Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	cold_a	dry_a	moist_a	5,086	5	10.1903	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51447	Themis avrea the laws of the fraternity of the Rosie Crosse / written in Latin by Count Michael Maierus, and now in English for the information of those who seek after the knowledge of that honourable and mysterious society of wise and renowned philosophers ; whereto is annexed an epistle to the fraternity in Latine, from some here in England.; Themis aurea. English	Maier, Michael, 1568?-1622.	1656 (1656)	Wing M287; ESTC R21726	55,939	168

Minerals but they having a true knowledge of the secret and occult operation of things know what will be most effectual for their purpose They have their Panchresta their Polychresta their Manus Christi and other great titles their Narcoticas and Alexipharmaca of which Galen and others do much boast thinking them a present help at a dead lift and to colour their cheats strictly command that none shall either prescribe or give them without a large fee as if the price added vertue to them and the effect did much depend upon the cost The Brethren also have variety of Medicines some called Kings some Princes some Nobles and others Knights each one being denominated according to its excellency and worth But we must take notice that they prescribe not according to the purse but the infirmity of the Patient neither do they desire a reward before hand they likewise fit not a childes shoe to an old man because a due proportion ought to be carefully observed a dram is sufficient for the one and an ounce of the same Medicine for the other Who would not think it absurd to apply the same Plaister to the hardned and brawny hand of a Plowman and to the delicate and neat hand of a Schollar or Gentleman He that practiseth Physick aright doth consider the different temper of persons in the same disease as a learned Judge doth not alwayes give the same judgement in the same cause which circumstances may very much alter The Brethren look chiefly to the constitution of the Patient and do accordingly prescribe They have in all things experience to confirme their knowledge they use very choice Vegetables which they gather when they are impregnated with heavenly influences not deluded with common idle Astrological notions but certainly knowing at what time they have received a signature effectual to such an end and they apply these Vegetables to such diseases for which they were intended It is a most irrational thing when nature hath afforded us simple Medicines to correct and amend its deficiences that we should mixe and compound with qualities hot cold moist and dry so that one Specifick being perhaps secretly of a contrary operation to another ingredient the proper vertues of both if not lost yet are much diminished The Galenists say that the first Qualities do alter that the second do either thicken or attenuate and so foolishly and ignorantly of the rest Whereas each Vegetable hath in it vertue essentially to chase away that disease to which it may rightly be applied It is here in Medicine as in an Army if each Souldier falls out with the other or they mutiny against their Commander the enemy gets strength and makes use of their weapons to slay them Some may ask what is here meant by Specifice I answer that I intend that which the illiterate Galenists calls an occult Quality because it is neither hot cold moist nor dry because indeed true profound knowledge was above their reach or understanding Valescus de Taranta lib. 7. cap. 12. defines or describes the Galenical occult Quality A question is started how a Locust hanged about the neck doth cure a Quartane To which they answer that if these Empirical Medicines have any such vertue they have it from their occult Quality which contains the Specifick form of the distemper conjoined with the influence of the Stars but then we may ask what that totall propriety is Averrboes calls it a Complexion others say that it is the substantial form of a compound body some will have it to be the whole mixture viz. The Form the Matter and Complexion which Avicenna names the whole substance when he said that a body hath neither operation from the Matter nor Quality but the whole Substance or Composition But to speak truely and clearly as it becomes Philosophers we hold that there is a natural vertue and certain predestination flowing from the influence of heavenly bodies so particularly disposing the Form to be introduced that it is as it were determined to its proper object whereby after due preparation of the matter and conjunction of the form the whole Substance or mixed body necessarily produces a proportionable effect And Avicenna perhaps meant thus much whence Arnoldus in his Book De Caus. Sterilitatis saith that the peculiar propriety of a thing is its nature which proceeds from the right disposition of the parts to be mixed and this is called an occult Quality to most men unknown because of its difficulty Hence it is that Nature is stiled a Complexion not because it is so properly and found out by reason its secrets being onely discovered by experiment and practice by this the understanding knows that experience is above reason because there are so many experiments of which we can give no rational account nor finde out any method to satisfie our selves concerning them By what hath hitherto been spoken it plainly appears that the whole propriety of any thing is not the Complexion for if it were so all things which have the same propriety would consequently have the same complexion which is false for Rubarb and Tamarinds from their whole propriety do attract and draw choler and yet are not of the same complexion Thus Valescus It is therefore evident that the true propriety of Medicinal things is onely known by experiment and not by the false Galenical rules of Art which do not give us light into the nature of any simple For instance consider the Rose it sends forth a most pleasant perfume and is of a ruddy lovely colour not in respect of the Quality cold and dry but of that proper vertue essentially in it neither can there be any deduction from those Qualities being not subject to Tast to Feeling to Hearing and consequently none at all because Specificks have another original How are the first Qualities observed not from their essence and nature but as sense discovers them whence reason draws a conclusion But we see not how reason can determine concerning the Qualities of a Rose whether it is hot cold moist and dry unlesse it hath been informed by the senses as by the colour sent taste or touch But these Rules are altogether uncertain and fallacious and there are more experiments to overthrow then to confirme them for who dare affirm that all cold things have no sent that all hot things have sent that all sented thing● are hot that all that have no sent are cold or that white things are cold or hot that red things are hotter then white or contrarily that bitter things are hot narcotick cold c. for Opium the spirit of wine the Rose and more things will confute such an opinion so that the Qualities do depend upon such uncertainties in respect of every simple that it is far better to trust to experience to search into the secrets of Nature then vainly to trif●le away time in gathering the second Qualities from the first and the third from the second or to gain

of Hamech with others were compounded of many Simples which being after long fermentation well digested became most soveraign remedies and have been in use almost 600. years and have helped many thousands of people We deny not but these compositions are excellent and have been in great esteme in foregoing and latter Ages we likewise approve perhaps of six hundred more if they are grounded upon experience for they who first invented these Medicines did not consider whether the Qualities were hot or cold but to their Nature and Essence as they either resisted poison or conduced to the Evacuation of ill Humours in the body as in Treacle there is vipers flesh and many others of the same vertue Our discourse is against the vain extemporary ostentation in prescribing of Medicines compounded of Plants hot dry cold and moist in this and that degree We knew a Physitian who was wont to boast that he knew not any one particular experiment but all remedies were alike to him respective the first second and third Qualities and this surely proceeded from his ignorance of what was to be known but a wise and prudent spirit searches more narrowly and descends to particulars For indeed it is more easiy by general rules to passe a judgement of Simples then by experience to finde out the proper vertue of Specificks and the reason is because each Simple hath a peculiar property which distinguisheth it from another and sometimes contrary nay the Qualities do not onely differ in respect of others but the same Simple may have effects differing in it selfe as it appears in Rubarb which in respect of its first Qualities hot and dry it doth encrease Choler in mans body but in respect of its essence and specifick nature it purgeth it To passe by Opium and Vinegar with many others we see how the same thing in their first second and third Qualities have many times contrary operations so Runnet makes thinne thickned blood of the hare but if it be very fluid it thickens it so also Vitrioll according to its nature doth penetrate and is astringent yet it doth repel and disperse Lead outwardly applyed to it though Quick-silver is most weighty yet by the fire it i● sublimed and ascends and though it is a thick grosse body it may yet by Art be made to peirce any body and afterwards be reduced to its own native purity Many more proofes might be brought for their is nothing in the World how abject and low soever but it hath a stampe upon it as a sure seale of its proper vertue of which he that is ignorant hath hitherto attained but the huske and shell the outside of knowledge Lest therefore this errour in judgement should corrupt practice and mens lives thereby should be in danger we thought it a good peice of service to desire those who bend and employ their studies in the Honorable faculty of Medicine to seek more after a few rare and certain Specificks then to follow generals which so commonly deceive We ought not to shew our selves so impious and undutiful as being in honour having encrease of riches to scorne our poor parents so Experience is the mother of Art and shall we now contemn her as having no need of her Experience hath been stiled the Mistresse of Fooles and Reason the Queen of Wise men but in a different respect they ought not to be separated as many Experiments beget Reason so Reason maintains and adornes Experience CHAP. VIII That many Medicines because of their high titles and the fond opinion of men who think that best which costs most are in great esteem though others of lesse price proper to the Country are far above them in excellency and worth BEsides the abuses mentioned in the foregoing Chapter another is crept in the former were cheats in respect of Quantity and Quality here by this the purse is emptied for they fall in with mens humours who then think a thing good when they have well bought it Hence Galen concealed his Golden Emplaister for the Squinancy by which he got an hundred Crownes which indeed was in it selfe of little worth for there are many things of excellent use which if they were divulged would be foolishly despised because vulgar hands pollute whatever comes into them some reason may be why after they are not so succesful because the Imagination and Fancy works not so strongly and desponds as to the cure from such slight meanes and so hinders the operation for although another mans imagination hath little force upon me yet mine own much alters the body and either hinders or furthers a remedy in its working As this is cleare in many diseases so especially in Hypocondriack Melancholy called the shame of Physitians because rarely cured wherein the non-effecting of the cure depends upon the prejudiced imagination of the Pat●ent who despairs of help for cares greife and despair do alter and change the blood corrode the heart overwhelme the spirits that they cannot performe their offices if therefore these can first be removed there is very great hope of recovery Under this Cloak many cover their knavery and covetousnesse who seek nothing but gain by their practice for they call their Medicines by great names that the imagination of the Patient closing with so rich and precious remedies may promote the cure and therefore they compound their Medicines of rare Ingredients as Gold Silver Pearls Pezoar Ambergrease Musk and many more and then they christen them according to their birth They call them the Balsome of Life the Great Elixar the Restorative of Life Potable Gold Butter and Oyle of the Sun and who indeed can reckon up their tricks by which they draw in and delude such multitudes of ignorant people yet their great names are not altogether insignificant for by their Balsom of Life they meane that which maintains and keeps themselves alive But grant these costly Medicines to be good and useful yet they must confesse that others not so chargeable have greater vertues in them We may also question whether they deale honestly and do not sell a little salt for Gold and ranke poison for the Balsom of life we have known some at deaths door by their Mercury I speak this that others may be cautious think what would come of it when one mistaking administred Opium for Apium or Parsly thus they try experience upon mens bodies and kill one to save another Besides though these may be very excellent Cordials or Antidotes ye tae they not appropriated to the disease and so consequently little conducing to the greife Consider then the abuse the Patient pays a great price for that which is of small advantage to him and scornes those meanes which are at an easiy rate wherein also there is no danger as being by experience confirmed and by all hands received It is not hard to prove that each Country abounds with Simples suitable to the Diseases of that Count●y and that we need not go India or use Exotick