, yet no Flowers appear-
ed; only the firft Steam, which, in the
Alembic, appeared reddiih , in the Water^
affumed a dark ferruginous Colour : Then^
by augmenting the Fire, a whitifh Spirit ap-
peared, which gave a fimilar Cdloiir to the
Water. This Steam and Spirit appeared ia
Diftillation to be of an acrid Taflie ; fo that
\Stol^dus juMy cohcluded them to contain a vo^
latile Salt, of a particular Kind. The fame Au-
thor informs me, in his Letter, that the Rain
which fell, during the Thunder, fmelled of
Sulphur: And from this Obfervatian, he
thinks, the Chemifts Dodrine, concerning
the Generation of Thunder, may be
confirmed. As every Subftance does hot
a<S upoh every other Subftance, nor ful-
phureous Things, on thofe of the fame
Nature, he put this Matter into Spirit of
Turpentiiie, and digefted it by a gentle
Fire ^ by which Means, it gave the Liquor a

yellowiih

128 A TREATISE on

a yellowifh Colour, and a Smell, very like
that of Balfam of Sulphur : But of thefe I
jfliall not treat at greater Length, fince I
am perfwaded that Miracles have ceafed, and
diat Providence difpofes of fecond Caufes ac-
cording to wife and ftated Laws. Hence it is,
ihat about theFernal d.nd Autumnal Equmoxes^
or SolJiiceSy all Sorts of Difeafes, and efpecially
thofe of the endemial or epidemical Kind,
rage ^ fuch as the Scurvy^ MeaJleSy and Small-
Pox^ as alfo thcPlague, though often thefe Dif-
orders are confined to one City. A memo-
rable Inftance of this, we have in the Cities
oi Hambourg ^ndiAmfterdam^ which, in 1663,
and 1664, were afflifted with a Peftilence,
which, however, did not fpread itfelf to
Denmark^ Sweden^ Britain^ France^ and
Germany » But, as the Plague is imported
ivovci Africa, it is probable, that the Salubrity
of the Atmofphere, in thofe Countries which
efcaped, checked the fulphureous, faline, and
peftilential Atoms, which firft contaminated
the Air of A?nflerda?n, and then that of
Hambourg. But all Countries differ fo wide-
ly, with refpeft to Air, Water, and Situ-
ation, that none of them, even the moft
contiguous, are exaftly alike, and confpire
in producing the fame Effects. Thus,
among the German Wines, the Rhenifi is
the heft; though it alfo differs in Good-

nefs,

^TEA, CHOCOLATE, &c. 129
nefs, according to the particular Parts in
which it is produced. The like holds in
the French Wine, the worft of which is
reckoned that of Orleans ; for which Rea-
fon, ^ercean^ in his Diaticum, Cap. 6.
tells us, " That in the Oeconomy of the
" King of Fra?ice's> Houfe, it is enafted,
" by a domeftic Law, that the Steward
" fliall give the King no Orleans Wmts-,'*
which, however, has a very gratefiil Tafle«
The fame holds, not only in Ales, but alfo
in other Things : Thus, the Noremberg
Cakes, on account of the peculiar Qualities
of the Water with which the Meal and
Aromatics are made up, are far better, and
more pleafant to the Tafte, than thofe pre-
pared in the fame Manner, in any Part of
Europe, This is what the Philofophers have
been at fo much Pains to account for. The
Air, Water, and Situation, alfo conftitute
the Reafon, why Tea in Europe does not
produce the fame EfFed:s it does among the
Afiatics, efpecially the Chmefe, Many Per-
fons of Rank and Diftindion have informed
me, that they could never be fenfible of the
fo-much^extoUed Virtues of Tea^ nor per-»
ceive that it prevented Sleep, or rendered
them more brisk, and fit for Bufinefs. One
or two Perfons, however, fubjedl to Catarrhs,
have confefled to me, that they have become
K ' far

J30 A TREATISE m

far better by the long Ufe of Tea, Thus^
I have heard^ that a certain Ambaflador
to the Diitch^ who before laboured under
a DifBculty of Hearing, had his Diforder
totally removed, by the large Quantities of
Tea he drank at the Hagiie^ I, myfelf, haver
found Tea to be diuretic, I own, two or
three Perfons who have travelled, not only
through 'Europe^ but alfo through the Eajl
Indies^ have affirmed to me, that in Japariy
the drinking of Tea infallibly removes In-
toxication, and prevents Sleep ; but this Ef-
fed: is not at all produced by it in Europe,
Thus, I have been informed, that Strangers,
upon their Arrival in Mufccvy^ can drink
fuch large Quantities of Brand\\ as would
put an End to their Lives in other Coun-
tries. Thus, it may happen, that the C6/-
nefe^ or Japonefe Tea^ with the Affiftance
and Conccrrence of other Things, may pro-
duce a. particular Effedl, which Tea will not
do in Europe. But all thefe EfFedrs are pro-
duced hy Betony^ an Herb univerfally known;
in Europe : Thus, it is certain, that our Cha--
, melee agnm is the Tea of the Chinefey or Japo^
nefe. But to illuftrate my Subjed: the better,
t fliall make a few Remarks on the peculiar
Genius, Regimen, and Method of living
ufed among the Indians and Chinefe. The
India7is then are fond of moiftening Aliments^

which

7E A CHOCOLATE, &CC. 13 f

which guard againft the Heat of the Sun 5
fuch as Cherries, Fruits of all Kinds, Pot-
Herbs, Fiflies, Oyfters, Crabs : Befides, M/-
cbael Boym, a learned Jefuit, in his Flora
Senen/isy mentions various Fruits which are
not produced in Europe -, whereas Nature
has farnifhed the Chinefe with others, either
like to, or exadtly the fame with, thofe of the
Europeans, The former of thefe, and the other
fimilar Delicacies of the Eaji Indies, do, in
all Probability, give rife to new Difeafes in
Europe, This Jefuit fpeaks of China in the
following Manner : " The Kingdom of*
" China is, as it were, a Compound of the
" whole Globe, or rather, a Gem, in which
*^ more Riches are to be found than in all
*' the reft of the World befides. In the
^^ Southerly V^Yts of the Country, the Heats
** are moft intenfe, and produce large Quan-
" titles of all the Indian Fruits, fuch as
^^ Dates, Mangas, Ananas, and others i
" Whereas the iVcr^^^r/j Parts produce Figs,
*^' Chefnuts, Nuts of all Kinds, Peaches,
**. Apricots, and Pears of various Kinds/'
Thus provident Nature has furnifhed the
Southermoji Parts, of China with Fruits in-
tirely unknown to x\iQ Europeans -, whereas,
the Northern Parts produce fuch as are
known in Europe, and fuited to its Soil and
Climate: Since, in the former, the Heats

K 2 are

132 A TREATISE on

are very intenfe, but not fo in the latter."
Thus Nature feems to have prohibited us the
Ufe of the former of thefe Fruits, by placing
us at fuch a Diftance from them, and to have
indulged us in the Ufe of the latter, by pla-
cing us fo near them 5 for the Precept, of
fometimes ufing Things to which we are
not habituated, does not hold in this Cafe :'
Since, being EiiropeanSy we ought to ufe the
Regimen, Aliments, and Drinks, peculiar to
Europe -, for it is no lefs generally than juft-
ly obferved, that the natural Produce of any.
Country is beft fuited to the Conftitution of
its Inhabitants. Thus T^ea feems by Nature
adapted to the Inhabitants of China^ Coffee
to thofe of Perjia^ Chocolate to thofe of
America y and Ale and Wine to thofe of the
different Parts of Europe. Thus the antient
Inhabitants of Saxony and Megapolis, before
they became fond of foreign Delicacies, ufed
to fay proverbially, Driiik Wine^ and reap
Benefit from if ; drink Ale^ and become fat i
drink Water ^ and die. It is alfo certain, that
in former Times, the Inhabitants oi Iceland
and Norway y when they ufed a fimple Re-
gimen, and were Strangers to foreign Lux-
ury, enjoyed good Healtli to an incredible
Age ; whereas, their Pofterity are not only
weaker, but hardly live beyond the thirtieth^
foitietb, or fiftieth Year of their Age : Sa

that

^Eji, CHOCOLATE, &c. 133

that the Ljr/V Poet feems to have made a
juft Prophecy of our own Generation, in the
following Lines :

Damnofa quid non imminnit dies ?
Mtas Parentum pejor avis ; tidit,
Nos nequiores^ mox daturo$
Progeniem Vitioforem.

Europeans then muft have their Confu-
tations impaired, and their Strength ex-
haufted, by living like the Inhabitants of
' AJia^ Africa^ and America ^ efpecially fince
Macrobius, in Lib, 7, Saturnal, Cap, 4.
fhews, that the moft fimple Aliments are
the moft falutary, and eafily digefted, Be-
lides, Socrates ordered his Pupils to abftain
from fuch Meats and Drinks as created an
Appetite after Hunger and Thirft were fatis-
fied. But, according to the Chinefe, Tea
produces an Appetite after Hunger andThirft
are fatisfied 5 therefore the drinking of it is
to be abftained from. The fame holds true
with refped: to Chocolate^ and Co fee. But
I return to the Cbinefe, who are accuftomed
to Water-drinking, and a frugal Life. Hence,
their Phyficians, whom Martinius, in the
Preface of his Atlas Sinicus, feems to pre-
fer to thofe of Europe^ no doubt, enjoin
them the Ufe of 7>^, in order to prevent
K 3 th§

134 ^ TREATISE on

the Generation of excrementitious Humours j
or, when generated, to carry them off by
Stool, or Urine 5 for, it is certain, from what
has hitherto been faid, that Tea is moderate-
ly heating, bitter, drying, and aftringent.
If it fhould, for thefe Reafons, be faid, that
Tea is juftly to be commended for a Weak-
nefs of the Stomach, I anfwer with Celfus^
in Lib, I. Cap. 8. " Our Countrymen ought
" not to be believed, who, when indifpo-
*' fed, covet Wine, or Water, and inftead
^' of charging their own Luxury, lay the
*^ the Fault on the Stomach, which has no
" Share in it." This PalTage is equally
applicable to Tea^ Coffee^ and Chocolate^ and
feems to infinuate, that fuch Perfons, in or-
der to fatiate their Thirft, falfly accufe their
Stomachs. If this were more carefully ad-
verted to by the Patrons of the Chinefe De-
licacies, and efpecially thofe who look upon
Tea as a Panacea^ they would ufe it more
fparingly, efpeciallyin a bad State of Health 5
hcc2u{Q Ce/fuSy mChap, 3. of the fame Book,
tells us, " That Changes ought to be gra-
" dually and flowly made ; fince that to
" which the Patient is not accuftomed,
^' proves, hurtful, whether it be foft, or
^' hard'\

But the Chinefe Method of ufing 7V^,

is

rEA, CHOCOLATE, &c. 135

is not agreeable to the Cuftom of the Eurch
peans^ and therefore hurtful to them.

Hence the Germam, Saxons, and Inhabi-
tants of other Nations, in the Baltick Sea,
being neither accuftomed to much Wine, nor
to dilute it with Water, are generally feized
with malignant Fevers, when they go into
France, or Italy j becaufe every fixed Sub-
ftance fixes fuch as is volatile ; whereas,
fuch as is volatile, refolves that which is
fixed. Hence the thick and fceculent Blood
of the Germans, confifting of faline, fulphu-
reous, fixed, and volatile Parts, and being
changed by the Regimen of France, and
the Heat of the Sun, is fubtilized by the
Tartar and Sulphur of the French Wine, ef-
pecially in fuch Germans as took great Care
of theic Health, when in tUeir own Coun-
try; and in thofe who enjoyed good Health,
their Blood is not only fubtilized, but alfo
ferments, undergoes an Ebullition, and is
defpumated. Hence arife Spots of drfi"erent
Colours, produced by the Blood varioufly
corrupted. But thefe I have confidered more
fully in my DigreJJio de Febribus Malignis.
This Doftrine is warmly inculcated by
Hippocrates, who, in hib. de Fra6i, SeneBut^
§. 6. tells us, " That the Age and Conftitution
*' of one Perfon, differ widely from thofe
. K 4 ^ ^ ^^ of

136 A TREATISE on

*^ of another/' But this Affertion, how
true foever, is but little adverted to by moft
of the Europeans, But I think it incum-
bent upon me, for the Reafons now al-
ledged, to warn them againft the Abufe of
T^ea 5 efpecially fince we find, that this Herb
does, by no meails, anfwer the Encomiums
beftowed upon it by the Chinefe and Japo-
nefe, I own T^ea is of a more drying Qua-
lity than many European Herbs ; but, for
this very Reafon, the conftant Ufe of it is
fo far from procuring Longevity, efpecially
in Perfons of a middling Age, that it rather
accelerates old Age ; which, according to
MacrobtuSy in Lib. 7. Saturn. Cap. 11. is,
^' an Exhauftion and Diffipation of the
" vital Liquor, by Length of Time ; for
*' old Age is dry, for Want of natural Moi-
^^ fture, and fometimes moift through a
^^ Redundance of peccant Humours, pro-
" duced by Coldnefs of Conftitution. "
Since then Tea^ by Means of the Sulphur
it contains, is of a more heating and drying
Nature than Ginger^ Cinnamon^ Pepper^ Cu-
bebsy Cardamomis^ or Arabian Caftus ; hence,
it neceffarilv follows, that it is injurious to
old Perfons, and fuch as are of a dry Con-
ftitution, and loofe Texture of the folid
Parts. On account of this dry Conftitu^
tion, and natural Marajmm of old People,

which

"TEA CHOCOLATE.^c. 137

which no Art can prevent, they become
thirfty, and more addicted to tippling, than
in their younger Years : Hence arifes the
German Proverb, If a young Man knew the
Pleafure of drinking in old Age^ he would be
faving in his younger Tears.

It is not, therefore, the native Heat, but
that fatal Drynefs which renders the Mem-
bers cold, and the Skin corrugated, v^hich
renders old Perfons fond of drinking 5 and for
this Reafon, I have, in my Commentaries,
univerfally commended a moiftening Diet
for them. Hence, the Inhabitants of thofe
Nations, who, belides Tea^ daily drinkWine,
ought carefully to guard againfl: all fudden
Changes in Diet and Regimen. Thus,
when a certain celebrated French Phyfician,
endeavoured to perfwade a Perfon of eminent
Rank, who was, generally, twice or thrice a
Year feized with a Catarrh, to change his
Regimen, and give over the Ufe of Wine, or,
at leaft, dilute it with Water ; becaufe, in
all Probability, the Phyfician told him, that
cold Water powerfully correded acrid Hu-
mours. Upon this, the Perfon of Diftinc-
tion asked the Phyfician, whether he was
in good Health ? To whom the Phyfician
replied he was : Thea, fays he, continue

to

138 A TREATISE on

to drink Water, or Wine and Water, till
you can drink no more -, but you fhall ne-
ver, on account of flight Catarrhs, which
are rarely oiFenfive to me, perfwade me to
accept of a French^ or /if^//^/2 Regimen, in-
ftead of a Danijh^ and German : Nor will
I drink Water inftead of Wine, or Ale. I
am at prefent full of Fleih and Blood, and
enjoy a good Appetite : My Forefathers, for
many Years back, were of the like Confti-
tution, and ufed the fame Regimen I do ;
but if, in the fixtieth Year of my Age, I
{hould begin to drink Water, I am afraid
I ihould rather refemble you than them ;
for you, who are a Water-drinker, though
you enjoy good Health, yet you are ema-
ciated, have a cadaverous Countenance, and
feerh to be rather a Skeleton than a living
Perfon. I wifh all Perfons, efpecially fuch
as are old, would follow the Example of
this Gentleman, and obftinately rejed: 'Teay
which fo dries the Bodies of the Chinefey
that they can hardly fpit. It is alfo an
egregious Miftake, not only among the Per-^
JianSy but alfo among moil other Nations^
to think that the Seed Bon, or Banr> which
when toafted is called CoffeCy and which I
have taken Care to have engraved in the
Plate after the Hiftory of Scurvy-Grafs^
No. II, 12. of my ^adripartitiumy isof fo

cool-

TEA CHOCOLATE, &ic. 139

Cooling a Quality, as to produce Impotence;
even in thofe who ufe it frequently ; for it
only dries them. Thus Cafmin, the Wife
of Sultan Mahmiid^ after her Husband had
fo weakened himfelf by the Ufe of Coffee^
that he had been impotent for many Years,
is faid, when fhe faw the Preparations ma-
king, for gelding a generous Perjian Steed,
to have told the Perfons employed in that
Work, that there was no Occafion for fo
much Touble, fince, by giving the Horfe
CoffeCy he would become like her Husband,
the King. This Story is, with the fame Ck*
cumftances, related by Olearius\ in hisTra-
vels through Mufcovy and Perjia, Coffee^
then produces Sterility in thQ Perfmns^ not
becaufe it is cold, but becaufe it gradually
dries their Bodies, by means of a certain
Sulphur, as peculiar to itfelf, as thofe of
Opium^ Tobacco yO^ Agnus Cajius are to them.
As the Agnus Cajius^ or Vitex is, by Galena
faid to be dry in the third Degree, like Rue^
and to confift of very fubtile Parts, it is
impoffible it fhould produce Impotence by
rendering the'^eed cold, which it diminiilies
and diffipates, not fo much by the Sub-
tilty of its Parts, as by its peculiar Sulphur.
The incomparable Hoffman^ both in his
Varied LediioneSy and in his Treatife de
Medicamentis OfficinalibuSy has treated accu-
rately

140 A TREATISE on

rately of the Vite^. But, if that Author had'
been ftill alive, he would have agreed with
me in this, that ^Yhat G-ulen afcribes to the
Subtilty of the Parts, not only of all Sim-
ples, but alfo of fuch Things as aft by their
whole Subftance, fuch as Opium, ^obacco^
Agnus CaJiuSy ChinefeTeay European Tea, or
the Myrtus Brabanfica^ or the Chamelce-
agnus Danica, is to be afcribed to their fmall
liiiphureous, and exceffively dry Parts. Thus
the Seeds of tht AgnusCaJlus afFeft the Head,
and from what has been faid, it Is fufficiently
obvious, that the Seeds of the Chamelceagnus
contribute principally to intoxicate the Coun-
try People, who prepare their Ale with it :
The Seeds of the Agnus Cajius, according to
Hoffman, " do not convey Flatulences to
" tne Head, except when they afFeft it by
" the Subtilty of their Parts (which I call
" their fulphureous Quality) jufl as Wine,
" whofeTafle and Smell thev have, accord-
^\ingio Pliny^ affefts the Head, and pro-
" cures Sleep." All thefe Properties of
Wine, as well as of our Chamelceagnus, pro-
ceed from their Sulphur, which is grateful
to the Nerves : But thefe Effefts could never
be produced, only by Galen' s Subtilty of
the Parts. But to proceed, in the Words
of Hoffman : " Another Proof of the Sub- •
^' tilty of the FsiVt^ o( Agnus CaJiuSy (which-

TEA, CHOCOLATE, See. 141

^M call its fulphureous Quality) is, that
" its Seeds, whether crude, or toafted,
" difcufs Flatulencies of the Inteftines, and
" moft powerfully when toafted ; fince thefe
" do not fo much affeft the Head as the
" former." Thus, it alfo happens, that an.
Account of the artificial and careful Toaft-
ing of the Chinefe Tea, by which moft of
its fulphureous Parts are diffipated, it pre-
vents Sleep in the Chinefe : Whereas, the
European Tea, or Chamelceagnus, renders the
Country People, as it were, intoxicated, and
difpofed to Sleep. But thefe different Ef-
fed:s are not owing to any occult Qualities
of the Chinefe and European Teds, but ma-
nifeftly to the fulphureous Parts, of which
the Chinefe has a far fmaller Quantity than
our Chamelceagnm, Thus, it is certain, that
prepared Vipers may be fafely eaten, and
that Diofcorides roafted Vipers for Food ;
fo vaft a Difference there is between arti-
ficial Preparations, and natural Produftions.
But to proceed : H^^^w, with refpedl to
toafting the Seeds of the Agnus Caflus, tells
us, " That in toafting, the remarkably fub-
*" tile Parts are diffipated.'* Thefe remark-
ably fubtile Parts, I call fulphureous, which
the Ferfians alfo diffipate, by .an artificial
toafting, from the Seeds Bon, or Ban, con-
veyed to them from £g7^/. Thus, the ce-
lebrated

142 yi TREATISE on

lebrated Hoffman^ only differs from me m
Words, but not in Sentiments. The fame
alfo holds true of Chocolate. I, therefore,
conclude, that all thefe Subftances are of a
drying Quality, on account of their fulphu-
reous Parts. I would, therefore, advife all
Europea?2s to have a due Regard to thefe
Things, to prefefve Youth by moiftening
Subftances, and prevent old Age, which is
brought on before its due Time, by Means
of thefe drying and fulphureous Commodi-
ties ; though, at the fame time, I do not
prohibit the Ufe of moderately hot Sub^-
ftances. Let no one condemn me for ma*
king Repetitions ; lince it is a Maxim, not
not only of Policy, but alfo of common
Humanity, That the Safety of the People^
is, of all other Laws, the moji ejfential and
important. If, therefore, an immenfe Re-
ward was beftowed on the Man who pre-
ferved a fingle 'Roman Citizen, I may, cer-
tainly, hope for Indulgence, when, by re-
peated Expoftuiations, I attempt to preferve
2X!^urope, by perfwading its Inhabitants not td
exchange our own falutary Regimen, for that
oitht Afiatics, and Chinefe, by following their
Cuftom of jT^^-Drinking. Martinus Mar^
tinius, indeed, in his Preface to his. Atlas
Siniticus, greatly extols the Chinefe Regi-
men, in the following Manner : " Their

'' Drinks,

7EA CHOCOLATE, &cc. 14J

Drinks, fays he, whether prepare(J with
Water, Wine, or Rice, muft always be
warm ; they macerate their Tea in parti-
cular in boiling Water, which they drink
as hot as they can bear. When I was
accuftomed to this Regimen, I com-
mended the Chinefe, and condemned the
Europeans^ who are fo fond of drinking
cold Liquors ; for, in China^ the Inhabi-
tants, by drinking their Liquors warm,
both extinguish Thirft, and fo diffipate
the redundant Humours, that they hardly
ever fpit ; nor are they afflidled with Cru-
dities of the Stomach, as the Europeans
are : They have alfo fewer, and lefe vio-
lent Difeafes ; neither are the Stone, the
Gout in the Hands and Feet, and other
fimilar Diforders, known among them/'
But thefe Things happened to MartiniuSy
in Chinay and not in Europe, Nor fhall
he ever perfwade me, to' change the Euro^
fean, for the Indian Regimen. Since, ac-
cording to Martinius himfelf, fome of the
Inhabitants of that Country, on account of
the Pythagorean Dodlrine,' of the Tranfmi-
gration of Souls, religioufly abftain from
Flefh, and think,

Scelus eft in Vifcere Vifcera Condi,
Congeftoqy Avidum pinguefcere Corpore
Corpus^

Alterufqy

144 '-^ TREATISE on

Alterufq*^ Animantem Aiiifnantis vivertf
Letho.

Martinius^ therefore, makes an infuffi-
cient Enumeration of Caufes ; lince the
good Health of the Chinefe^ is not totally
owing to the Ufe of T^eUy but to various
other Circumftances, which we fhall not
here enumerate: Only I fhall, from the
Amphiatridius of Johannes BoteriuSy pub-
liflied in 1600, obferve, " That in the
" various DiftricSs of China, the Clemency
" and Salubrity of the Air is fo great, that
** a Peftilence has never been remembered
" to rage univerfally in them." For the
Sake alfo of thofe who want the lixth Part
of the Theatrum Europium Johannis Bleau^
or the Novus Atlas Martiniiy I ihall, from
the Preface of the laft-mentioned Author,
take the following Paflage : "In Practice,
^' the Chinefe Phyficians furpafs thofe of
*' Europe, who are more addicfled to Dif-
" pute and Speculation, but lefs fuccefsful
'^ and happy in the Cure of Difeafes, than
" the former." But, if a Chinefe Phyfician
was to praftife on the Baltick Shore, where
endemial Scurvys rage, it is hardly credible,
that he would cure them with greater Sue-
cefs, than a skilful Eu7'opean Phyfician does ^

fince,

TEA CHOCOLATE, &c. 145
firice, according to Hippocrates^ there are
many nominal, but few real Phyficians.
The fame Author, in his Prifca Medicina^
informs us, *^ That moft Phyficians refem-
" ble bad Pilots, who, if they fleer the
" Veflel in a fmooth and' calm Sea, can
" prevent the Detec^tion of their Ignorance ;
*' but, when they are attacked by blowing
*^ Winds, and violent Tempefts, it becomes
" fufficiently obvious, that the Ship muft
" be loft through their Fault, and Want of
*' Skill/' But "to drop the Defence of the
'European Phyficians, I fhall return to the
AJlatics, Martmius then, in the Paffage
laft quoted, tells us, " That the Chine fe
'' Phyficians generally prepare their Medi-
*^ cines of Simples and Decodlions ; that
" they ufe Unc^lions, and Fridtions, but not
" Venefeftions, which they look upon as an
*' irreparable Error. They rather chufe to
'* reduce the Blood to a due Temperature,
^' by Fafting, and refrigerating Medicines ;
for, fay they, becaufe Broth boils in a
Pot, the Broth is not, therefore, to be
'* poured out, but the Fire to be removed
" from the Pot." But this Comparifon is
certainly far from being juft : And, a little
after, the Author fubjoins, " InCbma are great
" Numbers of Chymifts, who confidently
" boaft of producing Gold, and prevent-
L - lag

tc

146 A TREATISE on

*^ ing Death by Means of their Medicines.
". The- Defign of thefe Men is like that
*^ of their Brethren in Europe, to extort
*' Money from the credulous and avaritious
*' Part of their Fellow Creatures/'

I now return, to confider the Air, Wa-
ter, and Situation of the Chinefe. Marti-
niuSy then, in the Place before quoted, tells
us, that China, or the moft remote Parts of
ji/kiy abounds with all Kinds of metallic
Mines, fuch as thofe of Gold, Silver, Mer-
cury, Iron, Tin, Copper, Minium, Lapis
Lazuliy and Vitriol ; in confequence of
which, it is probable, that the Chinefe Wa-
ters, .flowing from the Mountains, as well as
thofe of Europe y partake of the Qualities of
the various Minerals through which they
glide. Thus, according to Georgius Agri^
cola, in Lib, 10. de Natiir. FoJjiL Cap, 18.
at Gojlar, in Saxony, there is a Kind of
Bole, or Earth, impregnated with the Juice
of Vitriol, as alfo with Oker, The fame
Agricola, in Lib, i. De Natura eorum qucz
ex Terra effiuunt. Cap, 4. informs us, that,
the River Ochra, receives its Name frora
Oker, with which it is tinged, of a yellow
Colour, at the Place where a Rivulet com-
ing from Mount Ramelus, difembogues it-
feif into it. Hence, it is eafy to affign a

Reafon,

TEA, CHOCOLATE, &CC. 147
Reafon, why the GoJIar A\q is fo diuretic:
The Garlabian Ale alfo, fo much ufed at
Helmjiadt, is of a medicinal Nature : Hence,
according to the celebrated Hoffman, in Fa-
rat, Offcin, Cap, ult, " It both cures and
** produces Difeafes in fuch as are not ac-
*' cuftomed to it ; for it is prepared of fome
" hot, mineral Water, as is obvious from
** its peculiar Tafte. On the contrary, the
*' Turgerifian Ale is highly agreeable -, be-
" caufe the Water of which it is prepared
*' has fome mineral Quality, which is eaiily
" loft by Carriage ; which alfo happens to
" other Waters. YlQncQ,Augu/lus,E\cdiovo(
'' Leipjicy in preparing his Ale, inftead of
" Malt, ordered only a Drag to be boiled."
I would not, however, have any one con-
fide too much, either in hot or cold Mineral
Waters. But among Mineral Waters, I alfo
reckon that defcribed by Martinius, in his
Account of the ninth Province of China ^
called Kiangnar, and the fifth Town, called
Chang'Chew, in the following Manner :
** Near Kiangin is a Mount, called Mount
" Chin, celebrated on account of a fabulous
" Chinefe Story 5 for they aflert, that a Wo-
*^ man was there born of a Deer, The
" Rivulet Z/^^/^^, from a fmall Hill, call-
*' ed Hoej, flows into a Lake, near Fu^
** fie : Its Origin is a Fountain called
L 2 '' Hoej,

148 A TREATISE on

lioej^ v/hofe Waters are, by the Na-
tives, accounted to be the fecond in Good-
nefs ; and I myfelf am convinced from
Experience, that the Chinefe are in the
right, with refped: to, thefe Waters ; for
they are univerfdlly admired by the Gran-
dees ', and hardly any Ship paffes, with-
out purchaiing, for a Trifle, large Quan-
tities of this Water, previouily put up in
Casks ; though Strangers, who ftay for
any Time there, may, for nothing, drink
as much as they pleafe. It is conveyed
to the moft remote Provinces, even as far
as Peking', for it is excellently well fuited
to the Preparation of Tea : So that thefe
two Commodities are generally fold to-
gether." But furely this Chinefe Water is
to be had in no Part of Europe, The fame
Author, in bis Defcription of the fifteenth
Province, called Jwinamy and its Metropo-
lis, tells us, '' That in Mount Xang^ fitu-
*' ated to the North of. the Town, there
*' is a Spring of intenfely cold Water, which,
** hovvxver, is highly beneficial to paralitic
^' Perfons." He alfo tells us, that in the
fame Province, there is a Spring called Hi-
angkui^ which, in their Language, fignifies
odoriferous ¥/ater, " Becaufe it diffufes a
'* fragrant Scent, efpecially in the Springs 2X
*' which Time, the Inhabitants offer Saeri-

" fices

TEA CHOCOLATE, &c. 149

" fices to the Fountain, and drink Water,
" mixed with Wine, or with a Liquor pre-
" pared of Rice, They alfo affert, that this
" Liquor cures many Difeafes.'' That thefe
Waters are impregnated with Metallic Par-
ticles, I have two Reafons to believe : Firit,
Becaufe Martmius informs us, that the Ri-
vulet near the City Vujie^ flows from a Foun-
tain on a little Hill, called Hoej : The fe-
cond is, that the Waters of this Lake are
conveyed to the remoteft Provinces, even
to the Royal City, Peking, where they are
ufed by the Grandees in preparing their
Tea. But the beft Waters, when taken
from the Spring, cannot be long preferved
frorn Corruption, , unlefs they abound with
a peculiar Salt : Since the cold MineralWa-
ters of the Spaw, lofe much of their Virtue
by being conveyed only into the Provinces
adjacent to Germany, Thus, itisfufficiently
known to all the Europeans, that the May
Rains abound with Salt and Sulphur -, in
confequence of which, they keep longer
free from Corruption than other Waters.
For this Reafon, it is cuftomary among the
Papifts, to prepare their Holy Water of May
Rain : See my Digreffio de Febribiis Malig-
nis. But, left thefe Reafons fliould be
efteemed conjeftural, I fhall farther prove, -
and confirm my Opinion from Martinius,
L 3 who,

J50 A TREATISE on

who, in the Place before quoted, fpeaks in
the following Manner : "It is not with-
*' out Reafon, that the City Gnihing re-
^- ceives that Name, which, in their Lan-
*' guage, fignifies the Glory of the Earth ;
'' and which was beftowed upon it, be-
^' caufe in it are made the earthen Veffels,
^^ ufed in diluting, and drinking their Tea,
^' The Reafon why thefe are preferred to
*^ the Chinefe, though more tranfparent,
*' and diaphanous, is, becaufe the former
*' convey to the Tea^ a certain Tafte and
^^ Smell, much admired by the Chiiwfe y
^^ fo that the Inhabitants of that City are
^' much employed in making them ; and
^' fome of diem ' are fold at a Price equal, -
" if not fuperior, to thofe of PortugaL '*
Since, therefore, thefe Veffels communicate
to the Tea^ both a Smell and Tafte, which
are grateful to the Chinefe -^ fmce the Caufe
of Tafte is a _ volatile Salt, and that of
Smell a certain Sulphur ^ lince this Salt
and Sulphur can hardly be feparated by Chy-
mift'ry • and fince it is peculiar to Salt to
penetrate pto the Eflence of Things ; it
muft neceflarily happen, that the Water,
taken from the Lake, or River laft men-
tioned, and which is without any Smell,
(for, if it had b@en odorous, Martinius
woiild have rnentioned that Circumftance,

as

"TEA, CHOCOLATE, &c. 151

as he did of the third Fountain) muff gra-
dually extrad: the Tafte and Smell from
thofe precious Veffels, refefmbling Lemnian
or Silejian Earth. But this Water of the
Rivulet Leang, or of the Fountain Heoj^
would either not at all, or with Difficulty,
extract the Tafte and Smell from thefe
earthen Veffels, unlefs it abounded with an
highly penetrating Salt, or, perhaps, a Vitriol ;
fince Martinim tells us, that Vitriol Mines
are found in China^ for no Subftance can
communicate to another, a Quality which
it does polTefs itfelf. Tea has indeed a Tafte,
though not of the grateful Kind, as is ob-
vious from what has been faid. The Tafte
and Smell, therefore, which the Chinefe per-
ceive in drinking Tea, do not proceed from
the Tea itfelf, but from the Water, or earthen
Veflels they ufe, or from both ; from the
Water, which by its Mineral Salt, extracts
from the Veflels their Salt and Sulphur;
and -from the Veflels, which in . return com-
municate thefe to the Water. For this pe-
culiar Qiiality of the Earth, the City is called
Gnihing, which, according to Marti?iius,
fignifies the Glory of the Earth, It is, by
no means, furprizing to find various fragrant
Mineral Earths : Thus, in the Dutchy of
Kalenberg, in Germany, there is dug up a
certain bituminous Mineral, which is a Kind
L 4 of

1^2 A TREATISE on

of intermediate Subftance, between Earth,
Clay, and Stone; and which, if it is either
licked with the Tongue, or has cold Wa-
ter, and efpecially Rain- Water, poured up-
on it, diffufes a Smell as fragrant as that of
the Violet : The Truth of this, I know
from Experience. But thefe precious Vef-
fels are fo rare in Europe^ that the fmalleft
of them are not to be purchafed under an
jmrnenfe Sum. When, however, I under-
ftood, that Frederic the third. King of iVbr-
<way and Denmarky had, among other Chi-
neje Curiofities, two of thefe elegant and
fumptuous Veffels 5 I obtained the Ufe of
them from him, and prevailed upon Ju-
lius Reichelt, Profeflbr of Mathematics at
Strashurg^ and a skilful Defigner, to deli-
neate them. This Gentleman has, with the
greateft Accuracy, not only exhibited in the
following Plates, thefe, and other 'CM7iefe
Utenfils, but alfo informed himfelf of their
real Bulk, with all the Care and Pains, he
poflibly could : But we fhall give an Ac-
count of his Performance in his own Words :

" At theRequeft of the learned and ju-
" dicious Simon Pauli^ I have delineated
*' fome of the C/6/;2^ Utenfils, and hope for
- Indulgence, becaufe thefe Veffels are nei-
" ther exhibited according to the Laws of

'' Painty

Fio-.IIL

S.CcU.fcu^.

ri^.vm.

riQ-IX. Fi^JiC,

S..C}/e.J{M^ .

a

«

^EA CHOCOLATE.&cc. 153

Painting, nor Perfpeftive -, but in a Man-
ner, ufed by Mechanics, fince I thought
it expedient, both for the Sake of the
Subjeft, and the Satisfaction of the cu-
rious Reader, to have a due Regard to
Capacity, and Meafure. I have exhi-
bited the Orthography of the Veflel re-
prefented by Fig, IX. the Scenography
*' of Fig. III. of which the Orthography is
" reprefented by Fig. IV. In Fig. VIII. the
*' Scenography of the Veflel M, and the
" Orthography of its Cover N, are repre-
** fented; but I have only defcribed the
" Scenographies of all the reft. I have
^' ufed the Rloinlandian Geometrical Foot,
" to the Meafure of w^hich all the Parts of
" thefe Veflels are adjufted, in that Propor-
*' tion, obfervable in Fig. XIV. which re-
" prefents a fmaller Foot, divided into ten
" Parts. Fig. XIII. exhibits a wooden In-
ftrument, exactly of the fame Size with
the Figure. In all the Figures I have re-
prefented the Length and Breadth by Di-
'■ ^meters and Diagonals ; but the Height
'^ or Depth, by pricked Perpendiculars. I
" hope the Mathematical Reader will find
" no Fault with the quadrangular Paflage
*^ B in Fig, i. for conveying the Air, iq.
^' order to ventilate the Coals ^ nor with

" Fig.

(C

$c

154 ^ TREATISE on '

" Fig\ IX. the two Feet of which, fliade
^* other two fimilar to themfelves.

jin Explanation of the Figures^ reprefenting
fome Chinefe Vtenfth.

Fig, I. Reprefents a Kind of Kettle, cu-
rioufly made of Chinefe Copper, furnifhed
with a Handle, divided by a Copper Par-
tition 'y and which, though at firfk View, it
appears to be one Veffel, is yet, upon nar-
rower Infpedlion, found to be two, with
two Coverings ; for A reprefents a fmall Fur-
nace, into which the Coals are put ; and B,
the Mouth of the Furnace, covered with
Crofs-Bars, for the better Ventilation of the
Coals. The other Veffel has its internal
Surface lined, or covered with Tin, ferves
either for drying, or boiling the Tea^ and
is furnifhed with a particular fmall Tube,
the Cover of which is exhibited hy a i by
the Benefit of which, the large Coverings,
C D, being fhut up, the Vapours of the
Tea may be retained, or allowed to exhale
at Pleafure.

Fig, II. E reprefents a Copper Veflel,
in which the Tea is either boiled, or pre-
ferved, when dry. E reprefents its Tube,
and F the covering of the Tube.

Fig.

TEA, CHOCOLATE, ^c. 155
Fig. III. and IV. G G exhibit different
Views of one and the fame VeiTel, the in-
ternal Surface of which is lined with a thin
gilded Plate, of fome proper Metal, and
the external Surface, covered with Lack,
after the Manner of the Chinefe.

Fig. V. I I. No. I. reprefents a genu*.
intChinefe Tea-Leaftn^ctrsLtcd, and ftretched
to its full Extent. No. 2. A Leaf of the
Chamelaagnus^ or what the French call P/-
ment Royal, artificially dried.

Fig. VL K reprefents another, and, in my
Opinion, a fpurious ChinefeTea-Leaf, brought
from China.

Fig. VII. L exhibits a Leaf of what
Clufius calls the Spiraa Theophrajli, found
in the Green-Houfes of Copenhagen, and fo
like the fpurious Chinefe Tea, with which
the genuine is adulterated, that the one can-
not be diftinguiflied from the other.

Fig. VIII. M reprefents a curious Po^
lygonal Tea-Pot, probably made of fealed
hemnian, or Sikjian Earth. N its Lid
joined by the golden Chain O, to its Han-
dle P. and Q, Its Stroup curioufly tipped
with Gold. r

, Fig.

156 A TREATISE on

Fig, IX. R reprefents another earthen
I'ea-Pot^ with a Stroup, but of a roundifh,
or oblong Form, and in the Lid of which,
is fixed a Ring of Clay S for taking it off
qind putting it on : Both thefe earthen Tea-
Pots are highly fragrant ; the former is of a
light, and the latter of a pale red Colour.

Fig. X. T exhibits a Copper Veffel
lined with Tin, capable of containing four
Ounces ; and whofe inferior Part about the
Letter V is covered with a Kind of Cafe,
woven of fuch Wood as the Europeans ufe
in making Sieves ^ but fo as that the Vef-
fel can be taken out of the Cafe. But I
am of Opinion, that the Chinefe pour their
hot Tea, whether infufed, or boiled, into
thi% in order to prevent the fcalding of their
Hands ; and fo cool the Liquor, as that it
may neither burn their Lips, nor Tongue.

Fig,lL\. X reprefents this wooden Cafe,
or Handle, by itfelf.

Fig. XI L Y exhibits a fmall wooden
Ladle, with a femicircular wooden Handle,

Fig. XIII. Z reprefents a fmall, and
fomewhat incurvated wooden Spatula.

Fig.

TEA, CHOCOLATE, &CC. i^f
Fig, XIV. reprefents a fmall geometri-
cal Foot, divided into ten equal Parts, for af-
certaining the juft Proportion of the Uten-
fils defcribed.

It is to be obferved, that thefe Veflels
are of a grateful fragrant Smell, refembling
thofe of the Juniper , Cyprefs, or Aloes Tree^
which is certainly owing to the bitumi-
nous Earth of which they are formed.
Thus we have before obferved, that the
Kalenburgian bituminous Earth is as fragrant
as Violets; and that, according to Mar-
tinius, it is on account of the Fragrance of
thefe Veffels, that the Chinefe are fo fond
of them, and purchafe them at fuch im-
menfe Prices. We have alfo taken No-
tice from Tiilpiits^ and . Maffceus^ that thefe
Pots, Veffels, and other Pieces of Tea Equi-
page, are, by the Ckinefe, bought at the
Rate of fome Thoufand Nobles, wrapped up
in filken Coverings, fhewn only to their
neareft Friends, and as much valued by
them as Adamants, Gems, and curious Me-
dals are by the Europeans, Let the Euro-
peanSy therefore, before they drink Tea^
which itfelf is void of Smell, provide them-
felves with the fragrant Veffels of Gnihing^
and the Waters of the Rivulet VuJJie, which
they muft bring uncorrupted from China y

and

tS^ -^ TREATISE on

and then, on Suppofition the Air was the
fame, which it is not, the fame Effeds
might be produced in Europe by Tea^ as
thofe which it is boafted to produce in China.
It is therefore far more congruous to Truth
and Reafon, to fuppofe, that the Chinefe are
free from the Stone, Gout, and arthritic Pains,
rather by the Goodnefs of their Water, than
by their 7"^^ alone, which may alfo con-
tribute fomething to their Happinefs in thefe
Refpeds. Belides, the Force and Virtue of
*Tea^ muft be coniiderably Impaired and loft,
by the intenfe Heat of the Sun, during fo
long a Voyage, in which the Equator muft
be twice crofted, before the Ships arrive at
any European Ports. Hence we know from
Experience, that thofe Perfons moft confult
the Intereft of the Europeans ^ who, accord-
ing to Mercator^ in his Defcription of Ci6/;^^z,
advife, i\idX Rhubarb^ with the beftSort of
which, China abounds, ftiould be brought
through Perjia by Land, left it ftiould be
fpoiled and corrupted by fo long, a Voy-
age. What^ muft therefore happen to Tea^
or the Chinefe Chamelaagnus^ which is in
China frequently toafted in an Iron Pan,
fo as' to corrugate and conglomerate its
Leaves, accqrding to Rhodius and Marti-
nius ? For, if the Virtues of jRfe/^^r^, which
is a compaft Subftance, are, by fuch a Voy-
age,

TEA, CHOCOLATE, Sec. 1$^

age, exhaled, this Misfortune muft much
more happen to the tender Leaves of Tea,
which are gathered in the Spring, and have
a bitterifh Tafte, but no Smell. Hence we
may infer, that thefe Leaves are, after their
Arrival at Europe, poiTeffed of a volatile and
fixed Salt, but deprived of their Sulphur, ef-
pecially the moft volatile Part of it ; for, if
they were intirelydeftitute of Sulphur, they
would not take Flame, nor could they be
burned. The Author of a Book, intitled,
Artificia Hominum Miranda Natiirce in Sin a
G? Europa, in Chap, 35. tells us, " that in
*^ Chekiang, in China, there are Woods of
** Mulberry-Trees, fo many Silk-Worms^ and '
" fuch immenfe Quantities of Silk, that a
*' Perfon may there purchafe ten filken Suits
*' of Cloaths at an eafier Rate, than he can
'^ have one of Cloth in any Part of Europe,
"The Chinefe prune their Mulberry-Trees
" every Year, as the Europeans . do their
*^ Vines ; nor do they fuffer them to grow
** up into tallTrees, becaufe they have found
. " from long Experience, that the Leaves of
•* the fmalleft Trees produce the fineft Sub-
" fiance for Silk, and the beft Thread : For
** which Reafon, they juftly diftinguifh be-
** tween the firft and fecond Weaving of
" the Thread : The former is produced
" whea the Worms are nourifhed by th^

^^ Leaves

^i6o A TREATISE ojt

*^ Leaves which appear in the Springs and
" are foft and delicate : The latter is, when
" they are fed upon the Summer Leaves,
*' which are coarfe and hard.; fo great is
" the Difference of Work produced by thefe
" Animals only by a Change of Food/'
If this Account of the Nourifhment of Silk-
Worms is true, as we Europeans find it by
Experience, fo it is equally certain, that there
is as great a Difference between thofe Leaves
of the^ Chinefe Tea^ or European Chamelceag-
nus^ which appear in the Springs and thofe
which are produced in the Summer^ as I
have all along infinuated in this Work. By
this remarkable Paffage of the anonymous
Author, I am more and more convinced,
that the vernal Leaves of the Chamelceagnus,
or European Tea^ are poffelfed of different
Virtues from thofe which appear in th^Sum-
mer^ when the Sun has entered heo : And
thofe who will not grant this Truth, are
confuted by the palpable Inftance drawn
from the Nourifhment of the Silk- Worms.

By way of Digreflion, I fhall intreat evety
Lover of Truth, to throw the Leaves, (not
the Shrub, Flowers, or Seeds) of the Euro-
pean CbofnelaagnuSy which, when dry, have
no Scent upon live Coals^ and do the fame
with an equal Quantity of Chinefe Tea^ fho'

in

TEA CHOCOLATE, &CC, i6i

in different Rooms, and by the exaft Re-
femblance of the Smell diffufed by each, he
will be convinced that the Chamelaagnus is
a Plant of the fame Species with Tea.

I am not acquainted with all the Afls,
Statutes, and Laws, of the different Cities of
Europe, made for fuppreffing and prevent-
ing the Avarice and Exorbitance of Apo-
thecaries ; only in Upper and Lower Ger-
many, a certain Fine is, by public Autho-
rity, laid upon the Apothecary who fells
old and mouldy Herbs, or ufes any Methods
to make them appear good and frefh : Nay,
it is cuftomary, in fome Provinces of Ger-
many, publickly to burn fuch Herbs, Roots,
Shrubs, or Plants as are bad, or fufpefted
to be more than one Year old; left the
poorer Inhabitants fhould, like the Widow
mentioned in huke. Chap. viii. 43, fpend
all their Money upon Phyficians, without
being healed by any : But the Cafe is quite
otherwife with Tea -, for fuppoling it to be
only one Year old, when it is put into the
Ships at China, it mufl be double that
Time, and often more, before it arrives to
us. How great then is the Stupidity of
us 'Europeans, who are never difgufled at
the Avarice and Bafenefs of the A/iatics,
though they fhould fend us Tea as old as
M the

i62 A TREATISE on

the 'Trojan War, whilft they ufe it frefli and
good themfelves ? Belides, as the TV^-Leaves
have no Smell, it is highly probable, that
t\\^AJiatics have infufed and macerated them,
and then dried them a fecond Time for
the Ufe of the Europeans ; fince, when
chewed in the Mouth, they are refolved
into a Kind of grofs Powder. I am alfo
of the Opinion of the celebrated Wormius^
who thought it highly probable,, that Tea-
Leaves were either mixed with others, or
had others intirely fubftituted in their ftead.
If we are at fuch Care and Pains to dif-
charge and prohibit the Sale of old £2^-
ropea7i Plants, ought we nor, with the fame
Rigour and Authority, to prohibit the Im-
port of T^^7 deprived of its Smell, and long
ago dried and prepared for the Ufe of the
Chinefe ? The Man would furely be ridicu-
Jous who Hiould import into Europe large
Quantities of Tobacco, already cut liiiall for
the prefent Smoaking of the Indians^ or
Americans ^ or who ibould commend it
on account of its und:uous Sulphur, or pre-^
fer it to large Pricks, made up hard and com-
pad!: for the Sake of keeping ; for cut Tobacco
after it has been kept fome Months and be-
come dry, iofes all its Virtue, and is de-
fpifed by a phlegmatic Europea??. It is
alfo obvious from what has been faid, that

after

TEA, CHOCOLATE, Sec. 163
after the Chinefe have toafted their Tea, they
preferve it in clofe flopped Veffels, that it
may not be corrupted, or too much dried
by the Accefs of the Air : It is, therefore,
the Duty of every European to join in enga-
ging the Legiflature to put a Stop to this
epidemical Evil, and prohibit the Abufe, not
only of Tea, but alfo of Tobacco, fince both
of thefe, and Coffee, as I have before fhewn,
fo enervate the European Men, that they
become incapable of propagating their Spe-
cies, like Eunuchs, fome of whom are highly
falacious 5 but it is fufficiently known, that
they are incapable of Procreation, tho' they
emit fomething analogous to Semen, For
this Reafon, the Turks perform Caftration in
a different Manner from the Italians, fince
the former cut off Penis, Tefticles, and all j
and the latter only the Tejiicles. The Cu-
rious may confult Bartholinus Anatom. Re^
format. Lib, j, at the End of which, they
will be informed why, and when it happens,
that Horfes and Bulls procreate their refpedive
Species after Caftration : The Turks, there-
fore, left their Eunuchs fhould provide
them with a fpurious Progeny, treat them
in a far more inhuman Manner, than the
Italians do. Since we have mentioned the
Turks, it will not be improper to obferve^
that the Perfians, though falacious, are, ne-
M 2 verthelefs^

164 A TREATISE on

verthelefs, generally impotent : For fincc,
on account of Polygamy y which they have
in common with the Turks^ they have a
numerous Progeny to be'fupported ; when
they copulate with their Wives and Whores,
they are not fo foUicitous to procure an
Offspring, as, like the infamous Onarty to
emit a vapid and unprolific Seed, which, on
account of the Coffee corrupted in their
Veins, may, by a Perfon acquainted with
Chymical Principles, be juftly compared to
the Lees of Wine, in a great Meafure de-
prived of the volatile Salt and Sulphur of
the Wine : Or it may be compared to
that of the Eunuchs of other lefs brutal
Nations ; or that of the Scythians^ who are
by Hippocrates^ in LiL de Aere^ AquiSy
& LociSy ftiled emafculated and effeminate
Mortals, The fame Author, in the Work
now quoted, affigns other Caufes for the
Sterility of the Scythians \ " iox^fays he^ they
*' make fo deep Incifions in the Veins be-
*^ hind their Ears, that when they come
*' to be married, they are impotent." But
Olearius informs us, that without this Prac-
tice, the falacious Perjians emafculate them-
felvcs only by the Ufe of Coffee : Nor is this
furprizing, fmce Salacity, inftead of promo-
ting Procreation, procures Sterility. Hence
a common Strumpet rarely becomes preg-
nant.

TEA CHOCOLATE, &c. 165

nant, notwithftanding her frequent venereal
Encounters with falacious Rakes and Debau-
chees. Befides, there is a vaft Difference
between ftiniulating, cold, and languid Con-
ftitutions to Venery, which is obtained by
Rockety and fecundating the Semen^ which
is obtained by fome Vegetables, as Sweet Al-
monds, Pine Kernels, Piftachio Nuts, and
Chefnuts ; as alfo by Animals, as Capons,
Larks, Thrullies, Kids-Flefli, Mutton, or
Veal. I do not deny, but Coffee, Choco-
late, and Tobacco^ have a Power of Simula-
ting to Venery, but may yet. induce Steri-
lity, becaufe they confiftof heterogeneous
Parts, or rather a6t by their whole Sub-
ftances : But all thefe Things are unfit for
fecundating the Semeji • as alfo all other Sub-,
ftances of a drying Quality, and npt cold
Subftances, as is commonly believed. The
Effeminacy and Impotence then produced
by drinking Coffee, and fmoaking Tobacco^
are fufficiently obvious, And to thefe two,
if I am not miftaken, good Judges will join
Teay becaufe according to Martinhis, xhtChi^.
nefe by the laft not only extinguifliThirft, hut
alio diflipate their Humours to fuch a De-
gree, that they hardly ever fpit. It is alfo
by a drying Quality, that the Agnus Caftus,
Rue, Mint^ SLud Campbirey render Men irn-
pgtent. BelideS;, Tea is to the Chinefe them-
M 3 felves^

i66 A TREATISE on

felves only a new Thing, whofe Virtues and
Faculties they have not, as yet, fufficiently
inveftigated ; for whicji Reafon I juftly pre-
fer to it our own Betony^ which has been
defer vedly celebrated for fo many Ages.
The Chinefe Incapacity of Spitting is, there-
fore, a manifeft Proof that Tea contains
a drying, though not an intenfeiy hot Sul-
phur. I do not find it exprefly affirmed
by Authors^ that Chocolate, as v/ell as Coffee^
produces Sterility and Impotence ^ fince
they rather affert, that it proves a Stimu-
lus to Venery : A Circumftance confirmed
by the Accounts of fome Men of Learn-
ing and Penetration, upon their Return
from Africa and America. But as Benzon
informs us, " that Chocolate has a fomewhat
*' bitterifhTafte,and refrigerates, or dries the
" Body, without producing the fmalleft De-
" gree of Intoxication :'' Hence we may
reafonably infer, that as C^^r^/^^<? agrees with
Coffee and Tea^ in one Third of its Quali-
ties, fo all thefe three exaftly agree with each
other, in producing Effeminacy and Impo-
tence : But I fhall not here attempt an f a-
velligation of their other Qualities. I there-
fore hope, that for the future, tht Enr/^
peans will be wife, and rejeft Coffee, Cho^
colate^ and 7ea\ fince they are all either
equally bad^ or equally good; Nay, 1 hope

to

"TEA CHOCOLATE, &c. 167

to fee. People of all Ranks and Conditions,
have as great an Averfion to them as the
Mahometans and Turks, or rather their Em-
perors have to Tobacco^ the Lovers of which,
as well as thofe who are idle, prodigal,
barren, impotent, or effeminate, they will
not fuffer to live within their Territories.
There is another Method of producing
'Barrennefs and Impotence, probably brought
from Afia into Europe^ which is the indif-
criminate Ufe of Venefedlion, in both Sexes,
behind the Ears, for intolerable Tooth-achs.
But let me tell the Perfons, who, defpifing
the Authority of Hippocrates^ fuffer, like
the Scythians, the Veins behind their Ears
to be opened, that they will afterwards
repent their Folly, when they find Sterility
and Impotence to be their Fate. Some
praftical Phyficians may furnifli us with
Inftances of Tooth-achs, accompanied with
Deliriums, and other violent Symptoms ;
but none of them feem to have obfcrved,
that a Tooth-ach, when removed by open-
ing the Veins behind the Ears, has proved
the Caufe of Sterility, as Hippocrates, who,
according to MacrobiuSy was never deceived
himfelf, nor impofed upon others, affirms,
not of a fingle Inftance or tw6, but of the
whole Nation of the Scythians. Let, there-
fore, the Matters and Millreffes of Fami-
M 4 lies

i68 A TREATISE on

lies rejeft theCuftom of cauterifing or open-
ing the Veins behind the Ears, unlefs they
incline that their Children {hould be curfed
with Sterility, or Impotence, which are
attended with a dire and numerous Train
of Woes, So that we hope the Europeans
will guard againft Sterility ; produced in
the Indies by Coffee^ Tea^ and Qoocolate ;
and in Scythia by opening, or burning the
Veins behind the Ears.

Having already coniidered the Regimen
of the Chinefey I fhall proceed to take No*
tice of their Manners, Cuftoms, and Difpo-
fitions : In the Execution of which Defign
I fhall take my Accounts from Martinius^
who, when treating of Quack-Phyficians,
af&rms, that the Chinefe^ as well as the Cre^
tans, are greatly addifted to Lying. The
fame Author, in his Atlas Chinic.us^ fpeaks
in the following Manner : '^ The Euro-
'' peans are fuperior to the Chinefe in For-
" titude, but the Chinefe excel the Europeans
** in Brightnefs of Genius : They are alfo
** ftgacious, cunning, intrepid, induftrious,
" and dextrous, in managing fudden Emer-
*' gencjes : Notwithftanding their great A-
" bundance, they collecft and prefer ve the
"^^ moft worthlefs Things, fuch as Dogs
^* Boixes, Feathers, and Hogs Briftles, which

" they

"TEA CHOCOLATE, &c. 169

'^ they fell. Their Penetration often dif-
" covers itfelf by Fraud, Guile, and Im-
" pofition. Their Merchants are induf-
" trious and adlive, and the whole of the
*^ Inhabitants fpare no Pains, and think no
'^ Labour too fevere, when they have the
" fmalleft Profpedt of Gain, becaufe they
'■ always prefer Profit to Honefty. They
'^ have found and robuft Conftitutions^ be-
'• ing accuftomed to Fatigue from their
" Infancy : Some of them are of as fair
" Complexions as the Europeans.'^

As I have before compared the Chinefe
with the European Regimen, fo I fhould
here inftitute the Comparifon between their
Manners and Difpofitions, if Barclay had
not already executed that Defign with great
Judgment and Accuracy : Only I muft ob-
ferve, that their Cunning furpaffes our Pru-
dence, and that their Fraud fufficiently
evinces their Inclination to deceive us. In
a word, Cunning, Avarice, and Lying, are
the diftinguiftiing Charafterifticks of the
Afiatics^ who yearly defraud the Europeam
of fuch immenfe Sums of Money for 'Teas.
AMippocrates fparcd no Pains to remove and
root out the Athenian Plague, fo I have ufed
the utmoft of my Endeavours to deftroy the
raging epidemical Madnefs of importing

Tea

ij^di ^ TREATISE on

TjOi) ii>to ]£,urope from China ; fince I have
demonfftratedj that the Chinefe Tea, and the
Cbamei^agnus^ or Myrtus Bfabantica^ are
PlaliktS of the fame Species. Let fuch, there-
fore^ as are unacquainted with Botany , ceafe
to ufe. C6//^ 2"m, and in its Room fub-
ftkute Our European Chameldeagnm, Tho'
I- hdve not Authority fufficient to force my
Opinions upon others, yet let me perfwadc
my Vountrymen to ufe Betony^ which, as
Antonius Mufa informs us, cures no lefs than
forty Diforders, inftead of the Chinefe Tea^
which is without Smell, corrupted by the
Length of the Voyage, and deftitute of the
Qualities it is poffefled of m A/ia : Nor db
I- in the leaft doubt, but the European Be^
tmy would happily cure thofe Diforders, for
which the Chinefe recommend their T^ea.
The PhyficiaBS of China ai'e indeed to be
commended for curing Difeafes by Abfti-
nence from Meat and Drink, ^nd the Ufe
of fimpleDecoftiong, or other fimilarThingS;
becaufe Nature delights in Simplicity, is
coMented with little, and ovdrpdwered by
^v!^arFagO of compound Medicifies.

[>rlf I fhould be laughed at for my Opi-
j^frjs,! I flmU cpmfort myfelf with this Re-
i^ftion, that I have always had fo facred-
a^^ J^violabk an Attachment to Truth,
tfe^f I have chearfally' gone whitherfoever

fhe

rEA, CHOCOLATE, &CC. 171

fhe led me j fo that I may, with a feW
Variations, put a Clofe to this Work, in
the Words of Cicero, in Academ, ^ejt^
Lib. 4.

*Mf I had been induced to this Work
" by Oftentation, or the Love of Difpute,
'' I ought to be condemned, not only as
"a Fool, but alfo as a vicious and. ina-
" moral Man; for, if Obftinacy in Trifles
** isjuftly ridiculed, it ought to be much
*' more fo in Affairs of Importance. Du-
^^ ring the whole Courfe of my Life Iha^
•* been impartial in my Searches after TiSudi,
" and never attempted to impofe upon the
" Judgment of others; for I can fwearby
" the immortal God, that I not only have
•^ an ardent Love to Truth, but alfo that
" I fpeak the genuine Sentiments of my
" Mind 5 for why fhould not I ^flre td^'
" difcover Truth, when I rejoice to find
" what bears a near Refemblance to it.
" As it is the peculiar Glory of the hu-
** "man Nature, to perceive Truth in its
*^ genuine Colours ; fo> it is a Di%i^e tdL
" Reafon to embrace FaHhood for Truth.
" I do not, however, lay claim to Infallibi*
** lity, fincel confefs that I may err^a&wett
** as other Men."

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