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.

Locustellae. Astaci. Carabi.

Crevisses and Shrimps were appointed by God saith Dorion (as Athenaeus writeth) for quezy stomachs, and give also a kind of exercise for such as be weak: for head and brest must first be divided from their bodies; then each of them must be dis scaled, and clean picked with much pidling; then the long gut lying along the back of the Crevisse is to be voided. Lastly, the small clawes are to be broken, wherein lyeth part of the best meat. Crevisses feed upon fish, water-herbs, and sweet clay; but most gladly upon the livers of young beasts; before

we are to use them, it were good to diet them in a cistern with crumbs of white bread for three or four dayes to∣gether, so will they be cleans`d of all impurities, and give a more strong and fine nourishment. They should be sodden in the water whence they were taken with a little salt; and never kept above a day after, for they will soon smell and putrifie: we do foolishly to eat them last, being a fine temperate and nourishing meat. They are best from the Spring until Autumn, and at the full of the Moon they are most commendable. The Females likewise are better then the Males, which a wise man will soon discern: for consumed persons they are first to be washed in barly water, and then to be sodden in milk (being first dis-caled) till they be tender; according as before I wrote of Shrimps.