A dissertation upon tea, explaining its nature and properties by many new experiments and demonstrating from philosophical principles, the various effects it has on different constitutions. To which is added the natural history of tea ... Also a discourse on the virtues of sage and water / By Thomas Short.

  • Short, Thomas, 1690?-1772.
Date:
1730
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dissertation upon tea, explaining its nature and properties by many new experiments and demonstrating from philosophical principles, the various effects it has on different constitutions. To which is added the natural history of tea ... Also a discourse on the virtues of sage and water / By Thomas Short. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    think, that feveral of our European Woods and Forefts abound with a true Tea d; but when young and tender, it comes neared:, except in Colour, the Leaf of the common Spindle-tree with red Berries •, and, when full grown, the Leaves of the Morelia Cherry-treee. Neither the Chinefe, nor fapaneje, in their learned Languages, have any hiero- glyphick Character for Tea, which at once might give (ome Idea of the Thing exprefs’d, though they have fome Characters, which either merely exprefs the Sound of the Word, or allude to the Virtues and Defcription of the Plant. Of the firft Sort is Tcha, which fome learned Men think comes from the ancient Tartarian Word Cha: And upon this Ac¬ count, and alfo becaufe feveral Merchants yearly export large Quantities of Tea out of Tartary into Perfia, they will have the Tea-tree to be originally a Native of Tart ary; and that the Chinefe, at, or fince their Conqueft of China, have learned the Ufe and Virtues of this Leaf from the Tartars, in whofe Countrey they fay it grows plentifullyf. But the too great Vivacity of thefe Mens Genius, destroys their own Allegation: For, i. Does great Plenty of Tea grow in Tart ary, and is it as little valued ? How is it probable then that the Tartars fhould recommend that to the Chinefes, feeing they were Strangers to its Virtues and Ufes themfelves ? 2. The Tartar King of Ninchi began not his firfl: Incur- fions into China before the Year 1616, and then he only made himfelf Matter of a Province or two, and fo fent a Letter to the Emperor of China, petitioning for an Abatement of the grievous and infupportable Taxes impos’d by the Chinefe upon Tartary, (which was then under their Government) for Prevention of the Barbarities committed by the Emperor’s Army kept in Tartary, and Satisfaction for his Father’s Mur¬ der : But the Emperor, being above fourfeore Years old, negleCted his Letter, and return’d no favourable Anfwer to his Requefts; after which there was a long War betwixt them, till the Year 165*0, when the Tartars made themfelves entire Mafters of that vaft Empire. But Bon- tius, and feveral others who travell’d and wrote before the End of the fixteenth Century, mention the general and great Ufe of Tea at that Time, which was above twenty Years before the Tartars came into that Countrey. • ,. •• > -.‘..drf As to thefe Charaders, which allude to the Virtues and Defcriptions of Tea, fuch is that of the Eye-brows of Darma g, ufed by the Ja^ panefe.. The d Trigant. de Reg. Chin. ifh. 3. f Sim. Paul d'e Thee, p. 25. Cleanups e Kemp fed $ Travels, Appendix to VoL Ambafladors T ravels in Perfia^ p. 241. H. p. i. s This Darma was an eminent Pagan Saint,, 7