The truffle (_tuber_) forms chyme devoid of qualities, but cold and
thick. The mushrooms called _mycetæ_, being of a cold nature, form phlegm
and bad chyme. Of these, the _boleti_ are devoid of qualities, and are
safer than the others when boiled properly. The _amanitæ_ are of the
second order. The other mushrooms ought not to be tasted, for many of
them are mortal poisons; and even the _boleti_, when eaten without being
properly boiled, have often proved dangerous.
* * * * *
COMMENTARY. Diphilus says “Fungi are grateful to the stomach, laxative,
and nutritious, but of difficult digestion, and flatulent.” (Athen.
Deipnos. ii, 19.) He adds, “the nature of truffles is, that they are
difficult to digest, supply good juices, and are laxative; but some of
them, like the fungi, occasion suffocation.” (Ibid. 51.) Galen says
that they contain cold, viscid, and thick juices. Serapion says that
they engender gross humours. According to Avicenna they are apt to
super-induce apoplexy and paralysis. Simeon Seth says that truffles
occasion crude and depraved humours. He directs them to be steeped in
water for some hours before boiling them; and prepared with pepper,
marjoram, salt, and rue, to correct their bad properties. Rhases, in
like manner, recommends us to eat truffle boiled in water, with salt,
marjoram, oil, and assafœtida. He also recommends wine, honied water,
or the theriac after mushrooms. Apicius directs fungi to be eaten with
pepper, oil, salt, &c. Horace points out the best kind of fungi.
“Pratensibus optima fungis
Natura est: aliis male creditur.”
(Sat. ii, 4.)
The poets make frequent mention of mushrooms as a delicacy at the tables
of gourmands. See in particular Juvenal (Sat. v, 145.)
Apicius directs us to preserve truffles, by laying them in a vessel along
with alternate layers of sawdust, and then covering up the mouth of the
vessel with parget. On the mode of raising them, see ‘Geopon.’ (xii, 41.)
In the days of Juvenal, the Roman gourmands appear to have attached more
importance to the truffles than the corn which they were supplied with
from Africa:
“Tibi habe frumentum, Alledius inquit,
O Lybie; disjunge boves dum tubera mittas.”
(Sat. v, 116.)
Ludovicus Nonnius confesses himself unable to determine what species
of mushroom the amanitæ of our author were. Seth makes no distinction
between them and the mycetæ. See further Athen. (Deip. ii, 7, ed.
Schweig.)