[GovernmentShrinker]

That raised my eyebrows too. I guess some people just can't resist the urge to fix what ain't broke.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Could it have been a combination of strong tea and vegetable (olive?) oil. The tannin in the tea would soak into the body and turn it into a leather like material. The oil would float on top of the tea and retard its evaporation.