SECTION ik. 
Ir may be of fome ufe in our inquiries to confider its 
effets where it has been long and. univerfally ufed. Of Japan. 
we know little at prefent: of China we have more recent 
accounts ; from thefe it appears, that Tea of fome kind, coarfer 
or finer, is drank plentifully by all degrees of people; the 
general provifion of the lower ranks efpecially is rice, their 
beverage Tea. The fuperior claffes of people drink Tea ; but 
they likewife partake of animal food, and live freely. 
Of their difeafes we know but little, nor what effects Tea 
may have in this refpeét. They feldom or never bleed. The 
late Dr. Arnot, of Canton, a gentleman who did his profeffion 
and his country honour, and was in the higheft eftimation with 
the Chinefe, I am informed, was the firft perfon who could. 
ever prevail upon any of the Chinefe to be blooded ', be their 
maladies what they might. It would appear from sreste: that 
inflammatory difeafes were not frequent among them; other- _ 
_ wife a nation, who feem fo fond of life-as the Chinefe are re- 
_ puted to be, would by fome means or other have admitted of - 
_ this almoft only remedy in fuch cafes. May we infer from 
hence, that inflammatory difeafes are lef frequent ‘in China, 
* See Du Halde’s hiftory of China, V. Ill. p. 362. He obferves ee that bleed 
ing is not oad unknown amongft the Chinefe. 
M 
