t>f the Stomach. 275 



Throughout the country, it is to a very great extent, 

 €aten when old and toug'h, and hence has arisen the com- 

 mon opinion, that it induces at times, diarrheas and dys- 

 enteries. By planting it at ten or twelve different peri- 

 ods, it may be had throughout the season, from the lat- 

 ter part of July, till the middle of October, and always 

 tender, nourisliing, and safe, for most persons. There 

 is usually but one planting, as the use of it in this man- 

 ner, is but a secondaiy object with people in general, 

 and as but a small number of jiersons in this country 

 pay that attention to gardening, which a regard to healtli, 

 -economy, innocent gratifications and pleasures so loudly 

 demand. There is a vast diiterence between having at 

 all times, an abundant suj^ply of fine vegetables, and be- 

 ing confined to a few, and those poor, tough, and unpal- 

 atable. At boardins; houses in our iarsre towns, I rare- 

 \j see any vegetables ei;cept potatoes, which are tolera- 

 ble, and these are often wTcter soaked. I have hence 

 ceased to wonder, that so many healthy persons are pre- 

 judiced against the free use of vegetables, and content 

 tliemselves to live on animal food, to so great a degree. 

 From one planting of maize, a fortnight is perhaps, the 

 utmost limit, to which the use of it may be extended, in 

 a common season, even where }'ou have the advantage 

 of taking it from a large field, and v/here of course, it 

 will not be all equally advanced. If eaten rsfter this time, 

 the gastric liquor makes no impression on it, and it pas- 

 ses the intestines absolutely unaltered. Tender parsnips 

 ai'e usually sufficiently digestible to be eaten with safety. 

 Carrots are less sor* 



Spinage, beet tops, and other greens, though often 

 highly useful to persons in health, occasion too much, 

 flatulence, to be ventured on, by persons having wealc 

 stomachs. Boiled cabbae-e oueht to be absolutely avoid- 

 ed, no vegetable within my knovvdedge, being so trouble- 

 some, in this respect. Lettuce, raw cabbage, celery, cu- 

 cumbers, radishes, and melons, arc all unsafe, and al- 

 most ahvays pro\'c trouiDlesome to debilitated stomachs. 



To all this it is proper to add, that persons labouring 

 vr.ider the disease in question, cannot in many instances. 

 * See Note E. 



