Klinike, or The diet of the diseased· Divided into three bookes. VVherein is set downe at length the whole matter and nature of diet for those in health, but especially for the sicke; the aire, and other elements; meat and drinke, with divers other things; various controversies concerning this subject are discussed: besides many pleasant practicall and historicall relations, both of the authours owne and other mens, &c. as by the argument of each booke, the contents of the chapters, and a large table, may easily appeare. Colellected [sic] as well out of the writings of ancient philosophers, Greeke, Latine, and Arabian, and other moderne writers; as out of divers other authours. Newly published by Iames Hart, Doctor in Physicke.

CHAP. XXVII.

Of Beere, Ale, Cider and Perry serving us in stead of Wine.

NOw, because all countries are not furnished with this noble liquor of the grape, therefore our gracious God besides this element of wa∣ter, with man-kind, common to all living creatures, hath furnished these our Northern Regions with other drinkes, which might to us supply the place of wine. This drinke hath for its principall ingredients water and corne,* 1.1 and to season it, and make it keepe a long time in stead of salt, hath hop added to it. And that this is no new invention to make drinke of corne; but hath beene in frequent practice in antient times, may by the relation of our antient Physitians plainly appeare. The a 1.2 Egypptians, it would seeme, were the first authours thereof. But it may be objected, that the anti∣ents doe likewise condemne this drinke, as most unwholesome for the body of man. b 1.3 Dioscoride ascribeth to this drinke, which hee there calleth Zythum & Curmi, differing but little one from another a noxious quality against the reines, nerves, and nervous parts; as the mem∣branes, of the head especially: and affirmeth that it ingendereth wind, filleth the body with corrupt humours; and leaveth the body u∣sing it much, the leprosy for a legacie.c 1.4 Galen singeth also the same song, and confimeth his assertion. But whatsoever was the opinion of the an∣tients concerning that drinke, and that it was of that nature,* 1.5 I will not deny; yet I am sure, the drinke wee make is both wholesome, and very agreeable to our nature; and besides, is farre otherwise prepared, than that of antient times. Now, of this drinke, there are two sorts, one bre∣wed without hop, commonly called Ale; the other with hop, and commonly called Beere. In Beere then, as in wine, there are many dif∣ferences to be considered, where the first is taken from the corne it is made of; it being sometimes made of one grane, sometimes of another, and sometimes of more granes mingled together: but with us, most commonly malt is made of barlie alone, which doth also with us heere most abound. Some doe also mingle some oats with this drinke, and so make it more cooling for Sommer, very quicke to the taste, and wholesome for the bodie; the oat being of it selfe a daintie, whole∣some, and nourishing graine. Some to adde strength to their Beere, especially that called March-Beere, then brewed to last all the yeere, adde thereunto a few pease. In some places beyond seas, they make

Beere of Wheaten malt: as in some places of Saxony and in Bohemia; which much needs be good: and wholesome, if no errour in the making be commited.* 1.6 Another difference againe is taken from the age and duration of this drinke: some being very new, some very old, and kept a long time. Very new drinke is very hurtfull for the health, ingendring both wind and crudities with obstructions, and many diseases from thence proceeding; as hath beene said of new wine. That which is very long kept, must needs be strong; as our March Beere, and some others; and yet are not so good for ordinary use, but rather now and then as physicke. The best and wholesomest, is that of a middle age. A maine and principall difference is taken from the strength, and is esteemed by the proportion of the malt to the liquor:* 1.7 and this varieth much, according to severall circumstances; as the place where one liveth, the persons who are to use it, the season and time of the yeere, &c. This neverthelesse is to be observed, that in Winter and cold weather, strong drinke is more tolerable than in Sommer, and warme weather; and to old age, there is a greater liberty allowed, than for younger people. Another difference is taken from the substance, thick or thinne, and perspicuous or cleare.* 1.8 Thicke and muddy drinke is altogether un∣wholesome, and the mother of many diseases: and that which is cleare, is best and wholesomest; providing alwaies, that water be not too much master. Thicke beere ingendreth wind, all manner of obstructi∣ons, the stone, strangury, and many more dangerous diseases. Againe, that difference taken from the taste is not to be neglected; some being bitter,* 1.9 some sweet, some sowre, &c. And this the age will often alter: for very new drinke, if much hopt, must needes be bitter: and very small drinke, if long kept, especially in Sommer, will grow sowre. A meane is best, that it be not too bitter, too hot and heady, nor sowre at all:* 1.10 and therefore another difference may be taken from the quantity of hoppe, that a due proportion thereof be observed; it being hot and dry in the second degree, and sometimes weaker, and sometimes stron∣ger: and too bitter drinke is more physicall than is for our ordinary use fitting. The best course then is to let the hoppe rot in the drinke (as the vulgar people) before wee drinke it. There is another difference taken from the colour;* 1.11 some being of one, and some of another colour; some pale; some of a reddish, some of an amber colour, &c. The highest coloured drinke is not alwaies the strongest and wholesomest. That which looketh of a pure transparent yellow amber colour, like a pure sacke, is reputed the best. The best March beere, if well brewed, and no error committed, is often of this colour; and the goodnesse of the malt whereof it is made, and the fewell wherewith it is dryed, maketh yet another difference,* 1.12 and often altereth both the colour and taste of the drinke. Straw is thought better than wood for drying of malt. In some places of this Iland, in the Northerne especially, they dry their malt with ling, or heath, called there hadder, which maketh very good malt; some also use furres, or whins, as some call them; and some againe, broome. But straw, and heath, or ling are the best; the soli∣der the substance of the fewell is, the worse it is, there being the more danger of over-drying the malt, which may make both the drinke taste

worse, and sooke with too high a colour. The Barlie whereof the malt is made must be good and fresh, not light, lanke, or worme-eaten, fu∣sty, &c. And besides, it must not be made of Barly too new, before it hath sweat in the mow (as husbandmen use to speake) and is also to be made in a convenient season; I meane not in a hot season of the yeere, and therefore commonly called in the countrie, cuckow malt. The last difference is taken from the water whereof the drinke is bre∣wed; and the best, if it may be had, is to be preferred before the other,* 1.13 and in defect of the best, the next best is to be chosen. And what is the best we have already at large related: and we find here that many times our well water maketh the drinke looke of a higher colour than is sutable to the strength thereof. And to the water we may adde the fire wherewith it is boiled, which I thinke is best to be wood, and such as we allowed of in making of malt. And yet I confesse good drinke is, and may be brewed with sea-coale, as wee see in all the city of London: and the fewell is not so materiall here as in making of malt, where the smoake toucheth it immediately. Now all these differences, except that taken from the hop, are common both to ale and beere; the which in our Ale here is but little, and in the Northerne parts of this Iland is none at all. And because the hop maketh some differ∣ence in these two drinkes, therefore it will be usefull to say somthing thereof. Of the temperature of barley, a very wholesome graine,* 1.14 som∣thing hath beene said already, and something yet more shall bee said hereafter. As for the hop it openeth the obstructions of the liver, spleen, and kidnies, cleereth the blood, and cleanseth choler, and therefore this drinke must needs be very wholesome. But if there bee too much hop in it, or yet drinke very new, the hop will wrong the head,* 1.15 by sen∣ding up to it hot exhalations, and so procureth rheumes; and the bitterer the Beere is, the lesse it nourisheth.

Ale againe is of a grosser substance, and nourisheth farre more;* 1.16 but is of a more oppilative and stopping faculty: and therefore such as are obnoxious to obstructions ought to bee sparing in the use of this drinke. Such as are leane, and free of this feare, may freelier use it. And although hop added to beere would seeme to make it hotter than ale, yet when the strength of it wasted, and not much discernible in the drinke, in regard of its penetration, and scowring away of choler, and the ale having a like quantity of malt in it, I thinke there will be but little or no difference in their heats. Howsoever both Ale and Beere are good wholesome drinkes; the which if any one will deny, I will appeale to our owne experience: for where can you find stronger, healthfuller, and lustier people, than in those countries, where this drinke is most ordinarily used? And in this I dare be judged by a 1.17 forren Writers, who lived in countries where this drinke is not used. Who so desireth to know more of these drinkes, and their severall sorts, according to severall countries, may have recourse to * 1.18 Placoto∣nius, who hath written at large of this subject. And what was said before concerning the use of wine, may here bee understood of our strong Ale and Beere, that they are not good for young people, hot and cholericke complexions, and hot seasons of the yeere. And this shall suffice concerning these drinks.

* 1.19There are yet some other drinkes expressed out of fruits, and in no small use among many people, called by these two names, Cider and Perry. Cider is the juice expressed out of Apples, and sometimes attai∣neth to that excellency, that it emulates wine in strength and vertue. The sweet is more windy, as when it is new; and therefore is not to be used untill it be 4. or 5. moneths old at least.* 1.20 It is better or worse according to the fruit it is made of; and is best for hot and dry cholerick bodies, hot livers, and melancholicke persons: they are of an opening and penetrative nature, opening obstructions notably.

* 1.21Perry is sweeter than Cider, and withall windier, taking its de∣nomination from Peares whereof it is made, and differeth little in vertue from the former. These dtinkes are very frequent, and used for ordinary drinke in the Province of Normandy in France; as also in the shires of Glocester, Worcester, and Hereford here in England. They are both very good to quench thirst, and to cut tough phlegme.

* 1.22Besides these drinkes in most frequent and ordinary use among us, there are yet many other sorts of drinkes in frequent use among many nations: as in many places of the Indies, and other countries they made a wine of dates; and others againe, make a dainty wine or drinke of rice. And many nations of the West-Indies make drinkes of certaine roots and herbs. And no question wee might make drinke of divers other fruits and plants, if we pleased. It is reported that that antient and warlike people called Picts, inhabiting in former times a part of the realme of Scotland, made a dainty drinke of the herbe or shrub, ling or heath; the making of which notwithstanding, neither for love nor mony (as we use to speake) nor any other meanes could e∣ver from them be extorted.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ingredients of our Beere.
• a 1.2

  The antient Egypti∣ans made drinke of corne.

  Herod. in Euterpe.
• b 1.3

  Lib. 2. cap. 80. & 81.
• c 1.4

  Lib. 6. simpl. m••lic.
• * 1.5

  Our drinke made of corne, differeth from that of the antients, and is a very whole∣some drinke.

  Divers differences in our drinke to be ob∣served:

  First, from the adding or withdrawing of hoppe.

  Secondly, from the corne it is made of.
• * 1.6

  Third difference frō the age.
• * 1.7

  Fourth from the strength.
• * 1.8

  Fifth from the sub∣stance.
• * 1.9

  Sixth from the taste.
• * 1.10

  Seventh difference from the quantity of the hoppe.
• * 1.11

  Eighth the colour.
• * 1.12

  Ninth frō the good∣nesse of the malt.
• * 1.13

  10 From the water wherewith it is ma••e, and the fewell where∣with it is boiled.
• * 1.14

  Hop and the vertues thereof.
• * 1.15

  Vertues of Beere.
• * 1.16

  Of Ale.
• a 1.17

  Valeriola loco com∣muni.
• * 1.18

  Eibro de cerevisis.
• * 1.19

  Of Cider.
• * 1.20

  For whom it is best, Vertues.
• * 1.21

  Of Perry.
• * 1.22

  Divers other sorts of drinkes in divers countries.