OF VARIOUS KINDS OF TEA. 
5 
Hypoxanthine and xanthine, 1 though occurring in exceedingly 
small quantities in tea, may also be considered favourable com¬ 
ponents of the latter. Indeed, Robert observed that hypoxan¬ 
thine has an effect upon the muscular systems similar to crea¬ 
tinine and coffeine. A recent investigation by T. J. Mays has 
shown that the weakened heart is again thrown into activity by 
means of an artificial circulation with a solution of hypoxan¬ 
thine or xanthine. Furthermore, the large quantity of potash 
contained in tea may act as a slight excitement upon the nervous 
system, as in the case of beef extract. It is now, evident, with¬ 
out any further explanation that the use of tea in moderate 
quantities is not only unprejudicial to health, but is a source of 
comfort in life and a restorative for muscular energy, but when 
used in great excess especially by those either delicate in con¬ 
stitution, or debilitated by disease, a sense of exhaustion, or 
inability to sleep and even dyspepsia may appear as a conse¬ 
quence. Of course, any injury which may result from the 
improper use of this alkaloidal beverage is only transient, and 
very trifling in comparison with that caused by the consumption 
of an excess of an alcoholic drink. 
It is clear from what has been stated, that the effects of 
tea upon the system should differ with different kinds of tea. 
It is, indeed, a matter of daily experience that the better 
the tea the stronger is its action upon the system, and vice 
versa. Since good tea can only be prepared from very young 
leaves liberally supplied with manure, there should be some 
difference in the composition of the leaves of young and of 
old, and perhaps also of manured and of unmanured plants. 
Researches 2 made by O. Kellner in conjunction with K. Oku 
and K. Ogasawara, have shown that very material alterations 
take place in the leaf particularly in its earliest periods of 
1 Baginsky detected hypoxanthine in tea, see Zeitschrift für physiol- 
gische Chemie, Vol. VIII, p. 385. I found guanine, hypoxanthine and 
xanthine in fresh tea leaves ; the full record on this research will be published 
in one of the following Bulletins. 
2 Landwirthschaftliche Versuchs-Stationen, 1886, p. 370. 
