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.

Mityli. Chamae.

Mussels were never in credit, but amongst the poorer sort; till lately the lilly white Mussel was found out a∣bout Romers-wall, as we sail betwixt Flushing and Ber∣gen-••p-Zon, where indeed in the heat of Sommer, they are commonly and much eaten without any offence to the head, liver or stomach; yea my self (whom once twen∣ty Mussels had almost poisoned at Cambridg, and who have seen sharp, filthy, and cruel diseases follow the eat∣ing of English Mussels) did fill my self with those Mussels of the Low Country, being never a whit distempered with my bold adventure. Dr Wotton saith that the least Mussels be ever best, because they are whitest softest, and soonest digested, but the great ones give a stronger and larger nourishment; the red ones are very dange∣rous, yellow ones are suspected, but the white ones are wholesome and much commended, save unto hot and distempered stomacks: they are best sodden in the water out of which they were taken, which being not obtained, seeth them in water and salt, and a little strong Ale and Vinegar: broild Mussels encrease heat and draught; fryed Mussels do easily corrupt in

our bodies, and turn to a bad juice. If they be kept in the like pickle, as lately is devised by Serjeant Goodrons to keep Oisters in (made of sea water, wine, vinegar, bayleaves, mints, pepper, ginger, and cinamon) I durst warrant them as wholesome, and questionless more plea∣sant then the Oister. As for horse-mussels they deserve not the remembrance, sith neither experience, custome, nor reason approveth them a wholesome meat; nay as Pliny saith, Salem virusque refipiunt; they taste brackish and strong, having a hidden poison within their flesh; yet have I seen them ordinarily sold in Venice, which mak∣eth me think that some Sea and River may have whole∣some ones of that kind, though ours be neither whole∣some nor pleasant of taste. They are exceeding bigg in Spaine and the West Indies; but the greatest that ever I read of, is that which Juba recordeth in his volumes writen to Cajus (Augustus son) being as big in compass as three pecks.

Notes

• L de diff. anim.
• lib. 32 c. 9.
• Plin. l. 32. c. 1.