“It has a strange influence over mood--a strange power of changing the look of things, and changing it for the better: so that we can believe and hope, and do under the influence of tea, what we should otherwise give up in discouragement and despair,--feelings under the influence of which tissues wear rapidly. In the language of the poor, who in London we are told spend one-eight of their income in buying tea, it produces a feeling of comfort. Neither the philosopher nor the philanthropist will despise this property of tea, this power of conferring comfort, or removing _ennui_, of promoting those happier feelings of our nature under which we can do most and bear most. There is no denying the considerable dependence of our moods and frames upon substances; and as moods are as important as muscles, as they affect as largely a man’s ability for the great ends of life, we cannot regard the cheapening of such substances, when devoid of noxious qualities, as other than a most important benefit to the poor.” This feeling of comfort, this power of changing the aspect of affairs, of appealing to the happier side of our nature, in other words of putting us at our best, is undoubtedly due to the alkaloid of tea. Since I have been interested in the subject I have conversed with a number of friends, and many have told me that the best time of day to do any writing or intellectual work is after a cup of tea in the afternoon, and I must confess to feeling more myself at this time than at any other; but, on the other hand if no afternoon tea is taken, this period of the day is when most people feel fagged and tired and incapable of mental exertion. This shews the great influence exercised by tea over our moods and feelings; and if tea is taken in moderation this property may be of great help and a mental stimulus to us in our daily vocation. _Tannin._--The other important constituent of tea, viz.: tannin is present to the extent of 10 or 20 per cent. and it is this substance to which most of the injurious effects of tea have been attributed. In excess tannin tends to depress the action of the digestive fluids and ferments. It interferes with the normal activity of secretion by constricting the blood vessels and diminishing the circulation, and lastly it tends to combine with the nitrogenous principles of the food rendering them insoluble and incapable of digestion. The tendency therefore of this substance is greatly to impair digestion and it gives rise to palpitation of the heart, headache, flatulence, loss of appetite, constipation and other symptoms so well-known at the out-patient departments of our general hospitals; on inquiry it is often found that the patient is accustomed to drink large quantities of tea, which has stood for long periods and consequently extracted excessive amounts of tannin.