BEVERAGES. 67 



for one of good ale. Hops are said to preserve malt liquors from sour- 

 ing. 



There are numerous other kinds of alcoholic drinks obtained from 

 different vegetables, which we have noticed under the heads of the re- 

 spective plants or fruits from which they are obtained. 



COMMON AND IMPORTANT BEVERAGES. 



Numerous vegetable substances are added to water for the purpose 

 of drinks, or beverages. The juice of many fruits are common addi- 

 tions for this purpose, especially in warm climates. These are refriger- 

 ating and allaying to thirst. The citric, acetic and tartaric acids are 

 mostly used. Lemonade is a well known drink used for these purpo- 

 ses in warm weather in this climate. Infusions of apples, tamarinds, 

 currants, cranberries and preserved fruits of various kinds are also 

 much used. Vinegar, with sugar or molasses, are likewise frequently 

 drank. Pleasant beverages are made, in fine, of most of the native 

 fruits of our country, containing sacharo-acid principles. A feeling of 

 heart-burn or acidity of the stomach, is said to be occasioned more fre- 

 quently by the compound juices of fruits than when acids are alone. 

 Thus orange juice often disagrees with the dispeptic, while that of the 

 lemon, with sugar, is grateful and not inconvenient in its effects. Ci- 

 der, or wine, also gives rise to these feelings, while vinegar with water 

 will often relieve them. Sugar and water is a common drink with the 

 French. Sugar candy allays thirst and is often nourishing. 



But beverages most extensively drank are made by the infusion of 

 herbs of different kinds and the coffee berry. Common aromatic and 

 bitter herbs, such as balm, sage, &c. are considerably used as teas. 

 The gums, though devoid of taste and stimulating qualities, are sooth- 

 ing ; and thus quench thirst better and for a longer time than wa- 

 ter. A good mucilaginous drink is thus made of gum arabic, which 

 may be administered in cases of fevers, allaying thirst and avoiding the 

 want of water. The desire for all these drinks ceases with the quench- 

 ing of thirst, having no stimulating properties to induce a habit of 

 frequent drinking. We have already alluded to rice and barley water, 

 &c. But of all the beverages used, that made of the tea plant and of 

 coffee is the most common, and these therefore merit special notice. 



TEA, Thea, or as it is called by the Japanese, Teak. 

 Camellia, (or Linn.Columniferae, or Juss. Aurantia.) 

 C. 16, O. 7, sp. 6-8, Es. 4 ft. (Some place the tea 

 tree in class 12.) This is a plant greatly cultivated 

 in several provinces in China, Japan and Siam, an. 

 infusion of the leaves of which constitutes the well- 

 known drink, tea. The roots resemble those of the 

 peach tree'; the leaves are green, sharp at the point, narrow, 1| inches 

 long and jagged all around; and the flowers are white and like those 

 of our wild rose. The fruit is a berry of different forms, round, long 



