A dissertation upon tea, explaining its nature and properties ... and ... the various effects its has on different constitutions. To which is added the natural history of tea ... Also a discourse on the virtues of sage and water / [Thomas Short].

  • Short, Thomas, 1690?-1772
Date:
1753
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dissertation upon tea, explaining its nature and properties ... and ... the various effects its has on different constitutions. To which is added the natural history of tea ... Also a discourse on the virtues of sage and water / [Thomas Short]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    them fully to comprehend, have with good Reafon defpair’d of fucceed- ing better upon a Diverfity cf them ; efpecially feeing that the meaneft of Simples have as effectually preferved the Fame and Memory of the Dead, as ever the moft Sovereign Compounds have the Health of the Living. Princes themfelves, fuch as Lyfimachus, Gentius, Clymenos, Ar- temifia, and many others, might have perifhed in Oblivion long ago, had not their Difcovery of fome Plant, or its Virtues, entitled them to a fignal Tranfmiffion of their Names, in a moft vifible and verdant Man- ner, I may fay, to all Countries, and to all Ages. Nay we read, that a certain People of Spain were upon no other Ac- count famous or memorable, than for having found out the Nature and Qualities of the Herb Betony: And Antoninus Mufa, Phyfician to the Emperor Auguftus, wrote a particular Book of the Virtues thereof. Themifton allo, a Phyfician among the Ancients, wrote a whole Volume on the Herb Plantain. And with the Moderns, Examples of this kind are numerous: Among whom I may take Notice, that Dr. Martin Blockwich has wrote an entire Book, and drawn a whole Difpenfatory otit of the Elder Tree; Dr. Mich. Feber has given us a Treatife upon Wormwood ; Dr. Ferdinand Hertodt one upon Saffron; Ben. Scharfius one upon the Ffunzper; Geo. Chriftoph. Petrus another on Carduus Be- nediétus. And later yet, ‘foan. Franci two Pieces, one on Trefoil, and another on Wood-forrel. In our own Nation, we have a Book written on Pepper by Dr. Walter Baley, Phyfician to Queen Elizabeth. An- other by Mackaile upon Mace; Dr. Gideon Harvey wrote a particular. Difcourfe on the fe/uits Bark; and Dr. Sherley has tranflated Mollen- broccius’s Book upon Scurvy Grafs. But to defcend yet nearer to our Purpofe, Dr. Stabés has publifh’d a Book upon Chocolate; Mr. Bradley, the Botanick Profeflor at Cambridge, upon Coffee; and Dr. Ovington upon Tea, &c. Buc this, and feveral other European Authors, who have publifh’d fe- parate Tracts upon this Indian Plant, have implicitly taken their Mate- Defcription, Culture or Ufe of it, more peculiar to the Eafern Coun- tries, or from the Merchants, and fuch as have endow’d it with Virtues. — at Random, to enhance their own Importations. And even fuch as have pretended to give us its medicinal Qualities, have afforded us very little fatisfa&tory Light into its Principles, and yet a lefs rational Account why or how we are to expect fuch agreeable and furprizing Effects from its Ufe; not having adapted it to different Conftitutions, Ages,, Climates, Sex, and different Exercifes of Life: So that we know of nothing to. this Day, cither in Food or Phyfick, which anfwers this Variety to the Advantage