Written in 1884, and drawing on a well-researched historical sources as well as authoritative contemporary contributors, and a number of tea poems, Arthur Reade's "Tea and Tea Drinking", quickly became one of the most widely read and cited records of tea drinking. The book was part of his contribution to the public debate about the use of stimulants and narcotics - a debate which now addresses different stimulants, but is still as relevant and fierce as it was in 1884.
In this book, Reade starts by explaining what tea is, how it is grown and how it's consumption increased in England. In the later chapters he records the varying positive, negative and often humorous attitudes to tea drinking, Reade's meticulous research gives us a unique historical perspective into how the public debate about tea-drinking was conducted in Victorian society, but what is perhaps most interesting about this book is how it shows that the public debate was conducted without the evidence based medical science which we now increasingly rely on; as a result, opinion about the benefits or dangers of tea drinking were divided and confused. Sadly though, despite the advancements in medical science which should help us make more informed decisions about stimulants, the chaotic nature of the public debate depicted by Reade in 1884 is eerily familiar to us in the 21st century.
In this 2014 edition, Kamran Rahman's introduction emphasises the importance of using good scientific evidence in making health care decisions, and provides useful annotations on the text. Reade's conclusion from his earlier 1882 work "Study and Stimulants" is also included
In this book, Reade starts by explaining what tea is, how it is grown and how it's consumption increased in England. In the later chapters he records the varying positive, negative and often humorous attitudes to tea drinking, Reade's meticulous research gives us a unique historical perspective into how the public debate about tea-drinking was conducted in Victorian society, but what is perhaps most interesting about this book is how it shows that the public debate was conducted without the evidence based medical science which we now increasingly rely on; as a result, opinion about the benefits or dangers of tea drinking were divided and confused. Sadly though, despite the advancements in medical science which should help us make more informed decisions about stimulants, the chaotic nature of the public debate depicted by Reade in 1884 is eerily familiar to us in the 21st century.
In this 2014 edition, Kamran Rahman's introduction emphasises the importance of using good scientific evidence in making health care decisions, and provides useful annotations on the text. Reade's conclusion from his earlier 1882 work "Study and Stimulants" is also included
