Of Apricots

Those apricots are best that are large, fleshy coloured, ripe, and which part easily from the stone. They are agreeable to the stomach, excite the appetite, promote urine, and are very proper for young persons of hot constitutions : but they are bad for the cold and moist, and those that have weak stomachs, for they corrupt therein. When eaten immoderately, they fill the stomach with wind, yield a watry nourishment, and by that means render the blood poor, breeding nervous fevers.

Of Peaches And Nectarines

Nectarines differ in nothing from common peaches, but in the smoothness of the rind, being entirely of the same nature. Some divide peaches into those that part readily from the stone, and those that do not. These last are more soft, mucous, and watry than the former, and consequently are not so good. The best have a fine smell, an agreeable lively taste, and look beautiful to the eye. They cool, moisten the body, and like other summer fruits, yield very little nourishment. When eaten immoderately, they breed crude juices, colicks, loosenesses, the bloody flux, and nervous fevers. They are hurtful to cold constitutions, and to those who have weak, cold stomachs.

Of Plumes

The kinds of plumbs are almost innumerable, and differ as to size, colour, smell, and taste. They are generally best that part readily from the stone, but the palate is the principal judge of their goodness. In general, they are cooling, excite the appetite, and quench thirst. They are very good for young persons, and those that are of a hot and dry constitution. But they are bad for those that have weak stomachs, for they weaken the tone of that part, produce loosenesses, which often turn to a bloody flux. Therefore old persons, and those that abound with phlegm, ought to abstain from them entirely. If we observe those years in which this fruit is very plentiful, we shall find bloody fluxes, nervous and putrid fevers to be very common among low people.

Of Apples

Apples are of so many kinds, it would take a volume to treat of them distinctly; I shall therefore range them according to their taste and smell. Those that are fragrant and sweet, with a little tartness, are esteemed very wholesome, because they agree with cold weak stomachs, and are re-freshing and nourishing. Sour apples are cooling, and are suitable to a stomach that is full of gross vis-cid humours, because they are inciding and clean-sing: However, they breed wind, and when eaten too often raw, they are hurtful to the nerves. Those that are watery, and have an insipid taste, corrupt readily in the stomach, and are little worth. Those that have a rough taste, and are of a firmer con-sistince, pass slowly through the body, are streng-thening, and occasion costiveness. All unripe apples are bad, hard of digestion, and prejudicial to health : from the eating of these, children and woman are afflicted with various diseases, especially worms, colics, and weakness of the nerves. Apples should be eaten with great moderation, and are belt, coddled or roasted.