Cabbages, cauliflowers, and coleworts are all of the same nature, which is very bad if you will believe some physicians; they tell you that they are hard of digestion, yield little nourishment, breed melancholy, puff up the belly, fill the head with fumes, dull the senses, and cause troublesome dreams. But consult those who live very much upon them, and you will find no such effects : be-sides, the antient Romans for fix hundred years make use of them against all sorts of diseases. However, we cannot deny but some particular persons may find cabbage disagree with them, and so they may any thing else. Experience, in this cafe, is the only judge, and it will be no hard matter to ab-stain from any aliment we find prejudicial to our health. Broth or soup made with cabbage keeps the body open.

Of Artichoaks

Artichoaks are easy of digestion, and by a small degree of stypticity strengthen the stomach : they yield a gross flatulent juice, and are on that account looked upon by all as provocatives. Some fay they are cordial, open obstructions, cleanse the blood, and promote urine. They are never to be eaten raw, for then they have bad effects.

Of Asparagus

Asparagus excites the appetite, promotes urine, to which it communicates a strong smell, and yields but little nourishment. When taken to excess, it is heating, and renders the humours acrid.

Of Hop-Tops

The shoots of this plant commonly called hop-tops, boiled like asparagus, and eaten with butter, loosen the belly, open obstructions of the bowels, cleanse the blood, and render it more fluid, whence it is thought to be a remedy against breakings out, and other disorders of the skin. The use of hops to preserve malt liquors, and to render them more palatable is known to all the world.

Of Lettuces

Lettuces are of several sorts, but the virtues are nearly the same. They are good to appease the heat and commotions of the humours, to allay the heat of the stomach, liver, kidneys, and other bowels : they likewise relax their fibres, when they are too crisp and tense; insomuch that by re-storing their functions, they procure sleep. They soften the belly, and are good for those that are subjecl: to costiveness, either eaten raw or boiled; as also for those that are troubled with the scurvy, vapours or hypochondriac and melancholy diseases. If they produce any bad effects at all, it must be to those that are of weak phlegmatic constitutions.

Of Succory

Garden-succory is much of the same nature as lettuce, and therefore needs not be repeated; wild suc-cory is of excellent use as a sallad, and as a medicine. It thins gross humours, resolves those that are sizy, strengthens the solids, promotes the secretions, gives a fresh colour to the face, abates the heat of the bowels from obstructions with sharp humours. Hence it is good in the jaundice, cachexy, quinsy, and inflammation of the lungs. In which last cases three or four ounces of the juice should be taken every third or fourth hour.