SHOULD INFANTS BE ALLOWED TO DRINK TEA?

Abstract

An apothecary named James Nelson (1710-1794) who lived in Red Lion Street, Holborn, London in the 1750's wrote an excellent book about the art of rearing children titled, An Essay on the Government of Children Under Three General Heads: viz. Health, Manners and Education. Nelson's book, according to Still,1 shows more of balance and common sense than John Locke's Thoughts on Education, first published in 1692-1693. Tea drinking had become very fashionable in England by the time Nelson wrote his book. (Tea was first sold in England at Garway's Coffee House in London in 1657). Nelson cautioned against its use in children as follows: Tea to young child, if we omit the milk, has not a single Ingredient to recommend it: . . . the water, (as Tea is usually drank too hot,) serves to scald (sic) Mouth and Throat, or at best relax the Stomach and weaken the tone of it... Tea may be consider'd like some certain Drugs, which in skilful (sic) hands are safe and useful, but in ignorant ones poisonous. That the intemperate and indiscriminate use of Tea is hurtful, is too well known to be disputed; some it is true are manifestly refresh'd, comforted and enliven'd by it; others feel not the least sensible effect from the longest use of it, and drink it purely thro' Custom; but again there are others, and those much the majority, who impair their Health so visibly by this pernicious Practice, that they shorten their Lives. . . . Now who that considers these things well, or but once reflects, that `tis at least' ten to one that their Children are Sufferers by it, can speaking be hasty in bringing them to it; especially too if we reflect, that by a seeming magic Power it often enslaves People even to Infatuation.