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.

Cochelae terrestres.

SNails are little esteemed of us in England, but in Barbarie, Spaine, and Italy they are eaten as a most dainty, wholesome, nourishing, and restoring meat. Let us beware when, and in what sort, we use them; for they are naught whilst they feed, but towards winter having scoured themselves from all excrements, and batled themselves fat with sleep, then are they whole∣somest: also if they feed in woods or in gardens full of Physick-hearbs, they are strong both of smell and taste and dangerous to eat of. They desire of all other herbs to feed of deffadills and asphodils; but then they are not so good, as those that feed upon other herbs and fruits, but especially upon Dew-berries. In Cales and Spain they feed chiefly upon orenge flouers, which makes them very pleasant in eating. In the Islands of Majorca and Minorca, they never come out of their caves, but live by sucking one anothers shell, hanging together like a gluster of grapes; which no doubt are of a purer substance then ours, that suck and feed upon all herbs. Fulvius Hilpinus not long before the civil war betwixt Caesar and Pompey, made in his garden several snail-parks (as I may call them) keeping every kind by themselves; there might one find the white snails of Reate, the gray and great snails of Illyricum; the fruitful snails of Africa, and the Solitan snails, most

famous and excellent of all others: which he suffered not to feed upon what they listed, but made certain papp with sweet wine, hony, and flour, whereby they were fed so fat, and became so wholsome, sweet, and de∣licate, that they were highly esteemed, being sold every dishfull for Fourscore Quadrants. But sith no man is in hope to gain so much by that Occupation, they which must needs use them, may chuse them in this sort: First, let them choose them of middle size, feeding all Som∣mer time in hilly places upon wholesome Herbs. Se∣condly, let them not eat them till September be past, for by that time they are thoroughly purged of all Excre∣ments. Also, they are unfit for weak, cold and moist Complexions, because they themselves are cold in the first degree, and moist in the second. They are best for hot stomacks, cholerick constitutions, thirsty di∣stemperatures, watchfull brains, and men troubled with Ulcers of the lungs, and free from all stoppings and in∣flammations of the Kidneys. Pliny wills them to be first parboyl'd in warm Water with sweet Herbs, and then to be broyld upon the Coles, and to be eaten ever in an odd number: but if you dress them as Apicius appoints Periwinckles to be drest (which I before de∣scribed in the Treatise of Periwinckles) they will prove a light, wholsome and good nourishment.

Notes

• Plin. l. 8. c. 39.
• Plin. loc. citato
• Plin. li. 9. c. 55. Ex. M Varrone
• Pisanel. de esc. & potul.
• Plin. l. 30. c. 6.
• Supra cap. 18.