I 



108 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. J 



A decoction of cabbage, with an addition 

 of raisins, was formerly much used by preach- 

 ers and pleaders, in hoarseness, and defects 

 of voice, arising from too long speaking. 



The juice of cabbage is said to be a lax- 

 ative, and the substance an astringent: hence 

 the proverb in the school of Salerno : 



" Jus caulis solvit, cujus substantia stringit." 



The Dutch and the Germans make great 

 use of cabbage; and in Berne, there is scarcely 

 an inhabitant who does not eat of it at least 

 once every day. 



In this country it is brought to table plain 

 boiled, or stewed with beef, also fried with 

 beef, and it is one of the vegetables that 

 form our spring soup. Force meagre cabbage 

 is an excellent dish, and both the red and 

 the white make a good pickle. 



Dr. R. James says, cabbage is agreeable 

 to the stomach, if it be eaten slightly boiled; 

 for after thorough boiling it binds, and much 

 more so if twice boiled. We cannot here 

 pass over the advice of Bruyerinus, respect- 

 ing the preparing cabbage for the table. " I 

 must," says he, " expose an error, which is 

 no less common than pernicious, in preparing 

 cabbage. Most people, in consequence of 



