Cury, as was remarked above, was ever reckoned a branch of the Art Medical; and here I add, that the verb _curare_ signifies equally to dress victuals [64], as to cure a distemper; that every body has heard of _Doctor Diet, kitchen physick_, &c. while a numerous band of medical authors have written _de cibis et alimentis_, and have always classed diet among the _non-naturals_; so they call them, but with what propriety they best know. Hence Junius '[Greek: Diaita] Græcis est victus, ac speciatim certa victus ratio, qualis a _Medicis_ ad tuendam valetudinem præscribitur [65].' Our Cooks expressly tell us, in their proem, that their work was compiled 'by assent and avysement of maisters of phisik and of philosophie that dwellid in his [the King's] court' where _physik_ is used in the sense of medecine, _physicus_ being applied to persons prosessing the Art of Healing long before the 14th century [66], as implying _such_ knowledge and skill in all kinds of natural substances, constituting the _materia medica_, as was necessiary for them in practice. At the end of the Editor's MS. is written this rhyme, Explicit coquina que est optima medicina [67]. There is much relative to eatables in the _Schola Salernitana_; and we find it ordered, that a physcian should over-see the young prince's wet-nurse at every meal, to inspect her meat and drink [68]. 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 compositions, meer olios and gallimawfreys, that they seem removed as far as possible from the intention of contributing to health; indeed the messes are so redundant and complex, that in regard to herbs, in No. 6, no less than ten are used, where we should now be content with two or three: and so the sallad, No. 76, consists of no less than 14 ingredients. The physicians appear only to have taken care that nothing directly noxious was suffered to enter the forms. However, in the Editor's MS. No. 11, there is a prescription for making a _colys_, I presume a _cullis_, or Invigorating broth; for which see Dodsley's Old Plays, vol. II. 124. vol. V. 148. vol. VI. 355. and the several plays mentioned in a note to the first mentioned passage in the Edit. 1780 [69]. I observe further, in regard to this point, that the quantities of things are seldom specified [70], but are too much left to the taste and judgement of the cook, if he should happen to be rash and inconsiderate, or of a bad and undistinguishing taste, was capable of doing much harm to the guests, to invalids especially.