Elementes NOw after that I haue declared and opened the sectes and opynions of the mooste noble and moost auncient Physitions I I thynke it verye mete to shewe the nature of the Elementes whyche be iiii in numbre the fyre ayer water and earth But to auoyde ambiguitie I wyl by goddes grace fyrst declare the signification of this worde Elementum which we maye verye well call in our tonge a begynnynge of any thynge and thereof it cōmeth y t the Alphabete letters be called elemētes bicause they are beginners of al maner of languages the principles also of euery arte be called Elementes bycause they are begynners of the same The Phisitions also do call the veynes pulses and bones w t all other suche partes as the Latyne men call similares sensible elementes bycause they are the fyrst beginners of mannes bodye as moche as maye be perceyued by sense For the fyre ayer water and earth of the which all thynges vnder the moone be made can not be perceyued by any sence wherfore as they are y e fyrst begynners of mannes bodye so they are not the fyrst sensyble begynners For yf they coulde be perceyued by sence then euerye man as he passeth other in quycknesse of sence so shuld he se and feale moost fyne elementes as the Aegle bycause his syght is moost perfyte shoulde easelyest perceyue the least Element but percase some wyll saye vnto me that there is no man so madde to saye that the fyre ayre erth and water can not be felte and perceyued by sense But whosoeuer shal moue this doubt I wyll answer hym of thys fassyon that yf he meane our fyre our water or our earth I wyl saye as he sayth which is that they may be felte and perceyued by sense For in dede they are no Elementes but thinges mixt and corruptyble hauyng theyr composition of dyuerse thynges where as the pure element is a body moost simple withoute all generation or corruption Nowe be it of fyre made thycke commeth ayer and of ayer made thycke cōmeth water and of water made thycke commeth earth And yet here is neyther corruption nor yet generation of the whole for this is a mutatiō of the partes only Then as I sayde before Elementū in this signification is a body moost pure and simple and the leest parte of the same wherin it is whiche can not be deuyded into any other kinde and of it all thynges naturall haue theyr originall begynnynge This definition is taken both out of Gallen and Aristotle therfore I truste no man wyll be so impudent to contrary or impugne it And there be also as is aforesayd .iiii. Elementes of the whiche the fyre is extreme hotte and moderatly drie the ayer extreme moyst and moderatly hotte the water extreme colde and moderatelye moyst the earth is extreme drie and moderatelye colde In heate the fyre with the ayer and in drynesse w t the earth in moysture the ayer w t the water in heate with the fyre in coldenesse the water with the earth in moysture with the ayer the earth in drynesse w t the fyre in coldnesse w t the water doeth consent and agree And as y e water to y e fyre is extreme contrarye so is the ayer to the earth Of the myxture of these elementes al natural bodies haue theyr composition yet it is nothing necessary y t they be equally myngled in the body but accordyng to that that hath dominion the bodye is named eyther choleryke sanguyne phlegmatycke or melancholye and these names be gyuen of .iiii. natural humours that is choler blood flegme and melancholie whyche take theyr qualityes of the elementes for choler is hotte and drye accordynge to the nature of the fyer and blood is hote moyste accordyng to the nature of the ayer flegme is colde and moyst according to the water and melancholye in no poynt dyssenteth from the earthe The thyrde Chapiter ¶ The differences of temperatures HOwe that I haue declared vnto you howe all naturall bodyes be made by the mixture of the elementes I thinke it most necessary to shewe in as fewe woordes as I can the differences of temperatures Temperatures in numbre are .ix. of the whyche .viii. do excede therfore in my fantasie they maye better be called distemperatures than temperate crases the nynthe in dede is temperate for it excedeth in no qualitie Of the distemperate .iiii. be simple and .iiii. be composide the simple are heate colde drynes moysture of the whych coupled and ioyned togyther the rest whyche be distemperate are made The nynth is neither hote colde drye nor moyst and yet is made of them all and therefore the grekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whyche is as muche to saye in latyn as Bene temperatum and in Englyshe wel tempered And this is that whyche Arithmetricions call Temperamentū ad pondus whyche we maye cal in our language a complection measured by weyght bycause there are as many degrees of heat as there is of colde of dryenes as of moysture the other whyche are distemperate crases be measured not by weyght but by dignitie as in the heart wel tempered heate doth excede in the brayne well tempered moysture doth exceade in the fatte well tempered colde in the boones well tempered dryenes And thys is called Temperamentum secundum iustitiam distributatiuam Whyche is as muche for to saye as a temperature measured accordynge to iustice whiche gyueth euery man hys owne But peraduenture thys declaration shall seeme some what harde to suche as be vnlearned and therfore I entende to declare y e same agayne bothe more largely and also more playnelye Fyrste ye shall vnderstande that these .iiii. heate colde dryenes and moysture whych are called the first qualities because all other come of them haue eche of them .iii. diuers significations Whansoeuer ye fynd heate colde drynes or moysture absolutely and simply spoken than vnderstande that it is meante by those simple bodyes which be hote colde drye and moyste in the hygheste degree and that is onely the fyer water earthe and ayer whyche be the .iiii. elementes whereof we spake before And whan ye fynde the same qualities myxt in any natural body by the which it is named eyther hote colde drye or moyste than suppose y t it is spoken eyther by comparison as hote for hotter colde for coulder dry for dryer or moyst for moyster orels that it is hote colde drye or moyste by nature as whan there is in one bodye more heate than colde more drynes than moysture or otherwise as Summer is called hote bycause it hath more heat than colde Winter also is called colde be cause that it hath more colde than heate hereof it commeth that one bodye is choleryke because in the myxture of the foure humoures whyche is choler blood flegme and melancholy there is more of choler than of anye other and therfore choler hath the dominion causynge the bodye to be named cholerycke after it
and in lyke maner doth eche of the other where he beareth rule gouernaunce But he that wyl knowe perfectly howe to iudge the differences of bodies in temperature by comparison must constitute in euery kynde of thynges that same temperate meane whyche before we called Eucraton to the whiche he must referre the same bodye or complexioÌ„ of the whyche he dowteth and than yf it doe excede the meane eyther in heate colde drynesse or moysture it shall take name therof and be called eyther hote colde drye or moyste because it exceadeth the meane whiche is named Eucraton whan it is eyther hote colde drye or moyste Somme do vse to iudge the diuersitie of complexions by comparynge one distemperate bodye to an other of the same kynde distemperate also as in mannes kinde Socrates compared with Aristotle is hote because he is hotter than he but in respecte of Aristippus he is colde bycause Aristippus is muche hotter thus one man compared to dyuers maye be bothe hote colde drye and moyst And some by comparynge distemperate bodyes of dyuers kyndes lerne to knowe y e constitution as a dogge compared wyth a man is hote w t a lyon is colde and w t a shepe is drye wyth a pysmyre or a flye is moyste and of thys fashion contraries maye be in one bodye and none otherwise Howe be it as I thynke the beste waye is to seke out the meane to the whiche al that be of the same kynde ought to be referred and afterwarde as he excedeth in any quality to haue his nomination accordyng to y e same But perchaâ—ce ye wyl say it is hard to fynde in euery kinde a coÌ„plexioned body measured by weyght which is the meane I graunte y t for in dede there was neuer any suche nor shall be yet as that secte of Philosophers whyche were called Stoykes what tyme they defyned a wyse man dyd descrybe suche one as was not possible to be founde any where and as Quintilian descrybeth hys oratour so we to bryng our purpose aboute muste ymagyne suche an one in oure mynde by cogitation as neuer was made neyther is lyke to be by consente of nature as thus In the hole kynde of lyuynge thynges that that is moste temperate and perfecte is as a meane to the rest whych by the hole consente as well of the philosofers as of the phisitions is man by cause any of the other kyndes compared wyth hym is distemperate than yf ye wyll proue man also to be distemperate ye muste seke amongest the hole kynde the most perfecte and temperate and he that is perfyt and temperate and worthy to be a mene to the rest is neyther ouer thicke nor sclendre nor very full of heer nor yet smooth and without heer nor softe nor yet harde blacke nor whyte hote nor colde drye nor moyste and to be shorte kepyng a meane wythout all excesse Yf ye can fynde suche a one in the hole kinde then are ye sure of the complexyoned bodye measured by weyght whiche we spake of before In case ye can fynde none suche ye must imagyne a like in your brayne and ye must not do this onely in maÌ„kynde but also in other naturall and lyuely creatures as wel in the kinde of lyons dogges elephauntes and wolues as also of byrdes fysshes wormes and trees coÌ„paryng euery one in his owne kynde But in case ye wyl fynde what of all thynges is moost temperate then must ye go agayne to the man before sayd whych is neyther hotte nor colde and the skynne in the myddest of the insyde of hys hande is of all thynges most temperate For the temperatest part of euery mannes body is the skynne in the myddeste of the paulme of the hande then the temperatest parte of the moost temperate man must neades be the mooste temperate thynge in the worlde seing that of al lyuyng creatures man is moost temperate Now that I haue shewed howe by comparison made in euery kinde the differences of the bodye may ease lye be knoweÌ„ there remayneth behynde to declare how to fynde out the same wythoute comparison Where as I sayde before that euery qualitye myght be taken thre dyuerse wayes as heate in the hyghest degree is onlye in the fyre and in a naturall bodye myxt of the Elementes it is eyther referred to an other by comparison as hotte for hotter or els it is so of nature whyche maye be taken two maner of wayes as hotte in acte or in power Thynges that be hotte in acte maye easelye be iudged by sence of fealynge for who hathe so dull sense in fealynge that he can not perceyue the fyre to be hotte yf he put hys fynger in it But to know whych is hotte in power is a thynge of more difficultye For it can not at the fyrst brunt be perceyued by anye sence neyther of fealyng smellynge hearynge seinge nor tastynge For who can perceyue by anye of these y t castoreuÌ„ or euphorbiuÌ„ or nasturciuÌ„ is hotte or that Mandragora Salamandra or Papauer is colde But in case ye take any parte of them inwardlye eyther as meate drynke or medicine then ye shal easely discerne whiche is hotte and whiche is colde But peraduenture ye wyl condemne this profe as noughte bycause it is daungerous medlyng with poysoÌ„s I graunt that therfore it is moch safer to laye them as a playster to some vtter part of your skyn where as they can not hurte and after that they haue lyen there a whyle they wyll shewe theyr power and qualitie which shalbe perceyued quycklye by sense in felyng But to iudge thinges moyst or drye I can shewe you a mochesurer rule what soeuer thing is soft and moderately hotte that of nature is moyst whatsoeuer is harde and moderatly hote y t of nature and power is drye and this is alwayes true as well in lyuely bodyes as is other thynges The .iiii. Chapter ¶ The geueration of the liuer bert and brayne FOr asmoche as there is nothyng so necessary to attayne to any perfyte knowledge in Phisicke as to be perfyte bothe in cuttyng and in openynge the bodye and partes of the same And seing it is shame for a manne to be learned in so manye artes and haue knowledge of so manye thynges as the mooste parte of men nowe a dayes haue and be ignoraunt in his owne bodye the whych he shoulde mooste perfytely knowe I thynke it no lesse then my bounden dutye to employe my laboure and diligence to the furtheraunce of the same that suche as be but begynners as yet verye rawe in Physycke whose bryngynge vp hath not ben amongest learned men of the vniuersityes wherby they are destitute bothe of dialecte naturall Philosophye and other artes with out the which Physycke can hardlye be learned maye haue some helpe by this my lytle rude boke bothe to attayne some learnyng in Physycke also to knowe theyr bodye Bloode and the seed of the man be beginners of our generatioÌ„ of the whych blood is the
substaunce and matter wherof our body is made and the seed of man is nexte vnder God the maker and fashyoner of the same and these same be made of the same elementes whyche I haue spoken of alreadye whyche is the fyre ayer earth and water and these two dyffer one frō an other in temperature For in the seede there is more of fyre and eyer then of water and earth and in the blood there is lesse of fyre and ayer then there is of water and earth and yet in the same there is more heate then colde and more moysture then drynesse After that these two be receyued and .vi. dayes retayned w tin the wombe of the woman the great heate which is there doth so bake the seede blood being mirt togyther y t it cōpasseth them about w t a skyn or a crust not vnlike the vtter cote of an egge whiche the Grekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in latin is called secūdine or secūdina what oure mydwyues call it I can not tel how beit it may very well be called a skyn wherein is wrapped y t that is cōceiued and this is made in y e fyrst .vi. dayes with diuers pulses and veynes as fyne small as anye thredes whiche serueth afterwarde to nourysh the infant by the nauyll For in this same skynne whiche before is called Chorion there are many fyne holes moche lyke the lytle holes in the small lamparie heedes by the which the nauyll after the seuēth daye doth drawe vnto it both spirite and blood to the nourishment of the infant Then in the meane seasō the rest of the seede boylynge all hotte doth make thre lytle bladers which is the place of the lyuer herte and brayne For a veyne whiche is stretched ryght vpwarde from the nauil dothe drawe vp the grossed bloode which for lacke of heate easelye congeleth in y e seede And there is made also a double forked veyne and to one of the forkes of the same veyne is fashyoned this forsayde congeled blood which is the liuer and lyke as from the nauyll the veyne bryngyng grosse bloode into the forsayde lytle bladder was cause of the generation of the liuer so lykewyse a pulse or an artery bryngyng fyne blood and spirite commynge from the same place sumwhat nere y e backe into another lyke bladdar is cause of makynge of the hearte whyche is made of verye sounde fleshe thycke and grosse mete for suche a pourpose and of the most fyne and subtyle blood that cōmeth from the hearte the lyghtes be made and the whole brest also wherin thei are closed In to the thyrde bladdar whyche is mencioned before a great parte of the seede beynge full of spirite is driuen the whych to kepe him selfe moyst doth drawe a great parte of the seede to it and maketh a lytle sell whiche is the brayne to y e which ther is added afortres of hard bone And thus the brayne is made of the seede only that he myght be furnysshed wyth most fyne spirites whom the brayne conserueth and altereth the whiche are the cause of sense and voluntarie mouynge as shall be declared more playnely hereafter Nexte to the brayne groweth y e marye of the backebone whyche the Arabians call Nucha it is of the same nature that the brayne is and differeth very muche from the marye of the other partes I haue shewed to you nowe thoghe very rudely the original begynning of mannes body ▪ Of the sede is only made all the bones gristels veynes pulses strynges synowes tyinges selles and skynnes whyche be called Spermatyke partes because they be made of y e seede and not of the blood They are the verye same whyche I sayde before that the Latyne menne called Partes similares and the Phisitions sensible elementes al the rest be made of the bloode as the lyuer the hearte and the lyghtes wyth al the flesshe and fatte of the bodye The infant whyles he is within his mothers woumbe is nourysshed of that blood whyche is called Sanguis menstruus drawynge it at hys nauyl and after he is delyuered it is tourned all to mylke whych is his meat long after and therfore there is manye conduytes from the woumbe to the pappes After that the infant is fully proportioned figured ī the first monethes he pisseth by the conduyte that commeth through his nauyl in the later monethes that is shut vp and he pysseth wyth hys yerde he auoydeth no excrementes at hys fundament because he receyueth no norysshemente by hys mouthe There is a skynne muche lyke a puddynge whyche receyueth hys vrine and excrementes lest they shulde hurte eyther hym or els hys mother I shulde seme bothe to longe and also to tedious yf I descrybed the hole bodye but bycause the action of the instrumentes canne not be vnderstande excepte I shulde touche y e most principal partes therfore it was necessarye to entermedle wyth the descryption of the bodye in the whyche I wyll not be so scrupulous as to reherse euery lytle part or the scituation or fygure of euery bone and vayne no nor the knyttynge of euery muscle for why shulde I make me more cūnyng than I am in dede it passeth my learnynge as yet but I entende to shewe and sette forthe the greatest and moste noble partes the whyche he muste nedes knowe that wyll profyt in physicke The .v. Chapiter ¶ The sections of the bodye THere was no nede in y ◠olde tyme to wryte of the body for than children were excersised in their yonge and tender age daylye in cuttynge and openyng of the same but nowe that thys diligence is vtterly extyncte we haue very great nede of wrytynge wherfore I haue taken this lytle payne vppon me whyche I shall thynke wel bestowed yf it shall eyther healpe the studyes of those that be rude and rawe in physicke or satisfye them that be learned And fyrst I wyl declare by goddes grace suche partes as couereth the head wythout afterwarde those that be w tin begynnyng w t the heares thogh they be but excrementes superfluities nexte vnderneth the hear there is a skynne somwhat thycke and fleshye wherein the hear is rooted vnderneth thys skin there is a lytle flesshe aboute the browe temples Than next vnderneth ther is a fyne kell whyche is made of synowes and tyenges commyng thorowe the seames of the scull whyche the Grekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnder the whyche immediatly is the skulle in greke called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the defence of the brayne it is made lyke an helmet the latyne men call it Caluariam and it is not one hole continual bone but is deuyded by certayne semes in to seuen bones Then within y e head vndernethe the sculle is Dura mater which Galen calleth Crassum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a thycke and harde kel or skinne made of many stronge sinowes and bondes to the entent it myght holde vp and susteyne the veynes whyche nouryssheth