bothe meate and drinke or elles to take so much as is sufficient to kepe the soule and the body together and no more Ther is nothyng that so muche profiteth ether the sicke or the hole as doth abstinence yf it be taken in due tyme and orderly and therfore Plinie none of the worst wryters of Physycke commendeth sobrietie in meates and drinkes sayinge that it is verye profitable for all men to be temperate in their diet And the very father of Phisicke Hyppocrates affirmeth moderate eatynge and drinking to be the castel of health and many tymes such as be diseased and sicke be cured onlye by abstinence In prescribynge of abstinēce the Phisitiō shoulde discretly consider who may best beare it for as Gallen sayeth in his .2 boke of temperamentes They y t haue small vaynes haue but lytell bloude wherfore they can not faste without hurtyng theyre bodies they that haue great vaynes haue plentye of bloude wherefore they maye the better away with abstinence without any decay of theyr bodelye health or strength of such as be sicke they y t be full of crude rawe humors be least hurte w t fastyng yea the best remedye to all such is abstinēce but to be brefe none shoulde be cōmaunded to fast of the Phisicion but suche as be stronge or elles be sicke of suche diseases as cū of cruditie As abstinence if it be geuen in seasō to suche as hath nede of it profiteth very muche so if it be taken out of time or be geuen to such as nede it not it hurteth twise as much It is taken out of time whā y e bodye is weake the disease easy to be ouer cumme or elles whan it is prescribed vnto such as be of nature cholericke for in such it bredeth chollar causeth feuers with many frettes and pinchinges both in the belly also in the mouth of the mawe Slepe hathe the .ix. place of those thinges which healpe euacuation howbeit all slepe dothe not extenuat nor at all tymes but that only which is taken the body being hungery or elles by and by after exercise and labor for the naturall heate in slepe is called in to the innar partes whych whan it findeth no nurrishment nor meate to be altered and digested it doth waste and consume the profitable humors of all the body and so of necessitie it both drieth the body lessenneth it also the which thing Hyppocrates witnesseth sayinge Much slepe drieth his body which before hath bene to muche pourged any manner of way Also in hys .ii. boke that he writ of good ordar of diet he affirmeth y t slepe extenuateth the body which fasteth or kepeth abstinence and maketh it coulde consumynge all the humiditye wythin it Of all other tymes that slepe whiche is taken in the morninge after exercise dryeth the body most the same also doth slepe taken after bathes For the bathe opening the poores maketh euacuation of all the excrementes which lurked in y e skynne and slepe immediatly folowinge the bathe calleth in the naturall heat agayne and wasteth the profitable humidity of y e innar partes The .xii. kynde of euacuatiō is the prouoking of vrine which should be vsed whan ther is any obstruction or any great abundaunce of humors about that part of the liuer which in latten is called gibba or els in the raynes or bladder for if the obstruction be in cauo hepatis which as gibba is the plumppest parte and the toppe of the liuer so cauum is the holowest parte the lowest of y e same thē it is better to lewse the bellye then to prouoke vryne For Gallen sayeth as the toppe of the liuer which before is called gibba is clensed by prouokinge of vrine so the holowe part of the liuer which I called cauum is pourged by lewsyng of the belly The which sayinge he repeteth in the .vii. chapter of his .ii. boke that he write to hys frynde Glauco and in many other diuers and sundry places In the prouokynge of vrine y e Phisicion must beware that there be no fluxe of bloude nor exulceration in the raynes or bladder for thē it is better to pluck from thence in to other partes of the body thē to drawe from other places thyther The .xi. kynde of euacuation is the drawinge downe of the spettell or the excrement of the braine by the mouthe whose vse is whā the breste and the instrumentes of brethynge shoulde be pourged wherfore whan the spettell is equall bothe in quantitie and collour then it declareth the brest the instrumentes of brethynge to be in perfit health but whan it is otherwyse that is to saye of diuers cullours not equall it declareth the instrumentes of brethynge and the hole brest so farre to be distempered as it differethe from hys owne naturall cullour and quantitie Wherfore the Phisicion shoulde diligently consider what Hyppocrates hathe writ in the .ii. boke prog and Aphor .43 also in sūme of the other folowing The .xii. kinde of euacuation is by holdyng medicynes in the roofe of y e mouthe which is called gargelyng vnder the which kynde is cōtayned the puttyng of medicines in to the nose called nisynge and these if they be vsed in theyr time profiteth and healpeth the braine very much The .xiii. kynde is the bledyng at the nose which amendeth the obstructions of y e brayne the distillations from the heade in to all partes of the body wherfore the Phisitiō shoulde diligently attende that in bledyng at the nose he knowe whan to stynt it whan not For sūme tyme whan it hathe bled but a verye litell it must be staied incontinent Sumtyme it is not stayed w tout greate daunger as yf it chaunce by the abundaunce of nawghtye bloude for then it is better to healpe nature to expell the nawghtie bloud thē to stay it wherfore euery Phisicion shoulde wel remember this sayinge of Hyppocrates whan so euer the bledynge at the nose quieteth not the body it must be stopped w t a dry medicyne The .xiiii. kynde of euacuation is wemens flowres which chaunce to wemē at times appoynted of nature that by the meanes of them y e hole bodye may be pourged and so health defended wherfore if the flowres be suppressed at any tyme excepte that tyme that the woman goethe with childe or geueth sucke it decayeth health vtterly and marreth the good constitution of the body as well as whan they runne to muche which Hyppocrates witnesseth saying as foloweth Of to many flowres cūmeth diseases but of to fewe or not at all foloweth diseases of the wombe Yet in stopping of the flowres the Phisicion shoulde behaue hym selfe wiselye lest he stop them to sone or to late For sū wemen hath them naturally longer then other haue which Hyppocrates witnesseth saying to such womē as haue moyst bodies their flowres continueth long if they cū not downe quickly they swell with all The xv kynde of euacuation is done
to say y e springe summar autumne and winter be For euery one of these by hym selfe and without comparison maye be called hote cold drye or moyst of this fashion the spring is withoute all excesse because there is not as is in wynter more colde then heat nor as in summar more heat thē cold lykewyse there is a mediocritie of drynesse and moysture and therfore Hippocrates sayeth that it is the most holsumest tyme of all the yere and a tyme in the which there chaūseth no deadly sicknes For y e moste part of the diseases of the springe happen by reson that all the euyll humors be driuen from the innar partes in to the skynne Wherefore the diseases be rather to be imputed to the body then to y e tyme of y e yeare For what body so euer hath good homours that bodye remayneth styll in healthe so long as the spryng lasteth paraduenture it doeth not so in summar autumne or wynter because these tymes brede or encrese euyll humors as summar encreaseth chollar autumne melancholy wynter fleme watrish humors It is possible that sum man wyll reprehend my sayinges obiecting the begynnyng of the springe to be coulde accordyng to wynter the latter ende hot as in summar In dede I confesse no lesse then y e begynnynge of the springe to be a lytell coulde and the latter ende a lytell hote but not in excesse as it is eyther in summar or wynter Wherfore it can not be called hote and moyest as sūme doe suppose because it can not be hot and temperat both at one tyme. As for summar by the consent as well of the Philosophers as of phisitions is hot and dry because there is in it more heat then could more drinesse then moysture Autumne simply and without exception can not be called colde and dry as sūme holde opinion for it is not coulde because there is as muche heate as coulde seing the middle of the day is much hotter then the mornynge and euenynge Therefore it is founde to be distemperat in heat and coulde and so mixt of bothe that it can nether be called hote nether coulde Therefore it is full of perilouse diseases because it is distempered both in heate and coulde and because it hath more drynesse then moysture therefore it is called dry As for wynter it is moyst could not because it is more moyst coulde then y e other times of the yere but because there is more moysture then drines more could then heate Nowe that I haue so brefelye as I coulde declared the temperamentes of the tymes of the yere it is mete cōuenient to shewe in as fewe wordes as I can the temperamentes of the iiii ages which are chyldehode youth mannes state and olde age Chyldehode is from the chyldyng the space of .xv. yere next folowyng and it is hote and moyst and that is easie to be perceyued hereof that the first constitution of the chylde is of seede and bloude the whiche both be hote and moyst Youthe beginneth where chyldehod endeth continueth .x. yeres in this age ther is more firye heat lesse natural heat thē is in childehode as Gallen witnesseth in hys second boke of temperamentes Mannes state begynneth at .xxv. and continueth to .xxxv. the which tyme is hote and dry Olde age beginneth at .xxxv. and continueth the rest of the lyfe though summe doe recken it but to .ix. and fortie yere and it is colde dry Ye shall fynde in other places mo differences of ages howbeit I thinke these sufficient for suche as be not to deynty and exquisite Whoso thinketh hym selfe not satisfyed with this brefe exposition of temperamentes let hym reade diligently Galenes .iii. bokes of temperamentes and I dout not but he shall be satisfyed For I makyng haste to better and more profitable knowledge cānot finde in my harte to tary any lenger in this disputation yet whoso euer shall dilygently examine in hys mynde that that is wryttē before may easely yf he be not halfe folishe gather y e rest which wanteth without a techer or an instructar ¶ The .viii. chapter of humors HVmours be fower in number that is to say bloude chollar flewme and melancholy of the which bloude is hote moyst and swete Flewme is coulde moyst and vnsauery lyke vnto the pure water yelowe chollar hote dry and bittar blacke chollar or melancholy coulde drye sowre and stipticke These humours be called hot could dry and moyst because they be so in power and not in acte and ther is great difference betwixte thinges that be hot of power and thinges hot in acte For that thing is hot in acte which is hot alredy and that is hot in power which is not hot alredy but may and is apt to be hot afterward so we call bryne or vinegar drye though they appere to the eye to be moyst yet experience hath proued them drye because they consume the superfluous humours bothe of flesh also other thinges Whan these .iiii. humours reserue theyr forsayde qualities then the body wherein they be is hole and without disease and the before named humours be called of the Phisitions naturall The receptacles of bloud be the vaynes and pulses but the bloud that is contayned in the pulses as Gallen sayeth in his first boke and first chapter of affected places differeth from the blowde of the vaynes in that that the blowde of the pulses is both hotter thynnar yelower The well of the blowde is the liuer not onely that but also the first instrument of mannes bodye and the naturall and true cullour of the blowd is red which Galen affirmeth in many places Where blowde redoundeth the body is feat fayer mery plesantly disposed Flewme of cullour is white which at the length by y e meanes of naturall heat may be tourned in to bloude and therefore seinge it is a nowrishment but halfe boyled nature hath prouided no propre or peculier receptacle for the pourgynge of it For flewme engendred in the stomake or mawe be cause it is carryed together w t the iuice that came of the meate drinke vp in to y e liuer is at length by much alteration tourned into bloude and that which is caryed together with the bloud in the vaynes may skant be spared because it mittigateth the greate feruent and outragious heat of y e bloud therfore it hath morenede to tarry styll be altered then to be pourged caryed away but y t that remayneth behynde in the guttes is pourged caryed quite oute at the fundament by reason of the chollar cūmynge fro the lyuer as Gallen sayeth in the .v. of his bokes of the vse of the partes of mannes body The excrement which falleth frō y e brayne in to y e mouth can not properly be called flewme but rather muck or sniuil flewmatick bodyes be slothfull slepy fleshye soone horeheared Yelowe chollar hath his name of his culour nature hathe prouided a proper
by the hemorrhoides which is the name of certayne vaynes cūminge to the loweste parte of the fundament by the which nature purgeth the body of melancholye wherby it deliuereth the bodye of many diseases which Hippocrates affirmeth sayinge They that haue the hemorrhoides be safe frō all paine of their sides and inflammatiō of their lunges nor shal be troubled nether with byles scurfe nor no kynde of lepry Therfore the Phisiciō must take great hede in stoppynge of them lest they be the authors of great and perilous sicknessis as of the dropsie consumtions He that requireth a longer disputation of this matter let hym reade ouer Hyppocrates bokes written of the same matter The xvi kinde of euacuatiō is the fleshly or carnall copulation which profiteth y e body much yf it be vsed moderatly and in due tyme For it amendeth the fulnesse of the body and as Aetius in the .viii. chapter of hys .iii. boke Agineta in the 3. chapter of his .i. boke witnesseth whan the body is at the groweth it maketh it strong nymble and quicke and amendeth the hard habyt of the bodye For it mollifieth the instrumentes and dilateth the pores and pourgeth the body of flewme Morouer it quickneth y e wit pacifieth anger wherefore it profiteth all them that haue lost ther wyttes either with anger or elles w t sorowe it profiteth them also which haue the fawling euil such as haue heauinesse in theyr browes and ache in theyr heades many tymes be cured by it Which Hyppocrates confirmeth saying carnal copulation which is called venus ▪ amendeth all diseases that cum of flewme howbe it yf it be vsed to much it hurteth the eyes and all the sensis and the head senewes brest raines loynes thyghes and morouer hasteneth olde age and deth and vtterly dissolueth the strength of the bodye and hereof it commeth that they that vse it to much be forgetfull and be weake full of payne both in their ioyntes loynes thighes it bringeth many to y e strangury many to the gout Of all tymes of the yere it may safest be vsed in thy springe it is vtterly to be abhorred in autumne and in sūmar Winter also by meanes of hys greate colde is not very good the best houre for it is as Gallē sayeth whan the body is in a meane betwixte full and emptie and excedeth nether in heat nether in colde drynesse nor moysture Therefore who so euer wyll vse it let hym beware of cruditie drunkennes hungar werynesse vomittynge pourging of the belly watchyng and all other such as healpeth to dissolue the strength of the body After moderate eatyng is the best time of it and before slepe for that amendeth y e strength and maketh that there foloweth no colde after it For slepe immediatly folowing it taketh away the werines of the muscles and senewes and calleth in the natural heat which maketh the concoction perfit Moreouer this time is best and aptest to the procreation of children for many causes but especially because the woman whyles she slepeth holdeth her husbandes seed beste The .xvii. kynde of euacuation is perspiratiō or euaporation which is done ether by nature or elles by medicine which so finely subtylith the humors that they passe by the insensible poores of y e skinne without any putrifiynge Hitherto I haue declared the kyndes of euacuatiō or emptines the which euery diligent Phisition must so well obserue that he may knowe whan to vse this kynde or that or elles whan to stop for sumtyme it is better to encrease humors ▪ then to diminishe them Finallye the Phisition shoulde obserue and marke howe he should make euacuation and where and what and whan and how much ¶ The .vii. chapter Of the perturbations sudden motions of the minde THe Affections which be the sudden motions and perturbations of the mynde ought not to be neclected of the phisitiō because they be of great might and make great alteratiō in all the body y e whiche amongest al other feare Ioy angar and sorowe declare euidently Feare by drawing the spirite and bloud in to y e innar partes leaueth the vtter pale for colde Anger setteth the body on fire with mouing of the bloud to the vtter partes as in anger the pulse beteth mightely so in fere it beateth almost nothyng at all sorrow is an affection w c the which y e hart as though it were smytten is drawen together and doth tremble and quake not without great sense of payne and so by lyttel and lyttel whiles the sorow goeth not away the strength of the hart is quite ouerthrowen and the generation of spirites is letted by meanes wherof the lyfe is vtterly extinct suche a cruell scourge is sorow vnto mā Feare and sorowe differ of this fashion y e sorowfull mā suffereth that by littell and litell which the fearfull mā doth suffer all a tonse Ioy is a sudden motion with the whiche y e harte reioysing dilateth hym selfe and suddenly sendeth furth al hys naturall heat and spirites wherby sumtyme it chaunseth that a weake body diethe in Ioy because for lacke of strength the hart cā not call in agayne his naturall heat and spirites Aulus Gellius in hys .iii. boke and .xv. chapter writeth ā historye worthy to be remembred of one Diagoras y t had .iii. sonnes which were all crowned of the people in one day at the playes of the hil Olimpia whilest the people and his iii. sōnes reioysing embrased their father castyng theyre garlandes vpon hym he died in theyr armes Philippides also a maker of playes whan he had y e victorie amongest the Poettes whiche he loked not for died by and by amongest them all Howe be it anger kylleth no man because it nether cooleth the naturall heat nor yet dissolueth the strength The phisition shoulde marke earnestlye not onlye these but all other affectes of the mynde also partly that he may know of them what humor redoundeth but especially that he may lerne how to resiste them and by hys counsell master them in the ende †The ende of the seconde boke The third boke ¶ The first chapter of the number of thinges agaynste Nature THynges agaynste Nature be .iii. in number the firste is the cause which goeth before the disease The seconde is the disease it selfe by whome the action is first hurt The third is the accidentes folowyng the disease This same parte of phisicke which inquireth of the causes and the accidētes of diseases is called of the Grekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soundeth nothing elles but the mouyng of any thing that is affected wherfore he hath hys substance no lenger then he is in mouing altering or changing and so he differeth from affection taken specially the which is nothynge elles but an alteration remayning in a thing that hath suffered by this meanes the disease and the cause with the accidente which be affections of oure body as pale and euyll culour be called affections
A uery brefe treatise ordrely declaring the prīcipal partes of phisick that is to saye Thynges natural Thynges not naturall Thynges agaynst nature Gathered and sette forth by Christopher Langton Anno dn̄i M.D.XLVII ¶ Wylm̄ Baldwyn ▪ ¶ Who so desyreth health got to preserue And lost to procure ought chefely to knowe Suche naturall thynges as therto maye serue Great knowlege wherof this boke wil him show Whiche smal though it seme contayneth as much Of arte to be knowen of them that are wyse As byg myghty bokes agastfull to tuche As well for the wayght as for the heauy pryce Reade it therfore all ye that loue your healthe Learne here in an houre elles where in a yere Scarce red the which Langton willing our welth Hath englyshed brefe as it doth appere To whome the free geuer of your so great gayne Yelde thākes prayses a payment for his payne Consule valetudini The contentes of this Boke ¶ The firste boke OF what kynde of artes physicke is Cap. i. Of the sectes in Physycke Cap. ii The partes of physicke iii. The distribucion of Physicke in to three fourmes Cap. iiii Of the numbre of thinges naturall v. Of Elementes Cap. vi Of temperamentes Cap. vii Of Humors Cap. viii Of the partes of mannes body Cap. ix Of powers or faculties Cap. x Of Actions Cap. xi Of Spirites Cap. xii ¶ The seconde boke OF the number of thinges not naturall Cap. i Of Ayer Cap. ii Of meate and drynke Cap. iii Of exercise and rest Cap. iiii Of Slepe and watche Cap. v Of Fulnesse and emptinesse Cap. vi Of the perturbations and sudayne mocions of the mynde Cap. vii ¶ The thyrd boke OF the number of thynges agaynst nature Cap. i Of the causes of diseases Cap. ii Of diseases Cap iii Of Accidentes Cap iiii ¶ The fowerth boke ¶ Howe to iudge of any disease Cap i Of Vrine Cap ii Of the excrementes of the belly Cap iii Of the Spettel Cap iiii Of the Pulses Cap. v Finis ¶ To the right high and mighty Prince Edwarde Duke of Somerset Protector of the kynges maiest realmes and dominions and gouerner of his most Royall person Christofer Langton wyssheth health and encreace of all godlynesse PHisicke hath bene so afflicted clogged wyth ignoraunt wryters it were to tediouse to rehearce eyther theyr names or theyre opinions that before Gallenes dayes none knewe which was the truth And though Gallen wrot orderly yet by the iniurye of tyme the best parte of his workes be lost to the great hynderaunce of all suche as shalbe studentes in Phisicke Yet yf but halfe that that remayneth were englysshed I woulde then thynke y t we shoulde haue al thynges in Phisicke a greate deale the playnar to the great profit welth of the realme dyuers wayes For fyrst it woulde saue great exspence of money which vnlearned strangers dayly carrye awaye Than it woulde be the safegarde of manye mennes lyues whiche myght be able to do the king otherwyse right good seruice And finally it wolde cause a great encrease of wisdome whiche passeth bothe golde precious stones Wherefore I consideryng the wealth of the greater nūber haue taken vpon me to wryte orderly of a great peace of phisicke which I dedicate vnto your grace not that I thynke it worthy so noble a Prince but partly because I iudge you a man muche desirous to knowe suche thinges as be here set foorth for the bodyly healthe partely for that I trust your noblenes wil further al godly ententes whiche yf ye doe ye shall not only encorage me whiche am but a lernar and as yet a young student in Physicke but other also whiche are alredy perfect in the workes of Physicke dayly to set foorth suche thinges as may profit many and hurte none Thus I praye god graunt to youre grace in al your affayers most prosperous successe and after this trāsitory lyfe ioye withoute ende Amen The fyrste boke ¶ The fyrste Chapter Of what kynde of artes Phisicke is SEyng that I haue taken vpon me to wryte a breefe treatyse vpon Phisicke for the alonlye commoditie of ignoraunt and vnlearned studentes in the same I think it very necessarye and expedient to open and declare bothe playnlye and brefely what physicke is whiche in Latine is called Medicina in Englysshe woorde for woorde Medicine Hyppocrates in his boke de flatibus whiche is as muche to saye as in his boke of Spirites or blastes affirmeth that Medicine or Physicke is nothyng but the adiection of that that lacketh or the subtraction or takynge awaye of that whyche is superfluous redoundeth the whych declaration or definition Gallen alloweth in manye places trulie not w tout a cause For ther is no parte of phisike but it is cōprehended in thys finition Auerroes in the .vi. boke and the .i. Chapiter of his gatheringes dothe define phisicke verye fetely in these wordes folowinge Medicina est ars factiuarum vna ratione et experimento inuenta que tum sanitatem tuetur tum morbum depellit whiche is as muche to say in englysh as Phisike is one of those artes whyche dothe make thinges inuented or found out by reason and experience and the whyche partly defendeth health and partly beteth away disease and siknes Herophilus woulde haue defined it after this fashion Medicina est scientia salubrium insalubrium et neutrorum Whyche in englyshe is as foloweth Physike is a science of thynges holsome vnholsome and of neyther of bothe Gallen vseth thys finition in hys boke y t is called ars medica not because he doth so greatly alowe it but because yt serueth hys pourpose whyche is easie to be knowen of that that foloweth where he sayeth that this worde scientia must be taken in that place accordynge to hys common significatyon and not as it signifyeth properlye wherefore phisike is an arte and no science and seynge yt is an arte I thynke yt well donne to shewe in what kynde of artes it is For there be many differences of Artes but especiallye .iiii. One is called in Latyne Contemplatoria whiche hath his ende only in the seyng and beholdyng of thynges and maye well be called contemplacion or knowlege suche is Arithmetick Astronomie natural philosophie for ther is none of these artes that doth any thing but is onlye ended in contemplacion and studye There is an other which is called in Latyn Actiua in Englysh practise and consisteth in doynge as dawnsyng and harpyng wyth other lyke The thyrde in Latyn maye be called Factiua which besyde the practise and studye leaueth behynde his woorke as payntyng buyldyng and of this kynde there be two artes for some make the workes them selues as weuyng tanning and some correct and amend the thynges whan they be made as botchyng and clowtyng of old garmentes houses other thīges The fowerth in Latyn is called comparans which in our tong may be called a gettyng arte for it doeth make nothynge but by studye
of suche as be sycke foloweth death without remedy the whiche thing yf it be true as vndoutedlye it is what be such Phisitions worthye as doe vtterlye necglect the same and thinke that they haue done a great feat whan they haue wrytten a byl or two to the appoticarie takynge no care in the meane tyme what manner of dyet the sicke kepeth The seconde parte healeth by medicins inwarde outwardly taken But there be medicins of .ii. sortes that is to say simple and compounde and first to the parfit curyng of the disease most necessary is the knowledge of the simple and this care whiche is a greate charge is commytted to such as be vnlerned yea and in many places more is the pittie to folish ignorant wemen I wolde rather wishe the handlynge of suche Iuelles to be in the handes of y e best lerned and wysest Phisitions For as it is a thinge to be laughhed at if a Paynter know not his pensill or a coblar hys nall or a tannar his lether so think ye that a Phisition is not to be laught to scorne yf he know not the matter of that arte which he professeth But now adayes he is most set by and had in the gretest estimation which knoeth y e least which can make one medicine serue a thowsande diuerse diseases whiche is as lyke to be true as one shooe to be mete sit for so many feet And as for medicins they be not worth a vyle straw except they com out of Ethiop Arabi or India wheras for vs english men ther is non so good as our owne Englishe simples For it can not be proued y t nature euer brought forthe any wher liuing creatures where as she left nothing to fede them wyth all and lykewyse as she hath prouided meat so hath she medicyns also but the suttylties of men for their owne gayne and priuat Lucre hath browght to passe that al thing is oute of order bothe in the shoppes of the appoticaries and other places elles where The thyrd part is Surgery which is wrought by mannes hand which Gallen commendeth hyghly in many and sundry bokes ¶ The .iiii. chapter The distribution of Phisicke in to thre formes QVre forfathers haue distributed and deuided Phisicke into thre formes or orders and that for no other pourpose but that yonge studentes of Phisick might lerne diligently and a gret dele the better remember what so euer they had red in the monumentes of olde writers The first order is of those thinges of y e whiche mānes body is made of and it hath plesed the foresayde elders to call suche thinges as oure body is cōpact made of thinges natural because to the perfection of mannes body they be necessary The seconde order is of those thinges with the which oure bodye is nourished that yt may remayne in healthe these thinges be called not naturall not because they be vtterlye agaynst oure nature but because if they be geuen without discreciō they may make suche alteration in the bodye as may extinguishe and abolishe vtterlye the lyfe The thirde order is of such as hurt and harme the body and corrupt it therfore they be called thinges agaynste nature be cause they be clene contrary to nature ¶ The fyfth chapter Of the number of thinges naturall NOwe it is tyme to speke of the first part of Phisicke whiche entreateth of the naturall cōstitution of mannes bodie this part of Phisicke is not put firste without a cause For no mā can do any good with a medicyne whiche is ignorant in the constitutiō of mannes bodie therfore the thinges naturall wherof mannes bodye is conpact made be seuen in number 1 Elementes as the fiere ayer water and erthe 2 Temperamentes as hote cowlde moyst and drye 3 Humores as blowde fleume chollar bothe yelow black 4 Partes as flesh bone brayne harte liuer heed and handes 5 Faculties as Animall vitall naturall 6 Actions as Animall naturall 7 Spirites as animall vitall and naturall These thinges I entend god willing to expresse so well as the sterillite of my simple wyt will geue me leaue begynnyng first wyth the Elementes ¶ The sixte chapter Of the Elementes TVlly y e eloquent Romain counselleth very wel euery mā first of all and before he make any far procedynge to defyne the thing of the which he pourposeth to entreat to y e entent that euery mā may perceyue what it is y e is spokē of therfore according to his counsell I wyll fyrst define what an element is wherfore an element as Galen sayeth in the .viii. boke of the decrees of Plato and Hyppocrates is the lest part of that thynge of the which it is an element and of these amongest the hole nature of thynges there be but fower in number which is the fyer Ayer water and yearth and as of these all thynges naturall haue there begynnynge so at the length they shall be resolued into the same agayne For Hyppocrates sayeth in a boke which he entytelleth the nature of man that after the soule is once dissolued from the body euery thinge wherof the body was of first is returned in hys owne nature agayne as loke what in the begynnyng was drye that is tourned in to drye what was moyste becōmeth moyste agayne and lykewyse heat is turned into heat and colde becommeth colde agayne but after these elementes be once mixte in the body they can no more be called elementes that is to say pure and simple bodyes that y e is made of them is a bodye mixt and corruptible Therfore as Gallen counselleth in the firste boke of elementes go not about to serche out or to finde in any naturall body any thinge that is simple and not mixt or compounded leste thou lose thy peyne but be contented yf thou se a member that is could hard and drye and a nother that is moyste rare and fluxible to thinke the tone to come of the yearth and the other of the water And lykewyse whan thou considerest with thy selfe in thy mynde the nature of a spirit then remember the ayer For seing that the elementes be the lest partes of owre bodies it is not possible that they should be perceyued by any sense Yf these elementes wer not mixte all together nether man nor no other liuinge creature coulde be made of them for what part of the body they should towch they must of necessitie corrupt the same For ther is no part of the bodie that can abyde safe without hurt or dammage the towchynge of any thynge that is ether extreme hote or extreme colde moyest or drye And herof it is euident that these elementes be not mixt in mannes bodye as wheate or barley is mixt in a hepe for of the grayne ther is no alteratiō seing after the mixture it remaynethe hole but the elementes be so altered and chaunged that after the mixture ther remayneth nothyng but onely a signification of theire qualities
place for it which is y e blather vnder y e liuer for it was necessary for it to be parted from the bloud lest at the length y e hole body should becumne yelowe as it doth in the yelowe Iawndies Cholericke men be angry sharpe wytted nymble and quicke in all theyr affayers inconstant and leane and good digesters of theyr meat melancholy is the dregges and filthe of the bloud and therefore it is blacke as it appereth in the name it were great daunger for it to be left in the liuer therfore the splyne is prouided of nature to receyue it the which splyne yf it drawe lesse then it should do then the melancholy or blacke chollar is left with the blowde by reason whereof the body getteth a black colour or at the least a feuer quartayne Men that be melancholy be sottell couetouse greate frettars with them selues vnfaythful sad and carefull enuious ferfull and weak sprited The vse of these forsayde humors is such in especiall as foloweth The bloud serueth to the nowrishment of the hole body flewme helpeth the mouyng of the ioyntes yelow chollar clenseth the intestines of of their flewme and filthe melancholy healpeth y e action of the stomake as Gallene writeth in his v. boke of the vse of the partes of mannes body by reason y t it draweth the stomake together wherby the naturall heat is encreased the concoction of the meat made much the more parfit Soranus an Ephesian borne wryteth that these humours rule the body by course eche of them .vi. houres to gether as bloud begynneth at .ix. of the clocke in the night ruleth vntyll .iii. of the mornyng yelowe chollar beginneth at .3 in the mornyng and gouerneth vntyll .ix. of the mornyng melancholy beginneth at .ix. and continueth to .iii. in the after noone Flewme begynneth at .iii. of the after noone and lasteth tyll .ix. of the night These humors sumtyme lose theyre naturall qualities wherby they hurt the body and be called not naturall Blowde becummeth vnnaturall ether whan it putrifieth in the vaynes be cause the pores be shut or els whan it is mixt with suÌ„me other euyll humor as in the dropsy where it is mingled w t water or finally whan it is mixt ether w t ouer muche chollar flewme or melancholy whereof it taketh a newe name and is called eyther cholericke blowd flewmaticke or melancholy bloud For it is neuer naturall except in the mixture it haue the rule and dominion Of vnnaturall flewme there be .iiii. kyndes as Gallen wytnessyth in his second boke .vi. chapter of y e differences of feuers The first is watrysh of the cullar of molten glasse wherof it hathe to name citrine is very cowld The second kynde is that which after y e hawking out hath a swete taste is called swete flewme The third is sowre of taste is not so colde as the citrine cowlder then the swete The fowerth is salt eyther by y e mixture of suÌ„me salt humor or elles by putrifactioÌ„ is called salt flewme Of vnnaturall yealowe chollar there be .v. kyndes The firste is yelowe lyke vnto the yolkes of egges as Gallen sayeth is engendred in y e vaynes The second is colowred lyke leade or garlicke is bred in y e stomake or mawe The thirde is of a rusty cullour it also is bred in y e stomake The forth inclineth sumwhat towardes grene and is engendred in the place beforesayd The .v. is of the cullour of the sea and groweth in the stomacke also Of melaÌ„choly or black chollar ther is but one kynde vnnaturall it is sumwhat browne of cullour and so sharpe and sowre that it eateth fretteth the body where it goethe ¶ The .ix. chapter of the partes of mannes body THe firste diuision of partes of maÌ„nes body is of those that y e latten men call similares dissimilares whiche in englishe may be called lyke and vnlike â–ª For similares be such partes as be lyke vnto them selues in all thinges which when they be diuided or parted in sonder the leste of them kepeth the same name that the hole dothe whereof it is part and dissimilares be such as are vnlyke them selfes in all thinges which whan they be deuided or parted a sunder none of them can be called by the name y t the hole is as in example No part of the head can yf it be separat parted from the head be called an head â–ª no more can any part of the hand be named an hand nor of y e foote a foote nor of the eye an eye yet euery parte of water is called water and euery part of bloud is called bloude and euerye parte of bone bone and euery part of flesh is called fleshe Therfore these last rehersed be such as the laten men call similares and the other be the selfe same y t be called dissimilares or instrumentales Gallen sayeth y t the same partes which the latyns call similares be the first elementes and begynners of mannes bodye although the selfe same be common to brute beastes also for ther is nether oxe horse ne dogge but they haue pulses vaynes senewes tiinges gristilles skinnes and fleshe yet not in all poyntes lyke vnto man and beside these other that man hath not as hornes bylles spowres skales of these the other which be called dissimilares or instrumentales be made as hed handes feet such lyke An instrumentall parte differith from the instrument because that suÌ„me of the same partes before is called similares be instrumentes and yet may not be instrumentall partes For euery part as gallen sayeth that bringeth forth a parfit actioÌ„ is an instrument wherof it commeth that the pulses vaynes and senewes be instrumentes and no instrumentall partes Of y e instrumentall partes there be thre called chefe or principall y e brayne hart liuer There are summe whiche addeth vnto these y e priuy partes because they conserue and kepe y e kinde There be belonging to these iiii other as to y e brayne senewes to the hart pulses to the liuer vaynes and to the pryuye partes the sparmaticke vessayles besyde these there be certayne other partes of the body whiche nether rule other nor yet be ruled of other but hath a facultie of them selfes whereof they be gouerned as bone tiynge skynne and fleshe All y e partes of mannes body haue nede of pulses and vaynes to the keping of ther substance vaynes to the entent y t they may be nowrished and pulses for the kepynge of naturall heat in good temper Hytherto I haue spoken generally of the partes of mannes body whoso is wyllyng to haue a particular rehersall of all the partes let them seke Gallen or Vesalâ—us For they haue writteÌ„ hole bokes and greate volumes of them and as for me I haue written of the same in an other place so well as my wyt lernyng knowledge and the sterilitie and baraynes of the english tong wolde gyue me leue
and yet the same accidentes be called also passiōs The reste which be the faultes of sum action as ouer much inanition or retentiō be alonly called passions not affections because they be not thinges permanent but is only and remayne so long as they be in growing Here it is to be noted that a thyng may suffer .ii. manner of wayes firste whan it suffereth of it selfe as if the guttes suffer payne of anye sharpe or bytynge humors conteyned within them which may be called theyr owne passion Secondarily whan a thynge suffereth not of it selfe but of another as whā the head suffereth payne by reason of euyll vapowres cummynge from the stomacke which is called a passiō by consent of other ye shall finde this matter disputed more at large in Gallenes firste boke of places affected ¶ The .ii. chapter Of the causes of diseases THe cause of y e disease is an affectiō against nature going before the disease and stirring it vp which of it selfe firste hurteth no action but accidentally that is to say by other And secōdarily as by healp of the disease cummynge betwixt as shall be shewed more playnly hereafter There be .ii. manner of causes of diseases one is externall so called because it is outwardly receiued and was not before with in the body as colde and such other The tother is called internall which is within the body as humors putrified within the body growen out of temper Gallē speaketh of no mo causes of diseases then these .ii. Yet Auicen w t other of the same layer affirme that ther is an other cause which ioyneth euer with the disease and the takyng away of it is as they say the curynge of the sicknes as yf rotten or putrifyed humors kindell a feuer thē by theyr saying so soone as the putrified matter is takē away y e feuer must cease of necessitie howbeit it is for y e most part sene that y e feuer remayneth after the putrifactiō is clene gone wherfore it is euident that Auicen and all that be of hys opinion is foule deceyued therin howbeit I thinke this to be y e thing which deceyueth them They define sycknesse as it were the actiō hurt alredye and not that that hurteth the actiō first so that they call that the sicknesse which Gallen calleth but the accidente of the sicknesse I coulde take Auicennes parte in this matter sauinge that he agreeth with Gallen in the defining of sicknesse forgettyng hym selfe to be in contrary tales wherfore I wolde counsel all yonge studentes in phisicke to lerne the causes of sickenesse of Gallē or elles of such as folowe hym as Aetius Paulus Aegineta Howebeit there is none to be compared with Gallen because he hath wrytten of them in suche a good ordar as neuer any other hath wryt the lyke and this I dare affirme that euerye wel lerned man can do no lesse thē confesse the same ¶ The .iii. chapter Of diseases A Disease is an vnnaturall affectiō of the body by which the action is fyrste hurt therfore it differeth frō the cause in that y e the cause neuer hurteth anye action of hym selfe but by meanes of the disease Of diseases ther be .3 chefe principal kindes one is in those partes of the bodye that is called of y e latins similares such be y e bones senewes vaynes with all other simple sparmaticke partes another is in the instrumentes as in the heade eyes handes and feet the thirde consisteth in them both That disease y t happeneth in y e sparmatick partes is such a distemperature ether of heat coulde drynesse or moysture that it hurteth summe action for a man may be distempered in sum part and yet be hole and not sicke but whan the distemperature groweth so much that it hurteth any action of the body then it may be called a disease of the sparmatike partes Wherefore who so is of this sort distempered is sicke and he that is distempered and hath no action hurt may not be called sicke but intemperat For of them that be hole yf sum shoulde not be temperat and sum intemperat one of these .ii. muste nedes be true ether all men alwayes to be sicke or elles all men to haue one distemperature which bothe be very false The same distemperature which before I called a disease of y e sparmaticke symple partes is deuided in to .ii. Egall not egal it is called an egall distēperature whan all partes of the body are distempered alike as in the feuer hectica which is a cōsūptiō wherin al partes of y e body be like hote and the contrary vnto this is the distemperature which is not egal as in that kynde of dropsy that falleth in to the legges and feete and in all kynde of feuers excepte the before named hectica Of vnequall distemperature there is also ii kyndes The .i. is the only alteration of the qualitie as the burnynge of the fire or of the sunne The .ii. is besyde the qualitie the fluxe of sum humor as in y t kynde of swellynge y t is called phlegmon Besyde this of distemperatures one is simple and an other is compound it is called simple whan on qualitie as heat or colde excedeth alone and compound whan many excede together as hot and moyste colde and drye excedynge to gether in one member The tother kinde of disease which only is in the instrumentes may be called the euyll constitution or composiciō of them But there be .ii. kindes of instrumentall diseases for sum be simple and they be .iiii. in number one is to be sene in the vncumly comformation another in the number of partes the thirde in the quantitie of eche part and the .iiii. in the composition The disease of conformation happeneth of the vncumly figure as whan summe part is holowe from the natiuitie or elles after by casualtie which shoulde not and also sum other part rough that shoulde haue ben smothe of number whan there be ether to many or to fewe partes of quantitie whan they be ether to big or to litel of cōposicion whan they be put in wronge places or whā they that shoulde agre together doe not The thirde kynde of disease is common as well to the simple and sparmatick partes as to the instrumentall and it is the deuision of that that is hole and of one pece which diuision yf it be in the riynges or byndynges it is called anulsiō in the fleshe a byle in the bone a broken creuise in the senowes a conuulsion or crampe These diseases sumtyme be compounde whiche is whan they be ioyned to other Hitherto I haue brefly declared the .iii. first kindes of sicknessis of the which sum be verye quicke and sum be dull or slow Such as be very quick wil be at the worste in .iiii. dayes or soone after Of such as be quicke and sharpe there be .ii. sortes for sum wyll be at the worste in .14 dayes and sum not vnder .40 All