110 CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION. 



Namuna In Hindostanee literally means " Sample," 

 being accidentally applied to a class of India tea, possess- 

 ing great strength and high, peculiar flavor not confined 

 to any particular district or plantation. The dry leaf may 

 have the regular grayish-black hue, or be of a greenish- 

 black color, the green leaves being intermixed and distinct 

 from the black ones. It invariably yields a pale, corn- 

 yellow colored liquor, resembling that of Oolong, heavier 

 and stronger than ordinary Pekoe, and in flavor like a 

 Moyune, yet distinct from the former and not as pungent 

 as the latter. Frequently, however, it is intermingled 

 with a nasty black leaf, the flavor of which is destroyed 

 by over-firing, the green leaves being due to deficient or 

 under-firing. 



There are many serious objections to the general use 

 of India teas, one of which is the great excess of tannin 

 (tannic acid) which they contain, ranging from 1 3 to 1 8 

 per cent, in this variety, and to which property tea owes 

 its astringency, constipating effect on the bowels and the 

 ink-black color which it imparts to water containing salts 

 of iron. In England a crusade is being preached against 

 their use by medical authorities on this account, the 

 marked increase in dyspeptic and nervous diseases in 

 that country being attributed to their general consump- 

 tion there. Some experts argue that by a shorter infu- 

 sion sufficiently long to extract the theine with less of 

 the tannin this serious defect may be eventually 

 remedied. Such, however, is not the case, as experi- 

 ments made with it at three and five minute infusions 

 have still shown an excess of tannin, in addition to that 

 of making the liquor raw, herby, and entirely unsatis- 

 factory in flavor. The same time-tests resulting in favor 

 of both China and Japan teas, and which, judging by the 

 bitterness and astringency, the amount of tannin yielded 



