FRUITS, 311 
“He saw out of the coach window a woman selling the sweet 
Yellow Gooseberries, and he cried, ‘Gie me a haporth o’ Honey- 
blobs.’ ” 
Wild Sloes yield, if made into Sloe-gin, certain soluble phos- 
phates which are of specific benefit for bloodlessness, and brain- 
fag. This is a celebrated Devonshire liqueur prepared from the 
Blackthorn, and Juniper fruits, and of value for its restorative, 
sustaining principles. 
Some reference must be made to other fruits useful for curative 
purposes by reason of their medicinal constituents—the Mulberry, 
Prune, Peach, Quince, Raspberry, and Tamarind. 
Mulberries (Morus nigra) are grown commonly in the orchard, 
or paddock, or gardens, where this well-known, rich, syrupy 
fruit ripens in September. The juice, boiled with sugar, is 
admirable for curing sore throats, especially of the putrid sort, 
when used in gargles; also for thrush in the mouth; and the 
ripe fruit is gently laxative. Mulberries are particularly whole- 
some for gouty, or rheumatic persons, because their sweet juice 
does not undergo acetous fermentation in the stomach. This 
juice contains malic, and citric acids, with glucose, pectin, and 
gum. In France Mulberries are served at the beginning of a 
meal. The fruit, with its abundant luscious juice, of regal hue, 
is used in Devonshire for mixing with cider during fermentation, 
giving to the drink a pleasant taste, and a deep red colour. 
Mulberries are remarkable for their large quantity of fruit sugar, 
being excelled in this respect only by the fig, the grape, and the 
cherry. In the City of Naples, during the summer, fruit-sellers 
come in betimes in the morning from the suburbs. The red 
Mulberries are brought first, very early, with a layer of snow 
upon them to keep them fresh, and cool; they are carried in 
by women, and are eaten at the beginning of breakiast (snow 
and iruit together). Later in the day white Mulberries are 
brought in by boys. The bargains are struck by gestures, in 
that wonderfully expressive language of signs which can replace 
speech altogether, and which invariably accompanies it, in 
rapid pantomime, hands, head, eyes, and every part of the body 
emphasizing the spoken words; thus has it been from early 
Roman days. When perfectly ripe, Mulberries somewhat relax 
the belly, but when unripe (particularly if dried) they will “ bind 
exceedingly, and are therefore given to such as have lasks, and 
fluxes.” A pleasant home-made wine can be brewed from ripe 
