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104 ANNUAL REGISTER
rary relief in some cordial, in order to refresh and excite again the enfeebled system; whereby such almost by necessity fall into a habit of intemperance, and frequently entail upon their offspring a variety of distempers which otherwise would not probably have occurred.
Another bad consequence resulting from the universal custom of tea-drinking particularly affects the poor labouring people, whose daily earnings are scanty enough to procure them the necessary conveniencies of life and wholesome diet. Many of these, too desirous of vying with their superiors, and imitating their luxuries, throw away their little earnings upon this fashionable herb, and are thereby inconsiderately deprived of the means to purchase proper wholesome food for themselves and their families
I have known several miserable families thus infatuated, their emaciated children labouring under various ailments depending upon indigestion, debility, and relaxation. Some at length have been so enfeebled, that their limbs have become distorted, their countenance pale, and a marasmus has closed the tragedy.
These effects are not to be attributed so much to the peculiar properties of this costly vegetable, as to want of proper food, which the expence of the former deprived these poor people from procuring. I knew a family of this stamp, consisting of a mother and several children, whose fondness for tea was so great, and their earnings so small, that three times a day, as often as their meals, which generally consisted of the same articles, they regularly sent for tea and sugar, with a morsel of bread to support nature; by which practice they daily grew more enfeebled; thin emaciated habits and weak constitutions characterised this distressed family, till some of the children were removed from this baneful nursery, who afterwards acquired tolerable health.
An ingenious author observes, that as much superfluous money is expended on tea and sugar in this kingdom as would maintain four millions more of subjects in bread. And the author of the Farmer's Letters calculates, that the entertainment of sipping tea costs the poor each time as follows.
The tea 3/4
The sugar 1/2
The butter 1
The fuel and wear of the tea-equipage  1/4
                                       ____
                                       2 1/2
When tea is drank twice a day, the annual expence amounts to 7l. 12s. a-head; and the same judicious writer estimates the bread necessary for a labourer's family of five persons at 14l. 15s. 9d. per annum: by which it appears, that the yearly expence of tea, sugar, &c. for two persons, exceeds that of the necessary article of bread, sufficient for a family of five persons.
It appears also from a moderate calculation, that three million pounds of tea are annually consumed in England; and domestic experience teaches us, that with each pound of tea, ten pounds of butter at least are consumed. Hence the consumption of butter with this injurious aliment, if aliment it may be called, amounts annually to the amazing quantity of thirty millions of pounds. It is likewise to be premised, that at least five gallons of 
For the YEAR 1772. 105
of milk are necessary to procure one pound of butter. This being granted, we may conclude farther:
Suppose one gallon of milk with bread, would suffice three labouring people for breakfast and supper, and that these meals constitute half of their food, it follows, that from this fashionable custom of tea-drinking, this kingdom cannot supply food for so many people as it otherwise could, were the inhabitants to live in a more simple manner, by at least one million. But supporting we allow half a million for the bread eaten with the milk, and for the uses of the milk after the butter has been taken from it, the deficiency still amounts to the amazing number of half a million of people!
USEFUL

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 11:15:42