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.

Pruna Damascena.

Damsins, which were first brought from the mount of Damascus in Syria, are a most wholesome Plum of all others, giving moderat nourishment in hot weather, to young chollerick and dry stomachs. The most nou∣rishing be fully ripe, sweet, plump, and thin-skinn'd. Our custome is very bad to eat ripe Plums last, when their sweetness and lightness perswades us to eat them for∣most. Ripe Damsins eaten whilst the dew is upon them, are more medicinable then meat; but being eaten at the beginning of Dinner or Supper, they are more meat then medicin, and give an indifferent sustenance to an indifferent stomach, especially when they are preserved. Damsins not fully ripe, had need to be boiled or preserv∣ed, to correct their cold and crude nature; but as they are fit for hot stomachs and aguish persons, so none at all are good for them that be old, or cold, or watrish and phlegmatick of constitution.

The like may be said of Damase-prunes, brought out of Syria, Spaine and Italy, which are sweet, nourishing

and pleasant being stued or sodden; when contrariwise the French Prune is harsh and soure, fitter to cool men in agues and to edge distasted stomachs, then to be offred any man in the way of meat.