The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

CENT. I. NATURAL HISTORY. 15
flesh; except it be the brain: which the spirits 50., Pistachoes, so they be good, and not musty,
prey too mYuclh upon, to leave it any great virtue joined with almonds in almond milk; or made
of nourishing. It seemeth for the nourishing of into a niilk of themselves, like unto almond milk,
aged men, or men in consumptions, some such but more green, are an excellent nourisheI: but
thing should be devised, as should be half chylus, you shall do well to add a little ginger, scraped,
before it be put into the stomach. because they are not without some subtile windi.
46. Take two large capons; parboil them upon ness.
a soft fire, by the space of an hour or more, till in 51. Milk warm from the cow is found to be a
effect all the blood is gone. Add in the docoction great nourisher, and a good remedy in consumpthe pill of a sweet lelnon, or a good part of the pill tions: but then you must put into it, when you
of a citron, and a little mace. Cut off the shanks, milk the cow, two little bags; the one of powder
and throw them away. Then with a good strong of mint, the other of powder of red roses; for they
choppl~ng-knife mince the two capons, bones and keep the milk somewhat from turning or curdling
all, as small as ordinary minced meat; put them in the stomach; and put in sugar also, for the
into a large neat boulter; then take a kilderkin same cause, and hardly for the taste's sake;
sweet and well seasoned, of four gallons of beer, but you must drink a good draught, that it
of Ss. strength, new as it cometh from the tun- may stay less time in the stomach; lest it
ning: make in the kilderkin a great bung-hole of curdle: and let the cup into which you milk the
purpose: then thrust into it the boulter, in which cow, be set in a greater cup of hot water, that
the capons are, drawn out in length; let it steep you may take it warm. And cow milk thus prein it three days and three nights, the bung-hole pared, I judge tobe better for a consumption than
open to wiork, then close the bung-hole, and so let ass milk, which, it is true, turneth not so easily,
it continue a day and half; then draw it into bot- but it is a little harsh; marry it is more proper
tles, and you may drink it well after three days' for sharpness of urine, and exulceration of the
bottling; and it will last six weeks: approved. bladder, and all manner of lenifying. Woman's
It drinketh fresh, flowereth and mantleth exceed- milk likewise is prescribed, when all fail; but I
ingly; it drinireth not newishl at all; it is an ex- commend it not, as being a little too near the
celient drink for a consumption, to be drunk either juice of man's body, to be a good nourisher; exalone, or carded with some other beer. It quench- cept it be in infants, to whom it is natural.
eth thirst, and hath no whit of windiness. Note, 52. Oil of sweet almonds, newly drawn, with
that it is not possible, that meat and bread, either sugar and a little spice, spread upon bread toasted,
in broths, or taken with drink, as is used, should is an excellent nourisher: but then to keep the
get forth into the veins and outward parts so finely oil from frying in the stomach, you must drink a
and easily as when it is thus incorporate, and good draught of mild beer after it; and to keep it
made almost a chylus aforehand. from relaxing the stomach too much, you must
4'7. Trial would be made of the like brew with put in a little powder of cinnamon.
potatoe roots, or burr roots, or the pith of arti- 53. The yolks of eggs are of themselves so well
chokes, which are nourishing meats: it may be prepared by nature for nourishment, as, so they be
tried also with other flesh; as pheasant, partridge, poached, or reare boiled, they need no other prepayoungporlr, pig, venison, especially of young deer, ration or mixture; yet they may be taken also
&c. raw, when they are new laid, with Malmsey, or
48. A mortress made with the brawn of capons, sweet wine: you shall do well to put in some few
stamped and strained, and mingled, after it is slices of eryngium roots, and a little ambergrice;
made, with lilke quantity, at the least, of almond for by this means, besides the immediate faculty
butter, is an excellent meat to nourish those that of nourishment, such drink will strengthen the
are weak; better than blanckmanger, or jelly: back, so that it will not draw down the urine too
and so is the cullice of cocks, boiled thick with fast; for too much urine doth always hinder
the like mixture of almond butter; for the mort- nourishment.
ress or cullice, of itself, is more savoury and 54. Mincing of meat, as in pies, and buttered
strong, and not so fit for nourishing of weak minced meat, saveth the grinding of the teeth;
bodies; but the almonds, that are not of so high and therefore, no doubt, it is more nourishing,
a taste as flesh, do excellently qualify it. especially in age, or to them that have weak teeth;
49. Indian maiz hath, of certain, an excellent but the butter is not so proper for weak bodies;
spirit of nourishment; but it must be throughly and therefore it were good to moisten it with a
boiled, and Inade into a maiz-cream like a barley- little claret wine, pill of lemon or orange, cut
cream. I judge the same of rice, made into a small, sugar, and a very little cinnamon or nutcreaum; for rice is in Turkey, and other countries meg. As for chuets, which are likewise minced
of the east, most fed upon; but it must be meat, instead of butter and fat, it were good to
thoroughly boiled in respect of the hardness of moisten them, partly with cream, or almond, or
it, and also because otherwise it bindeth the body pistacho milk: or barley, or maiz-cream; adding
too mulch,, a little coriander sued and caraway seed, and a