226 Bad EjfeEis of Tea, and Opinions of Doctors. 
It is not many years dnce it was the great fubjed of conver- 
fation, which was the best, green tea, or bohea. Each had a 
very powerful party, and victory feemed to declare on neither 
fide. The Chinese could not fupply us with a fufficient 
quantity of tolerable bohea tea ; or, with as little reafon as 
other fafhions are taken up, it became fashionable to drink 
green. If we follow the example of the Chinese, we fhall 
certainly prefer bohea tea, which feems to be the lead perni- 
cious. If many of the common people in china drink tea, 
and yet are robud, we muft remember they drink it to cor- 
rect bad water, as already explained ; and probably not fuch 
bad tea as our common people drink ; certainly not ftrong, 
nor hot, nor loaded with fugar, nor out of season in mere 
wantonnefs : they drink it when third provokes. 
It is alfo faid, that neither the done nor gout are known in 
china ; but if this is true, it cannot be afcribed to tea, for in 
other parts of a si a, where they know nothing of tea, the peo- 
ple are not afdided with thefe didempers. This may be ow- 
ing to climate and dmplicity of diet. Such are the effeds of 
the temperament of the air on human bodies, that what may 
be conducive to health in one region, may be hurtful in an- 
other. 
Thofe dodors who had but little knowledge of its effeds, 
and have been advocates for tea, have maintained that it is a 
gentle redringent, and drengthens the tone of the intedines y 
but they do not recommend milk, nor fugar, nor yet to drink 
it 
