442 
ORCHID  TEA. 
The  circular  itself  begins  by  saying  that  tea  proper  has  never 
been  well  received  in  France,  owing  to  the  wakefulness  resulting 
from  its  use,  which  has  caused  many  persons  to  reject  it  alto- 
gether, while  many  of  those  who  do  use  it  drink  it  in  default  of 
a  better  substitute.  The  circular  then  goes  on  to  state  that  it  is 
for  the  purpose  of  remedying  this  state  of  things  that  the  new 
infusion  is  intended;  not  to  replace  tea,  which  has  indisputable 
advantages,  but  to  afford  an  opportunity  of  choosing  between  two 
beverages,  equally  beneficial  and  useful.  "  Faham  is  not  a  new 
production.  From  time  immemorial  the  natives  of  the  islands  of 
Reunion  and  Mauritius,  though  situated  as  it  were  at  the  very 
gates  of  China,  have  preferred  it  to  tea  ;  every  traveller  has 
partaken  of  their  preference  ;  one  of  our  most  illustrious  writers, 
George  Sand,  eulogizes  it  in  the  midst  of  the  fine  description 
which  she  gives  of  the  Isle  of  Bourbon, — a  eulogy  which  cannot 
be  suspected  of  puffery,  inasmuch  as  it  was  written  thirty  years 
before  the  introduction  of  Faham  into  France  was  thought  of. 
Every  work  on  botany  of  any  importance  similarly  places  it  in 
the  foremost  rank  of  the  beneficial  productions  of  this  favored 
clime.  The  difficulties  experienced  in  the  gathering  and  manu- 
facture of  Faham  on  a  large  scale,  and  consequently  the  almost 
impossibility  of  procuring  a  sufficient  quantity  to  recompense 
the  labor  of  obtaining  it  for  consumption,  and  also  its  very  high 
price,  have  alone  prevented  until  now  this  valuable  article  of 
diet  from  being  imported  into  France.  After  many  fruitless  at- 
tempts, these  obstacles  have  been  overcome. 
"  Faham  belongs  to  the  family  of  Orchids  ;  it  grows  upon  the 
high  slopes  of  the  island  of  Reunion,  in  the  midst  of  almost  in- 
accessible forests.  It  possesses  a  taste  differing  greatly  from 
that  of  tea,  and  is  preferred  by  the  majority  of  persons  who  have 
tasted  it.  It  can  be  used  as  a  substitute  for  tea  on  all  occasions, 
as  it  combines  its  tonic  and  digestive  qualities,  free  from  the 
sleepless  effect.  It  possesses  an  aroma  of  great  delicacy,  capable 
of  being  rendered  more  or  less  pungent  according  to  the  quantity 
used,  and  it  gives  forth  a  most  agreeable  perfume  ;  after  being 
drank  it  leaves  a  lasting  fragrance  in  the  mouth,  and  in  a  closed 
room  the  odor  of  it  can  be  recognized  long  after.  This  beverage 
has  the  further  advantage  over  tea,  which  requires  to  be  drank 
