and a halfe of the infusion of Agaricke made in the water of Minthes with a scruple of Ginger and with a sufficient quantitie of Sugar boyle them all together to the height of a syrupe which you shall keepe for your ordinarie vse Hereof you must take two ounces once euery moneth or twise with the broth of a Chicken wherein are put Borage Buglosse Hops and the Capillar hearbes you may make a syrupe with the iuyces of the same hearbes and put thereto the same laxatiues An Opiate The Opiate that I haue set downe may serue here but it may be made of a far other fashion which purgeth most gentlie Take of the iuyce of Mercurie well purified as much as shall neede infuse therein for the space of foure and twentie howres two ounces of Orientall Sene and causing them to boyle once afterward straine them strongly and after boyle the licour strained out with Sugar till it come to the forme of an Electuarie whereunto you shall adde of Cassia new drawne out of the cane two ounces of Epithymum halfe an ounce of Cloues made in powder two drammes the mixing all well together you shall make an Opiate whereof you may take halfe an ounce or more They which cannot vse decoctions nor Opiates shall take pils The extraction of Sene to be made into pilles made of the extract of Sene Agaricke and Rubarbe for other pilles are not so fit in this disease Take of good Polypodie foure ounces the rootes and leaues of Succorie Buglosse Fumitorie Hops of each a handfull of damaske Raisines a dozen of the three cordiall flowers one handfull make a decoction vnto a pint and boyle therein two ounces and a halfe of Sene of Epithymum sixe drammes of good Agaricke halfe an ounce all these hauing infused together one whole night straine and presse them out very strongly putting thereto of good Rubarbe which shall be infused in the foresayd decoction with a little Cinamome halfe an ounce afterward you shall put all this together vpon hote ashes you shall thereupon drie them til they come to a reasonable thick consistence and then putting thereto of Epithymum three drams you shall make all vp into a masse of pilles which will purge very gently if you giue thereof at one time the quantitie of foure scruples And let these serue for gentle and easie purgations only you may adde hereunto the often vse of Clisters which may serue for the windie melancholie But for as much as this humour is grosse and for the most part lurking in the most inward veines it is not very easie to purge it well if it bee not first prepared wee must come therefore vnto the second kind of remedies which we haue called Alteratiues Inward Alteratiues The alteration to be made must consist in moystning and making thin of this humour this may bee done by inward and outward remedies Apozemes The inward are Apozemes which must be somewhat opening because of obstructions and it must be looked vnto with great care that they be not made with too hot a fire It will bee very fit to make them of such hearbes as properly respect the liuer and the spleene and amongst the rest wee must not forget Wormewood for all good practitioners doe confidently affirme that the onely decoction of Wormewood hath preserued an infinite number of persons from the windie melancholie It will not bee amisse to lay in steepe these grosse humours and for the opening of the vessels to commaund to bee vsed the decoction of the roote China with a little Sassafras for the space of twelue or fifteene daies The vse of the roote China Broths Broths that doe alter and moysten the humour the maner of liuing and vse of milke will serue marueilously well for the preparing and moystning of this drie humour Outward alteratiues As concerning outward remedies bathes for the whole bodie deserue to be most chiefly accounted of there may fomentations also bee applied to the spleene and all ouer Mesenterium as also oyntments and liniments The fomentations must be mollifying somewhat opening and making thinne or apt to attenuate hauing mixt therewithall some carminatiues or things to breake winde the manner of making them is common enough The oyles of Capers bitter Almonds Broome Elder Lillies Of the berries Camomil Danewort berries are most fit proper The last kind of remedies is of such as are corroboratiues Comiortable medicines for there are in this disease of the windie melancholie many parts that are much weakned hauing bin branded with this humor as the hart the stomack and the braine The weakenes of the heart is caused through the beating and light faintings of the same the weake stomacke filleth all full of cruditie the weakened braine causeth that the imagination and reason are oftentimes troubled in this disease Wee must therefore haue regard vnto these parts Meanes to comfort the heart An Opiate The heart is strengthened by inward and outward meanes the inward are Opiates Condites and Lozenges Take the conserue of the rootes of Buglosse and of the flowers of Borage of each an ounce of the flesh of Mirobalanes and of the rindes of Citrons confected of each halfe an ounce of the confection of Alkermes two drammes Confectionis laetificantis of Pearle and of the powder of Mirth of each one dramme make thereof an Opiate with the syrupe of Apples whereof you must take twice or thrice euery weeke with a little of the water of Buglosse Take of the powder of the electuarie of precious stones and of Mirth of each a dram Lozenges of the confection of Alkermes halfe a dram of Pearle Emerald made in powder of each one scruple of Sugar dissolued in the water of Buglosse or Balme so much as needeth make vp Lozenges of the waight of 3. drams you must take hereof euening and morning twice or thrice euery weeke For such as are more delicate and daintie there are some that make confections of Muske Musk-cordials Take the third part of a Nutmeg confected of the rindes of Citrons three drammes and as much of Mirobalanes confected of Ambergrise halfe a dramme and as much of Muske of Sugar the double quantitie of all the rest and with the muscilage of Gumme Tragacanth drawne in the water of Buglosse make Muscardins You must not often vse these hote medicines in the Hypochondriake disease for feare of mouing and enraging of the humour Outward remedies Liquide Epithemes The outward remedies to fortifie the heart withall are liquide and solide Epithemes oyles oyntments and bags Take the waters of Buglosse Balme and Roses of each foure ounces of white wine an ounce and a halfe of Dyers graines of cordiall flowers of each a dram of the powder of Diamargaritum and Diamber of each halfe a dram of Saffron halfe a scruple mixe all together and make thereof Epithemes which you shall applie vnto the heart Solide Epithemes Take
Buglosse Hops Syrupes and Violets doe macerate this humor in very good sorte You may prepare an apozeme with the same hearbes which I haue mentioned here aboue The vse also of Whay and Goats or Asses milke will serue well to water and moisten this humour withall Outward remedies The outward remedies are either vniuersall or particular the vniuersall are bathes Galen boasteth himselfe to haue cured many melancholike persons with the onely vse of baths of warme water Bathes or else you may if the whole body bee very drie and the skinne very rugged make an artificiall one with the rootes of Holibocks leaues of Mallowes Violets Lettuses Succorie with the seedes of Melons and Gourds Barley and the flowers of Violets you must bathe oft and stay long in at a time but not so long as to cause any sweate At the time of being in the bath you may haue two bags filled with sweete and bitter Almonds and the seede of Melons grosly pownded and therwith rubbe all the skinne ouer If you wil make your bath well you must put warme water in your bathing tub ouer night and there let it stand and breath till morning Ointments for the whole bodie at which time you shall go into it There be many practicioners in Phisicke which make such baths of milke only as also it is oftentimes done in the case of consumption In comming forth of the bath there are some which inioine the body to be annointed al ouer with the oile of sweete Almonds Violets or new fresh butter Applying of remedies vnto the head There are which applie remedies vnto the head as being the part most affected and they vse such as doe moisten whether they be lotionsor embrocations and these made of warme water and of the same decoctions or else of the oyles of the seede of Gourdes sweete Almonds and Violets or else of milke Comforting medicines The third kinde of remedies good in melancholike cases is of such as doe strengthen and cheere vp the spirits which are as Auicen saith become wilde and duskish It behooueth therefore to strengthen the braine and to cheere vp the heart the which intentions are effected by inward and outward meanes the inward Sytupes Opiates Lozenges and pouders Inward remedies the outward are Epithemes bags and ointments I will giue you an example of each of them An excellent Syrope The fittest syrupe that I haue found both for the cheering and moistening of melancholike persons is this which I am about to set downe being first inuented by Mounsieur Castellane mine vncle and one of the greatest and happiest Phisitions of his time and ordinarily imployed in his calling by Kings and Queenes Take of the iuice of Borage and Buglosse a pound and a halfe of the iuice of apples that are very sweete a pound of the iuice of Balme halfe an ounce of Diers graines infused in the former iuices a long time and after strained out three drammes of Saffron halfe a dramme of fine Sugar two pounds make these in a syrupe boyled to his height and aromatize it with a dramme and a halfe of the powder of the Diamargaritum that is cold and foure scruples of the powder of Diamber there must be taken of it euening and morning two or three spoonefull There are many sorts of Opiates but I will content my selfe to set down this one Take of the Conserue of the rootes of Buglosse Opiates and of the flowers of Borage of each one ounce of preserued Mirabplanes and of the rindes of Citrons condited of each halfe an ounce of the confection of Alkermes three drammes of the powders of Diamargariton and of the Electuarie of precious stones of each one dramme make thereof an Opiate with the syrupe of Apples whereof you must take a little in the morning drinking after it some Claret wine delayed with the water of Buglosse I will set downe some receipts of lozenges and powders in the chapter intreating of that melancholie which is begot amōgst the bowels and called the flatuouse or windie melancholie Outward remedies for the cheering vp of the spirits The outward remedies are applied vnto the braine and heart Vnto the braine there are applied powders and caps But in asmuch as the greatest part of these aromaticall things are hote and drie we must vse them but sparinglie Vnto the heart wee may more boldly applie Epithemes Bags and ointments An Epitheme for the heart Take of the waters of Borage and Buglosse of each halfe a pound of the waters of Balme and Scabiouse of each foure ounces of good white wine two ounces of the powder of colde Diamargaritum one dramme of the confection of Alkermes three drammes of the seede of Balme and Diers graines of each one dramme mixe al together and make Epithemes thereof and applie them to the region of the heart with a piece of scarlet If liquid Epithemes dislike you then you may vse a solide one with the cordiall conserues or else you may weare bags vpon the region of your hart the descriptions whereof I leaue vntill I come to the chapter of windie melancholie where they shall come in more fitly for the purpose in asmuch as those which are troubled with the windie melancholie haue almost continually the panting and beating of the heart And thus much for the three kinds of remedies which are in my mind needful for the curing of that melancholy which is setled in the braine being purgatiues alteratiues and comfortatiues The means to remedie too much watchfulnes There remaineth as yet vnremoued a tedious and trouble some accident which is continuall watching which now and then whippeth melancholike men so cruelly as that therby many haue bene plunged into the pit of despaire Wherefore I will addresse my selfe with all the best wits I haue or deuises I can inuent to set downe the meanes of their comfort Inward means to procure sleepe Sleepe is procured by inward and outward meanes We will haue diuers sortes of the inward because melancholike persons doe loue varietie We shall make for them mundified barlie a Condite an Opiate a Tart a Restauratiue a Potion a bole and masse of pils all giuen to procure sleepe A mundified barley The mundified barley is made with the flowre of barley prepared as is meet with Almonds which haue been infused in Rose water with the foure cold seeds the seeds of Poppie rosed Surgar A Condite The forme of the condite shal be such Take of the conserues of the flowers of Borage and Buglosse of each three drammes of the pulpe of Gourds confected and of the rindes of Citrons of each two drammes of white Poppie and Mellon seedes of each a dramme of rosed Sugar so much as is needfull make thereof a condite whereof you shall take at night two or three spoonefuls An Opiate The Opiate shall be thus made Take of the conserues of the pulpe of
of the conserue of the flowers of Borage of Roses and a Balme of each two ounces of the confection of Alkermes and of the Iacinth of each two drammes of the powder of precious stones and of Mirth of each halfe a dramme make thereof a solide Epitheme in forme of a cataplasme with the water of Balme or of the flowers of Oranges and this you shall spread vpon a peece of scarlet Oyles and apply it to the heart Take the oyle of lesamin and of Costus one ounce of Amber grise three graines chafe therewith the region of the heart or else prouide you some naturall Balme An oyntment Take of the flowers of Camomile Rosemarie and Orange tree of each two drams of Ziloaloe of sweete Saunders of each one dram of the oyle of lesamin and naturall Balme of each one ounce of Amber and Muske sixe or seuen graines make hereof an oyntment with a little white waxe and annoynt therewith the region of the heart Bags Take of the leaues of Balme of the flowers of Borage and Buglosse of each halfe a handfull of the rindes and seede of Citrons two drams of the seede of Balme Basill and Cloues of each a dram of the powder of Pearle Emerauld and lacynth of each halfe a dram of the bone of a Harts heart one dram of red and yellow Saunders one dram of good Amber foure or fiue graines pound them all and make a stomacher of red taffata well quilted and weare it ordinarily vpon the hart Thus much concerning the proper remedies as well inward as outward for the strengthening of the heart and taking away of such weaknes as commonly happeneth to them that haue the windie melancholie Meanes for the strengthening of the stomack The other part to bee strengthened is the stomacke and to preuent that it may not beget such great store of crudities you shall vse powders helping disgestion and certaine oyles properly vsed in such cases for the annoynting thereof The digestiue powder must not be too hot A digestiue powder Take of Anise and Fennell confected of each three drams of the rindes of Citrons confected one dram of prepared Pearle and red Corall of each one halfe a dram of fine Cinamome two scruples of rosed Sugar foure ounces make them in powder and take thereof a spooneful alwaies after your meate Outwardly you may strengthen the stomacke Meanes to be applied outwardly to the stomacke by annoynting it with the oyle of Nutmeg Spikenard Wormewood or with some bag made of Wormewood Balme Cloues Macis Cinamome red Roses and such like powders it is meete that diligent care be had that they bee not applied vpon the place of the liuer because the hote distemperature of this part is commonly the originall of all Hypochondriake diseases And for this cause you may annoint the liuer with the oyntment of Roses and Saunders well washed in Succorie water or else you shall apply thereupon Epithemes of the waters of Succorie Endiue Sorrell the seedes of Endiue cordiall flowers and red Saunders As concerning the braine which is weake to the end it may not be subiect to so great quantitie of vapours you may strengthen it with powders appropriate for the head and sleight parfumes And thus much as concerning preseruatiues which are to be vsed when the fit is not and which without all doubt will keepe the fit from comming for taking a way the cause of accidents it must needes fall out that the effects cease Remedies to be vsed in the accesse of the disease But when the fit of the windie melancholie shall put the sicke partie in paines you must vse other meanes which the Phisition shall alter and varie according to the accident which is most strong and vrgent As if it be feeblenes Remedies and helpes against feeblenes you shall leaue to doe all other things and only strengthen the heart and that by vsing the remedies before described As you may take of the confection of Alkermes of bread dipped in wine of Lozenges cordiall Opiates and the rindes of Citrons You shall also apply vnto the heart liquide and drie Epithemes oyles baulmes oyntments and bagges Remedies against oppression through windines If heauines which is the most common accident in the windie melancholic as that which is caused of the grosse vapours or of the winde which waigheth downe the midriffe and membranes doe lye grieuously vpon the partie it will be good to chafe and rub the thighes and legs lightly to minister a Clister to breake windines to apply great cupping glasses vpon the region of the spleene vpon the nauell and all ouer the bellie and if the griefe of these windes be very great you may take a spoonefull of Ros Solis or Cinamome water distilled or Aquacoelestis or else two or three drops of the essence of Anise seede in a little broth very hote or a little Treacle and Mithridate if the winde doe continue vnremoued and will not stirre out of the breast you shall remoue them with some bags applied very hote and these shal be made of the flowers of Camomile and Melilot of the crops of Dill of Millet and fried Oates You may in like manner apply vpon the region of the spleene fomentations which will resolue and waste some part of these grosse vapours These are the three sortes of melancholie which ancient writers haue deliuered vnto vs that is to say that which hath his seat in the braine that which commeth of the sympathie of the whole bodie and that which ariseth ordinarily from the places about the short ribbes which is more common then either of the other and which is so often happening in these miserable times as that there are not many people which feele not some smatch thereof I come to the third disease of Madame Dutchesse of Vzez which is the Rheume THE THIRD DISCOVRSE WHEREIN IS HANDLED THE breeding of Rheumes and how they are to be cured CHAP. I. That the braine is the seate to cold and moysture and by consequent the fountaine of rheumes and distillations IT is not without cause that Hippocrates that great oracle of Greece that written in diuers places That the brain is the mansion of colde and moysture that the braine is the principall seate of cold and moysture for if we looke vnto his marrowie substance his cold temperature his round forme hollow and somewhat long like to the fashion of a cupping glasse and his high situation receiuing al the vapours of the inferiour parts we shall finde that all these dispose it and make it apt to beget and containe great quantitie of water The substance of the braine was of necessitie to be soft and marrowie that so it might the more easily take the stampe of formes and to the end that sinewes which must spring and rise from thence might with least annoyance and paine bend or bow themselues But indeed this marrowie substance is not so called for any resemblance
vsing of them is sufficiently knowne vnto euery one The bodie hauing been purged by these vniuerfall meanes there may bee vsed particular purges for the braine The euacuation may be sensible or manifest to the sences or insensible and such as the sences cannot discerne the sensible euacuation is effected by errhiues masticatories gargarismes vesicatories sinapismes cuppings scarifications and cauteries the insensible by powders bags cupping without scarification and perfumes Errhinesdoe purgethe braine by the nose Enhines there are diuerse sorts made of them as some are drie and some liquide the drie are made with powders of pepper the seede of Stauesacre and white Hellebor the liquid ones with the iuyce of Margerome Mercurie Male Pimpernell Beetes and Coleworts with white wine there are some which greatly commend the oyle of nigella Masticatories if the nostrels be annoynted therewith within Masticatories doe purge the head very strongly and they are made with the rootes of Pellitorie or with Masticke Nutmeg Cubeb Damaske raisins fteeped in the water of Sage or in the essence of Sage and Time Vesicatories Gargarismes are not in so great vse Vesicatories applied vpon the head doe also purge the same sensiblie they are made with very strong leauen dung of Pigeons the flies called Cantharides Emplaisters and a little Aqua vitae you may likewise make emplasters which will draw forth water with the rootes of Brionie of Tapsia Hote bread Mustard-feede and Euphorbium Bread very hot applied vpon the head and nape of the necke with a little Aqua vitae doth draw it selfe all full of waterish excrements Cupping glasses with scarification Cupping-glasses will serue to make euacuation in this case Finally in rheumes that are olde and rebellious cauteries doe profile very much Cauteries to drawe drie the fountaine and to diuert the humour they are to be applied vpon the head behinde in the neeke and in the armes Insensible euacuation There is another insensible euacuation which is then wrought when any humour is discussed and resolued in such sorte as that it turneth into a vapour and thereupon doth breath out by an insensible transpiration the same may be done by bags powder and perfume Bags Take of Millet and Otes a good handfull of bran and salt one ounce frie all these together and close them vp in a bag which you shall lay very hot vpon the coronall future orelse Take of Annise seede Fennell seede and Bay berries of each two ounces of Millet foure ounces and as much of common salt of the crops of Dill of Camomile and Rosemarie flowers of each a handfull frie all these and put them vp in bags to be applied vpon the head Perfumes Perfumes that draw out and resolue arc thus made Take of Storax Beniouin and of Nigella Romana of euery one three drams of cloues and of the trocisks of Gallia Moscata of each one dram make thereof a perfume and perfume the head cloathes there with Or else take of incense Ladanum Beniouin of each three drams of gumme Hedera of Juniper berries and Coriander prepared of each two drams mixe all these and make thereof a perfume By all these helpes we may accomplish our first scope and intention which is to clense the braine and draine the fountaine of rheumes The second scope is to fortifie and strengthen the braine Our second scope and drift must be to strengthen the braine and take away the cold moist distemperature which causeth a continuall ingendring of excrements and turneth all into water for in vaine shall we due vp this spring except we take away all means whereby it may fill vp againe and for the effecting hereof we may vse inward and outward remedies The inward are Opiates Inward remedies Lozinges and powders Treacle and Mithridate are very singular good as also the conserues of Betonie Rosemarie and Stechados Take of the conserues of Rosemary Stechados and Betonie of each one ounce of old Treacle two drammes of the powder of Aromaticum Rosatum and Diagalanga of ech one dram make thereof an Opiate with syrupe of Stechados An Opiate taking thereof to the quantitie of a small nut at night when you goe to bed you shall make lozinges to the same effect after this maner Lozenges Take of the powder of Aromaticum Cariophillatū one dram of Diagalanga halfe a dram of Nutmeg a scruple of Sugar dissolued in the water of Betonie or Balm so much as shall neede make thereof an electuarie in lozenges euery one weighing three drams of these you must take one in the morning two howers before dinner and another at night one hower before supper A digestiue powder after meat will serue to strengthen the braine and stomacke A digestiue powder Take two drammes of Anise seede confected of Cinamome two drammes of Nutmegs one dramme of red Corall two scruples of Pearles prepared and Harts horne of each one scruple of rosed Sugar and white Sugar of each foure ounces make thereof a powder of which you shall take a spooneful after euery meale if you make it for them that are rich you shall adde therto a little Amber grise Aqua coelestis Theriacalis and Imprialis are very good to drie and strengthen the braine and especially in old folke and such as are of a cold distemperature Outward remedies A head powder Bonnets or coifes The outward remedies which doe strengthen the braine are head powders which shall be cast all ouer the head or else you shall make caps thereof Take of Clones Maces and Ziloaloe of each two drams of red Roses Betonie well dried of each three drams make it into a powder which you shall ordinarily scatter ouer all the head or else make a little cap after this fashion Take the leaues of Betonie Balme Margerome and Mints well dryed of each three drams of Clones Mace Nutmeg of each one dram of red Roses and Rosemarie flowers a dramme and a halfe of Dyers graine and of Ziloaloe of each a dram make them into a powder and mingle them with Cotton wooll to make a little quilted cap thereof with red Taffata An emplaister to strengthen the braine Also you may make emplasters to applie all ouer the head which may strenothen and drie it very much Take of Laudanum and Mastick that are very pure and cleere of each halfe an ounce of incense and Sandaraca of each three drams of the rootes of Cyperus of Cloues and of Ireos of Florence of each halfe a dramme of the flowers of Sage Rosemarie and red Roses of each halfe a dram of Cubebs two scruples mixe all this with oyle of Ireos and a little Turpentine and make thereof a plaister There hath beene brought vs certaine yeeres since a very excellent Gumme called Tacamahaca it is applied vpon the head in forme of an emplaster it strengtheneth the braine stayeth all rheumes and hath such propertie to appease and take away paynes as
little of the wood of Aloes They must not bee made cleane with a knife pinne or with any thing of gold or siluer as many doe because that it doth loosen the ligaments It must also be auoyded to lie digging at them any long time especially of such as are subiect to distillations After that the teeth are thus picked and cleansed they may bee washed with wine delayed The continuall and common vse of Sublimatum Sublimate hurteth them doth blacke and spoyle the teeth very mightily but and if you would preuent that it should doe no harme To vse sublimate so as that it may not hurt the teeth it must first bee well prepared and afterward neuer to vse it but when it hath been steept in water three or foure moneths chaunging the water the first moneth euery day and once or twice a weeke in the rest it must also neuer bee vsed about the face but the mouth must first be washed and the teeth cleansed and water kept in the mouth And thus much for the things which may hurt the teeth Let vs now see what things are good and profitable for them There are some that haue their teeth very white but they are not fast because that either the ligaments are loosened or for that the gummes haue lost part of their fleshie substance other some haue their teeth fast but they be blacke Wherefore there are two sorts of remedies to bee prouided the one to blanch and make white the teeth the other to fasten them and incarnate There are an infinite number of those which doe make white the teeth but I will chuse the most fit and conuenient The Greeke Phisitions commend the pummice stone burnt and made in powder Things to make the teeth white more then any other thing and their ordinarie remedie is this Take of pummice stone and burned salt of each three drammes of Iuncus Odoratus two drams of Pepper a dram and a halfe make them all in powder and therewith rub the teeth We shall make a powder which in my opinion will be very fit Take of pure Christall a dram and a halfe A powder of white and red Corall of each one dram of pummice stone and cuttle bone of each two scruples of very white Marble of the toote of Florentine Ireos of Cinamome and Dyers graine of each halfe a dram of common salt one dram of Pearle well prepared a scruple of Alablaster and Roch Alome of each halfe a dram of good Muske tenne graines make them all into very fine powder and rub the teeth therwith euery morning wasning them afterward with white wine With the very same powder there may be made Opiates putting thereunto some honie The spirit of Vitrioll mixt with a little common water doth white the teeth marueilously and is one of the rarest and most singular medicines that is There are some which do much esteeme Aquafortis well delayed with common water There may also a water be distilled which wil make them white Take of liue Brimstone Alome A distilled water Sal Gemma of each a pound of Vineger foure ounces others vse the spirit of Vitrioll in stead of Vineger distil hereof a water with a retort vsing a gentle fire that so it may not smel of the Brimstone This water doth make the teeth very white and cleanseth rotten gummes If the teeth be very blacke and filthie Take of Barlie meale and common Salt two ounces A powder mixe them with Honey and make a paste which shall be wrapped in paper and dried in an ouen you shal take of this powder three drams of Crab-shels burned pummice stone egge shels in powder and Alome of each two drams of the rinde of drie Citrons one dram they shall all bee mixed together and the teeth rubd therewithall The rootes of Holihocks well prepared The prepared rootes of Holihocks doe mightily cleanse and whiten the teeth The way to prepare them is in this sort Take the rootes of Holihocke being made cleane and cut them in many long peeces boyle them in water with Salt Alome and a little of Florentine Ireos afterwards drie them well in an ouen or in the Sunne and rubbe the teeth therewith If the teeth be not fast but shake to and fro Take of the rootes of Bistort and Cinquefoyle To fasten the teeth that shake and are loose of each one ounce of the rootes of Cypers two drams of red Roses the rootes of white Thistle and of the leaues or bark of Mastick tree of each halfe an ounce of Sumach two drams and of Cloues a dram boyle al these in Smithes water and red wine wash therewith your gummes putting thereto a little Alome Or else Take red Corall Harts horne and Alome of each a dram and a halfe of Sumach and of the rootes of white Thistle of each a dram make them in powder which you shall mixe with the iuyce or wine of Quinces and apply them vpon the gummes and to the rootes of the teeth in the forme of an oyntment To beget flesh about the teeth If the teeth be bare and without flesh they must bee couered by causing flesh to grow againe with such remedies as followe There shall be made a powder with Alome red Corall gumme and rinde of the Frankincense tree with a little Ireos and Aristolochie Or else take plume Alome Pomegranat flowers and Sumach of each two drammes of Aloes wood of Cyperus of Mirrhe and Masticke of each a dram make thereof a powder An Opiate Opiates also are very fit to beget flesh and doe abide better vpon the place Take of Roch Alome halfe an ounce of Dragons blood three drammes of Mirrhe two drams and a halfe of Cinamome and Masticke of each a dram make them all into very fine powder and with a sufficient quantitie of Honey make an Opiate which you shall apply at euening vpon your gummes and there let it remaine all night the next day morning you shal wash them with some astringent decoction or red wine There bee some that take a corne of Salt euery morning in their mouth and letting it melt doe rubbe the teeth with their very tongue holding that this doth white and make fast the teeth hindring and keeping corruption and putrefaction from the teeth And thus much for the preseruation of the teeth THE FOVRTH DISCOVRSE WHEREIN IS INTREATED OF old age and how we must succour and relieue it CHAP. I. That a man cannot alwaies continue in one state and that it is necessarie that he should grow old THis is a generall and solemne decree published throughout the world How euery thing that is must haue an end and pronounced by Nature her selfe that whatsoeuer hath a beginning so that it consist of matter must also haue an end There is nothing vnder the cope of heauen except the soule of man which is not subiect to change and corruption All the great and famous Philosophers and Phisitions that
potabile conserues of Rubies and Emeralds Elixir vitae or the fained and fabulous fountaine of restored youth cannot withstand but that our heate must at length grow weake and feeble The opinion of the Egiptians condemned Galen derideth very well an Egyptian Sophister which had drawen commentaries of the immortalitie of the bodie If a man sayth he could when a thing is come to his perfection renew the same at that very instant and make the principles thereof in like maner new without doubt such a bodie would become immortall but this thing being impossible it must needes fall out that euery naturall agent must weaken it selfe and so of necessitie waxe old The men of Egypt Alexandria did beleeue that the natunall cause of olde age did come of the diminishing of the heart they said that the heart did growe till-fiftie yeeres the weight of two drams euery yeere and that after fiftie yeeres it waxed lesser and lesser till in the end it was growne to nothing but these are nothing but vaine imaginations and meere fooleries We haue caused many old men to be opened whose hearts haue been found as great and heauie as those of the yonger sort There is then but two inward causes of our old age the contrariety of the principles whereof we are composed and framed and the action or operation of our naturall heat which consisting in the consuming of his radicall moisture doth by little and little fall a drying and cooling of our bodies Outward causes of our old age that cannot be auoided There are other causes also of our dissolution which are outward and such as cannot be auoyded For seeing that our bodies are compounded of three substances which are subiect to waste the one wherof is subtile and of an airie nature the second liquide and the third solide it must needes be that we haue some outward thing for to repaire them otherwise our life would neuer last longer then the seuenth daie for this is the terme which Hippocrates hath giuen to perfect bodies and such as haue much naturall heate That which repayreth our nature is called nourishment and it is three fold the ayre drinke and meates the aire vpholdeth and maintaineth the substance of spirits the drinke all that which is liquide and the meate that which is solide This threefolde kinde of nourishment how well soeuer it be cleansed and purified hath notwithstanding euermore something disagreeing with our nature and that so much as that it cannot assimilate and turne it into it owne nature and therefore maketh an excrement of it which being retained altereth the bodie and maketh an infinite number of diseases See and beholde how meates doe of necessitie alter out bodies I leaue to speake of all other outward causes as ouer violent exercises an idle and sitting life long and continuall watching the passions of the minde which of themselues can make vs olde as feare and sadoes because we may in some sort auoide and shunne them I leaue also to say any thing of chancing causes or such as may befall vs by hap hazard as hurts I am onely purposed to shew that it is of necessitie that euery liuing creature must waxe olde that he sostereth within himselfe the naturall causes of his death and that he hath outward causes thereof hanging about him which cannot bee auoyded CHAP. II. A very not able description of olde age SEeing is is most certaine that our bodies Distinction of ages euen from the daye of our birth are subiect vnto many alterations and changes the phisitions hauing regard vnto such alterations as are most sensible and apparant haue diuided the whole life of man into many parts which they haue called ages The opinion of the Egyptians The Egyptians haue made as many ages as there are seuens in the number of an hundred for they verily beleeued that a man could not liue aboue a hundred yeeres The Pythagoreans The opinion of the Pythagorists which were very superstitious in their numbers haue published in their writings how that in euery seuenth we feele some notable change both in the temperature of the bodie and in the disposition of the mind and that al this ought to be referred and attributed to the perfection of the number of seuen I purpose not here to discusse the question of numbers I haue handled it largely enough in my third book of critical daies it is sufficient for me to sit downe and rest my selfe with all the most famous writers in saying that man following the naturall course of life vndergoeth fiue notable alterations and changes in his temperature and runnoth through fiue ages which are Fiue ages Infancie Adolescencie Youth Manhood or the constant age and Old age Infancie is hote and moist Infancie but moysture exceedeth and keepeth heate so vnder foote as that it cannot shew his effects it lasteth till thirteene yeeres of age Adolescencie followeth next Adolescencie which yet is hot and moyst but so as that heat beginneth to play the master the sparkes thereof are seene to glitter twinckle and shine in euery thing In the mankind the voice groweth greater all their waies and courses stretch and reach further and further they cast their first wool In the female kind their paps grow hard great to the sight of the eye their blood stirreth it selfe throughout all their bodie and causeth it to giue place and make way for it till it haue found out the doore this age holdeth on to twenty foure or tweny fiue yeeres which is the appointed and prefixed terme for growth After this commeth Youth Flourishing youth which is hot and drie full of heate liuelihood and nimblenes it hath his course till fortie yeeres The manly age Then the bodie is come to his full stature and this is called the mans age or constant age it is the most temperate of all the rest participating the foure extremities indifferently and continueth to the fiftith yeere Old age And there beginneth Olde age which containeth all the rest of our life But yet notwithstanding this olde age may further bee diuided into three ages Three degrees of olde age there is a first old age a second and a third I haue nothing to doe with that which is caused by sickenes and called Senium ex morbo The first old age is called greene because it is accompanied with prudence The first full of experience and fit for to gouerne common weales The second beginneth at seuentie yeeres The second and is incumbred with many small disaduantages it is very cold and drie As for the coldnes there are so manifest signes and tokens of it that no man hath euer made anie doubt of it for if you do touch them you shall alwaies finde them as cold as yee they haue no liuely or vermilion colour all their sences are weakened and become subiect to an infinite number of colde diseases but as for the other