TEA. 683 
Much has been asserted about the injurious effects on gastric 
digestion of the tannin contained so abundantly in many Teas. 
It has been alleged that meat-fibre is hardened by Tea, and that, 
pari passu, the coats of the stomach are liable to be similarly 
impaired ; but such views are entirely theoretical. Leather is, no 
doubt, a very tough, indigestible substance ; but meat-fibre is not 
gelatin like that which becomes tanned, and the coats of the 
living stomach are not dead membrane. As a fact, meat-fibre 
does not harden in Tea; on the contrary, it swells up nearly as 
freely in acidulated Tea of medium strength as in simple 
acidulated water. If it be wished to minimize the inhibitory 
action of Tea on the digestion of starches, instead of directing 
that the Tea should be infused for only two or three minutes, 
the plan should be to make it weak, and use it sparingly ; also 
to drink it, not with the meal, but after the meal has been eaten. 
“And another device towards the same end, especially for 
persons of feeble digestive powers,” says Sir Wm. Roberts, 
‘is to introduce into the tea-pot with the Tea a pinch of bicar- 
bonate of soda, which will completely obviate the deterrent 
effect of Tea on starch digestion ; the mitigating effects on Tea of 
bicarbonate of soda, and of the commercial alkaline table-waters 
on wines, are well worth bearing in mind. Besides it is really a 
delusion to suppose that by infusing Tea for only a short time 
(two or three minutes) the passing of the tannin into the infusion 
can be avoided; you can no more have Tea without tannin 
than you can have wine without alcohol. This tannin, in the 
free state, is one of the most soluble substances known ; if some 
hot water is poured on a little heap of tannin the substance 
instantly dissolves like so much pounded sugar.” But Dr. R. 
Hutchison teaches somewhat differently about this matter. 
He says: ‘ There is less tannic acid dissolved after an infusion 
of three minutes than after five, and less after five than after 
ten ; but beyond that one does not find an increase, for by then 
practically the whole of the soluble matters have been extracted 
from the leaf. The theine is so soluble that it is practically all 
dissolved out of the leaf immediately infusion has begun.” 
In Oxfordshire a Company has been formed of late for making 
small tablets which shall chemically remove the tannin from 
Teas, particularly those of India, and Ceylon, (which furnish 
tannin largely, so that infusions thereof are exceptionally strong, = 
and harmful.) It is said that one of these tablets, if dropped 
