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diftreffed family, till fome of the children were removed from 
this baneful nurfery, by which they acquired tolerable health: 
. My valuable friend, Dr. Walker, of Leeds, in Yorkshire, 
has noticed, in feveral parts of that extenfive and commercial 
county, and particularly in Leeds; that, “ fince- the more 
plentiful introduction of Tea into the families of the induftrious 
poor, by the late reduction of its price, the Atrophia Lac¢tan- 
tium, or Tabes Nutricum, a fpecies of decline, has made an 
unufually rapid progrefs. The difficulty with which animal food 
is procured by the lower ranks of fociety, in quantity fufficient 
for daily nutriment, has led many of them to fubftitute, in the 
place of more wholefome provifions, a cheap infufion of this 
- foreign vegetable, ‘whofe grateful flavour (and perhaps narcotic 
~ quality, which it poffefles in a {mall degree in common with 
moft other ever-greens) is found to create an appetite for 
itfelf, in preference to all other kinds of aliment that the feanty 
income of poverty allows thefe deluded objects to pr , 
though I am forry to have occafion to add, ae the fowernp 
effects of tea-drinking lead too many of thefe to feek relief 
from {pirits, and other pernicious cordials, at the expence of 
health, and the fure confequences of penury and want. 
-* As this change, in the article of diet, has been very ge- 
| nerally made, efpecially by the females, and the younger 
- pranches of the families of the manufacturing poor, their 
— conftitutions have been rendered much lefs able to bear 
evacuations of any fort, and particularly that of lactation. I 
: : eke with great truth, aver, that more than two hundred — 
tients of this denomination have, within the laft two years, | 
[ome 
