[Sca-cooks] The pumpkin/gourd debate (again) from the apothecary'sworkshop
margaret
m.p.decker at att.net
Sun Nov 20 20:27:33 PST 2005
This is a place where it would be useful to have the associated text in the
original language. In Medieval Latin, the term "citrullum" (see Platina)
refers to a yellow cucumber (or possibly a melon, as Pliny ignored the
difference). This derives from "citrinus" or "yellow." I suspect that
"citrule" is a variant of "citrullus," which, depending on the context,
could be a variant of "citrouille" or may refer to a cucumber of watermelon
(as in Citrullus lanatus).
Bear
> There is oft mention in medical texts of the 4 cold seeds. Which appear to
> be: melon, cucumber, gourd, which are fine, to which pumpkin is added.
>
> The source is in period (1574) so I'm wondering whether "citrouille"
> (pumpkin) and "citrule" (either a spelling variant or something completely
> different) may have referred to something different in period.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Petru
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