in the accidence of euerie disease there be a true obseruation to consider whether the disease be ghostly or bodily moist or drie and whether the bodie be of good or euill complexion whether the stomach and the liuer bee cold or hot whether the humours be quick or dead and whether the operations be heauie or sharp Whether choller hath a burning preheminence in the lunges or mouth of the stomach or whether a dust choller haue kindeled an vnproper heat vpon the spleen The second obseruation is when the disease consisteth staieth in a propertie whether the humours haue passage and due course by the straight conduites of the bodye or no or whether there be a quicke springing bloud in the vaines or whether the disease relinquisheth or retaineth nature The third obseruation in concoction is to consider the pulses whether they be hard or soft hot or colde moist or drie and whether the humours haue perfect resolution or no. Surely without perfect regard of all these causes to be eyther direct or indirect in sicknesse there is no intermedling with purgation before cuncoction be pefectly comprehended for if in sicknes there be no alteration why should nature be vehemently vexed As purging when the accidentes are most strong doth nothing els but styrre and chafe the disease to wax more powefull and cruell And to purge when the disease consisteth disquieteth both the disease and the patient also being at rest besides which not onely disperseth but venometh the disease to be in all the parts of the body vnperfect so that neyther in the beginning or the â—state medicine auaileth in the disease but the surest passage for health life in al sicke patients is that in the vttermost course of sicknesse purgation be placed that is when al putrified infections be gathered to a certaintie by coÌ„coction notwithstanding there is an vniuersal iudgement pronounced of the best sort that all such medicines which extenuâ—te and diminish eyther the extremity of the disease or vnsettle other congeled humours therwith are to practised a lowed and vsed both in the beginning and estate so that the disease thereby may more swyftly bee hastened and ripâ—ned to concoction yet it is not herein so spoken that so large a libertie is graunted as to vse any purgation at all except mollefaction or extenuation which only is permitted in strong accidenâ—s for styrring vp congested humours or prouoking bodies insoluble And so long as the beginning of euery disease continueth so long these weake medicines may be perfectlie permitted it cannot hold together that the sicknesse of one moneth hath equall beginning with the disease that hath continued but one weeke and yet who dare be so bolde as to purge within the compasse thereof before the signes of manifest concoction appeare Certainly if the beginning of the disease continue in one accidence sixe monethes or a whole yeare before concoction be gathered yet there ought to be no troubling or molesting the body with purgatiue medicine both because the disease is thereby vnperfected and the course to concoction quite stopped vp It is to be wished and counselled for all such to take heed and be hereby aduertised which run at hasard with present purgation vpon all diseases for the learned Phisitian which in iudiciall reading is before made to vnderstand the same is neither to bee warned counselled nor taught Lastlie no practioner is abridged either by medicine or diet or any or all good indeauours to drawe such diseases to concoction as a ready preparatiue for purgation which is a singular and perfect way to health agreeable to all the rules of Phisicke These thinges so highly considered who dooth not maruell to behold some carelesse rude persons who vnder the counterfeit shewe of Phisitians doo in the first beginning of diseases profer three or foure draughtes of desperate phisicke with purgations inchaunt the bodie of the sicke patient not onely to innumerable inconueniences but most commonly to dâ—ath it selfe These rather desire to behold the number of phisicke cuppes standing vpon tables round about them then the motion of nature in the diseased patient Heare may rightlie be vnderstood and perceiued that concoction ought to haue a most high superioritie in gathering preferring the vniuersal corruption of the body on a heape before purgation take place But there is a consociety of very daungerous persons in this our age whose custome and maner is the very same instant and day when they approch and drawe neere the sick patient doo first prescribe minoration doo the second day expect concoction the third day eradication the fourth day a potion consortatiue the custome hereof is doubtfull to be allowed both because the disease is caried by so large a compasse without stay into many afflictions â—ooseth his stomach grace lieth dead in the body vnmoueable and euerie seuerall confection may haue hereby a seuerall operatiue nature to doo harme in some fresh and contrarie propertie Auycen vtterly disaloweth their practise herein Howe much the preparing and seasoning of the body auaileth for the perfect altering of the disease to concoction whereby purgation may more naturallie and effectually doo the duetie of a trustie messenger in perfourming the intent of the Phisition the sicke patient shal euidentlie find the ease thereof being released from such and so great continual dolours Galen Hypocrates Auycen Dyoscorides doo confound and consent with this vertuous and medicable indeuor whereas these rude and corrupt practitioners in the firste instant and beginning of the infection minister a strong purgation in offence of the whole constitution is like as if a rotten fulsome channell were raked or stirred to the bottome corrupteth the sences and infecteth the ayre in more poysoned putrifaction so that many daungerous effectes insue thereby The skilfull phisitian dooth farre otherwise that as the sweete fountaine water or the pure celestiall showers of raine by litle and litle purge and purifie the fulsome sauours and contagions of the earth doo not onely keepe them vnder whereby their fulsome smelles breake not out but also by litle and litle vtterly taketh away both their intollerable foyzing the ayre as the corrupt stopping vp and poysoning the comfortable and essentiall estate of mans health Here followeth an other diligent obseruation that all bodies ouertaken with any vniuersall malefaction are not beesides the which clear free from other corruptions as hauing ingenderment with black fleamie yellowe choller so that one of them are verie offensiue to an other and therefore ought they to be mundified and diminished as two offensiue causes inconuenientlie conioined in one disease For if they â—ee not concocted and gathered to a mutuall certaintie their grosse and thicke matter being discouered and estraunged thinlie and vncertainlie breaketh into all the partes of the bodie For Auycen sayth thicke thinges are easily comprehended and swiftly excluded as euidently is perceiued in those diseases which happen in the breast as whether their spytcle bee thicke or thin is
all by touching therfore the ayre is more moyst yet because water is of more rounder and compact substance then of an intentiue qualitie some philosophers report water is more moist then ayre otherwise how should yse more coole then water and yet not more colder Galen affirmeth water to be most moist for that it is cleare and no drinesse is contained within the substance thereof By this reason no simple medicine can shewe in his vttermost nature to be either hot colde moist or drie in the highest degree in respect of equalite 〈…〉 ature from contrary plaâ—ing therefore this reason most proâ—pereth and prooueth in â—urt bodies and although the ayre were clearely hot yet not in the highest degree So likewise if water were clearlie moist yet not in the highest degree for it â—s repugnaâ—t in the reasonable onâ—e standing of elements that there should be two qualities or els noâ— at all obtained in the highest degree for if ayre hath not maystnesse it shoulde then vnnaturally exceede in the vttermost place which is against the nature and order of the elements And furthermore it is greatly to be marueyled that certain new Philosophers with some counterfeit weake reasons blaste abroad in the world that water is more moyst then ayre which cannot holde for then the elements shoulde fall out in contrarie order which otherwise haue an equall constitution in the rest of the bodies one after an other although they bee of disframed conditions and qualities or els we may iudge of mans bodie to haue more earth and water litle ayre and lesse fire whereas it is in holie writing farre otherwise declared that man was not fashioned neither of ayre water nor fire but of the earth shewing that earth water are imperious ruling elements This element as a heauie substance doth beare great sway in the constitution of man for that heat and drinesse are of more lighter matter Then doeth it stande by naturall reason that heat among other qualities is actiue and as the qualitie therof is most plaine so the least portion thereof as in man for which cause these two outward bodies colde and heat may bee perceyued and that coldnes is tempered by heat and heat delaâ—ed by cold drines by moystnesse and moystnesse by drenesse that one of them should haue equall seruice by an other so there is also a motiue cause of coldnesse and drinesse thorow the sinewes so also there is coldnes and moystnes in the braine where the conceit and sence beginneth their place The hart is the instrument of life the liuer the instrument of blood the which of necessity are hot and moist and so from thencefoorth there are certaine instruments of necessitie some cold some hot some moyst and some drie if any one of them at any time do bend or writh aside from these iust temperature their actiue qualitie must be disured and fall away therewith for that the instrument which leadeth the same is decaied Therefore the bodye of necessitie is to possesse and inioy a perfect estate in his members in seruice of all the offices appertaining thereunto And the rather because all bodies haue a coniunction of the foure elementes otherwise choller which is hot drie and colde cannot serue the body in perfect nature and operation for that vnnaturall choller corrupteth the whole body And furthermore as the foure humours are seperated one from another in seueral estates and constitutions so such members which are insigned vnder any one of these humors are commoderated one by an other vntill there be a iudicial temperance raigning ouer all the wholl members for although any such instrument were of necessitie cold yet it is not conuenient so to be in the highest degree for that certaine immixt elementes doo want the temperance of the second qualitie Now if successiuely these instruments were by this means most righteous and equall they ought not to be tempered on some one behalfe but on euery behalfe for no instrument can bee meete whereas if any part thereof be vnmeete And for this cause it is not onely a seemely sight that these elements after their greatest portions should be grosly mingled in a myxt body but that in the whole they become perfectly vnited and that there be no want in any part thereof Therefore as diuers elements are so mixed in one body as that there is a ful seruice of al the members one to another So was it righteous that there should be a whole perfect coniunction in the iust commoderation of all other instrumentes for if all and euery part were not equally moderated one part would decay and fall away from another For is not the body conserued and satisfied by the said elements from hunger and thirst which otherwise would in al the partes thereof languish and fal Wine is a bountiâ—ull element ordained to me perfect properties away therefore man is nourished of the foure elemâ—ts in that the heat of the sunne is commixed with the earth and the water and ayre commixed are of generable nature producing sustenance agreeing with all natures indumentes And furthermore consider that whosoeuer drinketh wâ—â—e for coldnesse of stomach dooth not poure or infuse fire into his body although the moistnesse of water is tempered with a fiery element to frame a perfect body not in outward action but by the pure power of heat This verily proueth that one element is fashioned with another so that all the elementes are of equall power and propertie one with another Otherwise if man were framed of one element he were impassible and without suffering Or if there were such a dissimilitude in the elementes as that not one of them could be drawne in agreement with the other but still continue a contrarietie then all passiue actions were dispropriated and vnperfectly disequalled Euen as there is manifestly shewed forth all necessarie causes to the construction of euery one body So these elementes all in all are commixed without separation following vpon the immixion of humours in mans body vnto which euerie liuing man is subiect and bound vnto by natures ordinance And there are some which wallowing in their owne wils doe affirme that bloud is nothing els but a certaine confounded humour extracted out of three humours although the same is vtterly false Yet may it manifestly proue a great varietie in the permixioÌ„ of elements Therefore if it be possible that foure humours are confounded Maners doe follow the humour of bloud within themselues and yet their formes kept together vndiffacioned or that one forme or fashion appeareth for them all then surely these elementes are aswell commixed in these humours as wholly perfected thorow the body it selfe that although their formes were eyther disfigured or in some part abstracted yet there qualities are vndefaced Otherwise the reason and measure of mixture should perishe together both in forme and qualtie touching corporall formes as they are neuer taken from their substance So not the forme but the qualitâ—e hath
calleth that age the spreading gathering and stretching foorth of the body as then dooth it most chieslye lout in strength Arnoldus de noua villa saith that the most part especiallie women beginning their adolescencie before ripeneise of age hath geuen them libertie thereunto doo afterwards â—iue like vntimely fruite as peares plummes or apples gathered before scasonablenesse and ripenesse hath perfected them doo most speedilie drie rot decay and vtterly perish This commonly is well perceiued and knowen to fall out in south countries where heat and moysture excessiuely ouermatcheth with many corruptions and diseases in such rash ages Petrus Galiensis saith that although the south countries bring foorth strong men yet their age is not certainlie of hotte and moyst temperance nor yet constant vnder drinesse but rather most of all bendeth to extreame heat which moistnesse being so much inflamed therewith as that the yoong and tender skinne is vtterly vnable to containe the measure thereof but naturally speweth and breaketh foorth without artificiall expulsion Next followeth mans estate which standeth for a while at a stay And although their bodies by little and litle decaieth yet their sences continue vnbroken aboue fourtie yeares and in some men of stong and sound complexion vntill threescore and aboue Then commeth olde age alienating and declining aside altogether replenished with melancholious coldnesse and drynesse at which season blood and heat are setled and commixed in the bottome of the arteries and vaines like dregges And the longer they are stayed and lodged somuch the sooner the artion of blood is obstructed and combusted and the strength infeebled and disabled the which falleth out aswell because of thicknesse in the shinne growen and fastened with the bones and sinewes as also because the excrementes haue bene there long staied and closed vp The which calamitie many men in their decrepit and extreame age vndertake and sustaine For their former impuritie of lustie youth is not onely vanquished but partched in ther bodies with fuliginous superfluities like soote to a chinmey afflicting them with drie coldnes vnto death Therefore happy is lusty olde age whose former puritie hath drawen comfort ease and ioy vpon gray haires whose bloud is odiferous and sweet whose breath is easie and who som whâ—se bones vaines and sinews are direct whose digestion is easy and light whose expulsion is naturall in whome the temperance of heate as drinesse of bones and moystnesse of blood are to olde yeares most nourishable that like as the dry hot ground is not corrupted with euery moysture of rayne but the distemperance thicketh and freeseth aboue the ground before it pearceth euen so temperate hot bodies are not easily pearced with the contagion or distemperance of moyst coldnes or any such like superfluous vapours Galen herewith concordeth that drie braines are lesse incumbred with super fluities and moist braines naturallye appertaineth vnto ideotes and fooles which lack diiscretion for that their primary faculties are ouerfâ—oted or intermixed with superfluous grosnes so likewise a woman of moiste complexion is most menstruous especially if she want the vse of man yet this rule and order is manifested by Galen in these words Si virago fuerit fortis pre caliditate siccitate nunquam hoc profluuium admittet Therefore hot and drie bodies of some women are euenmuch infarced with excrements and growe into many inward diseases for want of naturall deuoydance of their inconcocted super fluities for which respect their piteous fulsomnes vnnaturally gathered yssueth by their nostrels therefore by thâ—s reason women of moist complections are most wholsome for the vse of man It falleth out farre otherwise after the course of nature in mens constitutions for that Dioscorides holdeth his opinion after this maner who saith Mallem siceitatem plenitudinis humiditatem incoctarum superfluitatum occasionem esse I had rather drinesse should be the occasion of fulnesse then moistnesse the occasion vndigested superfluities For a moyst bodie in a man is easily ingurged difflated puffed and as it dooth greedily desire sustenance so dooth it redily nourish excrementes transcormeth much blood into watrie matter ouermuch insumeth and spendeth vpon nature whereas on the contrarie a dry body scarsly admitteth or indureth most nourishment but that it doth presently comprehend thereby a pure blood into the vaines drieth and vtterly consumeth al waterye and matery substance for drinesse in adolescencie furnisheth the bodie with good blood disouereth the body from raw excrementes drieth purgeth and perfecteth the bodie from all corruptions As for exaâ—ple Let vs distinguish between a flegmatick and a melancholike person between a moyst and drie braine that hereby a moist temperance in respect of a drie is perceiued knowen to haue most superfluous humors abounding and many times old men are more stuffed with excrementes then yoong men the cause hereof is want of nourishing blood which produceth coldnesse For prooffe if two olde men were placed vnder one ayre did both feede vpon one diet and were of one like age surely hee which of them generateth a moyst temperance shall abound with the greatest superfluities For it cannot bee otherwaies found out but that drinesse alwaies is the cause of puritie and maystnesse the occasion of great impuritie For all men doo obtaine the first partes of moystnesse by carnat generation and therefore children are nourished by sleepe in their mothers wombe The second part of cold superfluities are obtained by moistnes of complexion which naturally disfigureth many flegmatike old men and draweth them subiect to euery vnconstant vapour Auycen assigneth the cause of these and such like piteous excrementes in olde men rather of an immoderate maner of diet then of natures distemperance Galens opinion is most sauorie to our sences and yet disagreeing from Auycen who sayth that although olde mens dyet were much more dryer then yâ— dyet of yong men yet for that excessiue coldnesse puriâ—â—eth them must of necessitie abound with ouergreat excramentall superfluitie There are many which haue wandred very wide both in the constitution of old men and children especially Manardus first declaring that olde men be inforced with fleame by reason of riotous youth and euerie variable accidence exhausteth their bodies with moste perrillous pestilences This is contrary to Galen who plainely affirmeth that after olde age draweth on the body is set free from all accidence and bringeth forth diseases of naturall propertie for that nature eyther alienateth or then weakeneth or els quite decayeth And furthermore whereas Manardus seemeth to conioyne coldnesse as a naturall essence in children his reason is proper onely for that they tooke the substance thereof in the first place of generation and their heate is afterwardes gathered rather by nourishable meates then of naturall substance This is contrarie to Galen who is fortified with experience on the one side and standeth highly vpon the works of nature on the other side doth thinke that children are more hote and moyst then adolescency Children are apt to increase bloud And
the same as they doe become bare and bald so are they men of verie euill and dangerous maners Yet Auycen greatly commendeth bald men of sanguine complexion and flaxen hayre to be trustie honest and verie precise and deuout and yet manie of them haue reaching wittes in high causes Hypocrates sayth there can be no direct temperance in baldnesse for that in the first place those thinges which be hearie onely are hote and moyst In the second place bald men are drie and in the third place bald men are in their extreames so of sickenesse and discases doe swiftly approoue in the nature of cold and drie therefore we are verely to coniecture that all ages of men denunciat their natures after the temperance of the regions and countries vnder which they are borne aswell as their owne priuate complexion and age for as the ages of youth are hote drie and hayrie so infancie is smooth colde and moyst and without hayre Then seeing there must altogether fall out a perfect sympathie or equall combination vnder the temperatures of countries and that hayrie men natiuely appertaine vnder regions hote and drie so then there must be a temperat cause in contrarietie hereof for that Theophrastus Paracelsus holdeth in opinion that hote and drie countries absinne and quite take away all the humours which intentiuely nourish hayres Auycen sayth that heate and drinesse in those bodyes are not so easily nourished and therefore heate and drinesse of those countries are nothing profitable in the generation of hayres after the naturall simpathie and mutuall combination in temperance of the bodies themselues Galen speaketh of young men of the Ethiopians who of their owne complexion and naturall inclination are hote and drie in respect of other countries the which propertie furnisheth their bodies with an excesse strength of hayres And although curled yet not diuersty coloured like other countries which signifieth the superaboundant heate vnder which they liue Surely I am perswaded it is a moste direct poynt not to compare nature with age but to compare countries with ages which in all the conditions of hayres may be best accompted of For the Ethiopian yoong men in temperance of hayres both in multitude and strength exceedes the yoong men of these our countries in the highest degree Let somewhat more in this our treatise be attended vpon and diligently coÌ„sidered in the temperance of women touching hayre for that there are some who thinke the same farre disagreeing froÌ„ this our purpose that is a woman of cold moyst teÌ„perance is indewed with a vecie thick hayre who for the materiall substance of moystnesse following vpon her hath not onely many hayres but most long hayres for which cause women of moist complexions can neuer be bald And a flegmatike woman following the temperance of the whole body cannot in any respect want hayres and sometimes exceedes therein farre otherwise then common course Except a woman of moderate and due temperance which cannot ouer passe the boundes and limites of nature in the ornature of the body for those women are of pure feminine complexion and are not bearded like men for two causes the one because the vapours of the matrix are ranckly deuoyded by naturall profitmitie as also for that the ascending moysture thereof is subtilly occupied in the braines for the plentifull generation of haires so that the â—hin partes are vtterly barrained thereby Then touching those hayres which haue comely treases vpon the eye-lids bankes of the browes doe shewe the excellent ornature and seemely grace of nature by a certaine liberall benefite in beautifiâ—ng the womans proportion tarre aboue all other creatures for as these hayres are outwardly planted so are they regarded as increasing and springing vp in their due disposition by an outward view for if they did follow the temperature of men they should grow confusedly and without order Then how greatly doe those women scandelize both nature and affection which by colouring crisping platting or striking forth of their haires doe deforme and disguise their fauour and countenance in the open shame of the world notwithstanding all which are not able to alter the seemely shewes of nature whose power both in the head banckes of the browes and eye-lids is both absolutely and artificially expressed And I would haue it further knowne and marked that the difference of moystnesse and drinesse in natures goodly works is vnlike as if graine or seedes were planted or sowed in earth of two natures so that the one should be in temperance more fruitfull then another so doth the haire followe the temperance of the skinne both in substance complexion and colour In like sort as the hayres in the heads of women be moyst or drie after their temperance so vniuersallie both the hayres in the bankes of the browes and eye-lids are drie because the continuall humectation of the eyes purgeth the same But twise and once is either man or woman happie who safegard their head vnder a drie temperance for that moyst corruptions within do speedilie and dangerously alter the outward hayre to become gray and grisly and the rather if the body be vnequally distempered by any colde and vaporous disease Therefore two sortes of gray hayres are to be considered vpon herein The first sort thorow the rage of surfetting youth in the vntimely age of man especially when the temperance is altered by cold venerian vapours the extreame malice whereof suggesteth these colde and perfect diseases of feuers bloudy eyes flegmatike spittle impostumations short breathinges head aches as also the whirling and giddinesse of the braines There are also gray hayres which naturally fall vpon the pure olde age of man signifyeng temperance chastitie soundnesse of body as pleasure and health to the graue As these graye hayres were attained and gotten by wisdome and good aduise so are they preserued and continued as an ornament of great and inestimable honour to olde age Likewise after the temperance of hayre the nayles of the hands and feete are preserued or decayed in good or euill condicion and estate and yet they doe not so speedily alter by the interchange of the inward humours as the hayre doth Dyoscorides sayth that the increment of nayles proceedeth of pure bloud his reason is for that if the nayles decline and putrifie a freshe nourishment springeth thereof againe Cornelius Celsus sayth because the vaines beginne and end in the fingers and toes therefore nature sheweth an outward worke like a comely pentise to couer the same Ruellius sayth the flegmaticke and moyst man hathe a moste prolixe increment in the nayles for that there is a continuall moyste interflowing vapour from the sinewes feeding and nourishing the same So the hot and chollericke man hath sharpe thin and little nailes because large moisture from the sinewes wanteth thereto Theophrastus Paracelsus saith a moyst woman hath thinne short nailes if shee bee aptlye menstruous or els not Galen saith if the plat chest or bulke of the bodie be wide and broadeâ— so that
Paracelsus geueth counsell and therewithall assureth that no good scarchâ—r of mans disposition after fourtie and sixe yeares of age inderdealeth with the excrementes Arnoldus de noua villa geueth more larger libertie in perfect bodies vntill fyftie and fiue yeares bee accomplished For as many old men haue a hot drie bodies so manye others haue yearthly and waterie bodies vnder which seuerall dispositions in old age falleth out Last of all it is a doubtfull and vncertaine thing to discerne the temperature of euerie olde man in age and sicnesse Rasis holdeth in opinion that in age nothing is to be gathered neither from excrementes neither from fourme nor shape nor scarse from operation for operation of some part by occasion of variable disposition may be confounded in an other part I doo let passe the opionins and iudgmentes of manye Writers how the signes of diuers ages differ in sicknesse neither thorow out the whole ages of man doo they obtaine or continue any one perfect significatiue agreement Therefore whosoeuer traueileth in the variable temperances of man let his best direction bee taken from the pulses as feeling euery office of the bodie in his proper worke Yet surelye whatsoeuer is spoken against the view of excrementes in the sicknes of old men Ruellius saith that excrementes are not altogether to be reiected or dispised but according to the straungenesse of the sicknesse and accidentes of the disease duely to bee considered vpon To conclude euerie practitioner hath a large field to trauell in in the time of sickenesse As first to vnderstand the disease by feeling the pulses Nexte to consider whether euerie office of the bodie laboureth alike or no. And thirdlie whether the Accidentes doo stay in any one parte of the body more then an other And last of all whether the duetie of the excrementes be perfourmed in a naturall course or no. Thus endeth the second booke of the Temperamentes The Lord made heauen and earth and all thinges therein blessed bee the wâ—orkes of his handes HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRD booke of the Temperaments IN these former bookes there is set open the differences significations and accidentes of cold hote moyst and drie thinges in their actiue natures and to finde out the reason not only why they should be approued in action as also why they should obtaine their equall qualities to be comprehended and easily perceiued by touching I will not much herein trauell For as one of them hath no powerfull nor perfect constitution without the equall trauell and furtherance of one another So one constitution doth still appeale vnto another vntill the occasion which before was obscure and vnperfect be drawne vnto manifestation power strength and agreement which as Galen sayth doth confirme all medicinable confections And there must be hereunto also annexed not onely the sensible vnderstanding of these naturall causes but a iust coÌ„senting of their forcible power and vertue to haue one successe Also there must be a very high regard had that medicines do nothing in nature digresse from the assenting inclination of suche bodyes vnto which they owe their defence helpe and succour For contrary medicines dangerously doe imprint their malice power inforcing the griefe to become more outragious inflammatiue and vnsetled Experience may instruct heerein that a powerfull medicine in the fourth degree hote cannot escape or be driuen backe from Causticke iâ— burning some verie dangerous action For these putrifactiue or corosiue playsters which in their causticke nature doe worke vpon outward sores although they be sodainly taken away from that place ouer which they did worke power and effect yet their impression or action of heate cannot sodainly or vnawares be taken away for the deepenesse of the sore hath comprehended the power thereof And therefore these inflammatiue actions without more larger libertie and skill cannot bee extinguished The same thing by colde medicines is more clearely perceiued and vnderstoode For blacke popy cannot in the fourth degree vnawares be intertained into the body but that by the same meanes doth oftentimes forthwith alter the body and the actiue mouinges sensible hindered in the vnnaturall course and action thereof It is otherwise with hote medicines which although they exceede from vs in common course of heat yet the power thereof many either be mitigated or vtterly put out As touching cold medicines the reason and vnderstanding is not heereunto alike because coldnesse not onely deepely lurketh in the vaines but stoppeth the vegetation and quickenesse of nature hauing once ouercome the sensible partes of man that although warme thinges be proffered for restoring quickning and lifting vp of that sleepie and deadly inuasion either shal it nothing at all preuaile or els the sensible and naturall partes cannot be recouered to a perfect and due estate and disposition as before For if colde water by a secret potentiall estate be intertained into a warme body and the body by a variable disposition therof altereth into a more higher degree of coldnesse doth extenuate nature and decayeth the power of bloud although the strength of the body exhausteth the sensible coldnesse thereof yet there remaineth a sharpe impression for many discases to insue Furthermore warme water being receiued into a hote bodie although it be possessed with the body for a whole dayes space as it hath nourished vnder some naturall warmth by the strength of the body so can it not be otherwise knowne or perceiued but that the body is made more colder thereby although vnder naturall warmnesse it passeth from the bleather againe So doe we beholde the power of a cataplasma which although it hath a naturall power of coldnesse yet if it be remoued and the place touched all inflammations shall sensibly appeare more subdued moderated and seasoned for inducement of a more higher and excellenter practise in the worke thereof which as some holde in opinion is contrarie in powdred medicines whose power is onely to purge drie and excoriat Yet no doubt there are some powdred medicines which in reuealing an imagination of drinesse in substance are in propertie altogether moyst And except the body be of a drie chollericke disposition shall nothing preuaile to accomplishe any drie action to become perfect and sound Some will maruell why the qualitie of elementes shoulde minister health ease and safegard to one And shewe no potentiall act but rather offence in another Certainely as all inferiour causes are subiect to the alteration of celestiall dispositions so celestiall bodies are stable firme and perfect and in their properties are voyd from alterations Then no scruple herein neede to arise whether this potentiall estate be ingendered or giuen to medicineable hearbs from nature or from celestiall bodies I doe thinke not onely power but all indicible properties inioy a metaphisicall effect And surely forme or bodily shape which heerewith is adioyned hath an indifferent participation from the complexion of elementes and the condition of celestial thinges Yet the iudgement of olde writers is that the propertie of
coorses of most noble personages which doo cendensate into substance with the flesh by long continuance as is afterwardes taken vp for perfect Mumy Ther is an other sort of Mumy which commeth by means of men trauelling ouer the high mountaines of Arabia are oftentimes swallowed vp in the dangerous deepnesse of the sandes their flesh by large continuance of times concreat therwith growing to be of one perfect substance nature together the Arabian writers do much commend this kind of Mumy Now to returne to our purpose in the naturall causes of cold and heate for that there was neuer anie able to shewe the action of colde and heate in one like qualitie of the same And who was euer able to draw the strength of hote causes to take effect from mans naturall heate Or who was euer able or yet would bring to passe that cold thinges should take their action of colde and heate in one like degree from mans naturall heate Except in suffocating the sences vtterly thereby For cold medicines do in their owne propertie and nature follow their owne strength and qualitie in the bodie Galen proueth by the example of cold water which if it be inuested with an accidentall heate will by potentiall essence in it selfe returne to a naturall propertie of coldnesse For as water hath a secret interflowing from the vaines of the earth which although it hath some secret heate by vapours or the influent exhalations of the elementes ascending and discending yet is it in propertie altogether cold without alteration and therefore it is to be regarded that hote fire is extinguished and put out with scalding water so medicines many times haue an action of heate yet of their potentiall power they doe ouercoole and infrefe the body So likewise there is another degree of medicines of cold actions which although they be altered by art to become of a more hote power yet doe they returne to the former first frigiditie yet altogether without excellencie in it selfe So water doth returne alwaies to a peculiar and naturall coldnesse Therefore if medicines be ministred in anie degree to the body and therewithall doe congeale and extreame with coldnesse it is done in the propertie and nature of medicine not because they are preferred beyond their accustomed action Now it is further to be inquired whether medicines in the fourth degree dronke vnder euident coldnesse may in anie sort be quite translated from the naturall heate of man For that it doth not much appertaine to our question wee will not much here dispute with Galen neither is it a matter of anie importance or waight It cannot be denied but if these cold medicines be in small quantitie proffered vpon anie distemperance of the body cannot escape altogether the worke of nature but therewithall profiteth the bodie For like as medicines framed and composed of fumitorie much preuaile in helpe of the dropsie so the disease called Hydros that is when the skinne is filled with water is presently cured with blacke popie And Galen somewhat touched in conscience practiseth to wash away his former obiection against the preparation of popie seemeth to admit the vse thereof against those hote vlcerations so it be both artificially tempered and naturally composed with the complexion Then such medicines are not in same quantitie alwaies so deepelie foreset with cold but that they may haue some naturall instinct of heate especially such hearbes which are in the second and third degree colde and may not altogether reiect and dispossesse themselues from the strength of heate So doe they easily conuert themselues to become in vnion with bodily heate and their wholesome kindly temperance quietly secretly and sodainly subdueth and appeaseth all extreame distemperances of heate in the bodie But Theophrastus Paracelsus on the contrarie affirmeth that Galen is herein greatly deceiued For he further sayth that cold medicines haue a priuate and effectuall nature of cooling and intertained into the body as possibly to be indured vntill it be regenerat with bodily heate Paracelsus reason herein is for that heate and cold may in both their properties obtaine a double distinction as either are they to do some effect in their own properties or els by accidentall meanes the which hath bene sufficiently handled in the former books of these temperaments especially in the qualities of dry and moyst thinges We may finde out sufficient similitudes and testimonies of cold and hote things as popie being of cold nature so Henbane is of hoâ—e nature although they be hotly tempered in their single natures together without artfull confection into the body are not of equall operation so are their actions vnequall and discrepant one from another and their accidentall heate hath supreame intendment in the one and disgraceth the other So likewise if Celledin be dronke in naturall kindnesse of it selfe much profiteth the body but being receiued into the body by an accidentall heate doe greatly hurt and distemper the vital parts of man not so much in respect of action as of operation And certainly as there may be a translation of all thinges beyond nature So oyle is not simply called hote because it is turned into a flame of fire but because it hath a natural and powerfull heate in it selfe For surely hote nourishmentes although they be put into the bodie in the nature of fire yet are they no fire for such kinde of nourishmentes are oftentimes to profite the body in place of medicines and yet the same trasferred beyond the common course of temperance disprofiteth and distempereth the body I would haue it to be heere vnderstoode that whatsoeuer altereth the disease is a medicine except onely that meate and sustenance which aduaunceth it selfe beyond common temperance otherwise all foode ministred vnto the bodie should be medicinable sheweth some naturall effect eyther of liking or disliking propertie For some are of equall power to comfort and nourish the body some doe alter the body to some vnkindly distemperance some doe purge the bodie some do surfet the body and some doe poyson the body We may not therefore coniecture that all sortes of meates suffered in the body are medicines but we must certainly perswade our selues that all purgations ministred vnto the body are poyson some for present operation although not deadly for purgatiue medicines are of three natures In their first nature lenitiuely doe approue and molifie the body In their second propertie vehemently doe search and strongly feede vpon the body They doe in their third propertie insume nature vtterly oppresse the bodie by a sharpe adust fluxing of bloud or cls a deadly benumming of the vitall partes As all naturall sustenance agreeing with the body is conuerted to the substance of flesh and bloud so all poysons of what condition soeuer they be after they be chastised from their poisonsome malice are most curable antidotes and remedies against all venims and stenchfull corruptions which eyther offend or ouercharge the wholesome estate of mans life Yet Galen
all medicines to be congruent and martched vnder perfect constitution and of double operation which is aswell to comforte nature as to expell the disease for if the substance of strength be diminished and the malice of the disease increased appetite and nature are estranged and variable within themselues For nature manie times desireth those thinges which appetite abhorreth the reason is for that appetite is ouercloyed with diuersitie of meates and interchaunge of medicines that both the stomacke and all the lustes of the body incessantly are pursued fatigated and improuidently throwne vpon many dangerous extremities Therefore vnder these meane constitutions whereas tranquilitie and appetite flourish and beare sway there is a good and happie expectation as if the vitall partes be not wearied the disease may be cured and the decayed strength by little and little restored Surely when the heart thorow ouer great abstinence is languished the stomacke cloyed and the liuer viduated and forsaken of the wholsome bloud All thinges thereby haue lost their naturall and proper course that forthwith opiâ—ations and ventosites in the guttes worke all contrarie indirections to health and the rather because the miseriake vaynes which are the conduit pipes of all good bloud from the liuer are obstructed and stayed it were not immethodicall so to distinguish these cold and hote diseases as that one of them in their qualitie and originall may be knowne from the other and the better vnderstood and furthered thereby to health For these cold diseases proceede of earthly 〈…〉 ses are subiect and bound to watery elementes whereupon cold and humid vapours of congealed thicknesse ingender into grosse substance so that all naturall heate is excluded from comforeâ—ig mans bloud thorow which melancholike heauâ—nesse is generated which moste principally oftendeth And the malicious operation that resteth in this humour maketh the bodie leaue and colde stirâ—eth vp the passion of the hart intâ—icateth the wit and vnderstanding to all duâ—nesse and blunteth memory These bodyes are much incumbred with putrisied seuers which proceede of vndigested humâ—dities and augmented with â—uming venâ—osites putrified about the muskels vaynes and ioyntes Furthermore all maner of ruines are hereby drawne to all the partes of the body which vapours after that coldnesse hath ingrossed them to the lowe partes of man called Caâ—arrizans the passages and proper wayes of nature from the spâ—eane to the mouth of the stomacke are intercluded Be it further knowen that these colde rewines thereby issue from one member to an other and infect the bodie with manye cold diseases and are called by three names Catarri Branchus Corizan for so Arnoldus de noua villa setteth them foorth Catarri infect the lightes Branchus infecteth the heade and cheekes Corizam stuffeth and infarâ—eth the nostrels with most humid fluxes and sometimes concockt into verie hard substance by meanes of continuance These bodies are best conserued by a naturall perfect coniunction of drie meates inwardly digested by artificiall means reuiuing the principall members before decayed for lacke of naturall heate In these and such like bodies I doe greatly commend a greedy appetite and a plenary dyet especially in regard that many such complections are fâ—â—xible and ouermuch spend nature of their owne inclinement Therefore plenarie fresh variety of sustenance helpeth many of these sortes of men to naturall heare euen as the hard stone is molified and findered to nothing by manye droppes of raine or as the strong and slately oake thorow moyst issues becommeth putrified so these cold and moyst complections in their natures wash and vanish to nothing The moyst â—raâ—p the shaking palsie the dangerous dropsie the collicke in sundry degrees are the generable 〈◊〉 her 〈…〉 benâ—â—mning the members to become 〈◊〉 one to another for vpon these diseases the vaines become conugated and appetite disfranchised for that corrupt humours may not haue perfect resolution besides all which the whole body is instated with colde influences producing these venâ—meâ—◠〈…〉 rpions Asclides Iposarca and Timpana the one is the materâ—â—l cause in offence of nature the second is an actiue cause inflatâ—ng al the members to become swelling and monstrous the small cause is delatiue conuerting all good and perfect nourishmentes to windie and waterie substance so when these extrâ—mities grow vppon the guttes called Colon and Ylyon are shut vp and thereby both the Dropsie Tympany the wind and stone Collicke preposterously creepe in besides which the raynes of the backe by a grauesly congested substance heereby bendeth and beâ—â—mmeth crooked All which are not to be deueyded without pure and regular dyet of increasing wholesome bloud to become vigent in nature Therfore the disease hauing a scowring vertue is principally comforted and cherished with sweete meates tarsed with vineger to worke a sharpe disposition contrarie to euaâ—uation least that the bodie grow subtile incisiue and euer resolutiue And yet Galen plainly affirmeth that sweete meates are aptly conuerted to choller but â—aâ—t viniger commixed therewith doth greatly fortifie the subtle pearâ—ing and â—â—tring vertue causing the grosse humours to become pure and easily to issue Galen sayth Non quosuis sed rudes duntaxat videor taxare morbos atque potissimum non incerta diuinatione quam probabili conuclâ—ra egrorum indagatione conditionem which is I doe not prescribe and limit euerie disease but the grosse and most dangerous diseases and chiefly doe I sâ—arch out their natures not by vncertaine gâ—sse as by probable coniecture then let not occasion be omitted of more larger speech in such bodâ—â—s subiect to these moyst sicknesses before spoken and of another sort of men which oftentimes passe from this world by vntimely death in strength of youth being grosse and corpulert in their stature which men difficultie indure any adicction to alter nature when sicknesse languisheth vpon them And although they are of measurable abilitie in naturall vigour yet vnable to beare the burthen of sicknesse or subiect their bodies to any stronge accidence but foorthwith their gathered grosnesse is conuerted to a thinne and weake debilitie for that in the first degree of sicknes the vertue digestiue is taken away so that most commonly meat becommeth loathsome to their sight whereas in health the vertue digestiue beeing most stronge did eat much and made few meales Whosoeuer therefore will eyther counsell or comfort any sicke patient must obserue the naturall complection with diet thereunto and that supplement of medicene both in qualitie and quantity be framed aswel in preseruation as restauration of nature and therewithall by contrarie effectes alter the disease as may best serue to the opportunity of health Galen playnly affyrmeth that hot complections are altered with cold sicknesses and cured with moderate medicines And Auycene agreeth hereunto that if the complection of man may haue alteration either by medicine or disease and once recouered to health is euer after most perfect and of longer continuance in this world and lesse subiect to sicknesse for that nature taketh such
vomites in the superiour partes of the stomacke or els by fauourable glisters not onely shall search many ingendred humours and corruptions but cleareth cleanseth and searcheth all the principal parts of nature so that the troubled sences after many paynes shall hereby be drawne to quietnesse and rest Therefore Galen most sapiently distinguisheth aswell vpon single as inflammatiue feuers as of the plurisie and such like Manie moste excellent writers verie much haue complayned of tymes and seasons of the yeare as not sufficiently elucydat or set forth to the knowledge of men after the needful maner of ages for that seuerall nations and countries of the world doe follow their seasons and times by the due course of the elementes and after the propertie of the sunne in vprising and downe seâ—ting who giueth refreshing growing naturall moystnesse and ripening to all liuing thinges according to the soyle and situation of all such groundes and places vppon whome it giueth a shining comfort be it either early or late short or long I finde by all good writers that Autum is the moste dangerous and poisoned season of the yeare vnder Europe and moste complayned of both for the indirect temperature thereof as that especially the effectuall cause of all pestilence then breaketh out as also in that the strong heate of sommer is weakened and transumpted vntill another yeare and also because variable distemperaunce of warmth and colde then aboundeth in libertie of all corruption and rottennesse for the cleare sunne hauing consumed his naturall strength and mightie force vpon all liuing earthly things is vtterly weakened not able to indure so strong a course anie longer vntill a fresh direction be renued from one degree to an other Whereas coldnesse and drinesse are in that season of the yeare coniunct so rottennesse and corruption before intricated in anie part of man presently breaketh forth for as colde hath ouershadowed heate so drinesse vanquisheth moysture for which cause both morning noone and euening haue their sundrie operations in that season of the yeare Auycen sayth it must needes fall out that eyther sorts of feuers in those seasons moste readily shewe their furie For colde and heate gelied together in one substaunce of drinesse maketh demonstration of elimentall corruption and therefore doe vnperfectly rypen And grosse humours also before setled doe openly instat within the poores of man so that corruptions may not aâ—â—e more bee couched but breake foorth in open rage Hypocrates in his first booke of Aphorismes sayth the approâ—hing assentings and constitutions of diseases doe shewe both the passing away of the yeare and a successiue increase of diseases by interchangeable courses of times as whether it be euery day or euery other day or by a more larger compasse and space For in the iudgement of Rasis moste dangerous diseases fall out in these wauering seasons of the yeare as when the body and the elementes are both corrupted together presently without stay are bewrayed in their own natures For doe we not behold these winter diseases are searched in the bottome of their corruptions by colde frostie weather which were before infected with moyst seasons and heereby breake forth into quartan and tertian feuers so that it is further to be considered that these coniested diseases of winter immoderately in the spring time assayle the body especially in those natures whose bodies are euermore incombred with fumaticke grossenesse their passage in their vaynes is interdicted their bloud cannot with easte dissolution ascend and descend doe by infection apprehend cold consuming feuers so also these and such like vaporous diseases their bloud being thorow a contagious spring time discoloured tainted and vnperfected draweth and ingendreth a venomous nature vpon the liuer and whose fortitude and vertue assimilatiue thereby diminished becommeth prassiue in it selfe all which is most venomous to the vitall partes Herein may be perceiued that all contrarie interchanges of the yeare doe approue and trie their inclinations of one season The vapours of the spring or winter season are exhausted into the elements are scowred and cleared by a hote sommer from the elements into the body of man vnder the corruption of the bodie for one corruption entertaineâ—â— another by another and the rather for that all vnnaturall diseases grow and ingender by meanes eyther of stincking and vnseasonable groundes or corrupt vapours in the ayre infecting and weakening those bodies which are emptie and voyd of substance or els difflorisheth the laudable generation of bloud in grosse bodies or els vniuersally infeeble and excoriat the bowels of all men either by a periâ—â—ons fluxe called Dissenteia and such like in the approching of summer or els by a secret Chrysis in the dog dayes vpon the liuer stomacke loonges and giddinesse of the head And surely vpon the accidentes of these diseases the patient is infected with venomous humours as aforesayd as grossenes of bloud impostumated in the liuer the face disfigured the arteries discoloured with yellow blacke humours and the rather for that the gall speweth and stayneth all the superiour partes of man Wherefore as these and such like diseases fall out by interchanges of seasons aswell from some accidentall influence in the distemperance of the elementes as also in the corruption of the body it selfe So such dangerous and fluxible diseases after the iudgement of Dyoscorides are best comforted scowred and restored by potatiue vnguentes inwardly taken Touching those singular feuers are in their first beginning very remotiue and giue easie place to medicine so if those feuers be not in their first onset oppressed will waxe sturdie and verie forcible ouer nature for which cause the counsell of Hypocrates principally is herein to be followed Cum morbi inchoant si quid mouendum moue cum consistunt vigent melius est quietem habere When sicknesses and diseases doe begin remoue them before they take roote but if the disease stand at a stay for some good propertie in it selfe it is farre better the patient take rest And yet no suche prescription is of necessitie here set downe but if the disease hasten to concoction may the better be curable and operatiue both in medicine and nature although oportunitie was omitted in the first beginning of the sicknesse Furthermore manie writers of this latter age approue this place of Hypocrates by the comparison of a botch or some other preposterous outward sore which doe congest and gather vpon the flesh vnder some vile and inordinat substance is not to be cleared and cured from corruption before it come to perfect estate both of ripenesse and rottennesse So these single diseases are not to be remoued in the first beginning of their infection but in the beginning of their increase to concoction so Hypocrates meaning is receiued of the best sort And yet the best meanes is not denyed but that euerie skilfull wise man may in the excellencie of his knowledge at the first entrance of the infection ministeâ— medicine not onely for
increased by the mutuall actions of the forme and qualities together It is therefore most difficult to withdrawe nature and qualitie from these moste excellent temperatures The difficulness of the oâ—e is cased by the perfection of the other in the course of the vaynes which of the ancient Philosophers are called complexions possessing diuers partes of man as coldnesse and drinesse in the bones and hote and moist in many other parts of the body So the rather may it be perceiued that all cold things in mans complexion are ouercome with hote and moyst temperatures nourishing bloud in euery man to be perfected after naturall inclimation Therefore hee hath finished a good and perfect worke which can vprightly discerne a perfect temperature in the estate and constitution of all men The Phisitian is largely to distinguish vppon the naturall complexion of all men for it is his part and dutie to compare man with man and all men to be vnder some one temperance And yet there are many differences to be found vnder these temperatures Galen sheweth by experience of some men which are ouer-troubled with fleame that although some part be taken away and not in all yet the superfluous humour that remayneth is made more moyst and the easier digested and resolued Auycen sayth those thinges which be ouer moyst are tempered by drinesse then there ought to be an accidentall heate indifferently and equally compounded with humiditie but yet the intemperance of heate and moystnesse is an vnequall commixture For Galen sayth that the decay of complexions are vpon superaboiuidant qualities one with another which is the ouerthrowe of nature and bringeth death Leonard Fuchsins sayth if the seasons of the yeare should be compared according to their temperatures the spring season is most wholesome and temperat because it is hote moyst if that by straunge exhaltations it be not corrupted And Autume season sayth hee is moste intemperat for that it is colde and drie Galen sayth otherwise that if the spring be compared or coâ—oyned with an vnnaturall sommer following shal be then â—old and moyst because of the strong exhaltations of heate following thereupon And on the contrary if it be compared or conioyned with the vnnaturalnesse of winter it is hote drie because of the elementes were distramed with heate by an extreame and vnnaturall course in the elementes the season before Surely Dyoscorides very vprightly toucheth the mark that the temperature of the spring time ought to be regarded and marked of naturall and vnnaturall properties in it selfe and not by the comparison of another season Arnoldus de noua villa affirmeth that the spring season is found neither hote nor moist but temperate so that neyther susuperfluous moistnesse nor exceeding drinesse doo abound for the Spring indifferently seasoneth all thinges Ieremias Thriuerius saith that Springe hath no perfect temperaunce thorow which eyther the winter before or the sommer after haue lost their temperaunce in the heate of the earth when as the vaines and sweet fountaines of the earth are decaied hauing not onely lost their naturall progressions but thorow strange exhalations the aireis distemptred and becommeth grosse loathsome and furiousin all open corrupitons So on the contrarie al the partes of the earth may bee inraged with hot drinesse for that the elementes exceedinglie doo sucke the ioyce of the earth drawing in all filthye corruptions which infester in the highest degree seeing the spring time is then of propertie and nature most comfortable and that in all naturall and wholsome temperanre doth neuer bring forth sicknes except by some former corruption which hath forestalled the sweete refreshing ioy thereof It is good to consider then the temperances of the yeareâ— how they doo agree with the complections of men both for the conseruation of health and the auoiding of sicknesse for collerick persons doe best take comfort and ioy in themselues in winter for the heat of their complections is best delayed and tempered with the moistnesse of that season Flegmatike persons do liue more safer in sommer then in the spring time for this temperature chiefly agree with their complecions so may wee not forget that women doe liue in greater ioye of nature and norwholsome in sommer then either in winter or spring season and Hypocrates dooth simply graunt that women are both in the spring and sommer season most prone and then principally esteemed with men yet Rasis sayth that cholâ—erike women both in winter spring season are excessiuely stirred vp with natures inclinements and then most of al possessed inwardly with great heate and very apt to digestion and therefore their naturall courses and prouocations are then most apt and plentifull Arnoldus de noua villa affyrmeth that there are superfluous humours which of their owne malicious propertie redilie are prepared to infect the flemmatique woman and are open to many other vnnaturall accidents and yet sometimes by a fauorable propertie of nature doo release themselues Therefore Theophrastus Paracelsus saith that if those accidentes did not performe great works of natures inclinements of moystnesse and heat in the change and alteration of the moone A woman were then colde and drie in the perfection of death But yet those bodies which are of their owne propertie both temperate and long during in the perfectest constitution of a womans body is hot and drie Now furthermore it were a very good and special doctrin somewhat most largely to discouer the properties and variable conditions of Autume and the rather for that many haue fayled in the true explication thereof Some affyrme that season to be hot and drie other some say it is cold and drie and some other some say that the qualities and disposition of this season dependeth vpon daies weekes and monethes and the diuersities thereof happen not like as other times and seasons as cold in the noone time and hot in the morning and euening al which ouerpasseth the right and equall proportion of temperance Cornelius Celsus saith that in Autume there is a contrary motion of the Elementes in all superiour causes so in these inferiour causes there is also a chaungeablenesse in all things as from moystnesse and greenesse to ripenesse and rottennes thorow which distemperance many thinges doe drawe strange vapours of the aire into their qualitie whereby many infections doe corrupt and take holde of the body in gendring variable diseases Besides which their is a contrarie motion of the elementes corruptly rouing abroad in those seasons Not onely because heate and moysture are coniuncted in the variable partes of the elementes but also for that there is no certaine nor constant induction of the weather for health and wholesomnesse to comfort mans body withall For first the planets are in their courses vtterly difframed one from an other so the sunne vppon the nightlie and north passage fretteth vpon the circle deuiding the halfe spheare called horyzon as also hauing entered vpoÌ„ a contrary poynt of Arâ—es inforceth the mornings of those
those thinges which are temperate for certainly superfluous moistnesse scarreth and breaketh naturall collour Some hold in opinion that if heat by a strong proportion do superabound cannot offend at all as if it be tempered with excellent moistnesse dooth alwaies conserue a liuely temperance This opinion is much reprooues by Dyoscorides who iudgeth those bodies which of necessitie exceed and ouerflowe in fleame doo also exceede in heate and moystnesse and in like sort they are so deseperate one from an other as that they cannot perâ—ake or comprehend any perfect quicknesse at all considering that nature is rather hurt by the excesse of two properties then one for there ought to be alwaies a medioâ—ritie and an indifferent estate in nature Therefore it is necessarie that heat doo not extend in a sanguine man more then humiditie for if moyst humour preheminentlie be placed the intemperature of the sanguine complexion is more quicke then any other temperatures and yet not in a temperate disposition As such intemperatures are of a more quicker operation then the rest so are they more vnwholsommer and esiest suspected of their vnsoundnes and nature oftentimes speedily perisheth in them especially for that contagâ—on is ouer powerful therein although this may be true yet was there euer any that searched the true vnderstanding thereof For surely these sanguine complexions as they are hot and moyst so their bones sinewes and vaines are couered with thicke flesh ingendring great aboundance of blood many of them thorow exceeding great ryot easily do intertaine many diseases vntimely deuouring and ouerthrowing them And in very deed ther is in these sanguin complexions a contagion which falleth out both by straunge and vnnaturall heat which easily gathereth both because the same is forensical and improper and also for that it hath a principall power in it selfe so that the old pruerbe herein is verified that smoke is next fire And as it insulteth vpon moystnesse so is it easily conioyned yet not nourished therwith The reason falleth out for that heat and mo 〈…〉 e were distemperatly vnited Also drinesse verye hardly intertayneth heat Yet if it be a hot drinesse contagion is very greatly repugned and withstood thereby Therefore it standeth with dayly experience that whatsoeuer things can be preserued saâ—ored or tempered with vimger or salt from corruption is wholsome and pure It is a most excellent workmanship in like sort to continue the sound estate of man vnder good and perfect ordinance in the time of heat and moistnes Yet some writers verily think such seasons can hardly be recouered from corruption but that some one disease or other falleth out vpon the distemperance of the weather Furthermore the authority of Aristotle or Theophrastus shall not any thing herein preuaile who wrongfully place the life of man between heat and moisture in the definitiue sentence of death The old writers neuer did so thinke hauing by three means gathered heat cold moistnesse and drinesse although the earth is more drier notwithstanding the quality thereof is impermixt their bodies forthwith decline And surely the indowment of these sanguine complexions are neyther hote nor colde but temperate They are men compounded of moste excellent dispositions and for that they are of yellow whitish haire like flax much good speach is vsed of them both by Galen and Dyoscondes they indure health strongly and doe resist and beare out the danger of sickenesse familiarlie withstand the furie of accidentall diseases called infections most stifly and the rather by reason of the varietie of their permixion and confused humours Furthermore for that we are distinctly to handle not onely the constitution of mans body but chiefly the seuerall complexion vnder which euery man is gouerned therefore are we next to consider of two sortes of melancholicke men of the which one kinde hath a helpefull humour and is appropriat to nature the other is improper or rather vnnaturall The disease of the melancholicke person is ingendred of two parts of which one entreth into bloud and possesseth the vaines and the other is conuered into the spleane It is profitable if the bloud thereof be thicke whereas it was before thinne watrish and weake being so conuerted doth muche strengthen all the members of mans bodie There is a melancholious humor ingendred vpon the liuer which simple is neyther hote nor colde but absolutely drie and cold And as Galen reporteth Socrates to be a melancholicke person and a man of a thin bloud by reason he had no actiue increase in heat of a rough skin because continuall vapours froÌ„ the stomack moued intentiue coldnesse because the comfortable bloud did not freely at all times returne to proper course his bones mouth and braine were drie and his stomacke feeble Cornelius Celsus sayth that Socrates was a melancholike person on the worst part both for that the liuer bloud was not perfect neyther had free and open passage or recourse vnto the vaynes or yet was temperately conueyed vnto the spleane in which places bloud should be plentifull vigent and nutrimental and by which meanes all melancholious superfluitie should be expelled Melancholy which is taken in good part manie wayes profiteth the body to all wholesome comfortes and hath a speciall regiment in the highest and best place to the spleane But if it possesse the body on the worse behalfe becommeth a dust saltish sower and boyleth vpon the inward partes and is altogether grose rumous and hath a finall inclinement to death A melancholike man is of countenance blacke and yellowe and of nature in two degrees the one more tollerable in condicion then the other The one sort are most vnconstant and readily doe tergiuersat from euery perfect purpose Whosoeuer readeth the opinion of Auycen in a certaine epistle supposed to be written to a noble Duke of Sabelayn Hispalis in Spaine shall finde there described more certainly the properties of a melancholious person then I purpose to intermedle withall Yet Dyoscorides maketh a very commendable report of a certaine excellent potion called Diospoliciton first An excellent potion called Diospolicâ—ton deuised and approued by Architas Prince of Tarentum a moste soueraigne remedie against all melancholious diseases And Galen in his booke de sanitate tuenda Speaketh moste deuinely and reputeth those men to be meâ— of high happinesse who in their dispositions vnderstand the worâ—es of nature do by inward contemplation as by wisedome and experience continually consider to instruct and reforme nature to a better inclinement vntill perfect grace olde yeares and gray hayres haue preuented the inconuenience of such desperat humours and also to haue made an vtter conquest of all the euill practises thereof It is further to be noted that many euil maners doe grow vpon the naturall disposition of man like weedes and that aswell by dayly vse and custome as by excessiue distemperance dipt and coloured euery dayin wicked practises from the purenesse of their first innoceâ—tie as that sometimes they are become vnreformable And
belonging to children is increased and multiplied with nourishmentes vntill adolescencie be perfected and afterward shorteneth decayeth and falleth away as the somme◠dayes vpon the approchment of winter And therefore he sayth that generation is colde and moyst As a kernell throwne into cold earth is by the naturall operation of the earth nourished by one degree to another vntill it become a plant and so forth vnto a perfect tree so is bloud and heate directed to increase and arise from generation to conception vntill a perfect birth be performed to infancie and then forwardes to childhoode vntill adolescencie be consummat This reason standeth verie proper to manie dispositions As touching adolescencie it is most largely set downe in the second of the Aphorisines touching wormes in yoong men proceeding of an intentiue heat and by the same reason adolescency more easily falleth into sharpe feauers than children First not onely because heat is in them more intentiue but also sharpe and dry all which is manifested by touching and feeling the complexion whether in the course of blood it be soft or hard for those kindes of feauers are of diuers natures which eyther by an extreame deuoydance or defect of blood doo aswell offend the arteries as other principall members the heart the lyuer the lunges the stomach and the raines which in their vegetatiue nature are wasted and consumed so that by the highest degree of daunger the spirites vitall naturall and animall are excessiuely infoizned or in an other respect the naturall humoures boyles and seethes about the stomach or the braines oftimes are vanquished by strong vapoures so that both giddinesse distempereth the head and disapetteth the stomach and the rather if naturall heat be interdicted from all rightfull and due passage in the vaines for which respect these rotten feauers doo growe vpon adolescencie in the contagion aforesaid or els by reason of grosse blood salt fleame or prassiue choller or melancholious sorrowe or by distemperance of mordinate heat in the sunne or putrified ayres or inordinate surfets or for lacke of exercises There are diuers sortes of these feauers hauing diuers natural inconuemences attending vpon them Some of them are called humerall some are called Ephimerae some are called Hecticae some are called Capillares These feauers haue diuers secreet perils depending vpon them and oftentimes when their constitution is inwardly drie doo denunciate great outward moystnesse For as wax is moyst and drie or colde and drie in one nature so these feauers may be more noysome◠aduersible and impedimental for that nature molested by cold drinesse is like soft clay congealed to drie hardnes of a frozen compact substance which reason declareth that colde drinesse taketh his first substance from colde moystnesse In which dangerous degree immedicable corruptions depend hereupon nature being transpersed in the first maner of comparison as the elements reserue in thēselues a perfect substance and yet dispose and alter the qualitie an other way For where the substance falleth away there putrifaction beginneth a common calamity nature vtterly desisteth and leaueth of her common and operatiue course thereby These differences of moystnesse and drinesse by alteration of nature are knowen in sustance of all liuing things For wher liquid propertie of fluxing hath power there the course of corruption poysoneth and putrifieth all thinges for fluxible things are moist ouerflowe and run foorth abroad to euery detrimental mischiefe and those thinges which easilie concreat are speedilie drie and will not afterwardes vnderbend to the qualitie of moistnesse So after this manner the contrarieties of drinesse and moystnesse are in their natures esteemed and accounted off We are then to consider not onelie the humours which euery man is best disposed vnto but all the partes of a man vnder what constitution eyther of drinesse or moystnesse he doo wholly depend As first wee are to pleade vpon the highnesse and excellencie of fatnesse which is so much aduanced in the bodie of man As that thorow that mediocritie all voluptuous delightes are prospered and by the exesse thereof the vitall blood is much corrupted And as pure fatnesse is contayned vnder health and wholsomnesse so fat which commeth of gluttonous ingurgitation is verie deceitfull to the body And therfore fatnesse is contayned vnder diuers kindes and after diuers complexons so the propertie thereof is also diuers For as faines inlarded vpon the flesh is most purely congested into substance so is it moistly nourishable in digestion And yet the parchment skin called the membrans as the calle This moistnes is like a running gutter which if the fountaine be stopped aboue the gutter forthwith drieth beneath and fylme wherin the guters or bowels are lapped are most drie after the opinion of Theophrastus both because their moistnesse swiftly is transported into the liuer vaines and oftentimes deuoided away by the vrine or ordour and also for that all the inward partes continuallie as also hotly and excessiuely breathing thereupon made thereby of necessitie drie although hot moistnes reeketh thereupon yet can it neuer growe into perfect substance therewith There is an other fatnesse impertinent from the temperature of man called tallow onely belonging to Oxen and other such like vnreasonable creatures partible in the hooffe the which is both drie and yearthly Likewise there is an other fatnesse called grease which nothing appertaineth to man except that which moystlie is gathered in the gall And as that grease which is so gathered is moyst so is it moistlie digested and drawen into moist substance especiallie vpon claw footed beastes and foules of the ayre Auycen assureth that nothing is more preseruing to mans life then naturall grease gathered vpon pure and perfect sustenance yet many make no choise of their meates but in their feeding doo groslie satisfie appetite greedilie furnish their stomaches and in pursuing their owne delightes doo thereby vtterlie disfauour complexion corrupt blood and nourish diseases And the fatnesse so gathered vppon such slymie and loathsome sustenance is moyste in the highest degree thorowe which the bodie is ingrossed the guttes puffed the braines inuapoured and the stomach ingurged Besides which it dooth congeale into a variable viscous and matery substance of waterie blood inundating between the skinne and the flesh so that swelling tympanies oftentimes breake foorth in the fulsome generation thereof Auycen sayth that whosoeuer desireth health and long dayes let him make his choyse of drye meates to feede vppon and thereby to increase and gather perfect substaunce of fatte so that the fleshe and the fatte may bee equallye inlarded-agreeable one together with an other as that nothing may exceede therein one from another vnder Natures temperaunce And that the vitall bloud taking perfect liking and pleasure therewith may fruitfully flowe into all the partes of man without opilation There is moreouer a fatte deeply couched in the bones which Auycen calleth the pyth and kernell of the bones it is hot and drie and beeing melted presently yeeldeth and spreadeth to
bee liquid and yet forthwith returneth to the same naturall substance as before This marrowe is of diuers qualities in the disposition of the The spinall marrow is the backe bone marrowe Ther be two oments one in the head called Pâ—a mater and the other belonging to the open fat ouer the belly bones As first in the braines next in the fiat broad hollow and round bones Galen sayth that the marrow of the bones is most drie and the spinall marrowe moist in the second degree for the bone marrowe is perfected and made pure naturallye compacted within the hard shell of the bones and the oment marrowe is liquid in the celles of the head and void of all during substance for that the humours haue such large accesse thereunto that the same is thereby continually molified and verie highly weakened in operation Surely it is a wonderfull mysterie to consider and thorowly weigh this excellent worke of nature for the variable couching this pyth in the deepe bottome of the bones sowpling scouring renuing and fortifieng the strength and swiftnes of the body thereby Galen hath many degrees in the variable art of nature touching marrow of diuers kindes and properties and touching the vniuersall frame of the bones is nothing els but an outward anathomie of the whole bodie couered and set foorth with flesh blood sâ—iâ— vaines sinewes So also there wanteth no necessarie office within that appertaineth to the life of man But touching measelled or kernelled flesh with which we haue not to interdeale within the drift of this our purpose both beccause it is a monstrous mishapen substance gathered within the flesh contrary to nature and also because sundrie infections arise thereby in mutuall consort one with an other so that hauing this spoken of the inwarde worke in the outward temperance are not to omit also the temperaunce of the inward motions Touching the lightes spleane and raines which are of hot and moist dispositions and yet their ordinances minister many drie effectes in the body for there are some writers as Petrus Brissotus Petrus Galiensis Iohannes Glarensis Michell Scotus or Cornelius Celsus who suppose the loonges to be indued with lesser moystnesse then the liuer and the rather because cholericke bloud is not intermingled therewith except that which perfectly purgeth the same Theophrastus Paracelsus concludeth the loonges to be a certaine spungie instrument in the side and is of such hote propertie as that most chiefly it is nourished by extracting moystnesse from the liuer And also it is to be adiudged vnder the nature of drinesse for that the spirite and breath hath such a forceable exhalation from the same Therefore Auycen affirmeth That which is hote is easily corrupted with cold that as all accidentall hearbes doe much comfort the loonges so all accidentall coldnesse is most harmefull thereunto as generating tysickes coughes belchinges short breathinges And yet the loonges are much comforted vnder a naturall choller in these bodies which can best possesse inioy the same whereas the liuer bloud is moyst and earthly and vnder a melancholious temperance and a melancholious body is very thicke and subiect to putrified corruptions in the ayre and therefore subiect to pestilence especially vnder euery colde and drie distemperance Galen speaketh of certaine hot moystnesse in mucilaginous flesh inclineable to the second degree such bodies doe drawe from the loonges and liuer by an excesse exhalation eyther of temperance or distemperance the corruption heereof is easily found out by a stincking and contagious breath and other superfluous excrementes deuoyded by fleanie And although the morning breath may be vnsauorie by filthie and hurtfull contagions proceeding eyther by long fasting emptinesse of the stomacke or the breath closly detayned vnder long sleepe gathereth excrementall filthinesse thereby so surely all the fathers and best writers doe attribute the efficient cause vpon a slimie decay and noysome corruption in the loonges which necessarily falleth out by the moystnesse of the liuer feeding the same It is a very hard thing to finde one member hote and drie together except the hart which standeth vpoÌ„ the dyaphragmâ— which maketh diuision vppon the spirituall partes Therefore Auycen placeth the hart absolutely drie Dyoscorides somewhat doth contradict Auycen heerein Who saith that although the loonges giue breath yet their comfort proceedeth from the heart giueth heate and strength thereunto And also breath by either partes adioyned thereunto is made more hoter So likewise the liuer bloud is deferued and strengthened in heate by pursuing and searching vppon other parts of the body adioyned thereunto otherwise it is earthly especially when accidentall effectes in diseases are transferred beyond the power of nature And as the breath followeth the nature of the loonges so the bloud onely followeth the nature of the liuer and yet in their propertie they doe both decline for breath is most filthily corrupted aswel by inward excremeÌ„ts as inward diseases So the bloud by sweete and delicious nourishmentes is conuerted to choller and is then both hote and inflammatiue So that discrepating froÌ„ his first propertie vtterly orrupteth decayeth becoÌ„meth absumpt in the degree of death Cornelius Celsus sayth the spirite the heart the bloud the liuer the single flesh the musculous fleshe the spleane the raynes the arteries the vaines are hote by accidentall meanes otherwise they are cold this his meaning is left raw and vnseasoned it is to be coniectured he meaneth those accidentes to be the nourishment which increaseth prospereth and cherisheth those parts of the body in qualitie and quantitie which otherwise after the maner of the membrance woulde debilitate and surcease their power All this considered as the spirite is more exquisite and searching so is it also in due propertie more warmer then bloud Likewise and on the contrary the arteries with the vaynes and fatnesse are hote and yet by all and euery euill and subtill accidents colde if the body infecting or touching be found soft it is not forthwith moyst for reason may not iudge such a bodie to be soft which by vnnaturall humour is manie times fluxible For euen as wax is not of his owne propertie onely moyst as by the excesse of accidentall heate put thereunto so cleere water is thickned or hardened by accidentall colde This proueth all thinges to be vnder some vnnaturall propertie and reuertible from their first fresh florishing natural course So that hitherto hauing defined temperance with all measurable moderation so also haue we differenced ages and proportions of yoong men from olde men and olde men from children and children from infantes Next after the opinion of Galen we are onely to shewe the temperature of these accidentes which verie highly varie many times from nature and become deformed and unproper in theÌ„selues As slendernesse thickenesse corpulencie and a measurablenesse in the naturall condition of all men And touching slendernesse there are two euidences thereby signified that is aswell the small quantitie of flesh as the puâ—r
the heate of the hearte hath free and plentifull passageâ— the increase both of the haires and nayles are The heart hath a drie heat much prospered therewith especially if the heat of the heart bee both pure excellent and nourishable Whereas if slendernesse and straightnesse bee in the bulke dooth shew the naturall drinesse of the heart and chest from the byrth day thorow which there is greate obstruction from the naturall course of good blood offending the vegetation both of the nailes haires and all other partes Therefore the straightnesse of the bulke is perrilous to the wholsome ordinance of health for those bodies are commonly preserued with naturall feuers all the daies of their life doo not onely absume in the tenuity of their flesh but many of them perish and decay in the substance of the heart Some certaine aswell by the strength of nature as by yeare and time ouergrowe the eager humour and so escape the dangers hereof And yet many of them after any such recouery are greatlie incumbred with a tisich vpon the lunges Although it is possible by medicinable art to represse and reprooue the drinesse of these partes yet not so perfectlie but that a smache thereof will followe vpon them vnto their last end There is an other sort of men which are both of hotte stomaches and ranke liuers as their red coloured countenances declare the same they are also purple-nosed and hayrie about the breast Auycen reporteth them to be men of forcefull stomaches apt to warfare and yet their courage very much subdued from inflamation and desire to lecherie Dyoscorides saith that a true martiall man is altogether without lustfull pleasure or desire towards women and yet ful of mercie and loue towardes them And furthermore alechemus man is not alwaies bolde for both by qualitie as quantitie his thighes and loines and other lineamentes shewe the constitutione of a faint liuer So also the broadnes of the breast and length of the necke are the outward signes of an inwarde troublesome minde Theophrastus Paracelsus saith that a short necked man is apt to conceiue pregmaticall and verie of dangerous disposition and yet his body verie subiectiuelie is vanquished vnder euery straunge accideniall disease A wrie necked person hath verie high conceites to accomplish and their mindes are easilie infected vnder many dangerous practises Galen saith that reason cannot instruct vs in these outward signes of nature but an inward and direct constitution maketh a perfect experience hereof Auycen saith that if the outward complexion be cold the inward constitution is hot If euill maners bee outwardly discouered the inward thoughtes are more easilie coniectured which is more suffientlie prooued by the estate of seasons and countries for that all men generallie are procliue and apt to shew the maners of their countrie in their conuersation whether it be in pouertie or pride either in rudenesse or ciuilitie We are therefore the rather to suspect the wonderful and high constitutions of nature inwardlie by these outward euill properties and dispositions For in the south regions all outward things are hot and all inward thinges colde So on the other behafe all outward thinges vpon the north partes are cold and freesing when the inward estate is warme and the temperance therewithall yeeldeth hot whereby it commeth to passe that the people borne in those partes of the world are of most fierce courage and although verie bolde yet in all their enterprises headlong Auycen saith those which be borne vpon the Meridian point are vnmeete for warres So Iustin reporteth that men of the north partes of the world are in the beginning stout and fierce to battel but their heartes in the end are soluble and melting with the snowe For all outwarde temperaunces doo retire and flie backe to the inwarde partes of man by reason of outwarde colde wherefore they haue not a stronge digestion but all inward thinges are in them thereby of great valour Some may think that Hypocrates reasoning with Galen hath made a very vnlikely argument or proofte herein as the Europians are more fiercer then the Asians for that they indure greater inequalities of seasons and whereas summer is verie hot in the one and winter verie colde in the other so an inward heat is contemperated vnder the condition or estate of either temperance Cornelius Celsus verily thinketh that Hypocrates respecteth the experience which those countries approoue by by war or by such great inequalities of seasons are the better prepared to abide and suffer all interchangeable calamities of the bodie which ought to be borne and suffered in warres and therefore these sortes of pleople are more fitter for wars then other countries It is most certainlie to be credited that those which inhabite the Meridian point are more hotter in the liuer and hart then other countries yet their heat is strange not naturall they haue plentie of good blood and breath they are wise but not valiant And those which inhabite those cold regions are therefore flerce stout and apt for warfare and haue a conioined substance of breath and blood aboundantlie in their bodies And therefore Auycen reporteth that those which inhabite vnder the Bear doo in fiercenes courage and valour giue place to no man And Hypocrates doth call their temperance flerce and sharpe because their heate is vnited and ouermatched with colde Also in those temperate regions which inhabite the Meridian point heat draweth and inforceth heat as may be well perceiued and vnderstood in those extreame and hot seasons of the year wheras strong and flerce corruptions doo infect and draw vpon the bodie of man by hotte and malicious contagions So in these Europian countries the times and seasons of the sommer excessiuely inforceth heate vppon the extreame partes of man and also their winters are ouer much colde and very bitter to the outwarde paries so that their digestion in winter time is more stronge and their naturall heate more aboundaunt There is a sufficient discourse in in the firste booke of these Chollerike men haue great tranquility in winter Temperamentes of chollericke men inhabyting these Europian countries whose outrage hath the greatest domination in sommer and doo liue at most pleasure quietnesse and rest in winter So flegmatike men haue their ioy in sommer greatest distemperature in winter Yet Theophrastus Paracelsus sayth that seeing nature hath differenced the chollerike man from the fiegmatike by vnequalnesse of seasons so the inwarde heat in the time of winter is more shorter in the one naturall heat in the time of winter is more stronger in the other which if it be so then all liuing creatures without exception are to haue a more pleasant and happie estate of life in winter then sommer because naturall heat is the artificer and instrument of all liuing thinges Cornelius Celsus saith that like as the sunne is lodged vnder the darke vaines of the clouds in the night season so heat is hidde and shrowded in the secrete vaines
these naturall causes to be no other thing theÌ„ an indicible All indicible thinges haue a indicible temperance temperature hauing some indicible propertie and forme is no other thing then a temperance in his owne nature or the immediate and extraordinarie reason from the celestiall influence therefore the naturall philosophers haue not spoken in vaine that Man and the sonne did beget man Then surely the starres are nothing at all occupied in the generation of mixt things rather doe they claime a most great part to themselues of that which appertaineth to these immixt properties and powers And it is no maruell but that these vertues powers and strength are so opposite and manifest to our feeling and perceiuing that heate and colde should also haue a singular prehemmence in the stars Theophrastus Paracelsus sayth that all these medicineable hearbes are not elementarily ingendred But brought forth of some deuine power from the pure celestiall estate aboue But yet these elementall qualities so highly doe beare their force in the countenance of all inferiour thinges and their powers are so full and large in all medicineable effectes that no furtherance or meanes preuayleth eyther to confirme them or els bring them backe to any other strange act or vnusuall alteration Dyoscorides sayth that the deuine power moueth the elementes to become eyther naturall or vnnaturall to the earth And the earth withall the bountifull creatures therein do take their essence increase or decrease from the due course or alteration of the said elementes The chiefe Philosophers doe say that the high fruitfull scituation of the sunne worketh vpon all liuing creatures that all naturall causes greatly preuayle thereby Then it is no maruell that single medicines haue an appropriat inclination in themselues but artificially qualified from their owne nature haue a more clearer and peaceable effect And although the sunne doth in euery place east her seasonable power and strength yet not with one indifferent qualitie of warmenesse and heate to be intertained into all thinges alike not for that there is any defect in the primarie propertie of the sunne but because there is a seuerall propertie from the complexion of elements For as no phisitian can frame one medicine to be indifferently receiued and intertained into euerie seuerall constitution So the sunne is shewed forth in one force and potentiall estate alike although the action vpon all inferiour causes vnlike for that euery thing followeth the propertie of nature from the complexion of elements in generation and the propertie of the sunne in augmentation The vnseasonable elementes doe oftentimes darken the sun and thereby distemper and disseason the inferiour causes of the earth So also the confused courses and running together of the flâ—â—s 〈…〉 oursing by an vnsingled and variable power within themselues is the onely cause why all the hearbes and fruits of the stelde are of medicionable and saluing condition ouer one and nothing at all profiting but rather hurting vnto another Therefore the power of all these thinges are distinguished three maner of waies As firste their possibilitie hath one ordinarie power in themselues Secondlie that a supreame naturall substance coagulateth in the power of all inferiour causes Thirdlie dooth in the same power obtaine and accomplish some effectuall propertie in it selfe which by any forraine accidents can neither be interuented nor altered except inforced from one propertte to an other to some supreame excesse within their owne naturall essence Therefore these medicines whose vertues are determined hot in the second degree are most easily made hot in their action and also most easily are they conuerted to fire in open extremitie exceeding their natures as vnflaken lune rosenne or gumme which yssueth from the excesse vapours of trees But the greatest danger happeneth in colde medicines especially if nature hath determined their operation hotte and their action colde as the Hemlock which of Dyoscorides is called Cicuta a most poisonsome practise in the fourth degree hath not onely a hot propertie and troublesome effect but an impressiue action of a colde benumming the sences which cannot bee afterwards rased out And yet many times some strong forcible complections will rather alter and subdue such strong medicines to become inclinable to the body then indure themselues to be altered or subdued af the body Theophrastus Paracelsus saith it is no perfect opinion neither of the olde nor new writers that medicines ought to bee first drawen into actuall preheminence before the corruption bee styrred and prepared by some preparatiue or gentle mollefaceion the easier the power of of purgation is extended to mortifie and slay the disease Alwaies prouided that medicines be matched with the nature of the bodie aswel in sicknesse as in health Like as clear water contemperated with pure wine doth much profite and season a hot and inflammatiue bodie to become ttmperate After the same manner weake medicines gentely are framed to doo their effect then those medicines which are of high and grosse operation For the more weaker medicines are composed for slender bodies the easier their strength is euidently knowne their limits and bounds discouered and therby lesse feared Whereas grosse hot and strong medicines are subtill fierce easily doo insinuate and winde themselues into all the partes of man and although they be most charily regarded yet will they many times exceed art wherefore medicine ought to be framed and drawen after the measure of bodyly heate otherwise it is no equall instrument of nature neither can nature be vsed in her potentiall measure for the speedy ouerthrowe of the disease For as medicine ought to be framed most like vnto nature so the disease from time to time is directed by nature Therefore medicine ought to bee receiued into the body vnder the warmnesse of newe milke or mans blood although Galen counselleth that medicines in sommer season bee proffered vnto some bodilie constitutions vnder the coldnesse of fountaine water But touching medicines outwardly applyed some high and singular practise must be attained for healing and curing such outwarde sores First by rubbing and searching the grieued place of the patient whereupon sometimes the inflammatiue infection of the furious and hot humour increaseth and far surpasseth the boundes both of medicine and nature except peraduenture it be corrected by some drieng drinke or purgatiue potion inwardlye taken or that the outwarde medicine bee of some very colde and slender power in operation which sensibly is perceiued For and if medicines be vnapt they will contrarile wrastle both against nature and the afflicted sore as swiftlie vncertainlie and groslie winde in their power and strength But if colde medicines be slowe they may be remedied and preferred after the skill of the Chirurgian to a more fuller and larger estate and degree Yet hot searching and inflammatiue medicines are necessarilie required in fulsome putrified and corâ—siue sores eyther for searching searing scowring and fadoming the deepenesse thereof as for the staying and stopping of some further
impendent danger And as some medicines are changed in their own qualities so there are also some medicines which thorow their lenetiue nature passe ouer into the substance of the body Ther is also an other cause in the vniuersall participation of ioyning superiour causes together into one perfect substance is so duly regarded in them as that their qualitie in action hath no domination in it selfe but their properties are rather deducted and brought downe from the starres into the power of hearbes Otherwise this wandring desert hearbe Scanmionyum which vnperfectly purgeth choller and leaueth the constitution of the body in more worse estate then before should be as familiar to the body as Succorie Endiffe Buglosse and such like hearbes of saluing and curing nature And yet Dyoscorides saith that Succory is of diuers kindes one is cherished in Gardens as a pretious treasure preserued for bodilie health so the other is wilde and of more resisting vertue Yet because they doo both alike drawe a naturall power from the starres in one perfect kind and substance doo equally agree in one manner of operation for they are so indicible and euident as that their propertie is not knowne onely by reasonâ— as by experience as also highlie occupied in the gouernment of mans health although they haue a right and due propertie of euident vertue which mans art cannot seperat or put away therefore action and passion are due vnto their qualities aswel for that they haue a whole and perfect substance of moouing power as also for that there is an easie transmutation of their nature into the naturall substance of mans body There is also an hearbe called Molios which draweth a power from the high gouernour of Spirites called Amy and hath sixteene legions vnder his dominion as Dyoscorides reporteth in his third booke and the fiftie two chapters in the Commentes of Barbarus and Virgilius that this hearbe is of an outward vertue most excellent it hath great power against witchcraft south saieng and coniuration it is not inwardly to be taken but outwardly to bee caried about it is of a propertie by it selfe and wil not inwardly be changed into the substance of mans nature neither doeth it preuaile in remedy of any disease except the falling sicknesse And surely all other hearbs haue some naturall or vnnatuturall portion with our bodie Yet it is vnpossibly that they should be of one power and effect together neither is there a like alteration one with an other For if their properties were of equall agreement then one substance could not haue equall operation into an other Euen as these prrperties doo verie much disagree within themselues so can they not foorthwith passe ouer into mutuall substance of mans bodie without artful knowledge aptly composing them thereto As fire sodainly without art can not bee trasformed into water nor ayre into earth So by the same difference medicines are distinguished and and knowen from nourishments For as nourishmentys agree with the natural comfortes of men so medicines haue their properties differing from the properties of men And as medicines are repugnant to the disease so both the body and the disease not onely become subiect but refourmed to medicine for health and safetie thereby And although Art domifieth them to become gentle kinde and naturall yet art neuer depriueth them from their free propertie For how much the rather they are of contrarie substance so doo they shew themselues the rather in the similitude of a more greater action and yet for that one substance is passed ouer into an other they are qualified also in power therefore let vs once againe distinguish the estate and condition of medicines within themselues Although there is an artificiall forme in the constitution of all medicines framed to some speciall appointed purpose yet as Galen saith there are some hearbes colde which take a verye litle portion of change in the heate of mans blood And many times not onely because they are of colde nature but venomed in some degree of poison very notably do they corrupt mans body As the mandragoron and such like There are also some other poisoned hearbes in a most hot degree of strong venym as the Daphnaydes the Colociâ—tidaâ—â—the Iâ—ios As they do exceed the heat of mans body so do they reach most highly beyond mans nature do forthwith oppresse life and entertaine death if their strength be not artificially remedied There are also medicines neither of hurting nor saluing power neither of hote nor cold operation neither doe they nourish nor yet destroy but very indifferent to the body of man There are also composed medicines of honnie butter sweet oyle as they are not of no pure nor cleere verdoue so are they verie nourishable and restauratiue to nature And as nourishmentes are easily changed into nature so the power of all other medicines doe comprehend a worke in their owne properties and therefore it is impossible their power should be both kept and changed Galen doth make further report that so long as medicines doe continue their nature and degree vnder the equall condition of the body are not onely gentle and fauourably incertayned but changed into bloud with the nature of the body are no more vnder the compasse of medicines but rather followe the due course of vegetation preseruation and simpathie with natuturall operation both in qualitie and power of the body Whether Galen hath extended his reasons to hote medicines I know not but I feare not to speake that oftentimes both hote and cold medicines are vnder one propertie turned into bloud when as the body meanely is subdued with coldnesse from the extremitie of heat and aduaunced to heat from the extremitie of coldnesse for then is it impossible that any impropertie should at all remaine where many properties are duely changed And also it is a most hard and difficult estate if substance in the nature of euerie one thing should whollie be taken away or diminished so neyther then is any suche bloud left alone to doe good in absolute power for humours doe nourish themselues where good bloud wanteth And euery naturall thing hath no naturall operation nor measure where any such defect is For Where no naturall operatiâ—is there is no measure surely there is no doubt but whosoeuer ouer-largely feedeth vpon honnie cannot escape but that at length his complexion is discoloured defiled stayned with a hott flegmaticke bloud So likewise in sommer season some bodies by eating of cold Lattice are drawne to ouer great comminution and heate nature and bloud are many times extenuated weakened and altered in their due course Let euery one therefore most highly call to memorie that measure and moderation are much preferred vnder the constitution of mans health Thrusianus an old fatherly writer as one falfly perswaded doth say that nothing is caryed or conueyed beyond the heate of mans body and that bodily heat congruently consenteth to all forraine heates being of neuer so strong and high valour and
saith further that single medicines cannot be changed beyond their owne nature The which wrongfull opinion and iudgement hee seemeth to consent with Paracelsus who affirmeth that euerie thing is borne and brought foorth into this world to aduouch his owne propertie in the actuall accomplishing of some effectuall vertue for the helpe or hinderance of an other thing And yet this nothing proueth why any qualitie either of heate or bloud should be aduaunced beyond his own nature except by some inforced extremitie or except only because the maner of dyet is more stronger in one body then another or except some bodies are disposed to feede vpon grosser sustenance then another for that body doth inioy and obtaine greatest health which feedeth vppon the purest cleerest and most choyse sustenance Surely as the body begetteth his portion of heate after the greatnesse maner and meetnesse of sustenance so warmenesse of bloud equallie either by tenuitie indifferencie or fulnesse is matched and aduaunced with the bodie but the office of the liuer is not herewith compared hauing no naturall indowment of heate from the affluence of heate and bloud in the body There is a constitution of variable humours by the same temperance of the liuer vnder which one is more colder then the liuer it selfe and the other more hotter after the condition of some materiall cause from whence the heate of the liuer is deriued especially for that nothing is so single in nature but that it is variably altered by the heate of the sunne so that some bodies in the variable disposition of man are like vnto waxe molified or clay hardned by the vertue and strength of the sunne Dyoscorides reporteth that the complexion of euerie man draweth vpon the sunne and the grace of the sunne hath a differing action vpon all seuerall thinges variable being comprehended in it selfe and that euerie man is disposed alter the foure orders of the elementes So that some men are white some men blacke some men red some of one colour some of another thereby Galen saith that herein may be perceiued that all heates feede vpon the sunne And furthermore doth say that like as fire is stroke from the hardnesse and secret vaynes of the flint so the liuer is fed and nourished by an intentiue hote humour inforced from the sunne For which cause and after this maner nourishment subtilly and moste secretly passeth into the naturall heate of mans body chiefly when nature ioyneth in propertie therewith So nourishment nothing disagreeth from wood ioyned vnto fire which first standeth at a state then presently altereth into the nature of fire and becommeth into one perfect substance therewith And as heate is more weake in one body then another so heate according to the copiousnesse of sustenance increaseth throoughout the whole body And heat also more speedily flameth out after the constitution of a hot high and strong sustenance then by a cold thinne and weake dyet And therfore foode ought with care and diligence to be wayed and regarded both for the preseruation of mans life as also for that some bodies are thorow euill regiment easier corrupted and ouertaken then others Then haue we iust cause to thinke that heate is not properly nourished of anie propertie in it selfe but either violently drawn from some other inferiour and naturall causes of fire or els from the supernaturall comfort of the sunne which is the onely restauration of all inferiour causes to become with them of one parmanent and firme operation Surely then nourishment is receiued into the body by three maner of meanes as first when an excesse quantitie of dyet is receiued into the body bringeth forth some monsirous or vnnaturall disposition in it selfe And such strange dispositions will not consent euer after to follow the right direction of perfect nourishment As wine although it be of excellent qualitie and most easily retayned and digested downe into the body yet being receiued by excesse quantitie oftentimes doth benumme and ouercoole naturall temperance and doth of it selfe conuert into cold humours by some strange alteration for that not onely the aboundance therof confoundeth heat and the verdour being ouer charged by a surfetting distemperance oppresseth both the power of heate and nourishment and altogether therewithall surpriseth bodily constitution There may be also wayed a consideration in the second degree how nourishment altereth and transferreth it selfe For while it continueth the stomacke hath the onely effect of foode but being digested from the stomacke passeth from one office to another vntill the substance strength and power thereof be distilled conuerted and altered to become of one vnion in mans body and when the body is vnapt to intertaine perfect nourishment both sheweth a degeneration of nature and the distemperance of the body reclined to some forraine contagion There is an absolute comprehension in the third degree which is moste perfect both to health long life and the naturall substance of man that is when meate most sufficiently brooketh mans body and the body taketh good liking and relishe of the meate are foorthwith resembled into one similitude together And yet there are foure degrees which are called second humidities besides foure humours which participate vpon the liuer The first cause is contained vnder the subtile vaines and arteries and therefore because heate is not onely degenerated but setled and concocted in a corrupt bloud there is a plaine digression of nature and all moystnesse doe waxe thinne thereby The second degree of these Humidities is when a dispersed due interfloweth from sustenance into all the partes of the bodie the which if by alteration of strange humours it falleth into corruption is the onely efficient cause of a third humiditie and no nourishment is fauourable vnto the body and all gluttonous Exanguit that is without bloud causes are quite separated from the body by meanes it is exanguit consumpted and quite deuoyded from heat yet it cannot be denied but that there is some clammie matter impendent vpon the loonges which gnaweth vpon the desire of sustenance alwayes belonging to such humid diseases The fourth humidity representeth a hungrie nourishment Galen in his sixt booke in the causes of Symptomatickes doth say that although they haue diuers names yet are they of one sharpe hurtfull operation in nourishment except that which maketh some delay either in the stomach or in the maw that the vaines may extract a mouing comfort therefrom And also we must vnderstand that this nourishment extendeth to the extreame partes Otherwise truelie in my opinion other parts need not to contract nor trauell with the stomach and lyuer for moysture to their better nourishment Al which perfectly sheweth that nature draweth a potentiall substance for the strength of nourishment and the more nearer there is a communion of substance in all the partes of the bodie the more easier is there a returne of nourishment except it otherwise happereth by meanes of any forraine accidence For sowes flesh although it hath great
affinitie and nearnesse with mans flesh yet by the good operation of wine it is passed ouer into a perfect substance and the digestion thereof is slowe sower and heauie for because the vnion hereof is of a more thicke and growne substance it is operatiue and ouerburthensome then familiar vsuall and accustomed Therefore the power of hotte thinges haue a double difference for which cause ther are medicines of on operation and nourishmentes of an other the which nourishmentes ought to haue an easie gracious nature eyther to helpe nature decaied or to pacifie the troubles of any disease offending wholsom constitution doo iustifie and continue the health and safegard of the bodie are preferred before all medicines and nature the more graciously and easily dooth accept them to bee placed in some due ordinance with the body For such like nutritiue medicines as they haue an inward mollifieng operation so haue they an outward application And yet some according to the demonstration of Galen doo thinke that nutritiue medicines inwardly taken hauing possessed and matched their heat vnder the fourme of a hot complexion are of moore greater force and strength and such medicines are easily reduced and manifested in their owne nature and propertie more quicklie Theophrastus Paracelsus saith that medicines outwardly ministred more speedily doo shew their nature then those which be inwardly intertained especially if in their action they be hotte and firme and although vnder the skinne are more inwardlye tender then is outwardly shewed yet haue they a more ready dutie hereby to search the deepnesse of the wound and griâ—ued place and the deepnesse of the sore more speedily doeth yeeld and open if the inward humor be corrected by some purgatiue drieng drtnke the diseased and grieued sore presently altereth his yssue yeeldeth to a sound vnion and is presently comprehanded vnder one fafe substance of the body Aristotle in his Probleames speaking of viniger and such like sharpe sauces dooth say that the aswell inward as outward applications very sensibly doo freate and if heat bee bewrayed of a more stronger power in the pacient dooth growe to an inward excesse and outwardlie offendeth yet a strong and hot body will easily and verie much blunt and dull the power hereof As first by extenuation and comminution Secondly by concoction and thirdly by motion for that they are rouing neuer continuing themselues in one estate but dispose them selues into al other partes As fourthly by seperation especially of those partes which are more sharpe as prepared purged and sifted either by fluring either by vrine or vomite and breathing vapours from the stomach rather then of those parts of the body which are more calme sound bening and bountifull In which it is to be marked whether nature be impaired in the exclusion of one part more then an other or remaineth wholly sound and perfect Also whether the blood bee made cleare and kindly by a fresh and newe coiunction Also whether the rind and barke of the vaines be wrinkled dimished and broken in peces and whether medicine haue a naturall power to vnite and conioine in the nature of the body for if the medicine be blunted and dulled by the strength of the body then the body is vtterlie vnable to defend it selfe from corruption but presentlie infected with all kind of vlceration And these kind of vlcers are comprehended either from ranke aboundaunce of melancholious corruption arising betweene the flesh and the skinne into some outward preposterous sore or els most commonly by reason of some hotte fluxing humour vnnaturally setling in some part of the body wherein some vnkindly worme breedeth and ouereateth except some present stay and remedy be had And Galen saith there are diuers sortes breeding in their kind according to the nature and disposition of the body And although the Chirurgians do giue them seueral names yet they ought not so to doo because they are wormes gathered and mishapen according to the monstrousnesse of the humour and neuer continue in one kind And yet some olde writers deuide these sortes of sores into foure names Herpes Phagedina Chironia and Telephia The first is of verie affinitie with a plague sore The second is some filthy blacke worme or Fystula fretting betweene the flesh and the bones The third is a foule sore hard to be cured and being poisoned with the melancholiousnesse of the humour is called Noli me tangere The fourth complecteth it selfe vnder the name of all Boyles or Carbunckles and surly al sharp sower swift styffe and cruell medicines whether they be hotte or colde haue in themselues a naturall poyson to doe hurt hereunto And they are more harmefull beeing eaten then when they be outwardly applyed for in their nature they do not only intoxicate the primary partes of man but deepely pearce the power of the heart We haue a manifest and rare example of Socrates who liued in strong power of health except by drinking that daungerous and murthersome hear be Cicuta who sensiblie feeling the coldnes and power thereof to insinuate and wind it selfe did vanquish the highnesse and mightines of his heart confessed that Cicuta was the sting of death and the venym of destruction Dyoscorides discribeth this hearbe Cycuta to be both in nature and growth like to our english Henilocke Surely these medicines do litle hurt being outwardly applied but they are poisonsome and deadly being inwardly taken except the small quantitie thereof be such as that the body bee of stronger power to vanquish and shake off the mortalitie thereof There is also a certain ioyce nowe in vse strained squeased out of the leaues of Lascrpitium Antonius Musa saith it is the gum of the tree it selfe called Rosen or Belswyn and Bewguyn There is no difference whether it proceed of the ioyce or weeping teares and licour of the tree But certainly that Rosen which groweth into a gum by meanes of teares and weeping of the trees sheweth thorow an vnnaturall heat in the elementes a generall infection and disease vpon the trees either by vnnaturall heat in the elements or by a distemperate and furious course in the stars and the substance therewithall is thickened hardened and congealed As it is not our purpose to ioine together these differences so neither are we to search out their particular power striÌ„gth neither their forme likenesse nor shape â—or their good vse or euill abuse therof How much could I here vtter in disgrace of the Pandect for false exposition of these and such like ioyces or congealed gums which of the common people are one for an other falsly put in place as the first misordering of Asa fetida which the Arabians do rather seeme to put in place of Mumy and many very â—sophistically doo frame the filth of men long dead to serue herein But there are two principall sortes of Mumy the best sort proceedeth of the rich Baâ—samum Catabalsamum frankensence Oppobalsamum Myrre Alloes Beniamyn and many other sweete odours imbalmed within the dead
sayth that whosoeuer drinketh iuyce of the vyper or aspes is deadly poysoned can neuer be healed nor the poyson thereof subdued corrected or surprised by any art in man Yet Dyoscorides sayth that the stone taken from the corse and sepulchre of some ancient king after hee hath bene long dead is a speciall remedie against the poyson of vyper or aspes and all other poysons in the highest degre Galen calleth euerie distemperate action in propertie deleterion that is venomous to which hee rehearseth two seuerall kindes of hote and colde poysons as aforesaid Dyoscorides reporteth that the natures of poysons are of sondrie degrees to mans body And this contrarietie not onely respecteth a most mischieuous operation for a peculiar qualitie in it selfe but hath also an indicible propertie in his owne substance which is not onely contrary vncertaine and gathered from the most distemperat influences aboue but of the moste contagious vaporations beneath all which easily is knowne by a certaine ordinary mutation going betweene so that all those which continently doe not passe ouer in agreement with nature are contrarie in their power to bodily substance although they doe in eyther qualitie disagree As manie of these vnnaturall poysons are within themselues of one proper qualitie so manie of them are of two qualities one disagreeing from another and yet are they not contrarie in their seueall operatiue malice There are on the other side many poysons which in their owne proper qualities resist againe and yet in their kinde are not contrarie therefore some extraordinarie mutation may determine and correct this onely contrarietie Yet I doe greatly maruell that Auycen holdeth opinion that all colde poysons are whollie contrarie to mans nature in their kinde and propertie as that they may not be corrected or delayed Dyoscorides reporteth that an olde wife of Athens made a contrarie experience hereof transmuting the heath Cicuta by litle and litle without danger agreeable to purge her owne nature And Galen in his third booke of Simples the xxi chapter doth say that all cold poysons shewe their venome not in nature but in quantitie neither can they be altered from their malignitie nor yet passe ouer into substance Theophrastus Paracelsus saith this opinion is very dangerous neither can it be true that poisonsome medicines obtain their force rather from powerfull quantitie then actiue malignitie for the force of colde poysons beeing loste vnder the action of heate manifestly doe infrigerate the body which cannot be more notablie discouered then if colde water being made of an accidentall heat from a former propertie of cold not onely returneth to nature but becommeth more colder then before So whosoeuer drinketh cold medicines being drawen into accidentall heate do in their operation return to former propertie and not onely alter in their owne power but are preferred to a more greater manifestation For oftentimes colde fieame is so discerned as if the vrine be thicke and clammie by contemplation or by some forraine corruption hath an vsurping accidence of heat which although natural medicine hath some operatiue inclinatio nyet there may be a texgiuer sation to their former propertie and power of coldnesse and thereby oftentimes greatly offend vs except the strength of our nature ouertrauell the danger thereof or that the quantitie be small or because litle heat is obtained and gotten in the vertue thereof is the more easier deiected We haue an example of the Salamander who hath a continuall propertie of fire and yet beeing of extreame naturall power of coldnesse extinguisheth and quencheth all fire Euen so this hearbe Cycuta and such like vnconstant poysons haue an outward affynitie with fire yet the practise thereof benummeth the most perfect heat of the body to become vncertaine and wauering Dyoscorides affyrmeth that although artificiall practise should delay this hearbe Cycuta to worke in a moderat propertie yet wil it returne to a former affliction and euill disposition in it selfe Which easily may be perceiued in that al cold poysons are of contrary natures to hot poisons So both of them are two dangerous contrarieâ—â—es to the substance of the body as also such medicines which work beyond common course are poisons and all such medicines which hasten the disease to become more swift sharp and insult the spirituall partes are poâ—sons And all such medicines which disgrace the disease are ordinarie and of high condignitie with nature And all such medicines whith purely frame and vnite with the body are prepreseruations for the helpe both of health and long life to the bodie Therefore in ministring of medicines there is both an ordinarie and an extraordinarie composition ministration and operation For medicines are rather framed of an actiue then passiue nature As Pepper or Mustard seede are actiue so wine and honnie are passiue in operation Also there be other simples of doubtfull propertie in their worke As the Lettuce which although Galen commendeth the propertie thereof to bee wholsome against the heate of the the stomach yet Theophrastus Paracelsus reporteth that it hath an energiecall worke to moderate coole and season the body in the middest of hotte infectious diseases but neither Valerius Cordus neither the Pandeâ—t nor yet the Luminarie make any such rehearsall But Petrus Galiensis saith that both the Lettuce and hearbes of such like vertue drawe vpon the north Pole as some more nearer and some farther off and therefore in degrees they exceede one an other And saith all hearbes whose properties are leuied from the south hot are mitigated measured and equally compounded by an increment of the north â—ind And he further saith that all single hearbes worke after the coastes of the elementes except hearbes of cold propertie which of themselues haue no elemental attraction the Fusun notwithstanding hath a singular conflexion vpon them And although it was before spoken in the first booke of these Temperaments that the Sun splendeth or diminisheth her force vpon all liuing creatures yet there must bee vnderstood that the Sun hath a permanent reflection in her owne power and nature but onely that the heat of the Sun is styrred and prouoked to be of greater strength in sommer by meanes of certaine hot planets which then haue speciall domination in the elementes So on the contrarie the coldnesse of the elements in winter doo weaken and infeeble the heat and yet the sunne hath one like power both in winter and sommer so that as the sunne arrisâ—th in heat by the temperance of the year aâ—so the fruits of the ground arise and ripen therewith and as the sun with the course of the yeare falleth so doo the naturall fruites of the earth recline Then are we rightlie to coniecture that the hearbes of the field attract from the elements an operatiue power in the vniuersall estate of mans health for the hearbe Peperites hath a wonderfull and excellent operation against the commiâ—iall disease called the falling sicknesse and draweth vpon the full of the moone in the east and the said
and stately diseases happening in the constitution of strong bobies 〈◊〉 dyet shal minister best remedie for their mittigation so when long and langushing sicknesses distemper and vexe the bodie thinne dyet is verie daungerous For consider that fulnesse of bodie in sharpe and sodaine sicknesses is moste difficult putting this difference in either of them that as continuall fulnesse pestreth and inageth the disease in a fleshie bodie to become more stronger so on the contrarie if a patient bee incombred and infeebled with the feuer Ephimcras or anie such like sicknesse surely thinne dyet is not then meete for such a thinne body seeing strength thereby is decayed and thorowe variable tormentes all the members venomed the vitall bloud corrupted and benu 〈…〉 ed as the spirituall partes of man distructioned the remedie heereof aswell to the first as to the last is to obserue the constitution of the body that like as hote fires are sonest quenched with cleere and pure water before it exceede so these fleshly rages are subdued if the extreame thirstinesse of the body thorow colde remedies bee quieted and mittigated before it 〈…〉 tch to the farthest boundes and becommeth contumatious and without remedie Also a bodie almost deuoured with emptinesse and where both nature vigour and bloud are quite ouerthrowne cannot easily be recouered except by artificiall remedie and thorow due oportunitie be nursed vp therefore it is a most singular skill commended by the learned writers of all ages in sicknesse to preserue and continue nature in her full power and strength And to comfort nourishe and increase strength and 〈…〉 re in a body fallen away For oftentimes a strong bodie in sickenesse fauoureth himselfe is both similiar and defensible against sicknesse resisting the assaults of many diseases interchancing in mans life Wheras a thinne and leaue bodie easily is vanquished when both sicknesse and penurye dangerously attempt the ruin and decay therof As the desperate estate of man in sicknesse is eyther furthered or hindered by fulnesse or emptinesse so will not I confirme those bodies who haue ingrossed their garbages with excesse fatnesse and stuffed all their members with superfluous humors as hauing fed vpon sundrie inordinate varieties of meates or infected with varietie of diseases As they liue without order so I purpose not to prescribe an order where fatal confusion hath ouerrun them Furthermore set not the blind ignorance of many vnskilfull practitioners be herein pertermitted who should with moderate cherishing help nature doe with immoderate chasing hinder and inflame those hote bodies which were before infected by the most hot seasons of the yeare In steade of thin nutriment doe ingurge their stomackes with thicke spices or drudges of hygh hot and subtill operation whereas in those sicknesses regard and view must be taken vppon sundrie and seuerall casualties which strangely fall out in sicknesse that neyther appetite be cloyed or clunged with ouermuche or ouer little resection nor yet that nature be ouerdried eyther by great sweates or ouermuch resisting or wrastlinges with the force of sicknesse These strong diseases moste commonlie happen vnder a swift chrysis whose mightie predomination ouerruleth difframeth and disseperateth those bodies from due temperance which shoulde be thereto subiect and framed These diseases The strength of nature furthereth all medicines by a right constitution in sicknesse most violently and swiftly settle in the roote of the heart except preuented and aleuiated by present medicine aswell that nature may weaken the force as displace and expell the poyson of the disease And for as much then as it doth ingender vppon the liuer from which place the bloud is soonest corrupted and therewithall draweth and staineth all the inward partes of man In the end becommeth pestilentiall and therewithall the sences thorow the same so farre ouercharged as that manie times colâ—quation or destruction inuaâ—eth the mind in the losse of life Therfore whosoeueâ— desireth to cure these or such like infectious diseases must chiefly prepare and season the body with waters of cold and naturall hearbes in the first and second degree before The pestilâ—ncâ— ought to be preuented before â—oâ— the taken at the heart and thâ— medicine must be stronger thâ—n the disease the disease be possessed then foorthwith flux the body by some gentle and potatiue electuarie in equall and artificialâ— degree fauourably casting out the infected humours Forthwith after these painefull defatigations let naturall sweate and quiet sleepe consolidat and refresh the body to become more vâ—gent and the stomacke more sharpe Then next thereunto it were not good that emptinesse or abstinence were vsed but to haue sustinance in continuall practise not of the grosest but of the chosen sortes of meates for if the poores thorow emptinesse be left open and vnshut for want of nourishment to increse naturall bloud and strength are not onely in danger againe to be corrupted but doe stain foyzen and infect others Then howe grieuous a thing is it in beholding some busie medlers repayring vnto sicke pacientes doe not in anie perfect skill distinguish vpon the disease whether there be any crud and rawe matter or concockt setled in some part of the body or whether the disease consist and stand at a stay or increase or whether nature be of any forcible power in the body or no but without searching the cause or vnderstanding the matter of the sicknesse doe preferre their owne hazard and exasperating the disease eyther with fulsome medicine or grosse nourishment stuffing their sicke bodies eyther by entisement or force And whereas before they had some abilitie appetite forthwith waxeth wearie and lothesome in them Galen affirmeth that the perfectest rule to The patient might bee nourished and measured vnder appetite health is to represse a cold sicknesse by nourishing foode so that nourishment and appetite agree He giueth no such large libertie to the hote diseases notwithstanding manie haue aduentured in the greatest heate and trauell of diseases not onely to purge the bodie to cut vaines and let bloud but also haue stifeled their bodyes rather with inchaunted meates then wholsome medicines and for that nature canot disgest such grosse imperfections stand in so hard a stay of recouerie as commonly in the end become immedicable and mortall Cornelius Celsus a most excellent writer affirmeth that a satictie and fulnesse of meate in sicknesse is neuer profitable aâ—â— therefore to auoyd eyther mischiefe doth appertaine to singular skill The safest and directest passage for the vnskilfull phisition herein is that the patient rather be continued with a thinne diet then vnordered fulnesse so that he be not ouermuch extenuated Galen and Hypocrates both consenting together affirme that fasting and thinne diet doe surely and secretly mortifie such diseases which happen vnder surfet or anie other vnordered and glottonous meates and a staying of manie sharpe diseases that followe thereupon And some high clarkes holde opinion that abstinence ought in time of sicknesse to be guided with discretion and
the easing mittigaiting the rigour of the infection but for a speedie performance of the same to concoction It standeth farre otherwise in those infla 〈…〉 tiue and sharpe diseases of the plurisie and such like whose accidentes is to be preuented and subdued in the first beginning for if these â—urâ—ous diseases grow to perfection they wil be immedâ—â—able and without remedie For as there must be a perfect conâ—ection and medicine aptly framed to diminishe the same so there must be a thin reformed dyet both because of thicknesse of hote fleame and the vnnaturall heat of the disease it selfe And as these effectes must be wisely decerned so these potaâ—iâ—e confections must be made meete equall and apt to the same constitution As first regarding the grossenesse of the accidentes and secondly to vnderstand more artificially by experience from the varietie of excrementes that is to say by the signes eyther of some raw or concoct matter possessing some one part of the bodie besides which if there is one orderly progresse in the disease As when the disease beginneth to settle then the increase thereof finisheth And when the perfection of the disease manifesteth in the highest degree there is the disease in full estate and when the accidentes are generall there is the infection sharpest in nature when the disease beginneth to giue ouer and to loosed then an vniuersall alienation sheweth the same for that the vrine is not raw as in the beginning groweth to substaunce colour and verdour the countenance thereof is scowred cleered and perfected like a faire bright daye after a strong and stormy tempest Next and lastly there followeth a disease called Dyspnaea so set forth by Auycen most commmonly doth breake foorth in sommer season about the iudiciall dayes and gathereth strong vapours into the body about the brest by reason of a disseasonable winter or vnnaturall spring before Or by reason of a great retentâ—on in thicke bloud inordinately congealed about the brest or heart of man So that the passages of the inward parts are stopped vp that one member cannot haue vse and seruice of another matched with a difficult extremitie of certaine drie knottes or knottes vpon the liuer lightes and loonges besides which all materiall substance is quite exhausted for lacke of excellent and perfect moysture in that place These pectoral diseases are best knowne for that there spittle is tough thicke bloudie proceeding oâ— blacke colour reacheth deepelie draweth winde hardly for their winde pipes are ouercharged aswell with humorall substaunce as that sometymes also their loonges are vtterly wasted Euen as a hote fire causeth a pot to fome ouer so the boyling heate heereof inwardly chafeth these diseases to become more extreme and fierce These diseases I say are best eased and resolued both by opening the nether partes by glisters and comforted in the vpper partes by cullicies of thinne substaunce without addition of anie hote cause put therein So that by the comforting of the one and opening the passages of the nether partes in the other the disease is dissundered and easily auoyded downward it hath beene seldome seene that verie fewe haue escaped this dangerous contagion Here might be placed sondrie other daungerous diseases especiall feuers happening in mans bodie vppon contrarie and disseasonable operations of times But these are sufficiently prescribed as a vniuersall admonition with care to regard health from sicknesse in euerie seuerall constitution more exactlie then heeretofore WHAT IS TO BE DONE IN THE BEginning of euerie disease OLde writers among many wholsome disciplines and necessarie lawes deliuered out for the gouernment of mans body haue not omitted what rules are best to be obserued in the beginning of euerye hot disease and sicknesse that is with gentle and fauourable medicine mollifie the harde excrements of the body and not only because nature is departed from due disposition shall hereby the better be restored as also in that the stronge heat of sicknesse with thicknesse of blood hath stained the humours as that all moist passages dangerously are stopped vp Therefore by thys molifieng humous are thereby made more agitatiue and the poores to receiue such comfort are redilie opened so that both bodie and nature yeeld together more flexible and the stubbornnesse of the disease hereby is made more obedient Auycen called this mollefaction the libertie of nature Dioscorides saith it is the messenger of health And Galen saith it is the controller of sicknesse Arnoldus de noua villa saith it is the glasse of true knowledge in sicknesse This mollefaction is of most gentle qualitie both in attracting of good digestion in retention of perfect substance and strength for the behoofe of nature and the superfluous spum of most grosse and vnperfect humours therewithall are prouoked more apparant for the causes of diseases are not onely hereby stirred to readinesse against euacuatâ—on and expulsion But the nature of the disease it selfe wholly is discouered in the worke of medicine and the Pâ—isiâ—ians knowledge hereby made more luâ—ulent There are some which haue mistaken this kinde of mollefaction in stead of minoration and are altogether therein deceiued for that mynoration is an attractiue medicine searching proouing the qualities of the complexion or els galding chasing nature by some superfluous repressing or altering the drift of the disease For sicknesse in the first beginning hath no absolute place especially those which be laborious and sharp yet many haue great opinion of that place of the Aphorisms as at the first beginning of diseases remooue that which is to be remooued but when diseases keepe at a stay it is better to take rest Many writers of the same function which Theophrastuâ— Paracelsus is of hauing allowed this mynoration durst neuer take in hand that waighty matter vnto which other were perswaded by them Galen so euidently distinguisheth those sharpe diseases as no man is occasioned to doubt what is to be done either in the beginning middle course or end thereof for he fashioneth them in their first enterance to be called Insulsum that is vnsauory and without feeling And Ieremias Thriuerius doth cal the accidents of euery disease Insultum a brag in reproch of the whole body In the second course of sicknesse it is called Accessio which is an augmentation to a more supreame power ouer the bodye And this third placing of this sicknes is called concoction which is a preparatioÌ„ of manifest matter to some certaintie so that the medicine is the more aptly constituted for the perfect expelling and fluxing of the same Forasmuch as all accidentes of diseases may haue one violent drift in the beginning and alter in the estate both of them within themselues may dissunder in operation and ingender a seuerall disposition contrarie to euacuation for the one may swiftlie inflam conuert to choller and ouercharge the estate of the sicknesse and the other may attract some vertuous propertie and thereby comfort nature and expell the disease without medicine Auycen willeth that
why is Galen moued so to thinke First for that children hath multitude of bloud Secondly they haue greedinesse in appetite And lastly they haue a substantiall valour in concoction As these reasons shewe a great ground why there should be more aboundant heate in children so he denieth their heate to be intentiue For Dyoscorides verily affirmeth that adolescencie hath more aboundance thereof not according to the proportion of the body For the body of a child although in the small quantitie thereof hath not more intentiue heate yet hath more coyious and intentiue bloud then adolescencie Surely children in their proportion obserued and considered haue a greedie and quicke desire to sustenance and are of redie digestion therunto Therefore I thinke it extreame madnesse in Theophrastus Peracelsus who absolutely granteth a larger sustenance to children then adolescencie seeing naturall operation refuseth to be more stronger in children and yet there heate is most plentifull and their digestion most redie Yet I doe not mislike his difference made betweene children and infantes For infantes in their first natiuitie are colde and therefore whollie giuen to sleepe but growing vp to children are euery day more sanguine and therfore more hote and moyst for as heate prouoketh appetite so moystaesse is the cause efficient aswell to nourish great sleepe in the body as to aduaunce therewith the office of good nourishment And truely Dyoscorides affirmeth that children are vnder diuers inclinements both of weakenesse and strength And the same is well discerned vnder a double operation of their excrementes as that the one being ouersoft and the other vtterlie voyd of moystnesse The first argueth moyst coldnesse which stirreth vp a naturall desire and disposition to sleepe in children the other prouoketh and increaseth bloud releeueth and comforteth the vitall partes The Philosopher is woonted to declare that moystnesse is the first cause of sleepe and coldnesse is the second cause And therefore when the humours of the body be deâ—ected eyther by nature or art both moystnesse and coldnesse both in the first and second degree are possest in the body Yet these colde humid deâ—ections vpward manie times infeebleth the stomackes of children with cold distemperance and doe egerly scower wast and extenuate their bodyes downeward as that thereby all their naturall vertues are quite weakened and their facultie of appetite quite ouerthrowne Then surely we haue iust cause to make further search inquierie as touching the difference betweene adolescencie and In respect of naturall châ—ller adoleseencie exceedeth children in â—eate or els not children in their heate which is chalenged that adolescencie exceedeth children in larger aboundance of heat in respect of naturall choller which more sharpely inflameth and pursueth the body And except the same be preuented oftentimes in gluttonous und glassie corruption excessiuely draweth the body to inflaming diseases therby In this respect adolescencie surpasseth children in heate or els not For the better vnderstanding hereof let vs vse this comparison following and agreeable hereunto that if two cuppes being of vnlike quaÌ„titie filled with hot pure water without slime or corruption put thereunto the qualitie of the lesser may exceed the quantitie of the greater in heat and yet their equall quantity according to proportion is nothing diminished Euen so blood may according to proportion be matched in children and adolescencie alike yet their heate may exceed one aboue another This is onely spoken for that heate is established by bloud for as in some dispositions nature is earthly and colde from their conception so heate of bloud aduaunceth and promoteth the same to become vegetable and wholesome in the vniuersall partes of the body by nutrimentall meanes For which respect if the qualitie be vnlike yet the quantitie according to prportion may equally agree together This proueth heat in children and young men ought to haue seuerall proportions in substance and yet in qualitie they doe exceede vnlike for as heate in yoong menne may be more sharper so in children more sweeter and tastefull And whereas bloud is in Children more intentiue so heat is in yong men more intentiue as is aforesaid For which cause medicines prepared for yoong men are of more higher degree both in nature and operation Otherwise vnforceable to reach the constitution of adolescencie onely and because of their high courage and strength which is in the substance of thetr intentiue heate for which cause the greatest skill that belongeth to the heedefull and wise phisitian is euermore to consider aswell of the cause as the constitution that temperance may thereby be perfected into good estate and condition by qualitie and that medicine and the body doe not exceede one another For heate ought to be more sharper comprehended therein not by a variable substance in it selfe but by artificiall helpe aduaunced thereunto so that sometimes bodies of cold and raw constitutions doe swiftly hasten towardes many dangerous diseases except onely translated into some other more perfect nature or otherwise reuiued both in substance of bloud and strength of heate As if a hote stone being dipped in a cold bath or a colde stone in a hote bath of water doth forthwith alter both the water and the ayre to be of a like qualitie with the stone So these distempered bodies are reformed by artfull knowledge to become in equall temperance alike and yet not in operation for want of bloud so that heate may be restored or the excesse thereof diminished For like as difference is interposed betweene a cleere and grosse ayre as hauing like qualitie of heate yet not like neyther in substance nor naturall operaion so diuers constitutions by this meanes may be lâ—ke in qualitie and the variable estate thereof may become also of one temperance and operation There is a difference to be set downe in the outward estate of two temperat bodies together As first to regard their differences by touching and feeling the substance according to proportion of euery seuerall part by it selfe for many times by the proportion of outward thinges the good and euill estate of inward thinges are knowne beleeued as onely by a supposed Hypothesis For if the heate of adolescencie and childhood may be found equall by teeling then would it fall out that the comparison of ages betweene adolescencie and children were of necessitie equall vnto which there must be adioyned both discretion consideration and constant stay For Cornelius Celsus saith that yong men which are perfect in conceit vnderstanding are of hote dispositions haue verie little desire to sleepe the which thing somewhat bendeth towardes drinesse Hote braines are apt and inuentiue and small desire to sleepe And yet nothing is in the obscure workes of nature to be discerned in them either by feeling or touching Galen in his booke de sanitate tuenda rehearseth manie high and variable dispositions both in adolescencie and children and putteth forth moste excellent preseruations in eyther their defences Theophrastus Paracelsus saith that heate
infester venomous choller to become high stubborne and vnuanquishable So also there are some meates which in their owne propertie thorow their exceeding corruption in the stomacke doe euaporat and defume the braines with greeuous swimming aches in the head payneth aggrauateth the eyes So hard egges honie shell-fish and suche like as great and perillous instruments of inforcing the danger hereof And nature is also hardly and painefully occupied in digesting them into a readie and perfect substance As if it were sowes flesh or buls flesh which impresseth and setleth rawe humours moste deepely to ouermelt transspread the whole body of man so that no medicineable meanes neither vpward nor downeward maketh expulsion thereof Surely the disposition of the head ought to be alwayes regarded vnder some temperance as whether it be cold or moist hote or drie for coldnesse bringeth foorth flegmatike humours whose often and dayly distillations absumpt the good indowmentes of the braine For mordicat rewmes are hurtfull to all naturall operations loosen the rootes of the hayres discloseth the body to all pestiferous corruptions and stenches dimmeth and obscureth the eyes dulleth the sences benummeth feeling astonieth hearing dissmacheth tasting and stencheth smelling yet many grosse contagious meates are by wholsome sauces qualified and delayed in the artfull knowledge and skifull handling of good cookes So also redolent wines if they be intertained A good cooke is in the nature of a good phisitian into a perfect body are both conuerted to fragrant bloud and establishe the complexion to become delightsome and remedious herein Ruellius affirmeth that great operation consisteth in the vertue and propertie of a rawe or reare egge especially for the rewme if it be wholesomely taken for then it purgeth foule bloud strengthneth nature clenseth the liuer fortifieth the stomacke sharpneth the sences melloweth and increaseth appetite And wine is much commended if it be of good and perfect flauour and substance to be dronke therewith in the morning All which being equally tempered doth much preuayle against flegmaticke rewmes for certainely these rewmes happen and fall out many times by alterations and vncertainties of diets Therefore it is to be distinguished whether it be an issue from the braines downeward or a vapour from the stomacke vpward And yet manie times also the body is inclinatiue to these rewmes vnder strange accidentes by alterations and varietie of seasons then is it vnpossible to ouercome the incomprehensible distemperances of nature And lastlie there is a coniecture by some methood to be outwardly discerned and regarded not for inclinatiue dispositions onelie but for sundrie naturall infirmities and diseases which most bodies vnder some elementall distemperanâ—ance are subiect vnto Examples hereof may be taken from the primary reason which is ioyned in propertie with fantasie and groweth in custome both together to be bewrayed with Phisiognomy or outward gesture whether it be in countenance or body And as they are altogether vnited and inseperably magnified to be of one perfect substance both in mind and maners so euery man is thereby inwardly prooued or reprooued in the whole vniuersall proportion of his said bodie so that as Rasis affyrmeth that a flat nosed man is of drie complexion and a man hauing a camoysed nose indicateth much chollerike drinesse If he be indued with hollowe eies signifieth drinesse in the head if he be of sallow and pale countenance signifieth moistnesse and yet many men are in formes and fashions contrarie to their dispositions And that howsoeuer nature hath portrayed with thin and hayrie legs sheweth a naturall drinesse in the liuer so red and fierie eies declareth the purity and small quantitie of blood Blacke eies signifie the impuritie thicknesse and superaboundance of blood graie eies obserue the indifferent estate throughout the whole body those eies which are blew like the skie doo exceed in some season of the yeare in great drinesse and on the contrarie in some other seasons do surpasse in moistnesse litle twinkling eies like Ferrets signifie moistnesse bleared eies haue diuers estates and operations in the bodie of man both of flegmatike humours and chollerike vapours digressing from their owne kind and propertie the one proceedeth of cold moisture and the other of a hot tyrannous fretting humour generated contracted to the eyes in the superaboundant heat of the braines or by and excesse heate in the stomach vapouring to the cels of the head Rasis affyrmeth that although greate inundations and intercourses either of superfluous moistures in the head or venomous vapours in the stomach defluxing and galding the eies yet the pretious eie-sight may long be preserued and continued without darknesse and decay and yet confesseth that continuance vtterly ouerthroweth and sinketh the pearle to the bottome The same Rasis saith that a waall-eyed man is of drie dispotition vpon the liuer and the liuer-blood thereupon is made most pure yet these waall-eyed squynt-eyed and lame-eyed men are most rumatike are so far subiected in their owne nature as that the whole vniuersall infections of rewmes concur vpon them But touching the dangerous conditions and most villanous manners which that sort of men are inclined vnto are sufficiently portraied and painted foorth by Auycen I will not therein intermedle so largely as they deserue and for that my purpose only tendeth to finde out the due temperance which euerie man is subiect vnto And yet Galen thinketh that for asmuch as man hath a deuine beginning from his creation temperaunce ought not to bee coniectured vpon Leonardus Fuchsyus saith They which iudge vpon temperance of many ages offend very much For doo not the outward signes of haire both by sicknesse and age alter after the inward disposition And likewise all members wrinkle and alter after the inward corruption of naturall blood Then the easiest and perfectest iudgement that herein is to bee required vpon the seuerall temperatures of man is to coniecture vppon melancholike temperance whose inclinement is colde and drie and their blood soonest dooth corrupt which is best outwardly regarded by the outward alteration and disfashionment of hayres which inwardly proceedeth of fuliginous blood and smokie humours for the olde pouerbe is true that soote is next smoke and smoke next stre wax after it is tempered is more easile imprinted vpon with a scale So likewise infections alter the humours and humours alter the outward estate of man and after that nature is made subiect to coruption a strong impression followeth euer after vntill death And furthermore there are many which cannot be recouered from this errour affyrming that temperature ought not to bee adiudged vpon in old men especially if they be flegmatik for as old flegmatike men be cold an moist so their excrements are vncertaine and subiect to bloody fluxes scowring laskes the vrine muddie bloody blacke and thicke and likewise a melancholike man whose youthfull temperature consisteth vpon a perfect bloâ—â— but naturall complexion is drie and cold when age commeth vpon them Theophrastus
rebellious and thereby without stay easily subdueth the body Hypocrates generallie and deeply speaketh of all feauers eyther simple or compound that first the disease is vnsetled and vncertainly roueth in the bodye and next for that it dooth abound with paynfull trauels difficultlie wrastleth skyrmisheth and trauelleth either to settle and possesse some one part of the body or after the spyrituall partes possessed inuadeth all the partes of the body to destruction Herein is it manifestly prooued that in the beginning of diseases nature hath no need of such nourishments for if appetite were gredy and desirous thereof yet not able to beare that which is wished and lingred vpon For whosoeuer infarceth and inforceth nature in the first entrance of euerie such sicknes both cherisheth the disease weakeneth and defoyleth nature Galen in his first booke de arte curatiua writing to Glawco in his chapter de cura febrium continuarum saith that if continuall feauers consist in one estate the body very weake are best ruled vnder an exquisite and sharp diet if strength and age agree therewith but if the disease exceed beyond that lymittation is then to be vnderstaied with a plenarie stronger food so the same be apt to constitution Auycen saith when the estate is perfected in the disease let the diet be more plentifull or otherwise let the diet be augmented or diminished as the disease increaseth or vanisheth away So also this is a generall agreement among all the auntient Fathers for the regiment of mans health hauing put foorth an vniuersall edict that in all mestiue mortalites thin diets are most pertinent for medicine to work vpon because their accidentes are infectious and of indiuertible substance and especiallie so long as these infections in their accidents are conioyned to the beginning otherwise if the increase of the disease prosper and proceede to be perfected and setled to some verie likely estate they ought to be sollicited more at large either by curatiue medicine or diet vntill the vsurped properties be expelled after which the body is to be inlarged to a full diet vntil nature be reuiued restored and recouered in full strength These rules and reasons proceede from men of great countenance of sound and vpright iudgement repugning the wrongfull and erronious interpretations and opinions of certaine newe writers who hauing set open their shoppe of counterfect practises in defrauding the good constitutions of heath in mans body who in the beginning of simple feuers in place of a gracil and thin diet haue constituted and put in place a free and bountifull diet Secondly in simple feuers when the disease increaseth doo prefer a thin diet in steed of a compleat diet And thirdlye they doo in the estate of compound and inflamatiue feuers magnifie a full diet in steede and place of a thin and peaceable diet Surely Hypocrates somewhat bendeth to the second controuersie that in the increase of al simple feuers a competent diet is most meetest so that if the disease doo proceede in the increase or forsheweth any similie end either by ripenesse to cease or els take safe degrees to estate Then the Phisitian hath full power ouer the disease eyther to recouer health or els to stay the patient from large and strong sustenance Petrus Brissotus and Lionicius doo say if in the estate of simple feuers sustenance bee denied to the patient because of the strength of the disease then what ieopardie are those pacientes put into in their time of estate when inflamations and accidentes together yeeld no place to rest their bodies beeing strenghened with nutrimentall sustenance doo continue the disease most cruell fierce dangerous and outragious vnto the approchment of death Hereby all patientes may perceiue that all diseases within the knowledge and helpe of man are vnder lawes and ordinances Therefore whosoeuer shall either violate or mistake these lawes and ordinances offendeth both the sicke patient and his owne conscience And furthermore if the sicke Patient will not bee ordered but rebell against this wholsome gouernment preferring both his owne wilfull minde and reason before the sounde and perfect counsell of the Phisitian Let him be adiudged guiltie of his owne death and distruction The first Booke of the Temperamentes AN Element is the least part of euery proper thing compounded and vnited into one substance perfourmeth not the least but the immixt parcels of the same thinges to bee made a perfect element and equally to place those smallest things to be tempered with the highest as that not in any behalf any one of them be immixt from an other It is an high onderstanding wherefore we oguht to deuide the least portion of euerye tempered bodie as followeth That is there ought to be in number foure elementes neither ought there to be more or lesse and yet can there be but one element alone for that with an vnreprooueable qualitie all things returne to destruction neither can there bee two elements as fire and ayre because all interiour thinges woulde presentlie be consumed with their coniomed strength of heat Then may it be imagined that nature might haue framed fire and water to beare their seueral course alone both because they doo in variablenesse differ one from another or that they might seeme more durable in their course aboue the rest The third element is the ayr which nature hath so placed between the rest as that moistnesse is ioined to water and heat to fire neither do these three elementes suffice except there be a fourth element conioyned hereunto that is say the earth not only because it is the seat and habitation of men in this world but also and much rather being commixed with water dooth by her coldnes temper the other two elements therfore nature most decently hath bound not one nor two nor three but four elements and that with a straight and agreeable concord as when they were disâ—ramed and dissociated from their equall places As when the earth was downward the water and the ayre in the middle and the fire vpward although there are not onely some philosophers but verie Christians which haue practised to discouer Which is taken as an errour for the knowledge of man a certain dark thicke and shadowed fire about the point centre of the earth by a direct light gleaming and irradiating from the starres The which fire is vestall pure not elementarie Herein if we consider that both the earth and the water doo not onely entertaine the same fire but the ayre interiected forthwith followeth the same euen as there is a coniunction of the earth to the ayre so is the water placed betweene both of them otherwise the ayre should wholly remaine moyst being placed between two drie elements Galen and other graue Philosophers doe seem otherwise to thinke who on their behalfe call the water most moyst and is so adiudged in the absolute power of nature for by touching the same is perfectly bewraied whereas the ayre is not comprehended at