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.

Whether Dinner or Supper should be largest.

Now whether at Dinner or Supper we may feed more plentifully, is a great question amongst Physiti∣ans; either because they affirm too generally on either side, or because they were ignorant of distinctions: Some are just of Leonard Fuchsius his opinion, that our Supper should be the larger of both, for these rea∣sons. First, because as we may eat more in Winter then in Sommer, our inwards being then hottest, through re∣percussion of heat by external coldness; so the night resembling winter (as Hippocrates noteth) no reason but that then we should feed most. Secondly we may then feed more largely because sleep ensueth, with whom blood, heat and spirits return more inward to the belly, bowels, stomach and all parts of concoction, then when by light exercise or musing they are distracted upward, downeward, and outward to other parts.

Again, look what exercise is to the joints and muscles, that is sleep to the bowels: that is to say, look how labor and exercise doth warm the one, so doth sleep and quiet∣ness warm the other. Galen likewise writeth thus; whilst a man sleepeth all motive and sensible faculties seem to be idle; but natural powers are then most active, concocting meat not onely better in the stomach and guts, but also in the veins and whole habit of the body. Paulus Aegineta is of the same judgement, writing thus. Sleep is a ceasing or rest of animal faculties, proceed∣ing from the moistning of our brain with a sweet and profitable humour; which whosoever taketh in due or∣der

quantity and time, he receiveth thereby many singu∣lar commodities; namely good concoction of meat, and digestion of humours, and ability to labour easily and chearfully after digestion: where he addeth this rea∣son of better concoction in sleep out of Hippocrates. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. He that is broad waking is hottest outwardly, but he that soundly sleepeth is hottest inw ardly.

Now if any shall object, that no sleep can be whole∣some or sound after supper, because it is taken upon a full gorge. I answer him thus, Physitians write not to idi∣otes and fools, but to men of sence and reason; whom common sence may teach, that they are not (like swine and beasts) first to fill their bellies, and then presently to sleep upon it, but to sit or walk easily after supper for an▪hour or more; to settle their meat to the bottome of their stomach, that it may prove less vaporous to the head, and be sooner concocted lying nearer the liver.

Furthermore when I said, that we should feed more largely at Supper then at Dinner, I meant nothing less then to counsel men to gorg themselves up to the top of their gullet; but to advise them of both their meals to make Supper the larger, for the reasons alledged, and for infinite reasons besides which I could set down.

Notes

• lib. 2. para. c▪ ••1
• lib. 6. epi. sec. 6. & 1. aphor. 15.
• Hip. 6▪ ep. sec. 5. & aph. 29.
• Hip ibid. ap. 10
• l. 1. de ca. sym.
• lib. 1. cap. 97.
• Hib. 6. ep. tom. 4 aph. 12.