146 On Cookery in general. 



vos !" ! He not only declares war against the doctors, but 

 means himself to practise as one ; and there are many pro- 

 fessors of the art to be found, he says, u of proper information, 

 and sufficiently devoted to the interests of the human race, to 

 give prescriptions in cookery, as doctors do in medicine." Nor 

 does he omit to mention the advantage that a skilfully-dressed 

 dish has over the " doctor's chocolate." He does not favour 

 us with a prescription ; but, for a sick alderman, we can suppose, 

 from what he says, it would be something after this style : — 



R Soupi Turtulorum, ftiss. 

 Turboti, m. 

 Vensoni Hanchici, ibij. 

 Tarti Rhubarb 1 

 Puddeni Plumbor. F artes ec L uales - 

 Adde Vin. opt. Madeir. vel Oport. quant, suf. 



Who would send to Paris for a prescription, when they could 

 get one from Ude ? Who would get rhubarb from the chemist 

 in preference to that of the cook ? Who would not send such a 

 prescription to Peacock's City Dispensary in Bishopsgate, 

 rather than to Apothecary's Hall? 



That the kitchen is the handmaid to physic is no new doc- 

 trine : the learned Donatus thought so centuries ago, and the 

 chemical preparations with which modern cookery abounds have 

 materially strengthened the alliance ; it is the glory of skilful 

 cookery to render all alimentary substances salubrious — from 

 pork to pistachio-nuts. In the probable course of events, 

 therefore, there will soon be no diseases to cure ; cookery, like 

 vaccination, will lessen the evils of Pandora's box 5 — the cook 

 will supersede the doctor — and the cookery-book that of 

 domestic medicine. 



Not long ago, a friend of ours calling on a sick alderman, 

 found him deeply engaged in reading. After the usual com- 

 pliments, he said, " Studying a medical work, I presume?" 

 " Indeed no," replied Mr. Alderman ; " I have got Mrs. Glasse's 

 Cookery, to try if I can find any thing I can eat ; and see, in 

 the last page, here is a ■ cure for a surfeit,' which will suit me 

 exactly, for that, to tell you the truth, is my complaint!" 



Before we conclude this part of our subject, we must enter 

 our protest against certain barbarous measures resorted to, even 



