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.

Scombri. [ M]

Mackrels were in old time in such request, that two gallons of their pickle (called the pickle of good fel∣lows) was sold for a thousand pieces of silver; but time and experience described them to be of a thick, clammy and suffocating substance, offensive to the brain, head, and brest, though pleasant in taste, and acceptable to the stomach: Certain it is that they cause drousiness in the best stomacks, and apoplexies, or palsies, or lethargies, or dulness (at the least) of sense and sinews to them that be weak. Tralianus rightly adviseth all persons sick of fleag∣matick diseases, and of stoppings, to beware of Mack∣rels as a most dangerous meat: albeit their liver helpeth the jaundies, being sod in vinegar, and their flesh sod in vinegar cureth the suffocation of the matrix: they are best being sod in wine-vinegar with mints, parsly, rose∣mary, and time, and if afterwards they be kept in pickle, made of Rhennish wine, ginger, pepper, and dill, they prove a very dainty and no unwholesome meat; they are worst of all buttered. The French men lay Southern∣wood upon a gridiron, & them upon the Southernwood, and so broil them both upon the fire, basting them well with wine and butter, and so serve them in with vinegar, pepper and butter, as hot as can be; by which way no doubt their malignity is much lessened, and their good∣ness no less encreased.

Notes

• Plin. l. 31. c. ••.
• Arnol. de vil. nou. com. in▪ Sch. Sal.
• Aelianus.