The haven of health Chiefly gathered for the comfort of students, and consequently of all those that have a care of their health, amplified upon five words of Hippocrates, written Epid. 6. Labour, cibus, potio, somnus, Venus. Hereunto is added a preservation from the pestilence, with a short censure of the late sicknes at Oxford. By Thomas Coghan Master of Arts, and Batcheler of Physicke.

CHAP. 4. Of Wheat.

OF all Corne or Graine used in diet, Wheat is the chiefest.* 1.1 Theophrastus describeth divers sorts of Wheat, but the greatest difference in my judgement is in the colour, for some is browner or blacker, and other is whiter and fairer. The best kinde of Wheat was called in old time Siligo, whereof was made the finest bread, called Panis Siliginius, which we call Man∣chet, and was plentifull among the Romans and other Nations also subject to the Roman Empire. And al∣though Plinie preferre the Wheat of Italy before all other,* 1.2 confirming the same by the saying of the anci∣ent Poet Sophocles, Et fortunatam Italiam frumento ca∣••ere candido:* 1.3 yet as I thinke, we have as good Wheat in England, both red and white, as may be found in any Countrey in all Europe, and as good bread is made thereof, especially that of Yorke, which they call

Maine bread. Wheat in nature is manifestly hot,* 1.4 and being laid to outwardly as a medicine, is hot in the first degree, without any manifest moisture. And touching the choice of Wheat, which is best to make bread withall, Matthiolus perfectly describeth,* 1.5 Triticum ex quo omnium optimus fit panis, eligi debet fractu contumax, den∣sum▪ grave, colore aureum, lucidum▪ leve, trium mensium, maturum, mundum, pinguique terra or••um. And if wee cannot conveniently provide Wheat that hath all the foresaid properties, yet let it bee such as Galen requi∣reth.* 1.6 Let it be hard Wheat that will not easily be bro∣ken betweene the teeth, let it be thicke or close toge∣ther, not loose or open: Let it be heavie or weighty; let it be of yellow colour. Of such Wheat as this may be made that bread which is best and most wholsome for youth and age,* 1.7 which ought to have five properties First, it must be well leavened, Nam panis qui fermento caret, nemini prorsus est accommodus. Howbeit in England our finest Manchet is made without leaven. Next it ought to be light, for thereby it is knowne that the clamminesse thereof is gone. Thirdly, it ought to bee well baked, for bread that is ill baked is of ill digestion, and sore grieveth the stomacke. Fourthly, it must be temperately salted▪ for bread over sweet is a stopper, and bread over-salt is a drier. The fifth thing is, that bread should be made of the best Wheat, such as I have spoken of before. These five properties are briefly comprised in two verses in Schola Salerni;

Panis non calidus, nec sit nimis inveteratus, Sed ferinantusque oculatus; sit bene coctus▪ Et salsus modite, & frugibus validiselectus.

But the first verse containeth two other notes tou∣ching bread. The one is, that it ought not to bee eaten

hot,* 1.8 because it stoppeth much, and swimmeth in the stomack▪ by reason of his vaporous moisture, yet is the savour of new bread very wholsome, and reviveth one out of a swoone, as Arnoldus saith. The other is, that we ought not to eat bread that is very stale or moul∣die, for it drieth the body, and ingendreth melancholy humours.* 1.9 Whereupon it followeth that bread to bee best, which is made of pure flower of good Wheat, sufficiently leavened, somewhat salted, well moulded, well baked, neither too new nor too old: that is to say, after Doctor B••ord, that it be at least a day and a night old, and not past foure or five dayes old, except the loaves be very great, which definition Galen himselfe uttereth in these words;* 1.10 Concoctu inter panes sunt facilli∣mi, qui plurimum sunt fermentati, & pulcherrimè subacti, quique in Cli••ano igne moderato fuerunt assati. Whereby it appeareth that all kinde of bread made without leauen is unwholsome,* 1.11 and after Galen, descendeth slowly from the stomack, engendreth grosse humours, causeth oppilations of the liver, increaseth the weaknesse of the spleene, and breedeth the stone in the reines. Wherefore cakes of all formes, Simnels, Cracknels, Buns, Wafers, and other things made of wheat flowre, as Fritters, Pancakes, and such like, are by this rule re∣jected.* 1.12 Quando ne tritici quidem sumpta farina, concoctu sit facilis, nisi per salem, fermentum, misturam, triturationem, clibanum{que} elaborata fuerit.* 1.13 Howbeit now adayes com∣mon experience proveth in mens stomacks, that bread much leavened is heavie of digestion, and no bread is lighter than Manchet, which is made of fine flowre of Wheat, having no leaven. And by the foresaid defi∣nition, all loaves that are not baked in an Oven, but upon irons, or hot stones, or upon the hearth, or un∣der

hot ashes, are unwholsome, because they are not equally baked, but burned without, and raw within. And of such loaves as are baken in an Oven, the grea∣test loaves doe nourish most, after Master Eliot,* 1.14 be∣cause the fire hath not consumed the moisture of them But whether bread be made in forme of Manchet, as is used of the Gentility, or in great loaves, as it is usu∣all among the Yeomarie, or betweene both, as with the Franklings, it maketh no matter so it be well ba∣ked. Burned bread, and hard crusts, and Pasticrusts,* 1.15 doe engender adust choller, and melancholy humours, as saith Schola Salerni:

Non comedas crustam, choleram quia gig••it adustam.

Wherfore the utter crusts above and beneath should be chipped away. Notwithstanding, after Arnold,* 1.16 the crusts are wholesome for them that bee whole, and have their stomacks moist, and desire to be•• leane, but they must eat them after meat, for they must en∣force the meat to descend, and doe comfort the mouth of the stomacke. Browne bread, made of the coarsest of Wheat flower▪ having in it much branne,* 1.17 and that bread which Galen calleth Autopyros, that is, when the meale wholly unsifted, branne and all is made into bread, filleth the belly with excrements, and shortly descendeth from the stomacke. And beside, that it is good for labourers, (Crassa enim crassis conveniunt,) I have knowne this experience of it,* 1.18 that such as have beene used to fine bread, when they have beene co∣stive, by eating browne bread and butter, have beene made soluble. But Wheat is not only used in bread, but being sodden, is used for meat, as I have seene in sun∣dry places, & of some is used to be buttered.* 1.19 And Galen himselfe (as he writeth) travelling into the Countrey,

for want of other food was faine to eate sodden wheat in an husband mans house: but the next day after, he and his mates that had eaten with him, were much grie∣ved thereby both in the stomacke and head. Whereby hee concludeth that it is heavy and hard of digestion▪ but being well digested, nourisheth strongly, and strengthneth a man much: wherefore it is good for labourers. Of wheate also is made Alica and Amylum mentioned of Galen, things not usuall among us. Yet Amylum is taken to be Starch, the use whereof is best knowne to Launders.* 1.20 And Alica Saccharata is taken for Frumentie, a meat very wholsome and nourishing, if it be well made, yet in digestion much like to sod∣den Wheat. As for Turkie Wheat, French Wheat, and such like strange graine, I will over-passe them, because they bee not usuall in our Countrey of Eng∣land. Yet of French Wheat I can say thus much by experience,* 1.21 that in some parts of Lancashire and Che∣shire they use to make bread thereof for their hous∣hold, being mingled together with Barley, but for the Winter time only. For when the heat of the yeare in∣creaseth, it waxeth ranke of savour. Also therewith they fat their Swine, for which purpose it is greatly commended, and in my judgement it is more fit to feed Swine than Men. More of bread shall bee spoken hereafter, when I intreat of other graine.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Triticum.
• * 1.2

  Ga. li. 1. de Ali. ••a. ca. 2.
• * 1.3

  Lib. 18. cap. 7.
• * 1.4

  Maine bread of Yorke. Ga. li. 1. de Ali. ••a. ca. 9.
• * 1.5

  Lib. 2. Dios. 1. cap 78. What Wheat is best.
• * 1.6

  Lib. 1. de Ali. fa. cap▪ 2.
• * 1.7

  Wheat bread ought to have five properties. Gal. li. 1. de Ali. ••a. ca. 2.
• * 1.8

  The smell of new bread very wholsome.
• * 1.9

  What bread is best.
• * 1.10

  Lib. 1. de Ali. ••a. ca. 2.
• * 1.11

  Lib. 1. de Ali. fa. cap. 4: Vnleavened bread is very unwholsome.
• * 1.12

  Ga. li. 1. de Ali. ••a. ca. 7.
• * 1.13

  Processe of time doth alter mens stomacks▪
• * 1.14

  The greatest loaves do nou∣rish most.
• * 1.15

  Burned crusts ill.
• * 1.16

  Crusts good for some.
• * 1.17

  Browne bread.
• * 1.18

  Browne bread looseth the belly.
• * 1.19

  Buttered Wheat. Lib. 1. de Ali. ••a. Ca. 7.
• * 1.20

  Frumentie.
• * 1.21

  French Wheat.