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.

CHAP. V. (Book 5)

1. Of Meat, and the differences thereof, in Kind, Substance, Temperature, and Taste.

PUrposing now to treat of Meats, I will keep this method. First I will shew their differences: then the particular natures of every one of them: Last of all in what variety, quantity, and order they are to be eaten. Their differences be especially seaven in number; Kind, Substance, Tem∣perature, Taste, Preparation, Age and Sex. * 1.1

1. Concerning the first, It is either of vegitable things only by ordination, or of sensible creatures by per∣mission. For whilst Adam and his wife were in Paradise, he had commission to eat only of the fruit of the Garden; being cast thence, he was enjoyned to till the ground, and fed in the sweat of his brows upon worts, corn, pulse and roots; but as for flesh, howbeit many beasts were slain for sacrifices and apparrel, yet none was eaten of

men 2240. years after the creation; even till God himself permitted Noah and his family to feed of every sensible thing that moved and lived, as well as of fruits and green hearbs.

* 1.2 Nay the Indian Philosophers, called Brachmanes, did ne∣ver a great while after the floud taste of any sensible crea∣ture: and though Nimrod the great hunter slew many beasts, yet flesh was even then untasted of the Babiloni∣ans * 1.3(and many hundred years after) saith Herodotus. And verily till God would have it so, who dared to touch with his lips the remnant of a dead carcass? or to set the pray of a wolfe, and the meat of a falcon upon his table? who I say durst feed upon those members which lately did see, * 1.4go, bleat, lowe, feel, and move? Nay tell me, can civil and humane eyes yet abide the slaughter of an innocent beast, the cutting of his throat, the mauling him on the head, the flaying of his skin, the quartring and dismem∣bring of his joints, the sprinkling of blood, the ripping up of his veins, the enduring of ill savours, the hearing of heavy sighs, sobs, and grones, the passionate strugling and panting for life, which only hard-hearted Butchers can en∣dure to see? Is not the earth sufficient to give us meat, but that we must also rend up the bowels of beasts, birds, and fishes? yes truly there is enough in the earth to give us meat, yea verily and choise of meats, needing either none or no great preparation, which we may take without fear, and cut down without trembling, which also we may mingle a hundred waies to delight our taste, and feed on safely to fill our bellies. Nevertheless we must not ima∣gine, that God either idely or rashly permitted flesh and fish to be eaten of mankind, but that either he did it for causes known to himself, or for special favours shewed to * 1.5us. Plutarch writeth that hens eggs in Egypt do hatch themselves in the warm sun, and that wilde connies breed

every month: so that albeit by their rites of religion the Egyptians were forbidden to eat eggs, or to kill for meat any living creature, yet necessity caused them to eat both, lest their corn should be devoured both in seed and blade, or they forced to do nothing else but to bury young rab∣bets and to squash eggs; perhaps upon foresight of the like inconvenience, God appointed men to eat flesh and fish: least happily overflowing the earth by dayly increase, there would scarce be any food left for man, and man should not be able to rule his subjects. But the chiefest thing which he aimed at in the permission, was (in my judgement) the health and preservation of our lives: for as before the floud men were of stronger constitution, and vegitable fruits grew void of superfluous moisture: so by the floud these were endued with weaker nourishment, and men made more subject to violent diseases and infir∣mities. Whereupon it was requisite or rather necessary, such meat to be appointed for humane nourishment, as was in substance and essence most like our own, and might with lest loss and labour of natural heat be converted and transubstantiated into our flesh. And truely whosoever shall with the Adamites refuse that Diet, which God and nature hath appointed; either because they think they should not, or because they would not feed upon living creatures: I dare boldly avouch they are religious with∣out knowledge, and timerous without occasion; yea (un∣less naturally they abhor fish and flesh, as some men may) they shorten their owne lives and do violence to nature.

How meats differ in substances.

2. Touching the difference of meats in substance: some are of thin and light substance, engendring pure thin and fine blood, fit for fine complexions, idle citizens, tender

* 1.6 persons, and such as are upon recovery out of some great sickness: as chiken peepers, rabbet suckers, young phea∣sants, partridge, heath-poulse, godwits, all small birds be∣ing young, all little fishes of the river, the wings and li∣vers of hens, cockchickens and patridges, eggs warm out of the hens belly, &c. Others are more gross, tough, and hard, agreeing chiefly to country persons and hard labou∣rers: * 1.7but secondarily to all that be strong of nature, given by trade or use to much exercise, and accustomed to feed upon them: as poudred beife, bacon, goose, swan, salt∣fish, ling, tunnis, salt samon, cucumbers, turneps, beans, hard peaze, hard cheese, brown and rye bread, &c. But meats of a middle substance are generally the best, & most * 1.8properly to be called meats; engendring neither too fine nor too gross blood, agreeing in a manner with all ages, times, and complexions, neither binding nor loosning the body, neither strengthening nor weakning the stomack, nei∣ther procuring nor hindring urine or sweat, causing no alte∣ration in coldness, heat, dryness, or moisture; finally neither adding to the body by overnourishing, nor detracting from it by extenuating, but preserving it in such estate as they found it, restoring dayly as much as dayly decayed, and nothing or very little more. Of which sort may be reckon∣ed young beife, mutton, veal, kid, lamb, pig, hen, capon, turkye, house-doves, conny, sodden lettice, skirrets, al∣monds, raysins, &c.

How meats differ in temperature and distemperature.

3. As there is a certain temperature and distempera∣ture of our bodies, so likewise is there in meats; that tem∣perate bodies should feed of their likes, and distempered of their contraries. Wherefore God hath appointed some meats hot onely in the first degree, &c.

Hot Meats.

Lamb, pork, pig, gosling, partridge, quail, thrush, sturgian, mullet, base, oisters, cockles: cream, butter, figs, suger, raisins, sweet apples, ripe pomegranates, new hassel∣nuts, new almonds, asparagus, borrage, bur-rootes, skirrit-roots, white thistle roots, hop buds, parseneps, wheat and rice.

Others hot in the second degree, as Hare, roe-buck, turky, peacok, pigeon, duck, turtle, pickled oisters, anchoves, honny, ripe mulberies, new walnuts, pickled olives, preserved ca∣pars, pisticks, dates, chestnuts, artichokes, carots▪ potadoes, persly, and radish roots, eryngo roots, nutmegs and saffron.

Some hot in the third degree, as scallops, mints, tara∣gon, onions, leeks, Alisanders, ••ld walnuts, cinamon, gin∣ger, cloves, and pepper.

Some are hot in the fourth degree, as skallions, garlick, and ramsies. Now whereas all meats hot further then the second degree, are reckoned by Physitians to be rather medicin then meat: I allow their judgement, for the most sort of men; but not generally in all. For in Scythia & some parts of Persia, as also in Scotland & Wales, many mens bo∣dies and stomachs are so full of cold and raw fleagme, that leeks, onyons, watercresses, and garlick is made a nourish∣ment unto them, which would gripe, fret, & blister tempe∣rate stomacks. The like reason may be given, why Adders are commonly eaten of the people called Ophiophagi, and venemous spiders of many in Egypt. Yea, my self have known a young Maide, of an exceeding moist and cold complexion, whose meat for two years was chiefly pepper, wherewith another would have been consumed, though she was nourished: for it is hot in the third, and dry in the fourth degree.

Cold Meats.

Of cold Meats, God hath likewise appointed some of

the first degree, as Cow-flesh, steer-flesh, conny, rabbet, young hedghogs; Eeles, lumps, olafes, fresh tunny, fresh sprats, fresh herrings, curds, and all sorts of pompions, millions, cherries, strawberries, peaches, some apples, pears, quinces, medlars, cervices: spinache, succory, sorrel, goose∣berries, cabbage, colewoorts, peaze and beans.

Others cold in the second degree, as tench, pike, shrimps, crabs, crevisses, new cheese, prunes, damsins, apricots, and most sorts of plums, lettice, endiff, citrons, oringes, lem∣mons, gourds, and cucumbers. Whatsoever exceedeth this degree in coldness can never be turned into our nourish∣ment, howsoever some one body by a proper Sympathy or long usage (as Docter Randal did) may digest and nourish himself with poppy medicins.

Moist Meats.

Meats moist in the first degree, are these and such like: Wild bore; lamprey, barble, cramb, shrimps, crevisse, pine∣apple-kernels, new filbirds, sweet allmonds, dates, aspara∣gus, spinache, borrage, hop buds, carrots, turneps▪ and french peaze.

Meats moist in the second degree: Hedgebuck, turky, young pigeon, young ducks, young quailes; fresh sturgeon, lump, olaffe, tunny, tench, eele, fresh oisters, ruen-cheese. Meats moist in the third degree are onely fresh pork, and young pigs.

Dry Meats.

Neither hath nature omitted to provide dry Meats for them, who by nature or sickness are overmoistned: where∣of some are dry onely in the first degree, as peacock, heathcock, the dorry, and all fresh fish lightly poudred: straw∣berries, soure fruit, medlers, fennel, artichokes, colewoorts, raddish, saffron, and cheese curds throughly pressed.

Others in the second in degree, as Oxe-beife, venison,

hare, conny, partridge, turtle, thrush, black-birds; mullets, crabs, perwinckles, cockles, honny, cinamon, nutmegs, gin∣ger; galanga, peares, quinces, soure-pomegranats, pickled olives, pisticks, chessnuts, succory, sorrel, persty, onyons, leeks, lemons, citrons, beans and rice.

Others in the third degree, as flesh and fish long salted, stock fish, old cheese, poudred capers, cervisses, mints, gar∣lick, ramsies, scallions, water-cresses, cloves and cinamon. Others in the fourth degree, as pepper, and all things by miscookery over-peppered.

Temperate Meats.

Temperate meats are such, as hardly can be discerned to be either hot, cold, dry, or moist, or if they can yet do, they never exceed, yea scarsly attain the first degree. Of which sort, a young pullet, a crowing cockrel, a grown ca∣pon, soles and perches, fine wheat, new laid eggs (eate white and all) being potcht, and all small birds being young, are to be accounted.

How Meats differ in taste.

4. Being now come to the fourth difference of meats, which consisteth in Taste, it is necessary to shew how ma∣ny kinds of tasts be found in nourishments; whereof some be abominable to certain persons, though good and plea∣sant in nature; Others contrarily desired and liked, though naturally not appointed for meat; which if you call a sym∣pathetical and antipathetical taste, or an in borne tasting * 1.9or distasting, it will not be amiss: for though the words seem strange and hard at the first, yet time and wearing will make them easy and common. What is more unpleasant to most mens natures, then the taste of humane flesh? yet not onely some women with child have longed for it, but also the whole nation of Canibals account it the sweet∣est meat of all others. It is also recorded that Neroes, great * 1.10gourdman, thought no meat pleasant but raw flesh▪ Fermi∣us

* 1.11 Saleucius loved the Sea horses so exceedingly, that he dayly dived for them amongst the Crocodiles of Ni∣lus, * 1.12ventring his life to save his longing. Plato thought that Olives had the best taste. Mecaenas coveted the fish of Asses foals, whereby the whole race of Asses had been extinguished, but that he died in a good hour. The Ger∣mans once (and now the Tartars) reckon horseflesh for the sweetest and best meats, even as our Welshmen esteem of Cheese, Lancashire men of egg pies, and Devonshire men * 1.13of a brown whitepot. What need I write of Achilles, who in his nonage living with Chiron, desired most to feed up∣on Lions livers? or of the Vandales, who long after Foxes; * 1.14or the Zygantes in Africa, that covet Monkies and Apes, no less then the Carmanians love Tortesses, the West Africans Lisards, the Egyptians Grasshoppers, the Candneans Serpents, the Corsicans and Maltanists young Whelps, the Romans and Phrygians timber-worms, the Allmans Mites and Magots of Cheese, and such filthy meats. Yea (if Herodotus an Sabellicus write a truth) the Bu∣danes desire to feed on Lice, which a Muscovite abhors to kill; least unnaturally or unwittingly he might slay his own flesh and blood. It were strange to believe (yet Fernelius * 1.15writes it for a truth) how a noble man of France found a greater sweetnes in quick-lime, then in any meat beside, re∣freshing his stomack and hurting no inward part with the * 1.16continual use thereof. Others feed greedily upon rags of woollen cloth and wall-morter: and Anatus Lusitanus re∣membreth a certain young maid of twelve years of age, who did eate usually stones, earth▪ sand, chalke, wooll, cot∣ten and flox; esteeming their taste and substance better * 1.17then of the finest and tendrest Partridge. Marcellus Do∣natus saw a girle so longing after Lisards and Neauts, that she would hunt after the one in gardens, and after the o∣ther in houses with a bough in her hand, as a Cat would

hunt a mouse, and eat them without hurt▪ Albertus Mag∣nus (as Caelius reporteth) saw another wench in Collen but * 1.18three years old, hunting as diligently after all sorts of spi∣ders, with which meat she was not only much delighted, but also exceedingly nourished. Yea Doctor Oethaeus * 1.19telleth a story of a certain Farmer in the County of Hirs∣berg, that feedeth chiefly upon potsheards finely beaten, batling no less with them then Marriners do with eating bisket. And Joachimus Camerarius (my dear and * 1.20learned friend) reporteth that a certain girl of Norimberg did eat up her own hair, and as much as elsewhere she could get; neither conld she be perswaded by parents or friends, to think it an unpleasant or an unwholsom meat. Contrariwise Petrus Aponensis loathed milk: The In∣habitants * 1.21of the new fishing Land abhor Oyle; many men cannot abide the taste of Cheese, others of flesh, others of fish, others of all sorts of fruit, and that Barti∣mew Marnta his father was almost dead of hares flesh in a gallimawfery, it is not unknown to Physicians. Nay some are naturally (or by imagination) so perverted, that they cannot abide the sight of many meats, and muchless the last. What Souldier knoweth not that a roasted Pigg will affright Captain Swan more then the sight of twenty Spaniards? What Lawyer hath not heard of Mr. Tanfiels conceit, who is feared as much with a dead Duck, as Philip of Spain was with a living Drake? I will not tell what Physician abhorreth the sight of Lampres, and the taste of hot Venison, though he love cold; nor remember a Gentleman who cannot abide the taste of a rab bet, since he was once (by a train) beguiled with a young cat.

Nay (which was more) all meat was of an abominable taste to Heliogabulus, if it were not far fetcht and very dearly bought; even as some liquorish mouthes cannot

* 1.22 drink without sugar, nor Sinardus hot stomack could break wine without snow; which dainty and foolish conceit, though it picks a quarrel with God and reason (after the nice fineness of Courtly dames, that abhor the best meat which is brought in an earthen dish) and maketh ulcers as it were in sound stomacks; yet that there is a natural liking and disliking of meats, and consequently of the tastes of meats, both the examples of men and women forenamed do justly prove, and even Spaniels and Hounds themselves (I mean of the truer kind) by re∣fusing of Venison and wild-fowl in the cold bloud, can sufficiently demonstrate.

Meats of ordinary tastes.

Now let us come to the ordinary tastes of meats, which are especially seven in number; Sweet, Bitter, Sharp, Sowre, Fatty, Salt, and Flash.

Sweet Meats.

Sweet Meats agree well with nature, for they are of a temperate heat, and therefore fittest for nourishment; * 1.23they delight the stomack and liver, fatten the body, en∣crease natural heat, fill the veins, digest easily, soften that * 1.24which is too hard, and thicken that which is too liquid; but if they be over-sweet and gluttish, they soon turn in∣to choler, stop the liver, puff up lungs and spleen, swell the stomack, and cause oftentimes most sharp and cruel fevers.

Bitter Meats.

If any thing be very bitter (as asparagus, hop-sprouts, and broom-buds) they cannot much nourish either man or beast, unless they have first been boiled or infused in * 1.25many waters: for otherwise they may engender (as they do) some cholerick humors, burning bloud, killing worms, opening obstructions, and mundifying unclean passages of the body; but their nourishment they give

is either little or nothing, and that only derived to some special part.

Sharp Meats.

Sharp Meats (as onions, skallions, leeks, garlick, ra∣dish, mustardseed, cresses, and hot spices) dry the body exceedingly, being also hurtful to the eyes and liver, drawing down humors, sending up vapors, inflaming the * 1.26bloud, fretting the guts, and extenuating the whole bo∣dy: Wherefore we must either taste them as they are, or not feed upon them till their sharpness be delaid with washings, infusions, oilings, and intermixtions of sweet things.

Soure Meats.

* 1.27 Soure meats (as sorrel, lemons, oringes, citrons, soure fruit, and all things strong of vinegar and verjuice) albeit naturally they offend sinewy parts, weaken concoction, cool natural heat, make the body lean, and hasten old age; yet they pleasure and profit us many waies, in cut∣ting * 1.28phlegm, opening obstructions, cleansing impurities, bridling choler, resisting putrifaction, extinguishing * 1.29superfluous heat, staying loathsomness of stomack, and procuring appetite: But if they be soure without sharp∣ness (as a rosted quince, a warden, cervises, medlars, and such like) then they furthermore strengthen the sto∣mack, * 1.30bind and corroborate the liver, stay fluxes, heal ulcers, and give an indifferent nourishment to them that eat them.

Salt Meats.

Saltishness is thought to be an unnatural taste, because it is found in no living thing. For the very fishes are fresh; so likewise is all flesh, and every fruit, and all herbs which grow not where the sea may wash upon them. Wherefore howsoever salt hath the term of divinity in Homer, and Plato calleth it Jupiters minion, and the A∣thenians * 1.31

have built one Temple to Neptune and Ceres (because even the finest cakes be unwholsom and unplea∣sant if they be not seasoned with salt) yet I hold it to be true, that salt meats (in that they are salt) nourish little or nothing; but rather accidentally in procuring appe∣tite, strengthening the stomack, and giving it a touch of extraordinary heat, as I will more perfectly prove when * 1.32I treat of sawces. For salt meats (especially if they be hot of salt) engender cholor, dry up natural moistures, enflame blood, stop the veins, gather together viscous and crude humors, harden the stone, make sharpness of urine, and cause leanness; which I speak of the acciden∣tal salt wherewith we eat all meats, and not of that in∣born salt which is in all things.

Fat Meats.

Fattiness is sensibly found not only in flesh and fish, of every sort, but also in olives, coco's, almonds, nuts, pisticks, and infinite fruits and herbs that give nourish∣ment: Yea in serpents, snails, frogs, and timber-worms it is to be found; as though nature had implanted it in e∣very thing which is or may be eaten of mankind. And * 1.33verily as too much fattiness of meats glutteth the sto∣mack, decayeth appetite, causeth belchings, loathings, vomitings, and scourings, choaketh the pores, digesteth hardly, and nourisheth sparingly; so if it be too lean and dry on the contrary side (for a mean is best of all) it is far worse, and nourisheth the body no more then a piece of unbuttered stockfish.

Unsavory or unrelished Meats.

Flashiness or insippidity (which some call a maukish or senseless taste) tasting just of nothing (as in water, the white of an egg, mellons, pumpions, and pears, apples, berries, and plums of no relish) is of no taste, but a de∣privation or want of all other tastes besides; which be

it found in any thing that is dry (as in spices) or in things naturally moist (as in fish, flesh, or fruit) it alwaies argu∣eth an ordinary weakness in nourishment, howsoever ex∣traordinarily (I will not say unnaturally) it may strongly nourish some. Avicen saith truly in his Canons, Quod sapit, nutrit: That which relisheth, nourisheth: yet not * 1.34so, but that unsavory things nourish likewise, though not abundantly nor speedily: for what is more unsavory then fresh water, wherewith many fishes are only nou∣rished? what so void of relish as the white of an egg? yet is it to aguish persons more nourishing then the yeolk; yea and stockfish will engender as good humors in a rheu∣matick person, as the best pigg or veal that can be brought him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  How many kinds of meats▪ there be.
• * 1.2

  Euseb lib. 1. de praepar. evang Alex. ab. Alex. lib. 4.
• * 1.3

  Lib. primo.
• * 1.4

  Plut. dees. carm
• * 1.5

  Symp. 8. cap. 8.
• * 1.6

  Gal. lib. de dis∣sol. cont. Gal. lib. cib. de enchy. et. 1. de fac. alim.
• * 1.7

  Avic. 3. Fen. 1. tract. 1.
• * 1.8

  Gal. ••. de alim. sac.
• * 1.9

  Meats of pecu∣liar and extra∣ordinray tastes.
• * 1.10

  Sueton. in Ne∣rone.
• * 1.11

  Sabel. lib. 10. cap. 10.
• * 1.12

  Laert. lib. 6. Naucl. de greg. 3. pontif. Gaugen. lib. 3. histor.
• * 1.13

  Vergil 3. Georg
• * 1.14

  Gel. lib. 28 cap. 5. A. L. Herodo. lib. 4 Plin. lib. 6. cap. 24. Caelius lib. 28. cap. 2. A. L. Cardan. de. rer. var. Sabel. ex He∣rodot. lib. 6.
• * 1.15

  Lib. 6. cap. 3. Patholog.
• * 1.16

  Trincavella lib. 7. cap. 5. de cur. morb. ••entur. 3: cu∣rat. 86.
• * 1.17

  lib. 4: cap: hist. mir••b.
• * 1.18

  Coel. l. 11. c. 13. ant. lect.
• * 1.19

  Lib. observ. propriarum.
• * 1.20

  In epist ad Ioann. Scl: eng.
• * 1.21

  Io. Mat. à Grad. ep. de appetit. Cromer. l 20. Olaus, l▪ 20. c. 7 sept reg. Marant. l 3 de cogn. simp.
• * 1.22

  Cranz. de reb. lituan.
• * 1.23

  Gal. 4. de fac. simp. cap. 7.
• * 1.24

  Isaac de univ. diet.
• * 1.25

  Gal. 4. de simp. fac. c. 10. & s. e∣jusdem c. 25.
• * 1.26

  Avic 2. can. cap. 3.
• * 1.27

  Gal, de fac. a∣lim. c ult.
• * 1.28

  Gal. 2. de reg. ac. morb.
• * 1.29

  Aristot: 22. problematum.
• * 1.30

  Anic in uni∣vers. Diaet.
• * 1.31

  Homer 1. Iliad. Plato in Timae.
• * 1.32

  Gal. 3. de fac. alim. & 3 de loc. aff. c. 6.
• * 1.33

  Gal. 5 de alim. fac▪ Isaac de uni••. & partic. diaet.
• * 1.34

  Lib. 2.