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.

Difference of Fish in respect of place.

Sea-fish as it is of all other the sweetest, so likewise the least hurtfull; for albeit they are of a thicker and more fleshy substance, yet their flesh is most light and easie of concoction, insomuch that Zeno and Crato (two notable Physians in Plutarcks time) commended them above all other to their sick patients, and not without de∣sert; for as the Sea-aire is purest of all other, because it is most tossed and purified with winds, so the water thereof is most laboured, and nourisheth for us the wholesomest and lightest meat; lightest, because conti∣nual exercise consumeth the Sea-fishes superfluities; wholesomest, because the salt water (like to buck-lye) washeth away their inward filth and uncleaness. Of Sea fish those are best, which live not in a calm and muddy Sea, tossed neither with tides nor windes; for there they wax nought for want of exercise; but they which live in a working Sea, whose next continent is clean, gravel∣ly, sandy, or rocky, running towards the North-east wind, must needs be of a pure and wholesome nourish∣ment, less moist and clammy then the others, easier also

of concoction, sooner turn'd into blood, and every way fitter for mans body. This is the cause why the Oritae and Northern-people live as wel with fish alone, as we do here with such variety of flesh; even I say the goodness, lightness, and wholesomness of their fish, which is not brought unto us till it be either so stincking or salt, that all their goodness is gone or dryed up.

River-Fish likewise are most wholesome and light, when they swim in rocky, sandy, or gravel'd Rivers, run∣ing Northward or Eastward, and the higher they swim up, the better they are: Contrariwise, those which abide in slow, short, and muddy Rivers, are not onely of an excremental and corrupt juice, but also of a bad smell and ill taste.

Pond-fish is soon fatted through abundance of meat and want of exercise; but they are nothing so sweet as River-fish, unless they have been kept in some River to scoure themselves, especially when they live in little standing ponds, not fed with continual springs, nor re∣freshed from some River or Sea with fresh water.

Fenny-fish of all other is most slimy, excremental, un∣savory, last digested, and soonest corrupted; having nei∣ther free aire, nor sweet water, nor good food to help or better themselves; such are the fish of that lake in Armenia, where all the fish be black and deadly: and al∣beit our English meers be not so bad, yet verily their fish is bad enough, especially to stomachs of other Conntries, unacquainted with such muddy and unwhol∣some meats.

Notes

• Plut. 4. symp. 4▪ quest.
• Gal. 3. de alim. fac.
• Plin. lib. 7. c. 2. & lib. 16. ca. 1.
• Plin l. 31. ca 2.