The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-02-16
From the .4nnals D'Horticulture.
HEALTHFULNESS OF FRUIT.

One of the best ailments, and the best an
propriated to the different ages of. life, i:
that which our fruits afford. They present
+ to man light nourishment, of easy digest
d Ion, and produce chyle admirably adapt.
n ed to the functions of the human body. Blu
e IN the use of fruits, care should be taken
t that they are fully ripe and of good quail
ty. Those which delicate palate does MOI
: relish, are not, in general, healthy those
which are green, or have not obtained per
fect maturity, are very injurious, and otter
occasion diseases, especially when the stom
ach is feeble or when they are eaten for ;
long time. 1t has been remarked, that chill
! dren and females have a particular taste
ier green fruit, and this taste has become
too common among all classes, either from
poverty or ignorance. Thorou ghly rlpt
fruit, eaten with bread, is perhaps the most
innocent of all ailments, and will even in.
sure health and strength. The author oil
this article, has made the experiment. He
passed whole year, without taking any
other TODD, than fruit, bread, and wafer,
without his power, or vigor, having been di-
mlnished in the least, Notwithstanding the
great exercise which he constantly took.
There are frnlts, which when perfectly
| ripe, can be eaten to excess, without in
convenience; such as grapes, cherries, and
currans. The other kinds never occasion
Ill consequences, if they are eaten only to
satisfy the demands of nature. They are
injurious, when large quantities are taken
into the stomach, already filled with vands,
and dher food. There are certain stom
achs with which fruits do not equally we'll
agree; but still they are not injurious in
sach cases lftaken with moderation. That
kind Of laXness which certain fruits pro-
duee-such as melons, peaches, apricots,
&C., is prevented, by taking glass of wine
after having eaten them.
1t IS much to be regretted, that our coun-
try i so generally devoid of fruit, when it
can le so easily raised and at such trling
expense. The small number of fruit trees,
whidl are to be seen around our villages,
are generally of very inferior kinds; and it
seems that the people are disposed, in order
to render them more unhealthy, to cat the
fruits before they are ripe. 1t lis in conform
lty tdan order of things, so adverse to the
publlt good, that on the one side the priva-
ton d fruit renders the regimen of the in
habit,nts unfavorable to health, and on the
other,the custom ofeating bad and imper-
tectlyripe fruit, occasions sickness.
1t is the duty ofthe independent proprie-
tors, to encourage the planting of orchards
OF fruit trees. There should not exist a
cottage to which there is annexed any land
without having some good fruit trees about
1t. This kind of crop, which is so easily OBJ
tSined, would be great nutrtive resource
Tor the inhabitants, not only during summer
but the whole of the year for plums, ap-
pies, and pears, can be'readily dried This
variety, being introduced into the dieteti c
regimen. would contribute, not a little, tc
the health Of the people.
In traversing the territories OF Germany
there is to be seen near each habtation, :
vineyard or garden of fruit trees. The
villages are surrounded with them, and there
are but few families, who do not make use
OF fruits, during the summer, and preserve
a certain quantity for winter. The surpiu.
is sold in the cities. There are to be seer
, upon the Rhine and other rivers of Germa.
ny, boats laden with dried apples, pears, ant
plums. These fruits are objects of consid
cradle commercial Importance. 1t is de
} srable that the departmental horticultural
societies should offer premiums, to encour
age the propretors of small estates to plan
fruit trees of the best kind.
AS this belief is sufficiently general, tina
fruits produce diseases, and especially tn,
dysentery, we think it our duty to introduce
}. the following passage, in relation to thi
u subject, which is to be found in the adele
to the people upon their health, by Tissot.
! '"Tnere Is a pernicious prejudice, wit
which all are too generally imbued,-it is
that fruits are injurious in the dysentery
and that they produce and increase il
There is not, perhaps, more false preju
dice.
: bad fruits, and those which have imper
|, fectly ripened, in unfavorable seasons, ma
r occasion cholics and sometimes darrheas--
# ohener constipatons and diseases of tn
nerves and skin, but never epidemic dysen
terry. Ripe fruits, ofall kinds, and especial
y those OF summer, are the true preserva
v tlves against this malady. The creates
e injury they can do, is in dissolving the hu
S mors, and particularly. the bile, of whic
j. they are the true dissolvents, and occasio
/, a diarrhea /; but even this diarrhea is a pre-
+, lection against the dysentery. 1t has no
been observed, that this disease is NOR
common during those seasons when fruit
are very abundant. 1t is also believed thu
1t is more rare and less severe than hereto
+. lore, ana TINS can surely be attributed, if
x is true. but to the more numerous planta
tons of fruit trees, which has rendered fru
very common.
Whenever the dysentery has prevailed
have eaten less animal food and NOR
fruit, and have never had the slightest at
t, tack. Several physicians have adopted tn
o same regimen.
Ihave seen eleven patients in the sam
house; nine were obedient to the direction
! given and ate fruit; they recovered. TIL
" grandmother and a child which she wa
e most partial to, died. She prescribed to tn
h child burnt wine, oil, powerful aromatic'
II and forbade the use of fruit; it died. Sh
u followed the same course and met the lik
fate.
"This disease was destroying Swis
regiment, which WAS stationed ina garrso
!, in the southern part of France. The car
tam purchased the grapes of ser"'al acre
OF vines. The sick soldiers were either Cal
n rled to tho vinevord nr ppya ennnle1 wit