74 Tannin. 



remain twelve hours, and in seven days at latest the disease ap- 

 pears. 



'^ Like most Indian nations, they make a free use of aphro- 

 disiacs, batl\s and mineral waters. They have springs saturated 

 with alum and iron, but the greater niimljer contain suiphnr. 

 Their phvsicians are not able to analyse them. Chemistry as 

 well as natural history is in its infancy in Ciuna. But t!ic Chi- 

 nese have the good fortune to possess a species of mesmerism or 

 animal magnetism, a? practised by certain sects of illuminati in 

 Germany. The Chinese literati strive to put down this sect by 

 ridicule ; but they nevertheless find proselytes daily, to what 

 they are pleased to call the science nf scicnci<i. 



" The Chinese are not acquainted with the making of bread, 

 for which they substitute boiled rice or maize : their wine is a 

 strong li([uor extracted from honey or fermented rice. They do 

 not drink either coffee or chocolate — they hav'e delicious melons, 

 the species of which is luiknown to us, some very delicate kinds 

 of small onions, and sevcial delicious plants; but they have no 

 olives, strawberries, goe'<eberries, or potatoes. 



" The diseases of stone and gravel are wholly unknown to the 

 Chinese — in consequence, as they tell us, of tlie great quantity 

 of tea which thev drink *. 



M. Pelletier has published in the Annales de Chimic some ob- 

 ser\'ations with a view to show the imperfect state of our know- 

 ledge of this substance and its combinations with gallic acid. 

 The various kinds of tannin which have been successively pro- 

 duced from various processes, are different in the greater part of 

 their properties : they have nothing indeed in common, ijut 

 the property of several animal substances, and forming with 

 them insoluble combinations which are not susceptible of pu- 

 trefaction, and have also the power of precipitating in a manner 

 nearly similar even metallic solutions ; but they are different in 

 their taste, colour, solubility in water, &c. Pure tannin does 

 not exist : the properties which are attributed to it, and by which 

 it is characterized, belong to several combinations which vegetable 

 substances form. W'hy tlien, asks M. Pelletier, shall we continue 

 to c»nsidcr this as a distinct principle ? 



Is it because it j)recij)itates several metallic oxides from their 

 solution ? Almost all vegetable extracts have the same property, 



* Tlic great consumption of tea in Englaiifl is well known : ;ire tiic af- 

 fections arising from urinary calculi less frequent iji that country? We 

 may form some icea on this suhjcct by rcadir.L' the papers ot' Brando, 

 Home, and Ilatchett. — i\'oie h>j the French Editors of the Annales de 

 Chimic 



and 



