In the early part of the nineteenth century we have the opinion of William Cobbett, a vigorous writer and acute observer of the habits of the time in which he lived. In his “Advice to young men” Cobbett remarks “Let me beseech you to resolve to free yourselves from the slavery of the _tea_ and _coffee_ and other _slop kettle_, if unhappily you have been bred up in such slavery. Experience has taught me that those slops are _injurious to health_. Until I left them off (having taken to them at the age of 26) even my habits of sobriety, moderate eating, early rising, even these were not, until I left off the slops, sufficient to give me that complete health which I have since had.” The most complete but painful description I have come across of the distressing symptoms occasionally associated with tea-drinking is given by Dr. James Henry[16] who writes in 1830. He refers to the case of a gentleman who commenced the use of tea of ordinary strength at the age of 14. Shortly afterwards sleep became less sound, and he became nervous and easily agitated about matters of small consequence. Afterwards he suffered from uneasiness even while sleeping, also from nightmare and palpitation of the heart. His sleep was disturbed during the whole period of ten years; during this time he took three cups of tea in the morning and three cups in the evening. At the age of 24 or 25 he used tea more freely and his sleep became more and more disturbed. He sometimes took tea twice in the same evening. The suffering was very great; he did not fall asleep at night until two o’clock and the agitation of mind and body was indescribable. The pulsations of the heart were sometimes quick and faint, and sometimes so violent that he could not lie on his left side. Sometimes the pulsations became scarcely perceptible for several moments, at such times the patient felt as if he were dying and if he fell asleep he awoke with a violent start. He wished to sleep that he might avoid the distressing sensations which he felt while awake, but feared to do so lest his awakening should be accompanied by frightful agony. After a time the distressing sensations were so marked especially just before going to bed that “in the society of my family I felt myself so agitated without any apparent cause that I was unable either to speak or think deliberately, or even to remain in one position and have been obliged that I might not be thought insane to rise abruptly, hurry out of the house and take violent exercise in the open air.” At 30 years of age he renounced tea and never suffered afterwards, “the very first night I slept soundly and I have never had any return either of sleeplessness or of starting or of the sensation of imminent death, unless on the rare occasions when I have returned to the use of tea.” Dr. Henry argued from the above case that “tea and coffee act as a poison upon some persons” and on turning his attention to