THE Jujubs are the Fruit of a Tree which grows commonly in Provence, but chiefly in the Gardens of Hyeres near Toulon, where it is in such great Quantities, that almost all we sell comes by the way of Marseilles. The Tree that bears them is of a moderate Height, and the Leaves are greenish, thin, and sibrous; after which comes Fruit of the Bigness of one's Thumb End, green at first, and something reddish as they ripen.
Chuse your Jujubs fresh, large, well fed, and fleshy, of a good King, that have been well dry'd, that they may keep without danger of rotting; and take care that they be not kept in Places too moist, or gather'd when they are too ripe, for that is the Way to lose them all. They taste, when well gather'd, and rightly managed, like Raisins of the Sun, with one Stone, like a Prune-stone, in the Middle. Dodonaeus saith, they are of two Kinds, viz. the red and white; and the red are of three Kinds, to wit, Jujuba major, Jujuba minor, and Jujuba agrestis. The first which grew originally in Africk and Egypt, and were thence translated into Italy, France, &c. are those which we chiefly use, begin moderately hot and moist. This Plum is an excellent Pectoral, and opens the Body, temperating the Sharpness of the Blood and Humours. It expectorates tough Flegm, and is good against Coughs, Colds, Hoarseness, Shortness of Breath, Wheezings, Roughness in the Throat and Wind-Pipe, Pleurifies, Heat of Blood, Exulceration, or Excoriation of the Kidneys and Bladder, cleansing them, and by their mucilaginous Quality making the Passages slippery. They are us'd, in a Decoction, for the Stone, Gravel, &c. or for opening Obstructions in the Liver, Spleen, Dropsy, and Jaundice, by Urine.
Fujuba, or Zizipha, a large Fruit of the Ziziph Tree, is like a moderate-siz'd Prune or Plum, oblong or oval, red without, yellow within, fleshy and tender, of a sweet and vinous Taste, having a tough Skin, and a hard strong Kernel. The Fruit grows upon a Tree call'd Ziziphus by Tournefort, and wants little of the Plum-Tree in every respect, but is crooked, cover'd with a rough uneven Bark, that cracks, or splits; the Branches are hard, furnish'd with strong Thorns. The Leaves oblong, something hard, terminating in a blunt Point, of a fine shining green Colour, slightly indented on their Sides; the Flowers growing among the Leaves, being tied by short Stalks; each of which, according to Mr. Tournefort, is commonly compos'd of five Leaves, lie a small Rose, which is places in the Middle of the Cup, of a graffy or pale Colour. When the Flowers are gone, the Fruit, or Jujubs, succeed; being green at first, and reddish as they ripen. This Tree grows in the hot Countries, and is very common in Provence, and in the Isles of Hyeres, near Toulon, from whence the dry'd Fruit are brought. They are pectoral and aperitive, being usually employ'd in Ptisans for Diseases of the Breast; they sweeten the Sharpness of the Humours, by their sweet and glutinous Substance, and provoke Spitting.