not haue this medicine often vsed after meate In the medicine called Diaspoliticō al the simples must be pounded in grosse maner for so the medicine will more loose the belly and by staieng longer in the stomack further concoction if the things be finely powdered into dust as the medicine will little or not at all make the belly laxatiue so it will prouoke vrine and sweate to the intention of this medicine The like manner is to be obserued in confecting of Diatrion pipereon that if an intent be to haue the medicine stay in the stomacke and guts to warme those parts to digest crude humours in them or to loose the belly the simples must be pounded grossely but if we haue a purpose to open obstructions to warme the inner veines to prouoke vrine or sweate althings must be beaten into fine powder By which discourse that question is easily answered which some latter writers do moue about the beating of the kindes of pepper whether the same ought to be beaten finely or grosly For some do affirme that pepper is alwaies to be beaten grosly for so it will remaine longer time in the stomacke and will the lesse heate the liuer and the blood Some other doo maintaine a contrary opinion and that by Galen himselfe who in the 5. booke De sanit tuend cap. 8. After meats which do bread stoppages in the body take saith he the medicine called Diacalaminthe and if you haue not it ready take Diatrion pipereon and if that be not at hand take white pepper beaten into fine powder diligently sersed mingle the same with the meate and sprinkle it to your drinke And in the same booke the 10. cap. Galen prescribeth a ptisane in which the dust or fine powder of white pepper is mingled And in the 6. booke De sanit tuend cap. 14. Galen giueth pepper alone as finely powdered as may be By these counsels of Galen these men do conclude that pepper ought alway to be beaten into fine powder by Galens doctrine Neuerthelesse these men in mine opinion do not with diligent care cōsider Galens intention in these and the like places neither well haue marked the scope and cause why Galen in these places doth aduise to pound pepper into fine powder for if they had well considered that Galen writeth they might haue vnderstood that he giueth pepper so finely beaten to remoue the obstructions and stoppages for so before he did admonish that things beaten into thin powder passe into the body better and sooner do remoue obstructions and contrariwise that which is grosly beaten doth stay in the belly longer and better warme those parts better digest crude and rawe humors gathered in them and do more effectually discusse wind to these latter intents pepper is to be beaten grosly especially in this our country in which men commonly do seed vpon grosse and slimy meats and so do heape in the parts of the belly and first veines manie crude and grosse humors that pepper ought in this region to be beaten most grosly that it may therby be occasioned to stay the longer in the belly so to warme the same the better and the better to concoct and extenuate such grosse and crude humors for the heat of this medicine as Galen writeth is founded in so subtil a substāce that the same is extinguished before it can come to the liuer then if you shall beate the medicine finely the heate wil so soone be exhausted and spent that it will neither sufficiently warme the belly neither in good sort concoct those crude and rawe humors Wherefore I do thinke it verie needfull for our apothecaries to pownd pepper alway grosly in the medicine Diatrion pipereon For if we shall need withall to open obstructions we may prescribe the medicine called Diacalaminthe and so we may mingle it to Diatrion pipereon or as occasion serueth giue it alone wherefore I hold it best to follow Galen his precept which is that alway things be powdered finely and in subtill manner when our purpose is to remoue obstructions or to digest cut and absterge crude rawe slimy and grosse humors which are in the inner veines and habite of the body or meane to prouoke sweat or vrine but if our meaning be to increase heate in the parts of the belly to concoct humors there and in the first veines or to make the bellie loose then things are to be beaten in grosse powder The priuate properties of the medicine called Diaspoliticon THis medicine doth make the bellie loose and bringeth out meate which corrupteth in the stomacke and is speciall good for them which haue a cold bellie or declining to cold For it maketh thinne grosse phlegme and expelleth flatulent winde See Galen in the fourth booke De sanitate tuenda The particular faculties and properties of Diatrion Pipereon DIatrion pipereon is of great efficacie and doth much good in all colde diseases of the stomacke in sower belkes in quartaine feauers in palsies in euill affected liuers in them which haue their bellies blowen vp with winde Diatrion pipereon confected after the description of Mesues is chiefly commended in fluxes from the head to the breast good generally to the coldnes of the cheste and to coughes which do proceed of a colde cause That the excellent and rare vertues of this medicine called Diatrion pipereon might the better be known I thought good in this place to remember the reader what is written in the booke intituled Secretorum which booke is ascribed to Galen in which booke we reade in this maner A certaine friend of mine being about the age of 70. yeeres complained of a coldnes in all the parts of the bodie insomuch that his memorie failed him and he had paine in his ioints and then I made for him this medicine called Diatrion pipereon and it was a wonder to see how he recouered in the space of a fortnight And I made triall in many which were sicke of diseases of the bladder of the heade and of the iointes occasioned by colde and crude humors and it is found speciall good in a cough of cold phlegme in weakenes of the stomacke For it breaketh grosse winde digesteth meat prouoketh appetite resolueth crude humours strengtheneth the stomacke euerie way restoreth memory cleareth the voice putteth backe grey heares remedieth the goute which commeth of a colde cause And in generall whosoeuer aged doth vse much this medicine he shall not need any other helpe to preserue his health The priuate properties of the medicine called Diacalaminthe IT cutteth grosse and slimy humors and occasioneth the same to be clensed by the skin by sweate prouoketh vrine and the monthly courses in women as Galen witnesseth in the 4. booke De sanit tuend it is good for them which do abhor meat for the vse of it prouoketh appetite it remedieth the shortnes of breath and helpeth them which finde a coldnes in their stomacks and which haue their sides and bellies blowen vp with winde as
countries which haue seene the trees and gathered the fruits do witnes that not one and the same tree but diuers and different do beare these spices And that the plants which do beare white pepper and blacke pepper are not trees of any bignes but weake shrubs which do clime vp by other trees as an Iuie doth in this our countrie And haue leaues like to the apple tree called Malum Assyrium and do carrie their fruit in clusters like the clusters of grapes of vine trees which are alway greene vntill they wax ripe And Garcia who liued in these parts writeth that the plant which yeeldeth the white pepper doth in kind differ from that which beareth the blacke pepper and yet are so like that no man can know the one from the other but they which do dwell there For saith he they do so differ as the vine tree which beareth the white grape doth differ from that which yeeldeth the red grape and as we cannot know the difference of these vine trees but when the grape is ripe so we cannot discerne the plant which yeeldeth the white pepper from that which beareth the blacke pepper and yet saith he it is certaine that the same tree which bringeth foorth the blacke pepper doth not yeeld the white pepper He saith also that the white pepper tree is not so common in these countries as the other is and that the same is not to be seene but in certaine places of Malauar and Malachae The same Garcia writeth that the tree of which long pepper is gathered doth greatly differ from the other forenamed pepper trees and that long pepper is a fruit depending of the tree in like sort as we see things to hang downe in our hasell nut trees and in our birch trees and that this fruit wil neuer yeeld either white or blacke pepper By this discourse we do vnderstand that the pepper tree is not like to the Iuniper tree as Plinie writeth in his 12. boke And Garcia also saith that the roote of the pepper tree is very little So that it is not like to ginger as some beleeued in Dioscorides time nor like to the roote of Costus as Dioscorides writeth And heerby also we are to vnderstand that the old saying is fabulous and vntrue that pepper is made blacke with fire For the marchants which brought the peppers said that serpents and venemous beasts did vse much to be vnder these pepper trees and that they were driuen to fray away those serpents with making fires vnder the trees before they durst gather the peppers and so the pepper was made black by the fire But now we learne by the histories penned by the latter writers that all this is vntrue and that blacke pepper is of that colour by his owne kinde when it is ripe and so that white pepper is of his owne kind euen of that colour when it is ripe As the red grape hath that colour naturally when it is ripe and the white grape keepeth his colour euen to his full ripenes Wherefore those writers were much deceiued which affirmed that white and black pepper were of one tree and that white pepper was the fruit not throughly ripe and that blacke pepper was the same perfectly ripe For say they as in our country when we gather apples all of the same tree are not of like ripenes some not full ripe some full ripe some ouer ripe and all are gathered at one time so say these men when the marchants do gather pepper some graines are throughly ripe and they black and wrinkled some not full ripe and they whiter in colour and smoothe not wrinkled But it appeereth by that which they haue deliuered to vs which haue seene and gathered both these kinds of peppers that they are gathered of seuerall trees and that ech doth perfectly ripe in his kind and ech retaine his colour the white graine when it is ripe keepeth the white colour and the blacke pepper when it is ripe keepeth his blacke colour Euen as the white grape being ripe remaineth white and the red grape red and yet ech do come of seuerall vine trees different in kinde So we are to thinke of these kinds of pepper that ech doth come of his proper tree and each ful ripe retaineth his naturall colour the white pepper his and the blacke his colour as doth euidently appeere by that which Garcia hath written in his first booke De aromat Indiae That the Greeke ancient writers did erre in expressing the history of these peppers it is no maruel for in that their coūtries were far distant from the prouinces frō whence these peppers came that they themselues could not search out a truth but followed the report of marchants which tell many vntruthes they were easily deceiued and so did set down in their bookes for verities many vntrue relations of the marchants But that the Arabians did commit the same errors whose countrie was not far distant from the places where pepper doth grow their grosse negligence in searching the true knowledge of simples can not be excused who would rather followe heerein that which was written by the Grecians than themselues search out a truth Matthiolus in his commentaries vpon Dioscorides witnesseth that many pepper trees are set to be seene at Naples and at Venice and diuers affirme that these trees are planted in diuers places in Spain and in Portingall But I could neuer vnderstand that any pepper tree was at any time brought into England I haue often seene at Poole in Dorsetshire and also in London the whole clusters of pepper preserued in brine and in salt these clusters are long and thin not so thicke togither as the clusters of grapes Long pepper is to be seene in euery shop for the whole fruit is brought by the marchants gathered togither like scales rough vneuen biting the toung like the other peppers We do read of another kind of pepper brought out of the Indians which the Portingals called Piemento de Rabo in Latin Piper caudatum and may be englished taile pepper Clusius in his annotations in Garcia seemeth to haue known this kind of pepper and saith that it is like to the cubebs and that it hangeth in clusters is very spicie and hath a little stalke or stem This kind is not now brought for the king of Portingall did forbid any to bring it fearing least it might decay the price and sale of the other kindes Monardis also in his booke De plantis Indiae maketh mention of another kind of long pepper different from the common long pepper and is much hotter than the common long pepper and more pleasant to the taste than black pepper Where the latter writers in the historie of pepper do diuide long pepper into the garden and wild this kind written of by Monardis is supposed to be the wilde long pepper and the common long pepper the garden or domesticall The latter writers in the historie of pepper do write of
concludeth that bicause white pepper is not so heated and dried by the sun but doth retaine and keepe al his hote parts therefore it is the hotter more biting and the best pepper contrarie to Dioscorides assertion Brassauolus Musa going about to reconcile this controuersie in Galen by distinguishing of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For in that white pepper hath plentie of moisture in it therefore it biteth stronger and leaueth the sharpe and biting qualitie to continue longer and in that respect it may be said to be hotter than the blacke pepper hauing little moisture and that much extenuated by the heate of the sunne doth bite quicklier deeper and sharper but bicause the heate of his biting doth not so long continue therefore it seemeth not so hot as the blacke and yet for that it biteth deeper therfore Dioscorides writeth that it is hotter and stronger than the blacke And if to trie the truth heereof a man will taste both kinds of pepper surely he shall manifestly perceiue the difference of them both And so in the one sense white pepper may be said to be hotter and more biting as Galen writeth and in the other sense blacke pepper may be thought to exceede the white as Dioscorides affirmeth But where Dioscorides saith that white pepper is weaker than long pepper and black pepper bicause it not being ful ripe is acerbious or more tart surely his argument is not perfect For as he putteth white pepper not so ripe as blacke so he maketh long pepper not so ripe as white pepper And so it must follow after his opinion that long pepper should be weaker than white and white than blacke pepper So Hippocrates is deceiued in his owne reasoning But in that it is now certaine that these kinds do not differ that the one is riper than the other but each is ripe and perfect in his kinde these arguments of more or lesse ripenes do take no place and are of no efficacie bicause that by taste it is euident that white pepper doth bite the toong more and the biting doth continue longer therefore we may iustly say that white pepper is the hotter And for that Galen lib. 9. De composit sec loc in the medicine of Philo affirmeth that white pepper is better for the stomacke than blacke pepper And in 4. De sanit tuend he saith that white pepper doth strēgthen the stomack aboue the other kinds Surely the Friers writing vpon Mesue do truly counsell Apothecaries when pepper simply is read to take white pepper Notwithstanding in some affects long pepper is to be preferred before the other kinds as Galen witnesseth lib. 4. De sanit tuend where he counselleth to giue long pepper to them which haue their sides blowen vp with wind and which do turne all they eate to wind For saith he long pepper doth dissolue the grosnes of wind casteth downe by the belly such matter which doth stay in the sides By this discourse it appeereth that the Arabians did truly set white and blacke pepper in the vttermost point of the third degree of heate and drines or in the beginning of the fourth degree And Galen confirmeth the same when he doth write that white and blacke pepper do strongly heate and drie And with good reasons the same Arabikes do set long pepper in the third degree of heate and not beyond the second degree of drying For in that by all writers consent this kind is moister than the other therefore it cannot drie so much as the other for the drying qualitie must needs be somwhat obtunded by the moisture which is in this kind And therefore long pepper tasted doth not by and by bite strongly but after it is a little chewed and then the biting doth last longer And we may heerby also gather that long pepper is not so subtill of substance as the other kinds are Garcia writeth that Emperikes amongst the Arabians Persians do hold opinion that pepper is cold which opinion doth also preuaile amongst the common sort in this our countrie For it is a common saying that pepper is hot in the mouth but cold in operation But for as much as we do trie the qualitie of medicines by taste these men do shew their ignorance in calling that cold in operation which is hot in the mouth The temperament of Siliquastrum or Indian Pepper THe Indian pepper called also Siliquastrum is accounted hot and drie in the fourth degree and therefore doth very effectually breake wind doth heat and strengthen the inward parts and is verie good for the breast The vertues and faculties of Pepper DIoscorides Plinie Auicenna and Serapio do recite and number manie vertues and medicinal properties of these kindes of peppers which I leaue the reader to peruse in their books The cheefest vse of peppers is in cold affects of the stomacke and of other parts which do serue for nutrition For euery kind of pepper doth greatly helpe concoction discusse wind and doth occasion all grosse and slimie humors to discend sooner And to this purpose many medicines deuised by physicians of these kinds of peppers are kept in Apothecaries shops but amongst other Galen in his 4. booke De sanit tuend doth chiefly cōmend three sorts And the medicine termed Diatrion pipereon in that it is confected of the three kindes of pepper beareth the bell and is reputed in the first place And then he commendeth the medicine called Diacalaminthe thirdly that which is vsed vnder the name of Diaspoliticon notwithstanding each of these medicines is not good to the selfesame affects neither are they in like sort times to be vsed Touching Diatrion pipereon it is famous for to help concoction to discusse wind and to do good against cold affects of the stomacke and yet not to heate the liuer or the blood wherin consisteth a singular propertie of this medicine For it is agreed vpō by all authors that the heat of this medicine is extinguished in the belly and the first veines is not carried into the whole bodie as the heat of the medicine called Diacalaminthe is so termed for that it receiueth the herbe called Calaminth as Gal. writeth in the said booke De sanit tuend cap. 10. where he affirmeth that Diatrion pipereon is to be giuen when crude and slimy humors are in the stomack and first veines yea both before and after meate The vse of Diacalaminthe is when we meane to warme further into the bodie and haue an intent to cut make thin grosse humors in the veines For Diacalaminthe doth thinne grosse and slimie things breatheth out by the skin prouoketh vrine and the monethly sicknes in women Therefore neither this medicine neither Diaspoliticon ought to be vsed after meate bicause they two hasten distribution and so do hinder concoction whereby we may conclude that the medicine Diatrion pipereon may with most safetie be vsed after meate to helpe concoction And to this intent Galen doth counsell to haue in a readines
Mesue writeth The maner and particular vse of the foresaid medicines WHen many crude and rawe humors do abounde in the bellie and first veines that in that respect it will not be safetie to giue a purgatiue medicine then is the cheefest vse of Diaspoliticon for it then giuen will safely stir nature to expell those humors by the siege So in other cases when so euer the belly is drie and doth not hir dutie then it is expedient to giue Diaspoliticon The vse of Diatrion pipereon and of Diacalaminthe out of Galen 4. De sanit tuend WHen many raw and vndigested humors are gathered in and about the first veines the same are to be cut and digested and in so dooing speciall care is to be had lest the same be carried farther into the bodie In this case Diatrion pipereon simple is with most securitie giuen And it is not enough to giue it once or twise euery day but it must be taken often in the morning before meate after meat when they go to bed a spoonfull at a time and so to yonger folke and which haue lesse need the lesser quantity to elder and to them which haue more need the bigger quantity so to the mean the meaner quantitie is to be proportioned When crude humors are heaped in the inner veines and in the habit of the body the same are to be concocted and also to be expelled by breathing the same thorough the pores of the skin and to these intents there is not a more conuenient medicine knowen than Diacalaminthe for it hath propertie to extenuate thicke and slimy things and then mooueth the same to be expelled by breathing out at the skin and by vrine And this medicine is not vnpleasant to be taken if a good proportion of honie be boiled with it but where some do not like of sweet things and do abhor honie to such you must put the lesse honie yet oftentimes euen in this case it is good to boile good store of honie so you boile it well for then the medicine will not be ouersweet and the honie well boiled doth lesse offend the stomack And the vse of this medicine is in the morning after frictiō before exercise before bathing And you may vse this medicine dry in powder without honie in steede of salt for sauce to your meate and you may put of it in a Ptisane in steede of pepper This medicine is vsed not onely dry in steede of salt but also when honie is mixed for euen so it may be vsed with meate and so is it pleasing to the taste But neither this neither any other medicine which hath strong facultie to further distribution is to be taken after meate For at that time nature goeth about concoction of meate taken and not to distribute the same therefore immediately after meate endeuor must be to further concoctiō by giuing Driatrion pipereon simple or to put some pepper powdered into your drinke If such crudities hap to be not onely in the belly and first veines but also in all other veines yea in the fleshie parts of the bodie in this case at the beginning of the cure it is best to vse Diatrion pipereon adding so much of the seeds of persley growing in a drie stonie ground as is put of anise seedes thyme and ginger and after the first day or rather after the seconde day you may put a little of Diacalaminth and then in a while after mingle both I meane Diatrion pipereon and Diacalaminth in equall parts and in processe of time increase the Diacalaminthe so at the latter end of the cure you may vse Diacalaminth alone So it is to be concluded in this as in all maner of diets when the effects are equall the medicines to cure are equally to be mixed yet so that at the first greatest care be had of the crudities in the first veines and at the latter end of those crudities which are in the other veines and habit of the bodie in the middle time both are equally according to the effect to be mingled Thus far Galen in his 4. booke De sanitate tuenda FINIS