the disease or temperament of the person to whom they offer it What thing can be more absurd and phantasticall then to minister one the selfe same remedy to contrary repugnant affects hot cold dry and moist emptie and repleat acute and cronicall which for the more part haue deeper rootes and are of longer continuance then can sodenly be blowne away with a puffe of a smokie Tabacco pipe yea some of them can hardly be remoued by the great paynes care cunning of the expert and learned in Phisicke for Nonest in medico semper releuetur vt aeger Interdum docta plus valet arte malum And yet these Tabacco sauâ—rits hold no disease so incurable but that in some measure it receiueth either cure or ease by this Tabacco But I assure you many diseases being of themselues and their owne nature light and of easie cure may by the vntimely vse of this same become altogether incurable such are the first step or degree to an Heticke distemper of heat in the Liuer oppilations of the Lungs and such like And truely if nothing else should make one out of fancie with the vse of Tabacco it might be suffiâ—ient for an equall iudge to thinck with himself how vnnaturall a thing it is to peruert the naturall vse offices of the parts of the bodie for by the force of Tabacco the mouth throte and stomacke appointed by nature for the receipt of food nourishment for the whole body are made emunctuary clensing places and sincks supplying heerein the office of the most abiect and basest part for the filth and superfluous excrements of the whole body The second Reason THe second reason against the ordinarie vse of Tabacco is taken from the excesse of his two manifest qualities of heat and dri'th which Monardus and others also haue affirmed to come neere to the third degree of excesse in either qualitie So that if men of hot and dry constitution should often vse the feume of Tabacco no doubt they should increase much their distemper for like added to his like increaseth the resemblance similitude the more according to that Axiome in Philosophie Omnes unile additum simili reddia ipsum magis simile Whervpon Aristotle in his 8. booke and 29. Chap. De animalibus inferreth that a Snake if he eate of a Scorpion waxeth farre more venemous then he was before But I neede not to stand long vpon this point seeing that daily practise experience teachth vs that heat increaseth heat things cold do increase in vs a greaer cold the like may bee said of the other qualities of dri'th and moisture so that in natural reason and common sence it seemeth true that the extreame violent dri'th heat of Tabacco maketh it far vnfit vnwholsome for thin cholericke bodies And so is it also for youth and such as grow for Qui crescunt plurimum habent innaticaloris this naturall heat in youth by the immoderate vse of this fierie fume would soone turne vnto a heat vnnaturall and thereby be occasion of infinite maladies But I hold it a thing very dangerous not onely for the yonger sort but also for all other ages and constitutions whatsoeuer to bee ouer bold with Tabacco For it doth not onely consume and dissipate naturall heat in them by increasing of the vnnaturall but it wasteth also drieth vp radicall moisture the principall subiect of natiue heat so that heereof insueth in the bodie great store of crud vndigested humours the effects of immoderate heat in vs. For it is not fierie nor immoderate heat in vs but rather a milde vnctuous warmth consisting in a temtperate moderate moisture that performeth as well concoction as all other naturall actions in vs. Which thing is very apparant conspicuous in such as are afflicted with hot burning Feuers In whom as the fierie heat appeareth most so crude and vndigested humours doe abound more then in such as are cleare of such extremitie of heates Neither doe their humors at any time come to perfect digestion in them vntill the rigor and violence of that fierie heate be in some sort by cooling diet and medicine repressed Much lesse therefore are the patrons of Tabacco to bee beeleeued in this that hot and burning Agues â—ising of corruption and putrefaction of choler blood in the veines or about the principall parts of mans bodie may bee cured with an inâ—usion of Tabacco lease in white Wine steeped all night For as it was euer an aphorisme maxime in Phisicke that as like is maintayned by his like So was it also of like certaintie in the same art that Contrâ—ria a contrarijs currantur Contraries are cured by their contraries I meane contrary rather to the disease or to the cause of the disease But what contrarietie I pray you can be found betweene Tabacco and a Feuer tercian or burning Ague When as they maniâ—estly agree in their principall qualities of heate and dri'th both equally falling in excesse of either of them The like may be said of other effects proceeding of the same of like causes But to let the diseased passe and to come to those which are of perfect health I take it very dangerous and hurtfull for them often to vse this 〈…〉 for therby great part of that humour is dissipaâ—â—d wasted spent cast foorth of the body by often 〈◊〉 seeges swets and continnall spittings and coughings which in processe of time would turne to good blood and holsome nurrishment for the bodie For Crude and watrish humors which for the most part are all those which by this medicine are are oftentimes very necessary for many vses in the body As for pliant motion of the loints and principally for nurrishment of the flegmaticke and colder parts And it is a receiued opinion amongst the best Phisitions that nature being a prouident carefull nurce of mankinde hath purposely left this Crudie humour in our bodyes to the intent that we might euer haue some thing in store to nourish vs if happely we should at any time want other foode But that no small part of our nurishment is drawne away by the vntimely vse of this Tabacco may manifestly appeare by those men who before the vse thereof were grose and foggy but after they haue acquainted themselues with this kinde of practise they became very leane and sâ—lender So that no doubt if they desist not in time from farther vse therof ther is no small suspition least that they shall therby fall into Consumptions to that of the most dangerous sorts called of the Phisition Marasmos proceding of want of substanciall nurrishment dissipation of naturall heat and decay of spirits in the body And heerein I cannot but wonder much at the ouer sight of some who otherwise being learned and wise yet in this seeme very Paradoxicall when as they contend to proue Tabacco to be a great nurrisher For beesides
weed Oh crye you mercie now the cause I knowe It is probatum for the Pox I trow Peace tel-tale peace blab not thy countries fault O seek to hide it in obliuions valt See if thou canst with arguments refraine The smokie humors of each wit-worne braine Then will I neuer looke for greater gaine Nor euer think my labour lost in vaine I. H. FOR the dislike that I haue conceiued in the vse and practise of Tabacco I take it to be grounded on eight principall reasons and arguments 1 First that in their vse or custome no methode of order is obserued Diuersitie and distinction of persons tymes and seasons considered no varietie of accidents and diseases pondered 2 Secondly for that it is in qualitie and complexion more hot and drye then may be conueniently vsed dayly of any man much lesse of the hot and cholericque constitution 3 Thirdly for that it is experimented and tryed to be a most strong and violent purge 4 Fourthly for that it withereth and drieth vp naturall moisture in our bodies therby causing sterrilitie and barrennesse In which respect it seemeth an enemie to the continuaunce and propagacion of mankinde 5 Fiftly for that it decayeth and dissipateh naturall heate that kindly warmeth in vs and thereby is cause of crudities and rewmes occasions of infinit maladies 6 Sixtly for that this herb or rather weed seemeth not voide of venome and poison and thereby seemeth an enemie to the lyfe of men 7 Seauenthly for that the first author and finder hereof was the Diuell and the first practisers of the same were the Diuells Priests and therefore not to be vsed of vs Christians 8 Last of all because it is a great augmentor of all sorts of melancholie in our bodies a humor fit to prepare our bodies to receaue the prestigations and hellish illusions and impressions of the Diuell himselfe in so much that many Phisitions and learned men doe hold this humour to be the verie seate of the Diuell in bodies possessed ¶ A Warning for Tabcconists The first Reason TOuching the first Where no method or order is vsed ther resteth in all artes and other actions humaine naught else but dissolation and confusion a thing as in the Common weale it is pernicious so in the preseruation of mans health it hath been alwaies adiudged most dangerous But that in these our daies in this land of England this new come simple of the West commonly knowne with vs by the name of Tabacco is without all method and order of most men receiued may be apparant by this that it is taken early in the morning and also very late at night in the morning fasting and in the euening feasting and on a full stomacke In the beginning middle and ende of meales To be short at all times at all houres and of all persons this Indian stranger most familiarly is receiued for the smoake of Tabacco seemeth to the fauorits thereof at no time vnseasonable Neither that it ought to bee tied to reasons and rules being perhaps a thing in it selfe more irregular and vnreasonable seeing that by experience as they thinck they haue found great good profit by the vse therof They boast much of this their experience as a sufficient ground for this their disorder But their experience not grounded on reason but rather repugnant thereto and contrary to commonsence also is a motiue sufficient for the simple but no way an argument for the wiser sort to daunce after their vnsauory and vnpleasant Tabacco pipe Galen in his Comment on his first booke of Hippocrates Aphorismes sheweth that the art of Phisicke standeth on two legges Reason and Experience Whereof if either bee wanting the whole art is lame and maimed For as Reason without Experience is very vncertaine so is Experience without Reason very perillous and dangeroes especially in matters inwardly to be taken and receiued into mens bodies the which as they are diuers and differing in nature and complection so are they also diuersly in diet to bee ordered and by farre contrary medicines in their sicknesses cured For Example The diet conuenient for youth is no waies agreeable to old age neither is that diet which is appropriat to elder yeeres any way profitable to youthfull and growing age And bodies of temper dry require things in nature and qualitie moist But moist complections and maladies growing of superfluities of humours are more commonly remedied by things of nature drying and disiccatiue By which last meanes wee see by experience that some diseased of the dropsie no doubt a colde and moist affect haue receiued great helpe by the frequeâ—t vse of this Tabacco For the siccety dri'th of this simple together with his heat in a body hidropicall hauing fit matter great store of cold humors to worke vpon doth no doubt in that respect further their health and yet can it not be iustly inferred heere of that Tabacco simply taken without respect of times persons sexe age temperament and disease any waies to be either profitable or else commendable Also fasting and abstinence for meate is assigned by Hippocrates in his Aphorismes for a good remedie against full and repleat bodies Abstinuisse decet nimium quibus humida membra huâ—â—da desiccat corpora nempe fames But yet the same Hippocrates denieth that kinde of abstinence to bee any waies conuenient for growing yeeâ—es or for the sicke of feuers consuming for such as are not accustomed therevnto Humidior victus pueris pariterque suetis Conuenit accensis corporibusque febri Moreouer some bodies receiue helpe and ease by purging and euacuation as the bodies of wrestlers such as are come to the top and extreame height of fulnesse of whom Hippocrates speaketh of in his 3. Aphorisme of his booke Ad summam veniens habitudo athletica molem noxia cum non quo progrediatur habet Vno namque statu cum non consistere possit est in deterius retro necesse ruat Vnde fit vt corpus confestim soluere possit quo poterit rursus conuenienter alt And yet the same author in his Aphorismes doth testifie purges no way to bee conuenient for sound and healthie bodies for saith hee Sana corpora difficulter purgantia medicamenta ferunt et cito a purgantibus exoluuntur And to be short neither one nor the other remedy can in any respect preuaile if it be applied out of his due time and season for Temporibus medicina valet data tempore prosunt et data non apto tempore vina nocent And truely as no one kinde of diet can fit all sorts of bodies So no one kinde of remedie can aptly be applied to all maladies no more then one shooe can wel serue all mens feete What reason therfore haue these Tabacconists I pray you to offer this their Tabacco after one and the selfe same order to all men ages and complections indifferently making no scruple of the fitnesse of time quality of
sence most cleere and euident were a point next to extreame folly The often scowrings fluxes vomets swetes and other immoderate euacuations inâ—ident to this simple doe testifie the same to purge most violently Furthermore Tabacco is found to be of that streÌ„gth force that the verie maceration or infusion of one leafe thereof in white wine ouernight doth procure strong and extreame vomits It is as yet fresh in memorie that diuers yong Gentlemen by the daylie vse of this Tabacco haue brought themselues to flixes and disenteries and of late at Bath a Scholler of some good accompt and worshipfull calling was supposed to haue perished by this practise for his humours beeing sharpened and made thin by the frequent vse of Tabacco after that they had once taken a course downward they ran in such violence as that by no Art or Phisicks skill they could be stayed till the man most miserably ended his life being then in the verie prime and vigour of his age But no purge be he familiar or gentle or else violent and hurtfull ought by the rules of Phisicke to bee familiarly and daily vsed of any man that hath respect either of his life or regard to his health For as concerning such as are in perfect health Hippocratâ— the Prince of Phisitions in the 36. Aphorisme of his second booke affirmeth Corpora 〈◊〉 si per medicamenta purgantur exoluuntur celeriter quae prauo cibo vtuntur Sound and healthie bodies sayth he soone wast and consume by the vse of purging medicines In like case doe they which feede on corrupt and vnwholesome meates Likewise the same author in the 37. Aphorisme of the former booke sayth that Qui corpora habent commoderata ijs purgationes difficiles sunt To such as are in health purging medicines are very dangerous And truely this his assertion seemeth to be grounded vpon good substanciall reason For wheras the vertue and operacion of the purge is to draw expell foorth of the body such corrupt vnholsome humours as haue any affinitie or likenesse in substance with the purge in healthy bodyes finding none of that disposition nature the purge then either loseth his operation and action therby is conuerted into some bad humour in the bodie or else it draweth and expelleth foorth humours very profitable necessary for the nurrishment and sustentation of the body And therefore all purges must needes bee to sound and healthy bodyes very perillous and dangerous And as for sicke and diseased men they ought onely to vse purging remedies at such times as their bodies and humours shall be made fit and apt for the operatioÌ„ of the purge according to that counsell of Hippocrates in his tenth Aphorisme of his second booke saying Purganti quoties vacuas medicamine corpus quo bene res Cedat fluxile redde prius So often as thou purgest so often also ought you to make your bodies apt thereto and the humours to be purged fluxible that the parts and passages of the body being open and the humours apt to runne the purgation might worke with lesse torments and griefe to the partie purged So that it seemeth very apparant true that neither in health nor yet in sicknesse that so vntimely and vulgar vse of Tabacco beeing before prooued a violent purge can be vsed without great hurt and danger Neither ought this kind of remedie to be giuen at anytime but in causes of extremitie and in desperate diseases onely For that it is an extreame and desperate medicine Extremis enim morbis extrema remedia adhibeÌ„dasunt saith our Hippocrates And in his comment vpon the same Aphorisme sheweth all strong purges to be reckoned amongst extreame remedies The fourth Reason THe fourth argumeÌ„t against this new-come simple was that it drieth vp and withereth our vnctuous and radicall moisture in vs and therby seemeth an vtter enemie to the continuance and propagation of mankinde This may be prooued in this sort That thing which depriueth the body of norishmeÌ„t and foode doth also wither dry vp our naturall and radical moisture because this hath his refreshing and sustentation from the purest part of the blood ingendred of our nourishments But Tabacco was shewed before to depriue vs our norishment in that it spendeth and euacuateth out of vs by spitting and sweats otherwise much of that matter that in time would proue in vs good blood good foode for our bodies And therefore Tabacco must needs be said to be a great decaier and witherer of our radicall moysture before specified Moreouer Tabacco by meanes of his great heat and immeasurable drinesse dissipateth naturall heate and kinde warm'th in our bodies and thereby is cause of defect of good concoction perfect disgestion in vs. The humors therfore in vs by this meanes made crude and rawe can be no fit aliment or nutriment for the vnctuous and substantiall humiditie wherin with moderate and kindly heate the Philosopher esteemed the life of man to consist And last of all wheras the sperme seed of man is supposed by the Phisitians natural Philosophers also to be framed of the purest finest part of his blood by the actioÌ„ vertue of kindly warm'th working therin the blood being now vndigested crude and the naturall heate peruerted corrupted by the immoderate vse of this hellish smoake reeking foorth of Plutoes forge what sperme or seed shall we expect to come froÌ„ them that daily vse or rather shamefully abuse this so apparant an enemy to the propagation therof as wel if you respect the materiall cause of seed consisting in the perfectâ—st most concocted parts of the blood as his efficieÌ„t resting in the moderatioÌ„ of naturall heat both greatly altered and decayed by the vse of Tabacco Hereby it must needs in coÌ„sequent follow that the continuation propagation of mankinde consisting principally in his perfect vncorrupt seed is in these men much abridged And for certaine proofe that Tabacco dryeth vp the sperme seed of man I heare by faithfull relation of such as haue much vsed it That whereas before the vse thereof they had bene long molested with a fluxe of seed coÌ„monly called with vs the running of the reines and of the Phisitian Gomorrhaea proceeding in them by reason of great quantitie abundance of that matterseeking vent forth of the bodie they were in short space eased of this affect by the onely vse of this medicine For no doubt this fierie fume dried vp the superfluitie of that matter which by reason of her thin and great quantitie easily dropped from them But if they persist ouer long in the practise therof no doubt more of that spermaticall humiditie wil be dried vp in them the will be conuenient for their health or for the increase of their like wherby the propogatioÌ„ coÌ„tinuation of mankind in this world must need be abridged The fift Reason THe fift argument against Tabacco was that it
vipers and how they differed from the other Serpent called Dipsas Because saith he they were expert and cunning in them So that it is manifest apparant by the testimonies before rehearsed that custome may alter change nature and the qualitie of things according to that vsuall CoÌ„suetudâ— alter an naturaÌ„ Custom changeth nature at leÌ„gth turneth into nature it self for it is an other nature The like is seene in the East Indies where the Turkes familiarly vse Opium in large quantitie which to vs but in very small dose is experimented to be manifest poyson onely long vse familiar practise hath made this vnconuenient for their bodies And so no doubt if our countrey men from their infancie had by litle and litle vsed to take this Tabacco fume or other poyson whatsoeuer they should haue had as litle cause to feare the daunger thereof as the Turkes haue of their Opium or the old Marsitians had of Vipers or the West Indians haue of their Tabacco But for want of that Custome it fareth with vs in that sort that if we take any great quantitie of the Opium before specified we shall rather die on the sudden or else fall into that kinde of dead sleepe as that we shall by no other meanes then by the Arch-angels trumpet sounding at the latter day be awakened thereout To this may be added a secret vertue and specificall qualitie giuen the Indians by nature whereby they are not ouercome by this kinde of poyson as other Nations be For Sextus Empericus reporteth in the like case that one Attienagoras Argivus had a gift giuen by nature euen from his birth that hee could bee hurt by no venemous Beast or Serpent whatsoeuer And that certaine people of Aethiopia did naturally feed nourish themselues with the flesh of Scorpions But we EnglishmeÌ„ may not safely presume that this specificalâ— vertue hidden qualitie doth abide or lurk in vs seeing that by far weaker poisons then these we sustaine infinit perils and often incurre death it selfe Wherefore we haue the lesse cause to venture on things in reason suspected to be of a venemous poysoned qualitie because forsoothe the Indians doo it without offence Neither is it of any great waight or moment which is alleadged of the Tabacco patrons for her commendation that Marriners and Sea-faring men neuer found any remedie so forceable against the Scuruie and other diseases of like nature commonly incident to that kinde of people by meanes of the foggy ayre in the Sea and their vnholsome diet then is the fume of Tabacco The reason of this profit in Marriners may bee because their bodies after long lying on the Seas are filled and stuffed with badde and corrupt humours on the which the force and power of Tabacco dooth worke drawing and purging them forth of the body no otherwise then other strong purges expell and purge forth such corrupt humours as haue any similitude or likenesse to themselues But as strong purges taken of sound and holsome bodies as I shewed you before be very perillous and dangerous So truly is Tabacco being taken of such as are cleare and voyd of such impure and corrupt matter which to the Marriners is most familiar and vsuall The like is seene of other poysons which when they find any of their owne qualitie nature in mans body or that hath any likenesse or similitude to them they drawe forth the same the like coueâ—ing his like and leaue the sound and healthy humours cleare and vnspotted But when no such poisoned matter is found in the bodie then dooth the poyson or venome receiued worke on the good humours vtterly corrupting and destroying them So that it is apparant that sometime venomes to venemous and poysoned persons may be profitable medicinable But to sound healthy bodies they can neuer happen without danger The seuenth Reason THe seuenth reason against Tabacco was that this hearbe seemed to bee first found out and inuented by the diuell and first vsed and practised by the diuels priests and therfore not to be vsed of vs Christians That the diuell was the first author hereof Monardus in his Treatise of Tabacco dooth sufficiently witnesse saying The Indian Priests who no doubt were instruments of the diuell whom they serue doo euer before they answere to questions propounded to them by their Princes drinke of this Tabacco fume with the vigour and strength wherof they fall suddenly to the ground as dead men remaining so according to the quantitie of the smoake that they had taken And when the hearbe had done his worke they reuiue and wake giuing answeres according to the visions and illusions which they saw whilst they were wrapt in that order And they interpreted their demaunds as to them seemed best or as the diuell had counselled them giuing coÌ„tinual doubtful answers in such sort that howsoeuer they fell out they might turne it to their purpose like vnto the Oracle of Apollo As Aio te Aeacide Romanos vincere posse Which might be vnderstood that either he might ouerthrow the Romanes or that the Romanes might ouercome him But yet in more plaine words the same Monardusâ— litle after declareth the Diuell to bee the author of Tabacco and of the knowledge thereof saying And as the Diuell is a deceiuer and hath the knowledge of the vertue of hearbes so hee did shewe them the vertue of this hearbe by meanes whereof they might see the imaginations and Visions that hee representeth vnto them and by that meanes dooth deceiue them Wherfore in mine opinion this practise is the more to be eschued of vs Christians who follow professe Christ as the onely veritie and truth and detest and abhorre the diuell as a lyar and deceiuer of mankinde The eight and last Reason THe last and that not the least argument against Tabacco was that it is a great encreaser of melancholy in vs and thereby disposeth our bodies to all melancholy impressions and effects proceeding of that humour Galen in his second booke of temperaments and 3. Chapter defineth Melancholy to be the very sediment and dregges of bloud which is so farre thicker colder then bloud as yeallow choller is held to be thinner and hotter then the same And this melancholy humour is said to bee of two sorts the one naturall the other vnnaturall The naturall is that thicke part of the bloud before rehearsed The vnnaturall is not the sediment or grounds of good bloud but rather a certain burnt and parched matter rising of the adustian and scorching of the other humors that is of phlegme yealow choller and of the former sediment of pure bloud which we termed naturall melancholy And albeit it seemeth very vnlike that phlegme being of nature cold and moist may be any adustian be turned into swoart and blacke choller yet in qualitie and disposition that humour doth often represent and resemble melancholy it selfe And therefore Galen holdeth sometimes melancholy to bee ingendered of phlegmy