C :338 ] 



5c and baking it, much better cakes are rriade tharl 

 from any other flour. I have already mentioned 

 that the Roman foldiers ate it in all thefe forms* 

 None of thefe grains can be eaten green. Wheat 

 is undoubtedly the lead difagreeable and the befl; 

 but were it to be ufed without drefling, it might 

 be attended with danger, and Monf. Van Swieten 

 has feen the bad effects of it : but all the other 

 grains would be more hurtful, even were it pofTible 

 to fubfift on them. The bran, which is fo much 

 objedled to, is only the outfide or rind : all other 

 grains have fomething of the fame kind, and that of 

 wheat is the only one which is worth preferving. 



It may have the fame objedlions with other 

 grains, of being a vifcous food, (if not made into 

 bread) difficult to digeft, except by the mod ro- 

 buft conftitutions, and likely to caufe obftruftions 

 even to the moft healthy, if they lead a fedcntary 

 life J but it has lefs of this quality than any of the 

 other vegetable fubflances which are efteemed 

 wholefome food ; and it is much eafier taken off 

 by a gentle fermentation, to which it is peculiarly 

 adapted ; and far from injuring the dough, it only 

 takes away the vifcous quality, by clearing it of 

 that fixed air which combines its parts together, 

 rendering it more light and much eafier of digef- 

 : tion. 



