Of Cucumbers and suche lyke fruytes.
CVcumber is called in Greke Sikios of Theo∣phrast in viij. places / that I haue marked / sik∣na in thre places after the iudgement of Theo∣dore and of Galene / and also siknos / of Aetius onis sikna / and onis siknos. But I red not in any of these Sikys / as it is onely nowe in the common Greke text of Dioscorides: let them yt haue anye writtē textes of Dioscorides se whe∣ther it be in any of thē also sikyos / as it is in all the other Greke autours aboue named. Sime∣on Sethi semeth to call the cucumbers sykys in the neuter gendre / and also anguria. Wher∣fore Fuchsius writing that cucumers are called also anguria / and that by the autorite of Aetius / which I haue not yet rede in Greke in Aetius / is vniustly reproued of Matthiolus for so doynge / it is called in Latine / Cucumis or Cu¦cumer / in Duch Cucumeren / in Frenche Cucumbre. Dioscorides maketh mē¦tion of Pepones in the intreatinge of Cucumberes / wherefore pepones are vnder the kinde of Cucumbers / as it doth appeare in the maner of his in∣treatinge of Pepones in the same place. But other autores make differen∣ce betwene Cucumbers and Pepones / as there is in dede. For Galene in seuerall chapters wryteth of Cucumberes / Pepones / and Melopepons. Page 176
The vertues of Cucumbers / Pepones / and of all other that are conteyned vnder the Cucumbre / or that be of lyke kinde.
A Cucumber is good for the belly and stomack / it cooleth / and it is not soune corrupted / it hel∣peth the bladder / it calleth agayne them wyth the sauour of it which are fallen into aswoune. The sede prouoketh vrine measurably wt milke or swete wine: It healeth the exulceration or rawenes of the bladder. The leaues layd to wt wine / heale the bytinge of a dogge / and wt ho∣nye the ploukes or wheles that arise common∣lye vpon the night. The fleshe or substance of Pepones taken in meat / dryueth out water / & thesame heleth the inflammations of the eyes / if it be layd vnto them. The ouer partes of Pepones layd vnto ye hinder parte of the head of a chylde / healeth his burning / called syriasis. Thesame layde v∣pon the forhead / turneth an other way the running or issues of the eyes. The drye roote dronken with honied water in the quantite of a dramme / maketh a man vomite / if anye man will vomite measurably after supper / let him take Page 178 no more but one scruple. If the same be layd to sores which are growen lyke honye combes / it will heale them.
Oute of Galene de simplicium facultatibus.
THE eatable Cucumbre Pepon / that is to saye rype / is of a fyne substance: but thesame vnrype is of a grosser substance. They ha∣ue power to scoure and to make shynninge / but muche more is the same brought to passe / if the sedes be broken / and beate into pouder / and layd vpon the place that nedeth scouringe. Ther is an abundant colde and moyste temperature in them / but not so much that they do excede the seconde degre.
Oute of Galene de alimentorum facultatibus.
THE hole nature of Pepones is colde with plentuous moyster: they haue a certaine scouringe propertye by the helpe whereof they dryue out vrine / and go quicklyer doune then gourdes and Melopepones: but that they scoure / thou shalt euidently perceyue / if thou rub the foule skin with them / wherefore if anye man haue anye scurfines in the face or anye fre∣kelles / or any morphew in the vtter parte of the skin / ye pepones scoure them awaye. But the sede scoureth more mightelye then the fleshe / for it scoureth Page 179 awaye / so much that it is good for kydneys that are vexed with ye stone. Pe∣pones ingendre in the bodye a noughty iuyce / and that specially when as it is not concoct or ouercummed of nature / by reason whereof it maketh men in daunger of the choleryke disease / moreouer before it be corrupted if it be lar∣gelye taken / it prouoketh men vnto vomite / except they eate afterward some other meat that hath a good and an holsome moysture or iuyce in it. Melope¦pones are lesse moyst then the Pepones are / nether haue they so euell a iuyce / and they prouoke water lesse and go slowelye downe / and they do not so muche further vomite as Pepones do / lykewye they are not so soune corru∣pted in the stomake / when as an euell humoris gathered in it / or any other cause of corruption taketh it. Furthermore mn vse to absteyne from it that is nexte the sede in pepones / and eate thesame n Melopepones / and that is good for them to prouoke them to the stole. T•ey that eate onely the Melope¦pones fleshe / do not sone put furth by the plac• of excrementes it / as they do the Pepones fleshe / Cucumbres also prouoke water as Pepones do / but lesse then they / because their substance is to moiste / and therefore they are not so sone corrupted in the stomake as they be / ye s•all finde some that can digeste them as manye other thinges that other me• can not digest / by the reason of a certeine familiaritie that is betwene their •atures.
Oute of Simeo• Sethy.
CVcumbers are cold and moyst in the seconde degre / and they make an euel iuy• and norishement in a man. Ye must chuse the least ra•her then the greatest kinde. They which prouoke water •f they be steped in vinegre / and ta¦ken into the bodye / swage the heate of an ague / and spe∣ciallye of them that c•me hastelye. The oft vsinge of these fruytes minishe a m•nnis sede / and quencheth the luste vnto the pleasure of •he bodye. But the sede of Cucum∣bres dryed / purches there by a certaine •eate / and hath contrarye operations to the moyst and vndryed partes / and p•ouoketh water much more. There is an other kinde of the same / which is th•ught to be Languria / that is cold ve¦hementlye in the second degre / and some recken it should be cold in the third degre. This kind ingendreth tough fleme in the stomacke / which is sprede a∣broad rawe by the veynes. Therefore they that eate oft of the great kind / cal¦led Tetranguria or Languria / in continuance of tyme haue in their veynes and other hollowe places / euel humores growen together whiche ingendre longe agues. The sede of these / prouoketh vrine / but lesse then Pepones sede / for it is souner corrupted in the stomache. But the best of these is it that hath the lest sede. They helpe drye and hote stomakes / & if they be taken in a bur∣ning ague with vinegre / they are verye good and holsome. Ye must eate the inner parte of this kinde / and not the outer parte / for they are of euel iuyce / and are harde of digestion and almost poyson. They haue also an other pro∣pertie / that they call agayne them that haue fall into a swoune by the reason of heate / but if they finde anye fleme in the stomake / they ingendre a desyre to vomite / and the colyke / and the disease in the sydes by the pappes.
