and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— September, 1911. 277 



hath made everywhere salt and brackish. He 

 hath been pleased to produce that Species of a 

 particular Tree in aboundauce, whose Leaves 

 serve not only tp purge the Waters from their 

 noxious Qualities, but also to make them whole- 

 some and pleasant. 



Amongst these Simples there are two that I 

 may speak of before hand : The first is the Leaf 

 of Thee, as they call it iu China. (Thee is a cor- 

 rupt word of the Province of Fokien, it must be 

 called Tcha, this is the term of the Mandarin 

 Language.) They are much divided in their 

 Opinions touching tho Properties theyascribeto 

 it. Some do maintain that it hath admirable 

 ones ; others, that it is but a fancy and meer 

 whim of the Europe ins, that are always in love 

 with Novelties, and put a value upon that which 

 they do not understand : in that, as in all other 

 things where Men do not agree, I think we 

 ought to take the middle path. 



In China they are subject neither to Gout, 

 Sciatica, nor Stone; and many imagine, that 

 Thee preserves them against all these Distem- 

 pers. The Tartars that feed upon raw Flesh, 

 fall sick, aud suffer continual Indigestions so soon 

 as ever they give over drinking of it ; and that 

 they may have plenty of it, thoy bargain to fur- 

 nish the Emperor with almost all the Horses 

 that serve to remount his Cavalry. When any 

 one is troubled with a Vertigo that over char- 

 ges the Brain, he finds himself extreamly re- 

 lieved so soon as he accustoms himself to Thee, 

 In France there are abundance of People that, 

 find it good for the Gravel, Crudities, Head- 

 aches; nay, some pretend to have been Cured of 

 the Gout by it, almost miraculously ; so 

 quick and sensible has been its effect. All 

 this proves that Thee is no Chimera, and Con- 

 ceit. Nay, some after drinking of it sleep the 

 better, which argues that it is not proper to 

 suppress Fumes. Some there be who never 

 take it after Meales, without Experiencing 

 mischievous Effects ; their Digestion is inter- 

 rupted and disturbed ; and they find a 

 long time after Crudities, and a troublesome 

 Repletion. Others find no benefit by it neither 

 in Gout nor Sciatica. A great many say that 

 it dries, makes lean, and that it obstructs 

 and that if there be any good qualities in it, 

 the most part of other leaves would in a manner 

 produce the same effect. These Experiments 

 evince that its Vertue is not so universal as 

 People imagine. 



So that in my opinion, one should speak 

 moderately of it, both as to its good and bad 

 qualities. Perhaps warm Water alone is a 

 good Medicine against destempers, the cure of 

 which they attribute to Thee. And there are 

 several People that are exempt from many In- 

 conveniences because they are used to drink 

 warm Liquors. Nevertheless it is certain, that 

 Thee is of a corrosive nature, for it ettenuates 

 hard Victuals wherewith it is boiled, and con- 

 sequently is proper for digestion, that is to say 

 for dissolution ; which also proves that it resists 

 Obstructions, and that Liquors impregnated 

 with its Particles and Salts, carry off, and more 

 easily separate whatsoever adheres to the 

 Tunicles of the Vessels. This very quality is 

 proper -to consume superfluous Humors, to put 



into motion those that stagnate and corrupt, 

 to evacuate others, that cause the Gout and 

 Sciatica. So that Thee, with caution, is a very 

 good Remedy, altho' it be not so effectual, 

 nor universal, but that the temperament of 

 certain Persons, the heighth of the Distemper, 

 together with certain occult Dispositions, may 

 many times retard the Effect, or even frustrate 

 its Virtue. 



To use it with benefit, it is requisite to know 

 it, for there is more than one sort of it. That of 

 the Province of Xensi is course, harsh, and un- 

 pleas int. The Tartars drink of it : There is 

 necessary to them a stronger Menstrum than to 

 the Chiueso, because they feed on raw Flesh. It 

 is exceeding cheap in the Country, a pound of 

 it will cost three Pence. In this same province 

 there is found a particular Species of it, more re- 

 sembling Moss, than the Leaves of a Tree ; and 

 they pretend that the oldest is of excellent use 

 in acute Distempers. They likewise Administer 

 to sick People a third sort, whose Leaves are 

 very long and thick, and its goodness increases 

 in proportion to its being kept ; but that is not 

 the Thee in use. 



That which they commonly drink in China, 

 hath no particular Name, because it is gather'd 

 anywhere in different Territories and Soils. It 

 is good, the infusion is reddish, the Taste faint 

 and somewhat bitter : the People use it indif- 

 ferently at all hours of the day, and it is their 

 most usual drink. 



But Persons of Quality use two other kinds 

 that are in request in China. The tirot is called 

 Thee Soumlo ; it is the name of the Place where 

 it is gathered ; the Leaves are somewhat long, 

 the Infusion clear and green when it is fresh, 

 the Taste pleasant ; it smells, as they say in 

 France, a little of Violets, but this Taste is not 

 natural ; and the Chinese have often assured 

 me, that to be good, it ought to have no Taste at 

 all. This is that they commonly present at Visits; 

 but it is exceeding corrosive; perhaps the Sugar 

 they mix with it here corrects its Acrimony; but 

 in China, where it is drunk pure, too great a use 

 of it would be apt to spoil the Stomach. 



The second kind is called Thee Voiii ; the 

 Leaves that are little, and enclining to black, 

 tinge the Water with a yellow Colour. The Taste 

 is delicious, and even the weakest Stomach 

 always agrees with it. In winter it is to be used 

 temperately, but in Summer one cannot drink 

 too much, It is especially good in Sweating, 

 alter Travelling, Running, or any other violent 

 Exercise. They give of it also to sick People ; 

 and those who have any care of their Health, 

 drink no other. When I was at Siani, I heard 

 them often talk of the Flower of Thee, of Im- 

 perial Thee, and of several other sorts of f hee, 

 the price of which was yet more extraordinary, 

 than the Properties they ascribe to it; but in 

 China I heard no such thing. 



Generally speaking, that the Thee may prove 

 excellent, it ought to be gathered early, when 

 the Leaves are yet small, tender ahd juicy. They 

 begin commonly to gather it in the Months Of 

 March and April, accordiug as the Season is 

 forward; they afterward expose them to the 

 eteam of boiling Water to soften them again; so 

 soon as thoy are penetrated by it, they draw 



