The good house-wife made a doctor, or, Health's choice and sure friend being a plain way of nature's own prescribing to prevent and cure most diseases incident to men, women, and children by diet and kitchin-physick only : with some remarks on the practice of physick and chymistry / by Thomas Tryon.

CHAP. II.

The Nature of Milk, and the best ways of Preparing and Cooking it.

MILK in its own Nature is of a brave mild friendly nature and operation; for in this sublime Liquor, or rather Nectar, the Qualities of Na∣ture seems to stand in Equality, and therefore it may justly be called Con∣cord, or a thing which God and his Hand-Maid Nature hath befriended with all the good Vertues of the Ani∣mal Kingdom, having no manifest Qua∣lity that does too violently predomi∣nate, but is as well in its inward Na∣ture, as its outward Colour, the Em∣blem of Innocence, deriving that aim∣able and pleasant Candor from a Glea•••• of the divine Light; and therefore 'tis said, The Holy Land did flow with Milk and Honey.

Tis certainly an incomparable Food, and being joyned or mixt with Bread or the Flower of Wheat, hath the first place of all Victuals, and is a Founda∣tion to all good Nourishment, there being so great an agreement in Nature between the Flower of Wheat and Milk, that when they are incorporated to∣gether, there is hardly any Food of equal Excellency, or that will gratifie Nature to that degree; for it does not only afford a brave friendly Nourish∣ment, but also of a strong firm Sub∣stance, standing nearest the Centre of VNITY, (whence is derived all Per∣fection) of any sort of Food, except Bread; and for this cause it is so much desired by Children, and the Young Ones of most other Creatures.

How Milk ought to be eaten as it is entire.

The best way for weak sickly Con∣sumptive People to eat Milk Raw, as they call it, or not altered, is after this manner, Take a Pint (or what quan∣tity you please) of New-Milk from the Cow, let it stand open to the Air two hours, and then skim the thick or crea∣my

my substance off the top thereof, and put it by, but the rest of the thin Milk that remains, eat with well bak'd Bread; but remember you neither Toast your Bread nor warm your Milk, except the season be cold, and then you may warm your Milk as hot as your Blood, but do not then toast your Bread, for it does it much harm; or if you please, you may eat Bisquet with your Milk, but be sure you do not eat too great aquantity at once; and some∣times it will do well to mix a little Water with your Milk, and then you may sweeten it with good White Sugar; if you make this your whole Food, you may eat thereof three times a day; for 'tis a brave sort of Diet, and will gallantly support Nature, and recover lost Strength, but then you ought to continue it for 6, 8, or 12 Months, or else you cannot prove it; for Diseases that have been several Months or Years a generating, and have crept on by de∣grees, cannot be recovered in a Mo∣ment, as some vainly and ignorantly imagin, but will require the like Gra∣duation in the Cure.

An excellent way of preparing Milk with Wheat-Flower.

Take two thirds of new-Milk, af∣ter it has stood six or seven hours from the time 'tis milkt, and add th••reto one third part of River or Spring-Wa∣ter, set it on a quick clear fire, then take some good Wheat-Flower and tem∣per it with either Milk or Water in∣to a Batter, and when you see your Milk ready to boyl, but before it does actually boyl, put in your thickning, and stir it a litttle while, and when it is again just ready to boyl take it off, and add Bread and Salt to it, as much as you please, and remember to let it stand in the Dish or Platter you put it out into, a while to cool, but do not lade it with your Spoon, as the man∣ner is, but let it cool of it self, with∣out any such Motion, which will make it much sweeter than it will do when it is cooled with a Spoon.

A good Spoonful of Flower is suffici∣ent to thicken a full Pint of Milk and Water, and so proportionably, but you may make it either thicker or thinner,

as you like it, but it is best about the thickness of ordinary Milk-Pottage, and will eat sweetest, and be easiest of Concoction. This sort of Food affords a Nourishment of a firm Substance, does neither bind nor loosen the Bo∣dy, but keeps it in good order, and breeds good Blood and fine Spirits, whence brisk and lively Dispositions proceed; this way of Preparation be∣ing much more friendly to Nature than the common way of Boyling, and the continual eating thereof will have better success, and never tire or cloy the Stomach.

Another good way of ordering Milk.

Take two thirds of Milk and one of Water, add what quantity of Oa••meal you please, or as you would have it in thickness, but inclining to thin is best, set it in your Sawce-pan on a fire that is quick and clear, and when it begins to rise or make a shew of boyling, take it off, and brew it in two Vessels or Juggs for that purpose eight or ten times to and fro, which will cause the fine Flow∣er of the Oatmeal to give it self forth,

and incorporate with the Milk; then put it again into your Sawce-pan, and set it on the Fire, and as soon as it is again ready to boyl up, take it off, and let it stand a little, if you would have it fine (for the Husky or Bran∣ny part of the Oatmeal will sink to the bottom) then add Bread and Salt, and let it stand in your Platter or Pottin∣ger till it be Blood-warm, without causing any Motion to cool it. This is an excellent sort of Pottage, very friendly and agreeable to weak Natures▪ affording a good firm Nourishment, and easie of Concoction.

But if you are not satisfied that this will afford sufficient Nourishment, then you may between whiles, both in this Pottage, and also in the before-menti∣oned Flower'd Milk when you are min∣ded to regale your self with a Rich Dish, add one New-laid Egg to a Pint, or a Pint and half, after this manner, viz. when your Milk and Water is ready to boyl, have your Thickning ready, with the Egg or ••ggs beaten in it, and put it in, as aforesaid.

So when you would add Eggs to Milk-Pottage, first put your Milk and

Water into your Sawce-pan, then take one spoonful of good Oatmeal newly make or grown'd, and beat it up with your Egg or Eggs, with either a little Water or Milk, and when it is ready to boyl, stir it in, as you did in Flow∣er'd-Milk, and then you will have no occasion to brew it, as aforesaid. This is also a brave substantial friendly Food, and the Composition agreeable, there being no variation made by the Ingre∣dients, but they imbrace and incorpo∣rate themselves mutually as one entire Body. However, in all the aforesaid Milk-Meats you ought to add some well baked Bread, and a little Salt, but do not by any means put Sugar in any of these Pottages; for Sugar is apt to obstruct the Stomach, hinder Concocti∣on, fur the Passages, and dull the edge of the Appetite; it also heats the Blood, and causeth a sharp itching Humour to possess it; for this cause the fre∣quent eating of it in our common Food, doth prove of evil consequence to our Nor••hern Bodies, but more especially to Children and Sickly weak People; the ••ame is to be understood of Spanish Fruits, and the Spices that come from

the East-Indies, they all growing in Countries as different from ours as Summer is to Winter; and therefore ••hose that do indulge themselves with such things may daily find the Evil ef∣fects thereof, as I have more particu∣larly demonstrated in The Way to Health, &c. But when there shall be occasion or reason for the sweetning of any kind of Food or Drinks, let it be done with good White Sugar, and not with Syrups as the custom of most is.

Milk boyled intire or by it self, is nothing so commendable as when it is mixed with Water, Flower, Oatmeal, as aforesaid, being not so easie of Con∣coction, nor of so cleansing a Quality.

Note also, That Milk is best the first half year after the Cow hath calved, but not so good after taking Bull or Conception, nor so wholsom either for the ••ickly or the healthy; consider Womens Milk after they conceive a∣gain with Child, is it so good as be∣fore? none will pretend it: Therefore those that have a mind to prove the Vertues of a Milk-Diet, let them be∣gin in the Spring, viz. March or April, take their Milk from Cows newly

calved, not from through-milch'd Cows, though this last sort is the thick∣est, but I advise none to esteem of Milk for that Property.

There is yet another Preparation of Milk, called Furmety, viz. Milk and Wheat, which are in themselves two excellent things whilst they remain en∣tire, but when mixed and made into Furmety, according to custom, with Spanish Fruit, Sugar and Spice, it is no commendable Preparation of Food; for first, the long boyling of the Wheat destroyes not only the brisk spirituous Vertues, but also the firm binding sub∣stantial Essence, so that thereby it be∣comes weak, feeble and insipid: 'Tis true, being mixed with Flower and ••orreign Ingredients, it may be made a pretty pleasing grateful food, but the common frequent eating thereof will quickly tire and glut the Stomach, by reason of the improper Preparation and Mixtures; therefore 'tis nothing so good as plain Flower, Milk and Water, the same is to be understood of Wheat ••utier'd and suga••r'd.

Of Boniclapper, its Nature & Operation.

AMong the various sorts of Milk-Meat▪ I thought good to men∣tion this, which though last spoken of deserves the first place, for its excel∣lent use and vertue. Boniclapper is no∣thing else but Milk that has stood till it was sower, and become of a thick slip∣py substance, which will be in twenty four hours after it is milked, or there∣abouts, if the weather be very hot, not else; but if it be put into Vessels in which Milk use to be sowred, it will be done sooner; and being of a plea∣sant sowrish Taste, and thick slippy Sub∣stance, it must be eaten only with Bread, especially by Consumptive Peo∣ple; it is a brave Noble Food both for healthy and unhealthy, especially for all that are troubled or subject to any kind of Stoppages; for it it power∣fully openeth the Breast and Passages, its easie of Concoction, and helps to digest all hard or sweeter foods, and makes them easie; it also cools and cleanseth the whole Body, and renders it brisk and lively, quenc••eth Thirst to admiration; and we know no sort

of Milk-meat or other spoon-meat, that is so proper and beneficial for Consump∣tive and languishing People, as this; for tho' Nature be much debilitated, and the natural Heat wasted and the Spirit dull'd, yet this sort of Food will be light and easie on the Stomach, and be easily separated, and consequently digested, when new sweet creamy Milk cannot; for there is a ferment awakned in Milk by standing, viz. out of its own Body, which does tend to separation, and indeed is a high degree of Dige∣stion, which hath a near simile with the ferment and separative Quality of the Stomach; for in this time of stand∣ing, the Milk, by vertue of its own ferment, hath done that which is left for the Stomach to do, when Milk is eat∣en sweet and new; and indeed if the Stomachs of those that eat new sweet creamy Milk, be not in good habit and case, it cannot possibly make so gentle, mild or friendly fermentation or di∣gestion, as this sort of Milk does by vertue of its own ••erment; for most distempered Peoples Stomachs are so much depraved, through ill habits, that they are too sowr, with a keen

sharp matter, which doth in a moments time so violently coagulate and turn the creamy part into a thick curd or hard substnace, and the Wheyie parts into a sharp keen Liquor, both which are ve∣ry hurtful to Nature; Others Stomachs are dull and flat, the ferment, sepa∣rative and digestive Faculties have (as it were) lost their brisk Liveliness and Power, so that it cannot make any true separation or digestion, but the creamy and thick parts of the Milk and other Food, doth not only fur and obstruct the Passages, but they naturally gene∣rate crude ••lumors, evil Juices, dull heavy Spirits, and bad Blood; for this cause those People are dull, heavy and indisposed, full of disorders and pain, apt to be oppressed at the Stomach, ••specially after eating▪ indeed they are not well full nor fasting; wherefore we have advised such People, if they betake themselves to a Mild-Diet, to let their Mild stand three or four hours, or more, and then take off the ••op, which doth contain the thick or creamy substance, by which means the Milk becomes more easily digested and separated.

But here ••ome will be ready to say, That this sowred Milk will not agree with the Stomach, nor be pleasant to the Palate. This may be true at first; for Nature seems to dislike with all changes, though it be for the better, but a little custom and use will salve this sore, and make it not only familiar, but most pleasant to the Stomach and Palate; and he or she that have neither patienc•• nor wisdom to admit of a little inconveniency, shall never have op∣portunity to know the true intrin∣sick Vertue of any thing, nor its nature or Operation. We know no Reason in Nature why people should dislike with this sowred Food, seeing most de∣sire it in one degree or other, more es∣pecially such as have disordered Sto∣machs and weak Heats? for the help whereof Viniger, Verjuice, the Juice of Lemmones, Oringes, and many the like sharp keen Juices have been invented & mixed with Food, and no doubt to good advantage, if order be observed therein because all such things have some affinity with the ferment 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Stomach, or rather with the separative Property▪

therefore Food, eaten, in which a pro∣per quantity of such Juices are mixed will be easier, and digest sooner than a like quantity of food will do, in which there is none. But still, this sowred Milk hath a far nearer affinity both to the ferment, separative and digestive Faculties of the Stomach, than any of the sharp Juices last men∣tioned; for in this Milk, as is said be∣fore, there is a real ferment and se∣parative Quality arises and proceeds out of its own body, and from the A∣nimal Spirits therein contain'd, which hath much agreement with the Sto∣mach, and above half the Work is done to Natures hand. And before People do envigh against this innocent simple Food, they should consider, that the Stomach and natural Heat cannot make any separation or digestion of any Food before there is a sowring or fer∣mentation? This is most manifest in all Chymical Operations and Prepara∣tions▪ the spirituous parts will not sepa∣rate from the gross body until such Menstrums are fermented, and become somewhat keen or sower, but then it must not be too keen or sharp, for the

the Spirit will suffer, and receive hurt; the same in some degree is to be obse∣rved in all sowred Food▪ it most not be too keen or sharp, for then it will heat the Blood and irritate the original or sleeping Poysons in the Body? but when this Sower Quality is moderate in any thing, or properly mixed, its a gleam of the life, and the true de∣light of the Spirit, it opposeth the fierceness of the Bi••ter and A••••ringent Properties, and quickens and enlivens the Sweet, and is the quickning Power in every thing, all things are heavy, dull and flat when this Quality is im∣potent.