WHEAT. 3(J3 



originated with the French and Spaniards 

 before vines were cultivated in their countries ; 

 for Pliny relates, that when the brewers had 

 steeped their wheat or furment in water, 

 and mashed it for their drink of various sorts, 

 they took the scum or froth that gathered at 

 the top by the working of the wort, and used 

 the same instead of leaven to make their 

 bread; and which, says he, is the reason that 

 their bread is higher and more heaved up 

 than any other. Pliny condemns the prac- 

 tice of using sea- water to wet bread, which, he 

 says, is the fashion of those who live near the 

 sea-shore. 



Bread is highly nutritious ; and as, among 

 the animal fluids, the saliva is essentially ne- 

 cessary, dry food is required as a stimulus to 

 draw it forth : to effect this, we eat bread 

 with meat, which would otherwise be swal- 

 lowed too quickly. Bread serves as a medium 

 to blend the oil and water of food in the 

 stomach, which it stimulates ; and being 

 bulky without too much solidity, and firm 

 without difficulty of solution, it is peculiarly 

 proper for that purpose. 



Dr. James says, " It is certain that bran has 

 an abstersive virtue : bread, therefore, which 

 is made of flour not thoroughly cleansed from 



