Page:The forme of cury (1780).djvu/30

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[xvi]

Cooks expressly tell us, in their proem, that their work was compiled 'by assent and avysement of maisters of phisik and of philosophic that dwellid in his [the King's] court' where phisik is used in the sense of medicine, physicus being applied to persons professing the Art of Healing long before the 14th century,[1] as implying such knowledge and skill in all kinds of natural substances, constituting the material medica, as was necessary for them in practice. At the end of the Editor's MS. is written this rhyme,

Explicit coquina que est optima medicina.[2]

There is much relative to eatables in the Schola Salernitana; and we find it ordered, that a physician should over-see the young prince's wet-nurse at every meal, to inspect her meat and drink.[3]

But after all the avysement of physicians and philosophers, our processes do not appear by any means to be well calculated for the benefit of recipients, but rather inimical to them. Many of them are so highly seasoned, are such strange and heterogeneous

  1. ↑ Reginaldus Phisicus. M. Paris, p. 410. 412. 573. 764. Et in Vit. p. 94. 103. Chaucer's Medicus is a doctor of phisick, p. 4. V. Junii Etym. voce Physician. For later times, v. J. Roffus, p. 93.
  2. ↑ That of Donatus is more modest 'Culina medicinæ samulatrix est.'
  3. ↑ Lel. Collect. IV. p. 183. 'Diod. Siculus refert primos Ægypti Reges victum quoridianum omnino sumpsisse ex medicorum præscripto.' Lister ad Apic. p. ix.

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