690 MEALS MEDICINAL 
whilst also using some other portion of a stronger violet-tea 
for bathing the affected parts of the scalp externally. This 
wild violet contains a special medicinal principle, “ violin.’ 
If preferred, the herb, whether fresh, or dried, may be boiled 
slowly in milk for two hours as a more nutritive tea; and a 
bread poultice made with the strong water infusion of violets 
applied over the scalp. The Dutch people often improve their 
Tea by collecting orange blossoms in the season, and keeping 
some of them with the Tea in the caddy. In the peasant speech 
of Devon, weak ‘“ Tay” is said to be “ drefful wishee-washee 
stuff: *tez water bewitched, and Tay begridged.”’ Afternoon 
teas, which are now the order of the day all over England, had 
their origin at Belvoir, and were introduced there by the Duchess 
of Bedford. In France, Tea is held more as a medicament than 
a luxury ; if the dinner just eaten seems to have at all disagreed, 
or to be remaining imperfectly digested, then. the kindly host 
will offer the choice of a cup of Tea, or of chamomile infusion. 
“Virtuous Tea! thou addest not a blush to the cheek of beauty, 
not a tint to the nose of valour, not a wrinkle to the brow of age ; 
generosity marks thy path; softness, and sweetness are in thy 
train.” 
The national beverage of the South American populations 
is Paraguay Tea, infused from the dried, and powdered leaves 
of the Ilex Paraguaiensis, this beverage being the sole stay 
and stimulant of the working classes there. It is best drunk 
as a very hot infusion through a metal tube, or “ bombilla,” 
without any admixture of milk, and sugar, though it is then 
bitter. Other persons, especially workmen, inbibe it as an infusion 
prepared with cold water, when it is known as tereré. Workmen 
carry this drink with them wherever they go, and from time to 
time have sips of it. therefrom acquiring always fresh energy. 
The percentage of theine, and of volatile oil in this leaf is very 
much less than that contained in the Tea leaf, or the coffee berry. 
Nevertheless, the invigorating, and sustaining powers, whilst 
differing from those conferred by Tea, and coffee, are found to 
be superior thereto. Moreover, a long-continued use of the 
Yerba Maté, or Paraguay Tea, does not entail any harmful effects. 
Its infusion is pronounced by Dr. Herbert Walker, of Uruguay, 
Surgeon to the Buenos Hospital, to be “one of the very best 
aperients existing.” He has employed it in many cases of 
chronic constipation otherwise intractable, and has found it to 
