Healths improvement: or, Rules comprizing and discovering the nature, method, and manner of preparing all sorts of food used in this nation. Written by that ever famous Thomas Muffett, Doctor in Physick: corrected and enlarged by Christopher Bennet, Doctor in Physick, and fellow of the Colledg of Physitians in London.

Pork and Bacon.

Now concerning Pork and Hogs flesh, made of a spaded Sow, or a Hogg gelded, verily let us say thereof (as Theon said of all sorts of swine) if it be not good for meat, wherefore is it good? his cry is most odious and harsh, his smel loathsom, his very shape detested: at home he is ravening, in the field rooting, and every where filthy, foul, unhappy, and unprofitable. All which hurts he recompenceth in this only one, that of all other beasts (if Galen be not deceived) he most nourisheth: especi∣ally if he feed abroad upon sweet grass, good mast and roots; for that which is penn'd up and fed at home with taps drappings, kitchin offal, soure grains, and all manner of draffe, cannot be wholsom. In Plinies time they were so far from fatting them with such refuse, that (con∣sidering they were to be eaten of themselves) men usu∣ally fatted their hogs with milk and figgs. But sith that course is more chargeable then necessary for Englishmen; either let their hoggs feed themselves fat abroad with grass and mast, or at home with only sweet whey, and a little grounded corn, then which they cannot have a more sweet meat.

Furthermore, to use Galens encomium or phrase of a hogg (whereby you may swear he was no Jew, nor Lo∣pus no good Physician) howsoever nothing less resem∣bleth a man, then a Hogg in his outwards, yet inwardly no creature resembleth him more: For the colour and substance of his flesh, the shape, figure, connexion, su∣spension,

proportion, and situation of his entrails, differ little or nothing from mans body: and besides that (when he is of a just grouth) his temper is also most like to ours. Thus much out of Galen for the praise of Pork; whom albeit Rea••dus Columbus, and Vesalius do oppugne in their Anatomies concerning the likelihood of a mans and a hoggs entrails; yet none hitherto denyed Pork to be a a temperate meat, being corned and rosted, or sodden after it hath been well powdered. Nevertheless, (to yield mine own opinion) I esteem it (by Galens leave) a very queasie meat, howsoever it be prepared, and to have in it self alwaies, flatuosum chacochynicum & febri∣le quid. For if you eat it fresh, it is as dangerous as fresh Sprats to an aguish stomack: if you eat it corned, yet is it of gross juice, and speedy corruption, unless by mu∣stard and sorrel sawce it be corrected: If it be sodden and powdered▪ green-sawce made of sorrel, is to be eaten with it, both to cool the fiery nature of the salt, and also to qualifie the malignity of the flesh it self: If it be salted and made into Bacon, how hard is it to be digested in most mens stomacks, either boiled or fryed? Yea the Caretanes of Spain (whom Strabo▪ writeth to be the best makers of Sawsages and salt meats in the whole world) and the Normans in France (whose Bacon flitches and jambons Varro extolleth) could never so dry Bacon, or make Pork into such wholsom Sawsages, seasoned with Pepper, Salt, and Sage, but that it needed a draught of Wine more then ordinary to macerate and digest it in the stomack. It is recorded that Leo the tenth, Pope of Rome, loved Pork so exceedinglv, that he bestowed a∣bove two thousand crowns a year in Sawsages, mingling the brawnes of Peacocks, with Porks flesh, Pepper, and other Spices, which were afterwards called Leonis inci∣sia, Leo his Sawsages. But when Hadrian the sixth his

successor perused the accounts, and found above ten thou∣sand Ducats spent by his predecessor in that one meat, he detested him (saith Jovius) as much dead, as he ho∣noured him whilst he was alive.

Finally, no Brawn, Pork or Bacon, should be eaten without Wine, according to that old Verse made in Sa∣lern School (which some no less account of then the Heathen did of Apollo his Oracles)

Est caro porcina sine vin•• pejor ovina; Si tribuis vina, tune est cibus & medicina.

As Mutton tough, Pork without Wine Is not esteem'd so good: But if that Wine be drunk thereon, 'Tis Physick both and Food.

Or if Wine be scarce, drink after such meats, a good draught of your strongest beer well spic'd with Ginger, and then labour it out (as Ploughmen do) for ease after gross meats is very dangerous; but strong labour over∣cometh all things.

As for the entrails of Hoggs, and especially the Harse∣net (which Publius Syrus preferred before all meats) I find them to be stopping, and of bad nourishment; yet the Livers of Piggs are counted nourishing, but their Lungs are watrish and very phlegmatick.

Notes

• Plut. 5. symp.
• 3. de alim. fac. c. 13.
• Plin. l▪ 8. c. 51.
• L. 3. de orb ••it.
• L. 2. de re rust.
• P. Iov. in vita▪ Leon. x.
• Schol. sal c. 5.
• Plin. l. 28 c. 9.