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first, especially that of Constitution , seems to me the more likelyCause of Health, and consequently of Long-life; which induc’d meto consider of what Quality the usual Sallet Furniture did more emi-nently consist, that so it might become more safely applicable to theTemper, Humour, and Disposition of our Bodies ; according to whichthe various Mixtures might be regulated and proportion’d: There’s nodoubt, but those whose Constitutions are cold and moist, are naturallyaffected with Things which are hot and dry; as on the contrary, hotand dry Complexions, with such as cool and refrigerate ; which perhapsmade the Junior Gordian ( and others like him ) prefer the frigidieMenfœ (as of old they call’d Sallets ) which, according to CorneliusCeljiis , is the fittest Diet for Obese and corpulent Persons, as not sonutritive, and apt to pamper; and consequently, that for the cold,lean, and emaciated, such Herby Ingredients should be made Choiceof, as warm, and cherilh the natural Heat, depure the Blood, breed a* Nat. Hist. laudable Juice, and revive the Spirits: And therefore my Lord * Ba-C ° n ^ tws w ^ at are best raw, what boil’d, and what Parts fittest toPro°b. Sett. xx! nourish* Galen, indeed, seems to exclude them all, unless well ac-gutsi. 3 6. company’d with their due Correctives, of which we have taken Care:
Notwithstanding yet, that even the most Crude and Herby, actuallyPlants are best cold and weak, may potentially be hot and strengthning, as we find inTvv "nailed ^ mo ^ vigorous Animals, whose Food is only Grals. ’Tis true, in-&c. astoem- deed, Nature has providentially mingled and dress’d a Sallet for theming sweeter ; j n every Field, besides what they distinguish by Smell; nor question I,mlf/apidand but Man at first knew what Plants and Fruits were good before thegrateful . Fall, by his natural Sagacity, and not Experience; which since, byArt and Trial, and long Observation of their Properties and Effects,they hardly recover. In short, I am so well latisfy’d of the wonder-ful, though yet undetected, Virtue of Plants and Vegetables, appli-cable to all human Infirmities whatsoever, ( extreme old Age excepted,and the irreversible Decree, that we all must die) as shews, thatGod, by his Omniscience, knowing that Man would transgress, andthat spontaneously, (though left entirely free, ) providentially endow’dthe Vegetable with thole admirable Properties we daily discover inthem, and yet remain’d conceal’d; since otherwise (had our first Pa-rent persisted in his Integrity) there had been no use of Remedies, noSickness or Disease requiring them: But to return, as to what in the| Card. Con- present State Things are, supposing with J Cardan, that Plants nou-juIfTiv they hurt as little. Nay, Experience tells us, that they
Cant. 18. Di- not only hurt not at all, but exceedingly benefit those who use them ;philus mt at endu’d as they are with such admirable Properties, as they every Day/»//. Athens- M^over: For some Plants not only nourish laudably, but induce amanifest and wholsome Change ; as Onions, Garlick, Rochet, &c.which are both nutritive and warm; Lettuce, Rurfelan, the Intybs,&c. and indeed most of the Olera refrelh and cool: And as their re-spective Juices being converted into the Substances of our Bodies, theybecome Aliment ; so in regard of their Change and Alteration, wemay allow them Medicinal ; especially the greater Numbers, amongwhich we all this while have Skill but of very few ( not only in thevegetable Kingdom, but in the whole Materia Medica ) which maybe justly call’d Infallible Specifics, and upon whole Performance wemay as safely depend, as we may on such as familiarly we use for acrude Herb-Sallet ; discreetly chosen, mingled, and drels’d accord-a ingly:
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