272 MEALS... MEDICINAL. 
of female functions (half a pint of water on a teaspoonful of the 
bruised seeds.) Also against fleas, some of the seeds if carried 
in a small muslin bag about the person will be effective. 
FIG (Ficus). 
Onty one kind of Fig comes to ripeness with us in England, so 
as to be supplied as fresh fruit: the great blue Fig, as large as a 
Catherine Pear. “It should be grown,” said Gerarde, “ under 
a hot wall, and eaten when newly gathered, with bread, pepper, 
and salt ; or it is excellent in tarts.” This fruit is soft, easily 
digested, and corrective of strumous disease. Among the Greeks 
it formed part of the ordinary Spartan fare; and the Athenians 
forbade exportation of the best Figs. Informers who betrayed 
offenders against this restriction were called ‘“ Suko-phantai,” 
or fig-discoverers, (now sycophants). Bacchus was thought to 
have derived his vigour, and his corpulency, from eating Figs 
in abundance, such as the Romans gave to professional wrestlers, 
and champions, for conferring bodily strength. The dried Figs 
of the shops afford no idea of the fresh fruit as enjoyed in Italy 
at breakfast, and which supplies a considerable quantity of 
grape sugar. In its green state this fruit secretes a milky, acrid 
juice, which will serve to destroy warts if applied to them 
externally ; such juice becomes afterwards saccharine, and oily. 
In England the Fig tree flourishes best on our sea-coasts, because 
of the salt-laden atmosphere. Near Gosport, and at Worthing, 
there are orchards of Fig trees. The famous Fig gardens at 
West Tarring, Worthing, are said to have originated with 
Thomas a Becket, and one particular tree is still pointed out as 
having been planted by his own hand. In the local Church- 
yard there is an epitaph on “the bodie of John Parson, buried 
March, 1736” :— 
“Youthe was hys age, 
Virginitie hys state, 
Learning hys love, 
Consumption hys fate.” 
On the Saturday preceding Palm Sunday, the market at North- 
ampton is abundantly supplied with Figs, and more of the fruit 
is purchased at this time than throughout the rest of the year. 
Even charity children are regaled with Figs on the said Sunday 
