Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

¶Of Tritico. cap. 168.

Wheate is called Triticum, and hath that name of Tritura, threshing or treading: for it is threshed or trodde to haue the most pure in y^e barnes or gar∣ners. Or it hath that name, for y^e graine therof is ground or stamped and brused that it may be able to be eaten, as Isid. saith libr. 17. And of wheate is double kinde, one manner kind is red without, and sharpe at either ende, clouen in the side, and is most white within, and hea∣uie in waight, & that manner of wheats is best, as Plinius saith.

The other manner wheate is yeo∣low without, and cléere and white with∣in, and is light and not easely broken. Of generall properties of wheate, looke before in litera F. de Frumento. Isaac teacheth and sheweth in Dietis, that wheate is diuers by diuersity of ground and soyle, that it is sowen and groweth in: for in such land that is fat and wel dounged, groweth fat ranke wheate and heauie of weight, and also more nutri∣tiue and nourishing, than is the wheate that groweth in leane land and also dry. And so the goodnesse of wheate is kno∣wen by goodnesse of the ground and land that it groweth in, and againward. Also wheate taketh diuersitie of diuersitie of tune, for wheate that groweth in mode∣rate time, is perfect in qualytie & quan∣titie, and is full of meale and of doure, with right little bran, and nourisheth at the best: and wheate that springeth in immoderate and vneasie weather and time, is vnperfect.

Also wheat is diuers, for some is old and some is new, & some is in y^e meane: for when it is olde and kept long time,

it is too drye and hard so defye, & nouri∣sheth but little, and then the substaunci∣all moysture thereof is soone fordried & abateth by heate of aire, and new wheat that is kept but a little time, for super∣fluitie of moysture and of gleimie earth, is moist and gleimy, fast and hard to de∣fie, and bréedeth swelling and ventositie, and hurling and kurling in the wombe, and wheate that is meane betwéene the new and the olde, betwéene too moyst & drye is temperate, and is therefore the better, and nourisheth the more, for when the accidentall moysture is wasted heat of the ayre tempereth somewhat y^e sub∣staunciall moysture. And therefore such wheate is the better, and nourisheth the better, and is well digested, & leeseth glei∣minesse and thicknesse of earth, and as Isaac saith, wheate is hot and temperate betwéene moyst and dry, but bread ther∣of is the more hot, because of heat of the fire and of baking, for the kinde heate thereof is strengthened by accidentall heate of the fire. Also wheate hath this propertie, that it nourisheth better than all other greines, and that because of likenesse of mans complection, as he sai∣eth. Also wheate by drinesse cleanseth and wasteth, and therefore iuyce of the meale therof, cleanseth and pourgeth the breast and the lunges, and so doth Tisa∣num made of wheate, as Tisanum made or barly, for it clenseth more than Tisa∣num made of barly, and helpeth against the cough and the bloudye flixe.

Also wheate sodde with Oyle, and laide vpon an hard postume dissolueth it. Also wheate soo with iuyce of rue, and dissol∣ueth and softneth running and kurding of milke, if the breast and teafes he bal∣med therewith. Also wheate tempered with the iuyce of Henbane, and layed to the sinewes, letteth euill humours, that they shal not fall downward. Also grems of wheate chewed, helpeth against the biting of a wood hound, for it draweth out the venime, as he saith.

Also of wheat is made oyle that hel∣peth in manie things, and namely in it∣ching and in seads wet and drye, and shingles, if it be welt froted with a rough cloath: and that is done, for the vertue of Oyle shoulde the better enter. Also bran of wheate, dryeth and clean∣seth more than doth the meale thereof: but the bran norisheth little or els right nought. Also as he sayth, wheate fresh and new nourisheth but little, and brée∣deth sleame and swelling when it is ea∣ten rawe, and also ache in the sides, hur∣lying and curlyng, and is soone rotted, & therefore often long wormes and other wormes in the wombe be gendered of such meate: and wheate rosted nouri∣sheth more, and bréedeth lesse ventosity, and stoppeth soone, and bindeth, and is most grieuous, and bréedeth swellyng and gleimie humour, when it is sod in water. Huc vsque Isaac. in Dietis.