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.

Uvae passae.

Raisins are of the same temperature with the Grapes which they are made of, being also as divers in taste, sub∣stance and quality, as they be. That Noah was the first planter of Vines, Christians know better out of the Bi∣ble, then any Poet or heathen writer could ever aim at; but who first divised the drying of Raisins in the Sun, or the pressing them into frailes, it is neither set down by Pliny nor any other Author that I have read. Onely this I finde by reason and experience, that the greatest, fattest, sweetest, longest and blewest Raisins of the Sun are ever best; nourishing sufficiently, moderately clen∣sing, very well temperating ill humours, mitigating all paines, and engendring very pure and good blood; yea the African Physitians that lived in Galens time did with one voice and consent protest thus much of them, that for opening the brest, stomach and lungs; for cleansing the blood, kidneys, and bladder, for ceasing all pains of the guts and moderate nourishment, no fruit

is to be compared unto Raisins. Matthiolus in his Com∣mentaries upon Dioscorides saith that Raisins of the Sun being either voided of their kernels or growing without kernels, loosen the belly, help hoarseness, and both nou∣rish and cleanse the liver: contrariwise being eaten with the stones or kernels, they work rather a contrary ope∣ration. That Grapes nourish much, we may see (saith Galen) by Vintage labourers, who come lean to the vineyard, but return as fat as Hogs. Much more do Ra∣sins of the Sun and other Raisins nourish our bodies, and are therefore to be accounted for no bad meats.

Notes

• 2 de alim. fac▪
• Lib. 5. cap. 4.
• Lib. 2. de alim. fac. cap 9.