Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  1 
February,  1903.  J 
Tea. 
93 
Johnston  ("  Chemistry  of  Common  Life")  gives  a  list  of  thirty-five 
plants  used  in  various  parts  of  the  world  as  tea  substitutes,  and  the 
list  is  by  no  means  complete.  Even  in  China  and  Japan  substitutes 
are  in  use.  In  the  former  country  the  leaves  of  Sagaretia  theezans 
are  so  used  by  the  poor  classes ;  and  in  Japan  the  leaves  of  Hydran- 
gea thnnbergii  are  used  for  making  the  Ama  tsja  or  tea  of  heaven. 
X.  ADULTERANTS. 
The  adulteration  of  tea  is  of  two  kinds:  (i)  coloring ;  (2)  mixing 
leaves  of  other  plants  with  the  true  tea.  Small  quantities  of  prus- 
sian  blue  and  soapstone  or  gypsum  are  used  for  brightening  the 
color  of  some  green  teas.  The  coloring  is  done  ,  by  heating  the  tea 
in  the  firing  pans,  throwing  in  the  quantity  of  coloring  matter  to  be 
used,  and  mixing  the  whole  thoroughly  by  a  raking  action  of  the 
fingers.  As  to  the  use  of  other  leaves,  it  may  be  said  that  they  can 
be  prepared  in  such  a  way  as  to  be  practically  undistinguishable 
when  mixed  with  the  true  article,  except  to  the  expert.  In  infusion, 
however,  the  characters  of  the  various  leaves  become  apparent  as 
soon  as  the  leaves  soften  and  spread  out,  and  one  knowing  the 
appearance  of  the  tea-leaf  should  be  able  to  distinguish  it  from  other 
kinds  of  leaves  used  as  adulterants.  It  is  generally  conceded  that 
at  the  present  time  in  this  country  there  is  but  little  adulteration  by 
mixing  other  leaves  with  the  tea.  Chemistry,  the  microscope  and 
the  appearance  and  taste  of  the  infusion  are  the  means  for  detecting 
adulteration.  To  expert  tasters  the  infusion  is  sufficient  not  only 
for  this  purpose  but  also  for  grading  teas  as  to  the  prices  to  be 
asked  for  them,  and  the  opinions  of  different  tasters  on  a  given  lot 
of  teas  of  varying  grades  will  be  found  to  be  remarkably  uniform. 
XI.  COMMERCE. 
GROSS  IMPORTS  OF  TEA  FOR  YEAR  ENDING  JUNE  30,  1902. 
From. 
Pounds. 
Av.  Price. 
•  ■   ■  35, 998>2i9 
13,737,941 
$0  IO'4 
4,183,773 
13-6 
396,-6o 
137 
.    .    .  328,152 
41,178 
12-5 
704,772 
i9'o 
•    •   •  1,853,319 
323-400 
17*4 
2,204 
277 
