[Sca-cooks] size of medieval figs

[Stefan li Rous]

Jadwiga quoted a reference in Gilbertus Anglicus:
> "And let him use these pills that are good for all manner of stinking 
> of
> the mouth: Take of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and mace, eight drams; of 
> red
> sandlewood, ten drams; of quibibis, seven drams; of cardamom, five 
> drams.
> Mix them with the juice of mint and make pills of the size of a fig. 
> And
> let him to have two of them under either side of his tongue at once."
...make pills the size of a fig.  ...have two of them under either side 
of his tongue at once.
How big were medieval figs? Even if it is two total, one under each 
side of his tongue rather than two under each size of his tongue, that 
still seems like a huge amount. I thought figs were the size of large 
pecans or slightly skinny walnuts.

If the patient chokes and dies, I think that solves the problem of the 
stinking of the mouth, but it seems rather drastic...:-)
It doesn't say how long to leave them there. Maybe because these pills 
gradually dissolve?

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****