The seven books of Paulus Ægineta, volume 1 (of 3) : $b translated from the Greek: with a commentary embracing a complete view of the knowledge possessed by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabians on all subjects connected with medicine and surgeryPaulus, Aegineta
History
The seven books of Paulus Ægineta, volume 1 (of 3) : $b translated from the Greek: with a commentary embracing a complete view of the knowledge possessed by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabians on all subjects connected with medicine and surgery
Paulus, Aegineta
Medicine; Medicine, Arab; Medicine, Greek and Roman
Mutton was no great favorite with the ancients. Galen, Aëtius,
Oribasius, and Simeon Seth agree with our author, that it is inferior
to pork, as being more excrementitious, and containing worse juices.
Averrhoes, however, accuses Galen of being prejudiced against the flesh
of wethers and lambs, which, he affirms, are inferior only to kids in
excellence; he even speaks favorably of the flesh of rams. (Collect. v,
32.) Rhases ranks mutton as second only to kid. Seth says that the best
mutton is that of a sheep a year old. Apicius gives full directions for
cooking mutton and lamb. (viii.)
All the ancient authorities speak of goats’ flesh in much the same terms
as our author; namely, as being acrid, and containing unwholesome juices.
Hippocrates says it has all the bad qualities of beef. That of buck-goats
is said by Galen to be particularly bad; and, next to it, those of rams
and of bulls. Of kid, he speaks favorably, as being next in excellence
to pork; then he ranks veal. But lamb, he says, is humid, gelatinous,
and mucous. Rhases and Averrhoes rank kid first, and then lamb. The poet
Hesiod recommends kid as a delicious article of food during the heat of
summer. (Op. et Dies, i, 590.) According to Athenæus, kid imparts more
firm and substantial nourishment to the body than any other kind of
flesh, not even excepting pork and lamb. (ix, 66.)
The Arabians mention the gazelle (_antelope dorcas_) as being nearly
allied but superior to the goat. Simeon Seth says that the flesh of the
dorcas is better than that of any other wild animal, and that it is
allied to the human body.
Hippocrates calls beef a strong, astringent, and indigestible article of
food. Celsus ranks it among the articles which are not apt to spoil in
the stomach. Oribasius says, that it is more than moderately nutritious,
but imperspirable, and forms thick blood. Like Galen and our author, he
says that it proves injurious to those who are subject to collections of
black bile. Seth says that it is difficult of digestion and distribution,
but when digested, sufficiently nutritious. Rhases says, that it supplies
much nourishment of a gross nature, and forms thick blood. Averrhoes says
that the flesh of heifers is good, not being so viscid, cold, and dry
as the flesh of oxen. The sauces recommended by Apicius for the flesh
of oxen and heifers contain various spices, and aromatics with vinegar,
pickle, and oil.
The glis is mentioned as a favorite delicacy of the Romans by Varro,
Pliny, Martial, Galen, and Ammianus Marcellinus. We learn from Varro that
it was regularly reared for the table. (R. R. iii, 15.) It is the _glis
esculentus_ or rellmouse.
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