The Seventh Operation upon the Aliment it selfe 〈◊〉 the Insinuation thereof 8 The Eighth Operation is 〈◊〉 on the last Act of Assimilatioc 9 The Ninth Operation is up on the Inteneration of the Part after they begin to be Dried 10 The Tenth Operation is on the Purging away of 〈◊〉 Juyce and Supplying of 〈◊〉 Juyce Of these Operations the 〈◊〉 first belong to the First Intention The foure next to the 〈◊〉 Intention And the two last the Third Intention But because this Part touching the Intentions doth tend to Practice under the Name of Historie we will not onely comprise Experiments and Observations But also Councels Remedies Explications of Causes Assumptions and whatsoever hath Reference hereunto The Operation upon the Spirits that they may remaine youthfull and renue their Vigour The Historie 1 THe Spirits are the Master-workmen of all Effects in the Bodie This is manifest by Consent And by Infinite Instances 2 If any Man could procure that a young Mans Spirit could be conveyed into 〈◊〉 Mans Body It is not unlikely but this great Wheele of the Spirits might turne 〈◊〉 the lesser wheele of the 〈◊〉 And so the Course of 〈◊〉 become Retrograde 3 In every Consumption whether it be by Fire or by Age the more the Spirit of the Body or the Heat preyeth upon the Moisture 〈◊〉 lesser is the Duration of the Thing This occurres every where and is manifest 4 The Spirits are to be 〈◊〉 such a Temperament and Degree of Activitie 〈◊〉 they should not as He 〈◊〉 Drinke or Guzzle the 〈◊〉 of the Body But Sippe them onely 5 There are two Kinds of Flames The one Eager and weak which consumes slight Substances but hath little power over the Harder As the Flame of Straw or small Sticks The other strong and constant which converts Hard and obstinate substances As the Flame of Hard wood and such like 6 The eager Flames and yet lesse Robust doe drie Bodies and render them exhaust and Baplesse But the stronger Flames doe 〈◊〉 and melt them 7 Also in 〈◊〉 Mediines some vapour forth the 〈◊〉 part of the Tumours or Swellings and these 〈◊〉 the Tumour Others potently discusse and these Soften it 8 Also in Purging and Absterging Medicines some carry away the Fluide Humours violently others draw the more Obstinate and viscous 9 The Spirits ought to be invested and armed with such a Heat That they may choose rather to stirre and 〈◊〉 Hard and obstinate Matters Than to discharge and carry away the thin and prepared For by that meanes the Body becomes Greene and Solide 10 The Spirits are so to be wrought and tempered That they may be In Substance Dense 〈◊〉 Rare In Heat Strong 〈◊〉 Eager In Quantity Sufficient for the Offices of Life 〈◊〉 Redundant or TurgideIn Motion Appeased 〈◊〉 Dancing or Unequall 11 That Vapours worke powerfully upon the Spirits it is manifest By Sleepe by Drunkennesse by Melancholy Passions By Laetificant Medicines By Odours calling the Spirits back againe in Swounings and Faintings 12 The Spirits are condensed foure wayes Either by Putting them to Flight Or by Refrigerating and Cooling them Or by Stroaking them Or by Quieting them And first of their Condensation by putting them to Flight 13 Whatsoever putteth to Flight on all parts driveth the Body into his Center And so condenseth 14 To the Condenfution of the Spirits by Flight the most Powerfull and Effectuall is Opium And next Opiates And generally all 〈◊〉 Things 15 The force of Opium to the Condensation of the Spirits 〈◊〉 exceeding strong When as perhaps three graines thereof will in a short time so Coagulate the Spirits that they returne no more but are extinguished and become Im moveable 16 Opium and the like put not the Spirits to Flight by their Coldnesse For they have Parts manifestly Hot But 〈◊〉 the contrary coole by their putting the Spirits to Flight 17 The Flight of the Spirits by Opium and Opiate Medicines 〈◊〉 best seene by applying 〈◊〉 same outwardly For the 〈◊〉 straight withdraw themselves And will returne 〈◊〉 more But the Part is Mortified And turnes to a Gangrene 18 Opiates in Grievous Pains as in the Stone or the Cutting off of a Lunme mitigate paines Most of all by putting the Spirits to Flight 19 Opiates obtaine a good Effect from a bad Cause For the Flight of the Spirits is Evill But the Condensation of them through their Flight is Good 20 The Grecians attributed much both for Health and for Prolongation of Life to Opiates But the Arabians much more In so much that their Grand Medicines which they called the Gods Hands Had Opium for their Basis principall Ingredient other Things being mixed to abate and correct the Noxious Qualities thereof Such were Treacle Mithridate and the rest 21 Whatsoever is given with good successe in the curing of pestilentiall and Malignant Diseases To stop and Bridle the Spirits lest they grow Turbulent and Tumultuate May very happily be transferred to Prolongation of Life For one Thing is effectuall unto both Namely the Condensation of the Spirits Now there is nothing better for that than Opiates 22 The Turkes finde Opium even in a reasonable good quantitie Harmelesse and Comfortable In so much that they take it before their Battell to excite Courage But to us unlesse it be in a very small Quantity and with good Correctives it is Mortall 23 Opium and Opiates are maaifestly found to excite Venus Which shewes them to have force to corroborate the Spirits 24 Distilled mater of wilde Poppie is given with good successe in Sursets Agues and divers Diseases Which no doubt is a Temperate kinde of Opiate Neither let any man wonder at the various use of it For that is Familiar to Opiates In regard that the Spirits corroborated and Condensed will rise up against any Disease 25 The Turkes use a kinde of Herb which they call Caphe which they dry and powder And then drinke it in warme water Which they say doth not a little sharpen them both in their Courage and in their Wits Notwithstanding if it be taken in a large Quantity it affects and disturbs the Minde Whereby it is manifost that it is of the same Nature with Opiates 26 There is a Root much renowmed in al the Easternparts which they call Betel Which the Indians and others use to carry in their Mouths and to champ it And by that champing they are wonderfully enabled both to endure Labours and to overcome Sicknesses and to the Act of carnall Copulation It seemes to be a kinde of Stupefactive because it exceedingly blacks the Teeth 27 Tobacco in our Age is immoderately growne into use And it affects Men with a secret kinde of Delight In so much that they who have once inured themselves to it can hardly afterwards leave it And no doubt it hath power to lighten the Body and to shake off wearinesse Now the vertue of it is commonly thought to be because it opens the Passages and void Humours But it may more
Intentions Such as are true and proper as wee are wholly perswaded And which are the very paths to Mortall Life For in this part Nothing that is of worth hath 〈◊〉 beene inquired But the Contemplations of Men have beene but simple and non-proficients For when we heare Meren the one side speak of Comforting Naturail Heat and the Radicall Moisture And of Meats which breed good Bloud Such as may neither be Burnt nor Phlegmatick And of the Cheering and Recreating of the Spirits Wee sappose them to be no bad Men which speak these Things But none of these 〈◊〉 effectually towards the end But when on the other side wee heare severall Discourses touching Medicines made of Gold because Gold is not subject to Corruption And touching Precious Stones to refresh the Spirits by their Hidden Properties and Lustre And that if they could be taken and retained in Vessels the Balsames and Quint-essences of Living Creatures would make Men conceive a proud hope of Immortalitie And that the Flesh of Serpents and Harts by a certaine consent are powerfull to the Renovation of Life Because the one casteth his Skin the other by Hornes They should also have added the Flesh of Eagles because the Eagle changeth 〈◊〉 Bill And that a certaine Man when he had found an Ointment hidden under the Ground And had annointed himselfe there with from Head to Foot excepting only the Soles of his Feet Did by this Annointing live three hundred yeares without any Disease save onely some Tumours in the Soles of his fect And of Artefius who when bee found his Spirit ready to depart drew into his Body the Spirit of a certaine young Man And thereby made him Breathlesse But Himselfe lived many yeares by another Mans Spirit And of Fortunate Houres according to the Figures of Heaven in which Medicines are to bee gathered and compounded for the prolongation of Life And of the Seales of Planets by which Vertues may be drawne and fetched downe from Heaven to prolong Life And such like fabulous and superstitious Vanities Wee wonder exceedingly that men should so much dote as to suffer themselves to bee deluded with these Things And againe wee doe pittie Mankinde that they should have the Hard Fortune to bee besieged with such frivolous and senselesse Apprehensions But our Intentions doe both come home to the Matter And are far from vaine and credulous Imaginations Being also such as wee conceive posteritie may adde much to the Matters which satisfie those Intentions But to the Intentions themselves but a little Notwithstanding there are a few Things and those of very great Moment of which we would have Men to bee fore-warned First wee are of that Opinion that wee esteeme the Offices of Life to bee more worthy than Life it selfe Therefore if there be any Thing of that kinde that may indeed exactly answer our Intentions yet so that the Offices and Duties of Life bee thereby hindred whatsoever it be of this kind wee reject it Perhaps wee may make some light Mention of such Things but wee 〈◊〉 not upon them For wee make no serieus nor diligent Discourse Either of hading the life in Caves where the Sunne-Beames and severall changes of the Aire pierce not Like 〈◊〉 his Cave Or of perpe tuall Baths made of Liquour prepared Or of Shirts and Seare-cloathes so applied that the Body should bee alwayes as it were in a Box Or of thick Paintings of the Body after the manner of some Barbarous Nations Or of an exact Ordering of our Life and Diet which aimeth onlyat this and mindeth nothing else but that a Man live As was that of Herodicus amongst the Ancients And of Cornarus the Venetian in our Dayes but with greater Moderation Or of any such prodigie Tediousnesse or Inconvenience But wee propound such Remedies and 〈◊〉 by which the Offices of Life may neither be deserted nor receive any great Interruptions or Mo'estations Secondly on the other side wee denounce unto Men that they would give over 〈◊〉 And not imagine that so great a Works as the Stopping and Turning back the powerfull Course of Nature can bee brought to passe by some Morning Draught or the Taking of some precious Drug But that they would bee assured that it must needs be that this is a work of labour And consisteth of many Remedies and a fit Connexion of them amongst themselves For no Man can bee so stupid as to imagine that what was never yet done can bee done but by such wayes as were never yet attempted Thirdly we ingenuously professe That some of those Things which we shall propound have not been tried by us by way of Experiment For our Course of life doth not permit that But are derived as wee suppose upon good Reason out of our Principles and Grounds of which some we set downe others we reserve in our Minde And are as it were cut and digged out of the Rocke and Mine of Nature Her selfe Neverthelesse wee have been carefull and that with all Providence and Circumspection Seeing the Scripture saith of the Body of Man That it is more worth than Raiment To propound such Remedies as may at least be safe if peradventure they be not Fruitfull Fourthly we would have Men rightly to observe and distinguish That those Things which are good for an Healthful Life are not alwayes good for a Long Life For there are some Things which doe further the Alacrity of the Spirits and the Strength and Vigour of the Functions which notwithstanding do cut off from the summe of Life And 〈◊〉 other Things which are 〈◊〉 ble to Prolongation of Life 〈◊〉 are not without some Perill 〈◊〉 Health unlesse this Matter 〈◊〉 salved by fit Remedies Of 〈◊〉 not withstanding as occasien shal bee offered wee will not omit 〈◊〉 give some Cautions and 〈◊〉 Lastly we have thought good to propound sundry 〈◊〉 according to the severall Intentions But the choice of those Remedies and the Order of them to leave to Discretion For to so downe exactly which of them agreeth best with which Constitution of Body which with the severall Courses of Life which with each Mans particular Age And how they are to be taken out after another And how the whole Practicque of these Things be administred and governed would both be too long Neither it fit to be published In the Topicks we 〈◊〉 three Intentions The 〈◊〉 of Consumption The Perfecting of Reparation And the Renewing of Oldnesse But seeing those Things which 〈◊〉 be said are Nothing lesse 〈◊〉 words Wee will deduce 〈◊〉 three Intentions to Ten Operations 1 The First is the Operation upon the Spirits that they may 〈◊〉 their Vigour 2 The Second Operation is upon be Exclusion of Aire 3 The Third Operation is upon the Bloud and the Sanguifying Heat 4 The Fourth Operation is upon the Juyces of the Body 5 The Fifth Operation is 〈◊〉 the Bowels for their 〈◊〉 on of Aliment 6 The Sixth Operation is upon the Outward Parts for 〈◊〉 Attraction of Aliment 7
Speech than profundity of Matters were also long Liv'd As Gorgias Protagoras I socraetes Seneca And certainly as old Men are for the most part Talkative So Talkative Men doe often grow very old For it shewes a Light Contemplation And such as doth not much straine the Spirits 〈◊〉 them But Subtill and Acute and Eager Inquisition shortens Life For it tireth the Spirit and wasteth it And as touching the Motion of the Spirits by the Affections of the Minde thus much Now we will adde certaine other Generall Observations touching the Spirits beside the former Which fall not 〈◊〉 the Precedent Distribution 92 Especiall Care must be taken that the Spirits bee not too often Resolved For 〈◊〉 goeth before Resolution And the Spirit once 〈◊〉 doth not very easily retire or is Condensed Now Resolution is caused by Over-great Labours Over-vehement Affections of the Mind Over-great Sweats Over-great Evacuations Hot Baths And an untemperate and unseasonable use of Venus Also by Over-great Cares and Carpings and Anxious Expectations Lastly by Malignane Diseases and Intolerable Paines and Torments of the Body All which as much as may bee which our Vulga Phyficians also advise must be avoided 93 The Spirits are delighted both with Wonted Things and with New Now it makert wonderfully to the Conservation of the Spirits in 〈◊〉 That wee neither use 〈◊〉 Things to a Satiety and 〈◊〉 Nor New Things before a quick and strong Appetite And therefore both Customes are to be broken off with Judgement and Care before they breed a Fulnesse And the Appetite aster New Things to be restrained for a Time untill it grow more Sharp and jocund And moreover the Life as much as may be so to be ordered That it may have many Renovations And the Spirits by perpetuall Conversing in the same Actions may not wax Dull For though it were no ill 〈◊〉 of Seneca's The Fools doth 〈◊〉 begin to Live Yet this Folly and many more such are good for long Life 94 It is to bee observed 〈◊〉 the Spirits though the Contrary useth to be done That when Men perceive their Spirits to be in a good 〈◊〉 and Healthfull State That which will be seene by the Tranquillitie of their 〈◊〉 and cheerefull 〈◊〉 That they cherish them and not change them But when in a Turbulent and untoward State Which will also appeare by their Sadnesse Lumpishnesse and other Indisposition of their Minde That then they straight overwhelme them and alter them Now the Spirits are contained in the same state By a Restraining of the Affections Temperatenes of Diet Abstinence from 〈◊〉 Moderation in Labour Indifferent Rest and Repose And the Contrary to these do alter and over-whelme the Spirits As Namely Vehe ment Affections Profuse Feastings Immoderate Venus Difficult labours Earnest Studies and prosecutions of Businesse Yet Men are wont when they are Merriest and best disposed then to apply themselves to Feastings 〈◊〉 Labours Endevours Businesses whereas if they have a regard to long Life which may seeme strange they should rather Practise the Contrary For wee ought to 〈◊〉 and preserve good Spirits And for the evill disposed Spirits to discharge and alter them 95 〈◊〉 saith not unwisely That Old Men for the Comforting of their Spirits ought often to remember and 〈◊〉 upon the Acts of their Childhood and Youth Certainly such a Remembrance is a 〈◊〉 of Peculiar 〈◊〉 to every Old Man And therefore it is a Delight to Men to enjoy the Societie of them which have beene brought up together with them And to visit the places of their Education Vespasian did attribute so much to this Matter That when hee was 〈◊〉 hee would by no meanes bee perswaded to leave his Fathers House though but meane Lest bee should lose the wonted Object of his Eyes and the Memory of his child-hood 〈◊〉 besides he would drinke 〈◊〉 Woodden Cup tipped with 〈◊〉 which was his Grandmothers upon Festivall Dayes 96 One Thing above all gratefull to the Spirits 〈◊〉 there be a Continuall Progresse to the more Benigne Therefore wee should lead such Youth and Manhood the our Old Age should find 〈◊〉 Solaces Whereof the 〈◊〉 is Moderate Ease And there fore Old Men in Honourable Places lay violent Hands up on themselves who retire 〈◊〉 to their Ease whereof 〈◊〉 be found an Eminent Example in Cassiodorus who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reputation amongst the 〈◊〉 Kings of Italy that he 〈◊〉 as the Soule of their 〈◊〉 Afterwards being neare 〈◊〉 yeares of Age he 〈◊〉 himselfe to a 〈◊〉 Where he ended not his 〈◊〉 before he was an 〈◊〉 years old But this Thing 〈◊〉 require two Cautions 〈◊〉 that they drive not off 〈◊〉 their Bodies bee utterly 〈◊〉 out and Diseased For 〈◊〉 such Bodie all Mutation 〈◊〉 to the more Benigne 〈◊〉 Death The other 〈◊〉 they surrender not themselves to a Sluggish Ease But 〈◊〉 they Embrace something which may entertaine their Thoughts and Minde with Contentation In which 〈◊〉 the chiefe Delights are Reading and Contemplation And then the Desires of 〈◊〉 ding and Planting 97 Lastly The same 〈◊〉 Endevour and Labour under taken Cheerefully and with good will doth Refresh 〈◊〉 Spirits But with an 〈◊〉 tion and Vnwillingnesse 〈◊〉 Fret and Deject them 〈◊〉 therefore it conferreth 〈◊〉 long Life Either that a 〈◊〉 hath the Art to institute 〈◊〉 Life so as it may be Free 〈◊〉 Sutable to his owne 〈◊〉 Or else to lay such a Command upon his minde that whatsoever is imposed by Fortune it may rather lead him than drag him 98 Neither is that to be 〈◊〉 ted towards the Government of the Affections That espe ciall care bee taken of 〈◊〉 Mouth of the Stomach Espe cially that it be not too much 〈◊〉 For that part hath a greater Dominion over the Affections Especially the Daily Affections Than either the Heart or Braine Only those Things excepted which are wrought by potent Vapours As in Drunkennesse and Melancholy 99 Touching the Operation upon the Spirits that they may remaine Youthfull and Renew their Vigour thus much Which wee have done the more accurately for that there 〈◊〉 for the most part amongst Physicians and other Authors 〈◊〉 these Operations a deepe silence But especially because the Operation upon the Spirits and their Waxing 〈◊〉 againe is the most Realy and Compendious way to long Life And that for a two-fold Compendiousnesse One because the Spirits work compendiously upon the Body The other because Vpours and the Affections 〈◊〉 compendiously upon the Spirits So as these attaine the end as it were in a right line Other Things rather in lines Circular The Operation upon the Exclusion of the Aire 2. The Historie 1 THe Exclusion of the Aire Ambient tendeth to Length of Life two wayes First for 〈◊〉 the Externall Aire next 〈◊〉 the Native Spirit 〈◊〉 the Aire may be said to 〈◊〉 the Spirit of Man 〈◊〉 conferreth not a little to 〈◊〉 Doth most of all 〈◊〉 upon the Juyces of the 〈◊〉 And hasten the Desiction thereof And 〈◊〉 the Exclusion
Venus An old Man Slow unto it In a young Man the Iuyces of his Bodie are more Roscide In an old Man more Crude and watrish The Spirit in a young Man Plentifull and Boyling In an old man Scarce and Iejune A young Mans Spirit is Dense and Vigorous An old Mans Eager and Rare A young Man hath his Sens's Quicke and Entire An old Man Dull and Decayed A young Mans Teeth are Strong and Entire An old Mans Weak worne and Falling out A young Mans Haire is Coloured An old Mans of what Colour soever it were Gray A young Man hath Haire An old Man Baldnesse A young Mans Pulse is Stronger and Quicker An old Mans more Confused and Slower The Diseases of young Men are more Acute and Curable Of old Men Longer and Hard to Cure A young Mans Wounds soone Close An old Mans Later A young Mans Checkes are of a Fresh Colour An old Mans Pale or with a Black Bloud A young Man is lesse troubled with Rbeumes An old Man More Neither do we know in what Things old Men do improve as touching their Body save only sometimes in Fatnesse Whereof the Reason is soone given Because old Mens Bodies doe neither Perspire well nor assimilate well Now Fatnesse is Nothing else but an Exuberance of Nourishment above that which is voyded by Excrement Or which is perfectly Assimilated Also some old Men improve in the Appetite of Feeding by reason of the Acide Humours Though old Men Disgest worse And all these Things which we have said Physicians negligently enough will referre to the Diminution of the Naturall Heat and Ridicall Moisture Which are Things of no worth for use This is certaine Drinesse in the Comming on of yeares doth foregoe Coldnesse And Bodies when they come to the Top and Strength of Heat doe decline to 〈◊〉 And after that followes Coldnesse 3 Now we are to consider the Affections of the Mind I remember when I was a young Man at Poictiers in France I conversed familiarly with a certaine French-man A witty Young Man but something Talkative Who afterwards grew to bee a very eminent Man Hee was wont to inveigh against the Manners of Old Men And would say That if their Mindes could be seene as their Bodies are they would appeare no lesse deformed Besides being in Love with his owne Wit he would maintaine That the Vices of old Mens Minds had some correspondence and were Paralell to the Imperfections of their Bodies For the Drinesse of their Skin hee would bring in Impudence For the Hardnesse of their Bowels Vnmercifulnesse For the Lippitude of their Eyes an Evill Eye and Envie For the Casting downe of their Eyes and Bowing their Body towards the Earth Atheisme For saith he they looke no more up to Heaven as they were wont For the Trembling of their Members Irresolution of their Decrees and Light Inconstancie For the Bending of their Fingers as it were to catch Rapacitie and Covetousnesse For the Backling of their Knees Fearfulnesse For their Wrinkles Craftinesse and Obliquity And other things which I have forgotten But to be serious A young Man is Modest and Shamefast An old Mans Forehead is Hardned A young Man is full of Bounty and Mercie An old Mans Heart is Brawnie A young Man is affected with a Laudable Emuletion An old Man with a Malignant Envie A young man is inclined to Religion and Devotion by reason of his Fervencie and Inexperience of Evill An old Man Coolerb in Piety through the Coldnesse of his Charity and long Conversation in Evill And likewise through the Difficultie of his Beleefe A young Mans Desires are Vehement An old Mans Moderate A young Man is Light and Moveable An old Man more Grave and Constant A young Man is 〈◊〉 to Liberality and Beneficence and Humanitie An old Man to Covetousnesse Wisdome for his owne selfe and Seeking his owne 〈◊〉 A young Man is Confident and Full of Hope An old Man Diffident and Given to suspect most Things A young Man is Gentle and Obsequious An old Man Froward and Disdainfull A young man is Sincere and Open-Hearted An old Man Cautelous and Close A young Man is given to Desire great Things An old Man to Regard Things Necessary A young Man thinkes well of the Present Times An old Man Preferreth Times-past before them A young Man Reverenceth his Superiours An old Man is more Forward to tax them And many other Things which pertaine rather to Manners than to the present Inquisition Notwithstanding old Men as in some things they improve in their Bodies so also in their Mindes Unlesse they be altogether out of Date Namely That as they are lesse apt for Invention so they excell in Iudgement And prefer Safe Things and Sound Things before Specious Also they improve in Garrulity and Ostentation For they seeke the Fruit of Speech while they are lesse able for Action So as it was not absurd that the Poets fained Old Tithon to be turned into a Grashopper Moveable Canons of the Duration of Life and Forme of Death Canon 1. COnsumption is not caused unlesse that which bet departed with by one Body passeth into another The Explication THere is in Nature no Annihilation or Reducing to Nothing Therefore that which is consumed is either resolved into Aire or turned into some Body Adjacent So wee see a Spider or Fly or Ant in Amber Entombed in a more stately Monument than Kings are to be laid up for Eternitie Although they bee but tender Things and soone dissipated But the mattter is this That there is no Aire by into which they should be resolved And the Substance of the Amber is so Heterogeneous that it receives Nothing of them The like we conceive would be if a Stick or Root or some such thing were Buried in Quicksilver Also wax and Honey and 〈◊〉 have the same Operation but In part only Canon II. THere is in every Tangible body a Spirit Covered and encompassed with the Grosser Parts of the Body And from it all Consumption and Dissolution hath the Beginning The Explication NO Body known unto us here in the Vpper Part of the Earth is without a Spirit Either by Attenuation and 〈◊〉 from the Heat of the Heavenly Bodies Or by some other way For the Concavities of Tangible Things receive not Vaccum But either Aire or the proper Spirit of the Thing And this Spirit where of we speak is not some Vertue or Energie or Act or Trifle But plainly a Body Rare and Invisible Notwithstanding Circumscribed by place Quantitative Reall Neither againe is that Spirit Aire no more than Wine is Water But a Body Rarified of kin to Aire though much different from it Now the Grosser Parts of Bodies being Dull Things and not apt for Motion would last a long time But the Spirit is that which troubleth and plucketh and undermineth them And converteth the Moisture of the Body and whatsoever it is able to disgest into new Spirit And then as well the Prae-existing Spirit of
Rarity For the more Rare the Bodies be the more doe they suffer Themselves to be thrust into small and narrow Passages For Water will goe into a passage which Dust will not goe into And Aire which Water will not goe into Nay Flame and Spirit which Aire will not goe into Notwithstanding of this Thing there are some Bounds For the Spirit is not so much transported with the Desire of Going forth that it will suffer it selfe to be too much discontinued Or be driven into over-strait pores and passages And therefore if the Spirit bee encompassed with an Hard Body Or else with an Vnctuous and Tenacious which is not easily divided it is plainly Bound and as I may say imprisoned And layeth downe the Appetite of Going out Wherefore wee see that Metals and Stones require a long Time for their Spirit to goe forth Unlesse either the Spirit bee excited by the Fire Or the Grosser Parts bee dissevered with Corroding and Strong waters The like Reason is there of Tenacious Bodies Such as are Gums Save only that they are melted by a more gentle Hear And therefore the 〈◊〉 of the Body hard a Close and Compact skin and the like which are procured by the Drynesse of the Aliment and by Exercise and by the Coldnesse of the Aire Are good for long Life Because they detaine the Spirit in close Prison that it goeth not forth Canon XVI IN Oyly and Fat Things the Spirit is detained willingly though they be not Tenacious The Explication THe Spirit if it be not irritated by the Antipathy of the Body enclosing it Nor fed by the over-much Likenesse of that Body Nor sollicited or invited by the Externall Body It makes no great stir to get out All which are wanting to Oyly Bodies For they are neither so pressing upon the Spirits as Hard Bodies Nor so Neare as Watry Bodies Neither have they any good Agreement with the Aire Ambient Canon XVII THe Speedy flying forth of the Watry Humour conserves the Oyly the longer in his Being The Explication WE said before that the Watry Humours as being Consubstantiall to the Aire flye forth soonest The Oyly later as having small Agreement with the Aire Now whereas these two Humours are in most Bodies it comes to passe that the watry doth in a sort betray the Oyly For that Issuing forth insensibly carrieth this together with it Therefore there is Nothing that more furthereth the Conservation of Bodies than a gentle Drying of them which causeth the Watry Humour to expire and inviteth not the Oyly For then the Oyly enjoyeth the proper Nature And this tendeth not only to the Inhibiting of Putrefaction Though that also followeth but to the Conservation of Greennesse Hence it is that Gentle Frications and Moderate Exercises causing rather Perspiration than Sweating conduce much to long Life Canon XVIII AIre excluded conftrreth to long Life if 〈◊〉 Inconveniences be avoyded The Explication WEe said a little before That the Flying forth of the Spirit is a Redoubled Action From the Appetite of the Spirit and of the Aire And therefore if either of these bee taken out of the way there is not a little galned Notwithstanding divers Inconveniences follow hereupon Which how they may bee prevented wee have shewed in the second of our ten Operations Canon XIX YOuthfull Spirits iuserted into an Old Body might soone 〈◊〉 Natures Course back againe The Explication THe Nature of the Spirits is as the uppermost wheele which turneth about the other wheeles in the Body of Man And therefore in the Intention of Long Life that ought to be first placed Hereunto may bee added That there is an Easier and more Expedite way to alter the Spirits than to other Operations For the Operation upon the Spirits is twofold The one by Aliments which is Slow and as it were about The other and that Twofold which is sudden and goeth directly to the Spirits Namely by Vapours or by the Affections Canon XX. JUyces of the Body Hard and Roscide are good for long Life The Explication THe Reason is plaine Seeing wee shewed before That Hard Things and Oyly or Roscide are hardly dissipated Notwithstanding there is this Difference As wee also noted in the Tenth Operation That Iuyce somewhat Hard is indeed lesse Dissipable but then it is withall lesse Reparable Therefore a Convenience is interlaced with an Inconvenience And for this Cause no wonderfull Matter will be atchieved by this But Roscide Iuyce will admit both Operations Therefore this would be principally 〈◊〉 Canon XXI WHatsoever is of Thin Parts to penetrate And yet hath no Acrimonie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Begetteth Roscide Juyces The Explication THis 〈◊〉 is more Hard to Practise than to understand For it is 〈◊〉 Whatsoever 〈◊〉 well but yet with a sting or 〈◊〉 As doe all Sharp and Soure Things It leaveth behinde 〈◊〉 wheresoever it goeth some Mark or Print of Drynesse 〈◊〉 Cleaving So that it 〈◊〉 the Iuyces and 〈◊〉 the parts Contrarily whatsoever Things penetrate through their Thinnesse meerly as it were by stealth and by way of Insinuation without violence They bedew and water in their passage Of which sort wee have recounted many in the fourth and seventh Operations Canon XXII ASsimilation 〈◊〉 best 〈◊〉 when all Locall Motion is suspended The Explication THis Canon we have sufficiently explained in our Discourse 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Canon XXIII ALIMENTATION from without at least some other way than by the Stomach is most profitable for long Life if it can be done The Explication WE see that all Things which are done by Nutrition aske a long time But those which are done by Embracing of the like As it is in Infusions require no long time And therefore Alimentation from without would be of principall use And so much the more because the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 decay in old Age So that if there could be some Auxiliary Natritions By Bathings Vnctions or else by Clysters These Things in Conjunction might doe much which Single are lesse Available Canon XXIIII WHere the Concoction is weake to thrust forth the Aliment There the outward Parts should be strengthened to call forth the Aliment The Explication THat which is propounded in this Canon is not the same Thing with the former For it is one Thing for the Outward Aliment to bee attracted inward Another for the Inward Aliment to bee attracted Outward yet herein they concur that they both help the weaknesse of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though by divers wayes Canon XXV ALL sudden Renovation of the Body is wrought Either by the Spirits Or by Malacissations The Explication THere are two Things in the Body Spirits and Parts To both these the way by Nutrition is long and about But it is a short way to the Spirits by Vapours and by the Affections And to the Parts by Malacissations But this is dillgently to be noted That by no meanes wee 〈◊〉 Alimentation from 〈◊〉 with Malacissation For the Intention of Malacissation is not to nourish the Parts But onely to
Imprimatur THO. WYKE R. P. Episc. Lond. Cap. domest Decemb. 29. 1637. HISTORY NATURALL And Experimentall Of Life and Death OR Of the Prolongation of Life Written in Latine by the Right Honorable FRANCIS Lo. Verulam Vis-Count St. ALBAN LONDON Printed by Iohn Haviland for William Lee and Humphrey Mosley 1638. TO THE READER I AM to give Advertisement that there came forth of late a Translation of this Booke by an unknowne PERSON Who though he wished well to the propagating of his Lordships Works yet he was altogether unacquainted with his Lordships Stile and Manner of Expressions And so published a Translation Lame and Defective in the whole Whereupon I thought fit to recommend the same to bee translated anew by a more Diligent and Zealous Pen which hath since travailed in it And though it stil comes short of that Lively and Incomparable Spirit and Expression which lived and died with the Authour yet I dare avouch it to bee much more warrantable and agreeable than the Former It is true this Booke was not intended to have been published in English But seeing it hath beene alreadie made free of that Language Whatsoever Benefit or Delight may redound from it I commend the same to the Courteous and Judicious Reader W. R. To the present Age and Posteritie GREETING ALthough we had ranked the Historie of Life and Death as the last amongst our six Monethly Designations yet wee have thought fit in respect of the prime use thereof In which the least Losse of Time ought to bee esteemed precious to invert that Order and to send it forth in the second place For we have hope and wish that it may conduce to a Common Good And that the Nobler sort of Physicians will advance their Thoughts And not employ their Times wholly in the Sordidnesse of Cures Neither bee Honoured for Necessitie only But that they will become Coadjutours and Jnstruments of the Divine omnipotence and Clemencie in Prolonging and Renewing the Life of Man Especially seeing we pre scribe it to be done by Safe and Convenient and Civill wayes though hitherto un-assayed For though wee Christians doe continually aspire and pant afterthe Land of Promise Yet it will bee a Token of Gods Favour towards us in our Journeyings thorow this worlds wildernes to have our Shooes and Garments I meane those of our Fraile Bodies little worn or impaired FR. St. ALBAN THE History of Life and Death The Preface IT is an ancient Saying and Complaint That Life is Short and Art Long. Wherefore it behoveth us who make it our chiefest Aime to perfect Arts to take upon us the Consideration of Prolonging Mans Life God the Author of all Truth and Life prospering our Endevours For though the Life of Man bee nothing else but a Masse and Accumulation of Sins and Sorrowes And they that looke for an Eternall Life set but light by a Temporarie Yet the Continuation of workes of Charity ought not to be contemned even by us Christians Besides the Beloved Disciple of our Lord survived the other Disciples And many of the Fathers of the Church especially of the Holy Monkes and Hermits were long liv'd which shewes that this Blessing of Long life so often promised in the old Law had lesse Abatement after our Saviours Dayes than other Earthly Blessings had But to esteeme of this as the chiefest Good we are but too prone Onely the Inquirie is difficult how to attaine the same And so much the rather because it is corrupted with false opinions and vaine Reports For both those Things which the Vulgar Physitians talke of Radic all Moisture and Naturall Heat are but meere Fictions And the Immoderate praises 〈◊〉 Chymicall Medicines first puffe up with vain hopes and then faile 〈◊〉 Admirers And as for that Death which is caused by Suffocation Putrefaction and severall Diseases wee speake not now For that pertains to an History of Physick But onely of that Death which comes by a totall Decay of the Body and the Inconcoction of old Age. Neverthelesse the last Act of Death and the very Extinguishing of Life it selfe which may so many wayes bee wrought outwardly and inwardly which notwithstanding have as it were one common Porch before it comes to the point of Death will bee pertinent to be inquired of in this Treatise But wee reserve that for the last place That which may bee repaired by Degrees without a Totall waste of the first Stocke is potentially eternall As the Vestall Fire Therefore when Physicians and Philosophers saw that Living Creatures were nourished and their Bodies repaired But that this did last only for a time And afterward came old Age and in the end Dissolution they sought Death in somewhat which could not properly bee repaired Supposing a Radical Moisture incapable of solid Reparation And which from the first infancie received a Spurious Addition but no true Reparation wherby it grew daily worse and worse And in the end brought the Bad to None at all This conceit of theirs was both ignorant and vain For all Things in Living Creatures are in their youth repaired entirely Nay they are for a time increased in Quantitie bettered in Qualitie so as the Matter of Reparation might be Eternall if the Manner of Reparation did not faile But this is the Truth of it There is in the Declining of Age an unequall Reparation Some Parts are repaired easily others with Difficultie and to their losse So as from that time the Bodies of Men begin to endure the Torment of Mezentius That the Living die in the Embraces of the Dead And the Parts easily reparable through their Conjunction with the Parts hardly reparable doe decay For the Spirits Bloud Flesh and Fat are even after the Decline of yeares easily repaired But the Drier and more Porous parts As the Membranes All the Tunicles The Sinewes Arteries Veines Bones Cartilages Most of the Bowels In a word almost all the Organicall parts are hardly Reparable and to their losse Now these hardly Reparable Parts when they come to doe their office of Repairing the other which are easily reparable finding themselves deprived of their wonted Abilitie and strength cease to performe any longer their proper Functions By which meanes it comes to passe that in processe of time the whole tends to Dissolution And even those very Parts which in their owne nature are with much case Reparable Yet through the Decay of the Organs of Reparation can no more receive Reparation But decline and in the end utterly fail And the cause of the Termination of Life is this For that the Spirits like a gentle Flame continually preying upon Bodies Conspiring with the outward Aire which is ever Sucking and Drying of them Doe in time destroy the whole Fabricke of the Bodie As also the particular Engines and Organs therof And make them unable for the worke of Reparation These are the true wayes of Naturall Death well and faithfully to bee revolved in our Mindes For He that knowes not the wayes
of Nature how can he succour her or turne her about Therefore the Inquisition ought to bee two-fold The one touching the Consumption or Depredation of the Body of Man The other touching the Reparation and Renovation of the same To the end that the Former may as much as is possible be forbidden and restrained And the Latter comforted The Former of these pertaines especially to the Spirits and Outward Aire By which the Depredation and Waste is committed The Latter to the whole Race of Alimentation or Nourishment whereby the Renovation or Restitution is made And as for the Former part touching Consumption This hath many Things common with Bodies Inanimate or without Life For such Things as the Native Spirit which is in all Tangible Bodies whether Living or without Life And the Ambient or Externall Aire worketh upon Bodies Inanimate The same it attempteth upon Animate or Living Bodies Although the Vitall Spirit super added doth partly breake and bridle those Operations Partly exalt and advance them wonderfully For it is most manifest that Inanimate Bodies most of them will endure a long time without any Reparation But Bodies Animate without Food and Reparation suddenly fall and are extinguished As the Fire is So then our Inquisition shall be double First we will consider the Bodie of Man as Inanimate and not Repaired by Nourishment Secondly as Animate and Repaired by Nourishment Thus having prefaced these Things we come now to the Topick Places of Inquisition The Particular Topick Places Or Articles of Inquisition Touching Life and Death 1 FIrst inquire of Nature Durable and Not Durable In Bodies Inanimate or without Life As also in Vegetables But that not in a large or Just Treatise But as in a Briefe or Summary onely 2 Also inquire diligently of Desiccation Arefaction and Consumption of Bodies Inanmate And of Vegetables And of the wayes and Processes by which they are done And further of Inhibiting and De laying of Desiccation Arefaction and Consumption And the Conservation of Bodies in their proper State And a gaine of the Inteneration Emellition and Recovery of Bodies to their former Freshnesse after they be once dried and withered Neither need the Inquisition touching these Things to be full or exact seeing they pertaine rather to their proper Title of Nature Durable seeing also they are not Principals in this Inquisition But serve onely to give Light to the Prolongation and Instauration of Life in Living Creatures In which as was said before the same Things come to passe but in a Peculiar manner So from the Inquisition touching Bodies Inanimate and Vegetables Let the Inquisition passe on to other Living Creatures besides Man Inquire touching the Length and Shortnesse of Life in Living Creatures with the due Circumstances which make most for their long or Short Lives 4 But because the Duration of Bodies is twofold One in Identitie or the selfe-same substance The other by a Renovation or Reparation whereof the Former hath place onely in Bodies Inanimate The Latter in Vegetables and Living Creatures And is perfected by Alimentation or Nourishment Therefore it will be fit to inquire of Alimentation And of the wayes and Progresses thereof Yet this not exactly because it pertaines properly to the Titles of Assimilation and Alimentation But as the rest in progresse only From the Inquisition touching Living Creatures and Bodies repaired by Nourishment passe on to the Inquisition touching Man And now being come to the principall Subject of Inquisition the Inquisition ought to bee in all points more precise and accurate 5 Inquire touching the Length and Shortnesse of Life in Men according to the Ages of the world The severall Regions Climates and Places of their Nativity and Habitation 6 Inquire touching the Length and Shortnesse of Life in Men according to their Races and Families As if it were a Thing Hereditary Also according to their Complexions Constitutions and Habits of Body Their Statures The Manner and Time of their Growth And the Making and Composition of their Members 7 Inquire touching the Length and Shortnesse of Life in Men according to the Times of their Nativitie But so as you omit for the present all Astrologicall Observations and the Figures of Heaven under which they were borne Onely insist upon the vulgar and manifest Observations As whether they were borne in the Seventh Eighth Ninth or Tenth Moneth Also whether by Night or by Day And in what Moneth of the yeare 8 Inquire touching the Length and Shortnesse of Life in Men according to their Fare Diet Government of their Life Exercises and the like For as for the Aire in which Men live and make their Abode we account that proper to be inquired of in the above-said Article touching the Places of their Habitation 9 Inquire touching the Length and Shortnesse of Life in Men according to their siudies Their severall Courses of Life The Affections of the Minde And divers Accidents befalling them 10 Inquire apart touching those Medicines which are thought to prolong Life 11 Inquire touching the Signes and Prognosticks of Long and Short Life Not those which betoken Death at hand for they belong to an Historie of Phisick But those which are seene and may bee observed even in Health whether they bee Physiognomicall signes or any other Hitherto have beene propounded Inquisitions touching Length and Shortnesse of Life besides the Rules of Art and in a confused manner Now wee thinke to adde some which shall be more Art-like And tending to Practice under the name of Intentions Those Intentions are generally three As for the particular Distributions of them we will propound them when wee come to the Inquisition it selfe The three generall Intentions are Toe Forbidding of Waste and Consumption The Perfecting of Reparation And the Renewing of Oldnesse 12 Inquire touching those things which Conserve and Exempt the body of man from Arefaction and Consumption At least which put off and protract the inclination thereunto 13 Inquire touching those things which pertaine to the whole Processe of Alimentation By which the body of man is repaired that it may bee good and with the best improvement 14 Inquire touching those things which purge out the old Matter and supply with New As also which do Intenerate and Moisten those parts which are already Dryed and Hardned But because it will be hard to know the wayes of Death unlesse you search out and discover the Seat or House or rather Den of Death It will bee convenient to make Inquisition of this Thing yet not of every kinde of Death but of those Deaths which are caused by want and Indigence of Nourishment not by violence For they are those Deaths only which pertaine to a Decay of Nature and meere old Age. 15 Inquire touching the point of Death And the porches of Death leading thereunto from all parts so as that Death be caused by a Decay of Nature and not by violence Lastly Because it is behoovefull to know the Character and Forme of Old Age which
will then best be done if you make a Collection of all the Differences both in the State and Functions of the Body 〈◊〉 Youth and Old Age That by them you may observe what it is that produceth such manifeld Effects let not this Inquisition be omitted 16 Inquire diligently touching the Differences in the State of the Body and Faculties of the Minde in Youth and old Age And whether there bee any that remaine the same without Alteration or 〈◊〉 in old Age. Nature Durable and Not Durable The Historie MEtals are of that long lasting that Men cannot trace the Beginnings of them And when they doe decay they decay through Rust not through Perspiration into Aire Yet Gold decayes neither way 2 Quick-silver though it bee an Humide and Fluide Body And easily made volatile by Fire yet as farre as wee have observed by Age alone without Fire it neither wasteth nor gathereth Rust. 3 Stones especially the harder sort of them and many other Fossiles are of long lasting And that though they be exposed to the open Aire Much more if they bee buried in the Earth Notwithstanding Stones gather a kinde of Nitre which is to them in stead of Rust. Precious Stones and Crystals exceed Metals in long Lasting But then they grow dimmer and lesse Orient if they be very old 4 It is observed that Stones lying towards the North doe sooner decay with Age than those that lie towards the South And that this appeares manifestly in Pyramids and Churches and other ancient Buildings Contrariwise in Iron that exposed to the South gathers Rust sooner And that to the North later As may be seene in the Iron Barres of windowes And no marvell seeing in all Putrefaction as Rust is Moisture hastens Dissolution In all simple Arefaction Drinesse 5 In Vegetables wee speak of such as are feld not Growing the stocks or Bodies of harder Trees and the Timber made of them last dive Ages But then there is Difference in the Bodies of Trees Some Trees are in a 〈◊〉 Spongie as the Elder In which the pith in the Midst is sost and the outward part harder But in timber trees as the Oake the inner part which they call Hart of Oake lasteth longer 6 The Leaves and Flowers and Stalks of Plants are but of short Lasting But dissolve into Dust unlesse they putrifie the Roots are more durable 7 The Bones of living Creatures last long as we may see it of mens Bones in charnell Houses Hornes also last very long so doe Teeth as it is seene in Ivorie and the Sea horse Teeth 8 Hides also and Skins endure very long as is evident in old Parchment Books paper likewise will last many Ages though not so long às Parchment 9 Such Things as have possed the Fire last long as Glasse and Bricks Likewise Flesh and Fruits that have passed the fire last longer than Raw And that not onely because the Baking in the Fire forbids putrefaction But also because the watrie Humour being drawne forth the oyly Humour supports it selfe the longer 10 Water of all Liquors is soonest drunk up by Aire Contrariwise Oyle latest which wee may see not onely in the Liquors themselves But in the Liquors mixt with other Bodies For Paper wet with water and so getting some Degree of Transparency will soone after wax white and loose the Transparencie again the watrie vapour exhaling But oiled Paper will keepe the Transparencie long the 〈◊〉 not being apt to exhale And therefore they that counterfeit Mens Hands will lay the oiled Paper upon the writing they meane to counterfe 〈◊〉 and then assay to draw the lines 11 Gummes all of them last very long The like doe Wax and Honey 12 But the Equall or Vnequaliuse of Things conduceth no lesse to long Lasting or short Lasting than the Things themselves For Timber and Stones and other Bodies standing continually in the Water or continually in the Aire last longer than if they were sometimes wet sometimes drie And so Stones continue longer if they be layed towards the same coast of Heaven in the Building that they lay in the Mine The same is of Plants removed if they be coasted just as they were before Observations 1 LEt this be laid for a Foundation which is most sure That there is in every Tangible Body a Spirit or Body Pneumaticall enclosed and covered with the Tangible parts And that from this Spirit is the Beginning of all Dissolution and Consumption so as the Antidote 〈◊〉 them is the Detaining 〈◊〉 this Spirit 2 This Spirit is detained 〈◊〉 wayes Either by astraigh Inclosure as it were in Prison Or by a kinde 〈◊〉 Free and voluntarie Detention Again this voluntarie stay is perswaded 〈◊〉 wayes Either if the Spirit it selfe be not too Moveable or Eager to depart Or if the Externall 〈◊〉 importune it not too 〈◊〉 to come forth So then 〈◊〉 sorts of substances are Durable Hard Substance and Oyly Hard Substance bindes in the spirit close Oyly partly enticeth the Spirit to stay partly is of that nature that it is not 〈◊〉 by Aire For Aire is Consubstantiall to Water and Flame to Oile And touching Nature Durable and Not Durable in Bodies Inanimate thus much The Historie 13 HErbs of the Colder sort dye yearly both in Root and Stalk As Lettice Purslane Also Wheat and all Kinde of Corne. Yet there are some Cold Herbs which will last three or foure yeares As the Violet Strawberrie Burnet Prime-rose and Sorrell But Borage and Buglosse which seeme so alike when they are alive differ in their Deaths for Borage will last but one yeare Buglosse will last more 14 But many Hot Herbs beare their age and yeares better Hyssope Thyme Savourie Pot Marjoram Balme Wormewood Germander Sage And the like Fennell dies yearly in the Stalk Buds againe from the Root But Pulse and sweet Marjoram can better endure age than Winter For being set in a very warme place and well senced they will live more than one yeare It is knowne that a Knot of Hyssope twice 〈◊〉 yeare shorne hath continued forty yeares 15 Bushes and Shrubs live threescore yeares and some double as much A Vine may attaine to threescore yeares and continue Fruitfull in the old age Rose mary well placed will come also to threescore yeares But White Thorne and Ivie endure above an hundred yeares As for the Bramble the age thereof is not certainly knowne Because bowing the head to the Ground it gets new Roots so as you cannot distinguish the Old from the New 16 Amongst great Trees the longest Livers are The Oake the Holme the Wild-Ash the Elme the Beech-tree the Chestnut the Plain-tree Ficus Ruminalis the Lote-tree the Wild-olive the Olive the Palme-tree and the Mulberrie-tree Of these some have come to the Age of eight hundred yeares But the least Livers of them doe attaine to two hundred 17 But Trees Odorate or that have sweet woods And Trees Rozennie last longer in their Woods or Timber than those above said but they
are not so long liv'd as the Cypresse-tree Maple Pine Box Iuniper The Cedar being borne out by the vastnesse of his body lives well-neare 〈◊〉 long as the former 18 The Ash fertile and forward in Bearing reacheth to an hundred yeares and somewhat better which also the Birch Maple and Service-tree sometimes doe But the Poplar Lime-tree Willow and that which they call the Cycomore and Wall-nut-tree live not so long 19 The Apple-tree Peare-tree Plum-tree Pomegranate-tree Citron-tree Medlar-tree BlackCherrie-tree Cherrie-tree may attaine to fiftie or sixtie yeares Especially if they be cleansed from the Mosse where with some of them are cloathed 20 Generally Greainesse of Body in Trees if other things be equall hath some congruitie with Length of Life So hath Hardnesse of Substance And Trees bearing Mast or Nuts are commonly longer livers than Trees bearing Fruit or Berries Likewise Trees putting forth their Leaves late and shedding them late againe live longer than those that are early either in Leaves or Fruit The like is of Wilde trees in comparison of Orchard Trees And lastly in the same kinde Trees that beare a Sowre Fruit out-live those that beare a sweet Fruit. An Observation 3 ARistotle noted well 〈◊〉 difference between Plants and living Creatures in 〈◊〉 of their Nourishment and Reparation Namely that the Bodies of living Creatures an confined within certain Bounds and that after they bee come to their full Growth they are continued and preserved by Nourishment but they put forth nothing New except Haire and Nailes which are counted for no better than Excrements so as the juyce of living Creatures must of necessitie sonner wax old But in Trees which put forth yearly new Boughes new Shoots new Leaves and new Fruits It comes to passe that all these parts in Trees are once a yeare young and renewed Now it being so that whatsoever is fresh and young drawes the Nourishment more lively and cheerfully to it than that which is Decayed and Old It happens withall that the Stock and Body of the Tree through which the Sap posseth to the Branches is refreshed and 〈◊〉 with a more bountifull and vigorous Nourishment in the Passage than otherwise it would have beene And this appeares notably though Aristotle noted it not Neither hath bee expressed these things so clearly and perspicuously In Hedges Copses and Pollards when the plashing shedding or lopping comforteth the old Stemme or Stock and maketh it more flourishing and longer liv'd Desiccation prohibiting 〈◊〉 Desiccation And Inteneration of that which is desiccated and dried The Historie 1 FIre and strong Heats dry some things and mels others Limus ut hic durescit 〈◊〉 Cera liquescit Vno eodemque Igne How this Clay is hardned and how this wax is melted with one and the same thing Fire It dryeth Earth Stones Wood Cloth and Skins and whatsoever is not liquefiable and it melteth Metals Wax Gums Butter Tallow and the like 2 Notwithstanding even in those things which the Fire melteth if it bee very vehement and continueth it doth at last dry them For Metall in a strong Fire Gold onely excepted the volatile part being gone forth will become lesse ponderous and more brittle and those Oyly and fat Substances in the like Fire will burne up and bee dried and parched 3 Aire especially open Aire doth manifestly dry but not melt as High wayes and the upper part of the Earth moistned with showers are dryed 〈◊〉 Clothes washed if they bee hanged out in the Aire are likewise dried Herbs and Leaves and Flowers laid forth in the shade are dryed But much more suddenly doth the Aire this If it bee either inlightned with the Sun-beames so that they cause not putrefaction Or if the Aire bee stirred as when the Winde bloweth Or in Roomes open on all sides 4 Age most of all but yet slowest of all dryeth as in all bodies which if they be not prevented by putrefaction are dryed with Age. But Age is nothing of it selfe being onely the measure of time That which causeth the Effect is the native Spirit of bodies which sucketh up the moisture of the body and then together with it flyeth forth and the Aire ambient which multiplieth it selfe upon the native Spirits and jayees of the body and preyeth upon them 5 Cold of all things most properly dryeth for Drying is not caused but by Contraction Now Contraction is the proper work of Cold. But because we Men have Heat in a high Degree namely that of Fire but Cold in a very low Degree none other than that of Winter Or perhaps of Ice or of Snow or of Nitre therefore the Drying caused by Cold is but weak and easily resolved Notwithstanding wee see the Surface of the Earth to bee more dryed by Frost or by March windes than by the Sunne seeing the same winde both licketh up the moisture and affecteth with Coldnesse 6 Smoak is a Dryer as in Bacon and Neats Tongues which are hanged up in chimneys and perfumes of Olibanum or Lignum Aloes and the like dry the Braine and cure Catarrhs 7 Salt after some reasonable continuance dryeth not only on the outside but in the inside also as in Flesh and Fish salted which if they have continued any long time have a manifest hardnesse within 8 Hot Gummes applied to the skin dry and wrinkle it and some Astringent waters also doe the same 9 Spirit of strong wines imitateth the Fire in Drying For it will both potch an Egge put into it and toast Bread 10 Powders dry like Sponges by Drinking up the Moisture as it is in Sand throwneupon Lines new written Also Smoothnesse and Politenesse of Bodies which suffer not the Vapour of Moisture to goe in by the Pores Drie by accident because it exposeth it to the Aire As it is seene in Precious Stones Looking-Glasses and Blades of Swords Upon which if you breathe you shall see at first a little Mist But soone after it vanisheth like a Cloud And thus much for Desiceation or Drying 11 They use at this day in the East parts of Germany Garners in Vaults under Ground wherin they keepe wheat and other Graines Laying a good Quantity of Straw both under the Graines and about them to save them from the Danknesse of the Vault By which Device they keepe their Graiaes twenty or thirtie yeares And this doth not only preserve them from Eustinesse but that which pertaines more to the present Inquisition preserves them also in that Greennesse that they are fit and serviceable to make Bread The same is reported to have beene in use in Cappadocia and Thracia and some parts of Spaine 12 The placing of Garners on the Tops of Houses with Windowes towards the East and North is very commodious Some also make two Sollars An Upper and a Lower And the upper Sollar hath an Hole in it thorow which the Graine continually descendeth like Sand in an Houre-glasse And after a few dayes they throw it up againe with Shovels That so it may
be in continuall Motion Now it is to bee noted that this doth not onely prevent the Fustinesse but conserveth the Greennesse and slacketh the Desiccation of it The cause is that Which we noted before That the Discharging of the watry Humor Which is quickned by the Motion and the Winds preserves the Oily Humour in his Being Which otherwise would fly out together with the Watry Humour Also in some Mountaines where the Aire is very pure Dead Carkases may bee kept for a good while without any great Decay 13 Fruits As Pomegranates Cytrons Apples Peares and the like Also Flowers As Roses and Lilies may bee kept a long time in Earthen Vessels close stopped Howsoever they are not free from the Injuries of the outward Air which will affect them wit his unequall Temper thorow the sides of the Vessell As 〈◊〉 is manifest in Heat and cold Therefore it will bee good to stop the Mouthes of the Vessels carefully and to bury them within the Earth And it will be as good Not to bury them in the Earth but to sinke them in the Water so as the place be shady As in Wels Or Cisternes placed within Doores But those that bee sunke in Water will doe better in Glasse vessels than in Earthen 14 Generally those Things which are kept in the Earth 〈◊〉 in Vaults under Ground or in the Bottome of a Well will preserve their Freshnesse longer than those Things that are kept above Ground 15 They say it hath been observed That in Conservatories of Snow whether they were in Mountaines in Naturall Pits or in Wells made by Art for that purpose an Apple or Chest-nut or Nut by chance falling in after many Moneths when the Snow hath melted have beene found in the Snow as fresh and faire as if they had been gathered the day before 16 Country people keep Clusters of Grapes in Meale which though it makes them lesse pleasant to the taste yet it preserves their Moisture and Freshnesse Also the Harder sort of Fruits may bee kept long not onely in Meale but also in Saw-dust and in 〈◊〉 of Corne. 17 There is an opinion held That Bodies may be preserved Fresh in Liquours of their own kind As in their proper 〈◊〉 As to keepe Grapes in wine Olives in Oyle 18 Pomegrants and Quinces are kept long being lightly dipped in Sea water or Salt-water And soone after taken out againe and then dryed in the open Aire so it bee in the Shade 19 Bodies put in Wine Oyle or the Lees of Oyle keepe long Much more in Honey or Spirit of Wine But most of all as some say in Quick-silver 20 Fruits enclosed in Wax Pitch Plaister Paste or any the like Case or Covering keep green very long 21 It is manifest that Flyes Spiders Ants or the like small Creasures falling by chance into Amber or the Gums of Trees and so finding a Buriall in them doe never after corrupt or rot although they be soft and tender Bodies 22 Grapes are kept long by being hanged up in Bunches The same is of other Fruits For there is a twofold commodity of this Thing The one that they are kept without Pressing or Bruising which they must needs suffer if they were laid upon any hard substance The other that the Aire doth encompasse them on every side alike 23 It is observed that Putrefaction no lesse than Desiccation in Vegetables doth not 〈◊〉 in every part alike But chiefly in that part where being alive it did attract Nourishment Therefore some advise to cover the Stalkes 〈◊〉 Apples or other Fruits with Wax or Pitch 24 Great Wiekes of Candles 〈◊〉 Lamps doe sooner 〈◊〉 the Tallow or Oyle than 〈◊〉 Wiekes Also Wieks of Cotton sooner than those of Rush 〈◊〉 Straw or small Twigs And in Staves of Torches those of Iuniper or Firre sooner than those of Ash Likewise Flame Moved and Fanned with the Wind sooner than that which is still And therefore Candles set in a Lanthorne will last longer than in the Open Aire There is a Tradition that Lamps set in Sepulchers will last an incredible time 25 The Nature also and Preparation of the Nourishment conduceth no lesse to the Lasting of Lamps and Candles than the Nature of the Flame For Wax will last longer than Tallow And Tallow a little wet longer than Tallow dry And Wax Candles old made longer than Wax Candles new made 26 Trees if you stir the Earth about their Roots every yeare will continue lesse time If once in foure or perhaps in ten yeares much longer Also Cutting off the Suckers and Young Shoots will make them live the longer But Dunging them or laying of Marle about their Roots or much Watring them addes to their fertility but cuts off from their long Lasting And thus much touching the Prohibiting of Desiccation or Consumption The Inteneration or making Tender of that which 〈◊〉 Dryed which is the chiefe Matter affords but a small Number of Experiments And therefore some few Experiments which are found in 〈◊〉 Creatures and also in Man shall be joyned together 27 Bands of Willow wherewith they use to bind Trees laid in water grow more Flexible Likewise they put Boughes of Birch the ends of them in earthen Pots filled with water to keepe them from withering And Bowles cleft with Drinesse steeped in water close againe 28 Boots growne hard and obstinate with age by greasing them before the Fire with 〈◊〉 wax soft or being only held before the Fire get some softnesse Bladders and Parchments hardened also become tender with warme water mixed with Tallow or any Fat Thing But much the better if they be a little Chofed 29 Trees growne very old that have stood long without any Culture by Digging and Opening the Earth about the Roots of them seeme to grow young againe and put forth young Branches 30 Old Draught Oxen worne out with labour being taken from the yoke and put into fresh Pasture will get young and tender Flesh againe In so much that they will eat as Fresh and tender as a Steere 31 A strict Emaciating Dyet of Guaiacum Bisket and the like wherewith they use to cure the French Pox old Catarrhs and some kinde of Dropsies doth first bring men to great Povertie and Leannesse by wasting the Juyces and Humours of the Body which after they begin to be repaired againe seeme 〈◊〉 more vigorous and young Nay and we are of Opinion that Emaciating Diseases afterwards well cured have advanced many in the way of Long Life Observations 1 MEn see clearly like Owles in the Night of their owne Notions But in Experience as in the Day-light they winke and are but halfe-sighted They speake much of the Elementary Quality of Siccity or Drinesse And of Things Desiccating And of the Naturall Periods of Bodies in which they are Corrupted and consumed But meane while either in the Beginnings or Middle Passages or Last Acts of Desiccation and Consumption they observe nothing that is of Moment 2 Desiccation or Consumption in
the Processe thereof is finished by three Actions And all these as was said before have their Originall from the Native Spirit of bodies 3 The First Action is the Attenuation of the Moisture into Spirit The Second is the Issuing forth or Flight of the Spirit The third is the Contraction of the Grosser Parts of the Body immediately after the Spirit issued forth And this last is that Desiccation and Induration which we chiefly handle The Former Two consume only 4 Touching Attenuation the matter is manifest For the Spirit which is enclosed in every Tangible Body forgets not his Nature But whatsoever it meets withall in the Body in which it is enclosed that it can disgest and master and turne into it selfe That it plainly alters and subdues and multiplies it selfe upon it and begets new Spirit And this is evicted by one Proofe in stead of many For that those Things which are 〈◊〉 Dryed are Lessened in their Weight And become Hollow Porous and Resounding from within Now it is most certaine that the Inward Spirit of any Thing confers Nothing to the Weight But rather Lightens it And therefore it must needs be that the same Spirit hath turned into it the Moisture and Juyce of the Body which weighed before By which Meanes the Weight is lessened And this is the first Action The Attenuation of the Moisture and Converting it into Spirit 5 The second Action which is the Issuing forth or Flight of the Spirit is as manifest also For that Issuing forth when it is in throngs is apparent even to the Sense In Vapours to the Sight In Odours to the Smelling But if it issueth forth slowly As when a Thing is decayed by Age then it is not apparent to the Sense But the Matter is the same Againe where the Composure of the Body is either so Strait or so Tenacious That the Spirit can finde no Pores or Passages by which to depart Then in the striving to get out it drives before it the grosser Parts of the Body And protrudes them beyond the Superficies or Surface of the Bodit As it is in the Rust of Metals And Mould of all Fat Things And this is the second Action The Issuing forth or Flight of the Spirit 6 The third Action is somewhat more obscure but full as certaine That is The Contraction of the Grosser Parts after the Spirit issued forth And this appeares first in that Bodies after the Spirit issued forth doe manifestly Shrinke and 〈◊〉 a lesse Roome As it is in the Kernels of Nuts which after they are dryed are too little for the Shells And in Beames and Planchers of Houses which at first lay closo together but after they are dryed gape And likewise in Bowles which through Drought grow full of Cranies The Parts of the Bowle contracting themselves together and after Contraction must needs be emptie Spaces Secondly it appeares by the Wrinkles of Bodies Dryed For the Endevour of Contracting it selfe is such That by the Contraction it brings the Parts nearer together and so lifts them up For whatsoever is Contracted on the sides is lifted up in the Midst And this is to be seene in Papers and old Parchments And in the Skins of Living Creatures And in the Coats of Soft Cheeses All which with Age gather wrinkles Thirdly this Contraction shewes 〈◊〉 selfe Most in those Things which by Heat are not only wrinkled but ruffled and plighted and 〈◊〉 it were rowled together As it is in Papers and Parchments and Leaves brought neare the Fire For Contraction by Age which is more Slow commonly causeth wrinkles But Contraction by the Fire which is 〈◊〉 speedie causeth Plighting Now in most Things where it 〈◊〉 not to Wrinkling or Plighting there is simple Contraction and Angustiation 〈◊〉 Straitning and Induration 〈◊〉 Hardning and Desiccation As was shewed in the first place But if the Issuing forth of the Spirit and Absumption or waste of the Moisture bee so great That there is not left Bodie sufficient to unite and contract it selfe Then of Necessitie Contraction must cease And the Bodie 〈◊〉 Putride And nothing else but a little Dust cleaving together which with a light touch is dispersed and falleth asunder As it is in Bodies that are Rotten and in Paper burnt And Linnen made into Tinder And Carkaises Embalmed after many Ages And this is the Third Action The Contraction of the Grosser Parts after the Spirit issued forth 7 It is to be noted That Fire and Heat dry only by Accident For their proper Worke is to attenuate and dilate the Spirit and Moisture And then it followes by Accident that the other Parts should contract themselves Either for the Flying of Vacuum alone Or for some other Motion withall Whereof we now speake not 8 It is certaine that Putrefaction takes his Originall from the Native Spirit no lesse than Arefaction But it goeth on a far different way For in Putrefaction the Spirit is not simply vapoured forth But being detained in Part workes strange Garboises And the Grosser Parts are not so much locally contracted as they congregate themselves to Parts of the same Nature Length and Shortnesse of Life in living Creatures The Historie TOuching the Length and Shortnes of Life in Living Creatures the Information which may bee had is but Slender Observation is Negligent And Tradition Fabulous In Tame Creatures their 〈◊〉 Life corrupteth them In wilde Creatures their Exposing to all weathers often intercepteth them Neither doe those Things which may seeme Concomitants give any Furtherance to this Information The Greatnesse of their Bodies Their Time of Bearing in the Womb The Number of their Young ones The Time of their Growth And the Rest In regard that these Things are Intermixed And sometimes they concur sometimes they sever 1 Mans Age as farre as can be gathered by any certaine Narration doth exceed the Age of all other Living Creatures Except it be of a very few only And the Concomitants in him are very equally disposed His Stature and Proportion large His Bearing in the Wombe nine Moneths His Fruit commonly one at a Birth His Pubertie at the Age of Fourteen yeares His Time of Growing till Twenty 2 The Elephant by undoubted Relation exceeds the Ordinary Race of Mans life But his Bearing in the Wombe the space of ten yeares is fabulous Of two yeares or at least above one is certaine Now his Bulke is great His Time of Growth untill the thirtieth yeare His Teeth exceeding hard Neither hath it beene unobserved That his Bloud is the coldest of all Creatures His Age hath sometimes reached to two hundred yeares 3 Lions are accounted long Livers because many of them have been found Toothlesse A signe not so certaine For that may bee caused by their strong Breath 4 The Beare is a great Sleeper A Dull Beast and given to ease And yet not noted for long Life Nay hee hath this signe of short Life That his Bearing in the Wombe is but short scarce full forty
successively as in Birds Or when they are single Births As in Creatures bearing but one at a Burthen 4 But long Bearing in the wombe makes for Length of Life three wayes First for that the young one partakes more of the substance of the Mother As hath beene said Secondly that it comes forth more strong and able Thirdly that it undergoes the predatorie Force of the Aire sater Besides it shewes that Nature intendeth to finish her periods by larger Circles Now though Oxen and Sheepe which are borne in the wombe about six Moneths are but short liv'd That happens for other Causes 5 Feeders upon Grasse and 〈◊〉 Herbs are but short Livers And Creatures feeding upon Flesh or Seeds or Fruits long Livers As some Birds are As for Harts which are long liv'd They take the one Halfe of their Meat As men use to say from above their Heads And the Goose besides Grasse findeth something in the water and stubble to feed upon 6 Wee suppose that a good Clothing of the Body maketh much to long Life For it Fenceth and Armeth against the Intemperances of the Aire which dot wonderfully Assaile and Decay the Body which Benefit Birds especially have Now that Sheep which have so good Fleeces should bee so short 〈◊〉 That is to bee impated to Diseases whereof that Creature is full and to the bareeating of Grasse 7 The Seat of the Spirits without doubt is principally the Head Which though it bee usually understood of the Animall Spirits onely yet this is all in all Againe it is not to bee doubted but the Spirits doe most of all waste and prey upon the Body so that wher they are either in greater plentie Or in greater Inflammation and Acrimonie There the life is much shortned And therefore wee conceive a great Cause of long life in Birds to bee The Smalnesse of their Heads in comparison of their Bodies For even Men which have very great Heads wee suppose to be the shorter Livers 8 We are os opinion That Carriage is of all other Motions the most helpfull to long life which we also noted before Now there are carried Water-fowles upon the water As Swans All Birds in their flying but with a strong Endevour of their Lime And Fishes of the length of whose Life wee have no certaintie 9 Those Creatures which are long before they come to their perfection Net speaking of Growth in stature onely but of other steps to Maturitie As Manputs forth First his 〈◊〉 Next the Signes of Pube tie Then his Beard And so forward are Long-liv'd For it shewes that Nature finisheth her Periods by larger Circles 10 Milder Creatures are not long-liv'd As the Sheepe and Dove for Choler is as the Whetstone and Spur to many Functions in the Body 11 Creatures whose Flesh is more Duskish are longer liv'd than those that have white Flesh for it sheweth that the Iuyce of the Body is more firme and lesse apt to dissipate 12 In every Corruptible Body Quantitie maketh much to the Conservation of the whole For a great fire is longer in Quenching A small portion of water is sooner evaporated The Body of a Tree withereth not so fast as a Twig And therefore generally I speak it of Species not of Individuals Creatures that are large in Body are longer liv'd than thos that are small unlesse there be some other potent Cause to hinder it Alimentation or Nourishment And the way of Nourishing The Historie 1 NOurishment ought to bee of an Inferiour nature and more simple substance than the Thing Nourished Plants are nourished with the Earth and Water Living Creatures with Plants Man with Living Creatures There are also certain Creatures Feeding upon Flesh And Man himselfe takes Plants into a part of his Nourishment But Man and Creatures feeding upon Flesh are scarcely nourished with Plants alone Perhaps Fruits or Graines baked or boyled may with long use nourish them But Leaves of Plants or Herbs will not doe it As the Order of the Foliatanes shewed by Experience 2 Over-great Affinity or Consubstantiality of the Nourishment to the Thing nourished proveth not well for Creatures feeding upon Herbs touch no Flesh And of Creatures feeding upon Flesh few of them eat their owne kinde As for Men which are Cannibals they feed not ordinarily upon Mens Flesh But reserve it as a Dainty either to serve their Revenge upon their Enemies or to satisfie their Appetite at some times So the Ground is best sowne with Seed growing else-where And Men do not use to Graft or Inoculate upon the same stocke 3 By how much the more the Nourishment is better Prepared and approacheth nearer in likenesse to the Thing nourished By so much the more are Plants more Fruitfull And Living Creatures in better liking and plight For a young Slip or Cions is not so well nourished if it bee pricked into the Ground As if it be grafted into a Stecke agreeing wich it in Nature And where it findes the Nourishment alreadie disgested and prepared Neither as is reported will the Seed of an Onion or some such like sown in the bare earth bring forth so large a Fruit as if it be put into another Onion Which is a new kind of Grafting Into the Root or under ground Againe it hath beene found out lately That a Slip of a Wilde Tree As of an Elme Oake Ash or such like grafted into a Stock of the same kind wil bring forth larger Leaves than those that grow without Grafting Also Men are not nourished so well with Raw Flesh as with that which hath passed the Fire 4 Living Creatures are nourished by the Mouth plants by the Root Young ones in the Womb by the Navill Birds for a while are nourished with the Yolke in the Egge whereof some is found in their Crops after they are hatched 5 All Nourishment moveth from the Center to the Circum cumference Or from the Inward to the Outward yet it is to be noted That in Trees and Plants the Nourishment passeth rather by the Barke and outward Parts than by the Pith and inward parts For if the Barke be pilled off though but for a small bredth round they live no more And the Bloud in the Veines of Living Creatures doth no lesse nourish the Flesh beneath it than the Flesh above it 6 In all Alimentation or Nourishment there is a two-fold Action Extrusion and Attraction whereof the Former proceeds from the Inward Function the latter from the Outward 7 Vegetables assimilate their Nourishment simply without Excerning For Gums and Teares of Trees are rather Exuberances than Excrements And knots or knobs are nothing but Diseases But the substance of Living Creatures is more perceptible of the like And therefore it is conjoyned with a kinde of Disdaine whereby it rejecteth the Bad and assimilateth the Good 8 It is a strange Thing of the Stalkes of Fruits That all the Nourishment which produceth sometimes such great Fruits should bee forced to passe thorow so narrow Necks For the
very Places 〈◊〉 produced none such Although this Thing also hath 〈◊〉 Turns and Changes 〈◊〉 the Civillizing of a 〈◊〉 no lesse than the Former And this is the rather to be 〈◊〉 because Men are 〈◊〉 carried away with an 〈◊〉 That there is a 〈◊〉 Decay by succession of Ages as well in the Terme of Mans life as in the Stature and strength of his Body And that all Things decline and change to the worse 24 In Cold and Northerne 〈◊〉 Men live longer 〈◊〉 than in Hot which must needs be in respect The Skin is more Compact 〈◊〉 close And the Juyees of the Body lesse dissipable And the Spirits themselves lesse Eage to consume and in better 〈◊〉 position to repaire And the Aire As being little 〈◊〉 by the Sun-Beames 〈◊〉 Predatory And yet under the AEquinoctiall Line 〈◊〉 the Sunne passeth to and 〈◊〉 and causeth a double Summer and double Winter And where the Dayes and Nights are more Equall 〈◊〉 other Things be concurring they live also very long 〈◊〉 Pern and Taprobane 25 Islanders are for the 〈◊〉 part longer liv'd than 〈◊〉 that dwell in Continents 〈◊〉 theylive not so long in Russia as in the Orcades Nor so long in Africa though under the same Parallel as in the 〈◊〉 and Tercera's And the 〈◊〉 are longer liv'd 〈◊〉 the Chineses Though 〈◊〉 Chineses are madde upon Long Life And this thing is 〈◊〉 Marvell Seeing the Aire 〈◊〉 the Sea doth heat and 〈◊〉 in cooler Regions and 〈◊〉 in hotter 26 High Situations doe rather 〈◊〉 long Livers than Low Especially if they bee not Tops of Mountaines but 〈◊〉 Grounds as to their 〈◊〉 Situations Such as was 〈◊〉 in Greece And that Part of AEtolia where we 〈◊〉 them to have lived so 〈◊〉 Now there would be the same Reason for 〈◊〉 themselves because of the purenesse and clearenesse of the Aire but that they are corrupted by accident Namely by the Vapours 〈◊〉 thither out of the Vallies and Resting there And therefore in Snowy Mountaines there 〈◊〉 not found any Notable long Life Not in the Alps not 〈◊〉 the Pyrenean Mountaines 〈◊〉 in the Apennine Yet in the Tops of the Mountaines running along towards 〈◊〉 and the Abyssines where by reason of the Sands beneath little or no Vapour riseth to the Mountains they live long even at this very Day Attaining many times to an Hundred and fifty yeares 27 Marshes and Fens are Propitious to the Natives 〈◊〉 Malignant to Strangers 〈◊〉 touching the Lengthning and Shortning of their lives And that which may seeme more Marvellous Salt Marshes where the Sea ebs and flowes 〈◊〉 lesse wholesome than 〈◊〉 of Fresh water 28 The Countries which have beene observed to produce Long Livers are these 〈◊〉 AEtolia India on this side 〈◊〉 Brasil Taprobane 〈◊〉 Ireland with the Islands of the Orcades and Hebrides 〈◊〉 as for AEthiopia which by one of the Ancients is 〈◊〉 to bring forth long 〈◊〉 It is but a Toy 29 It is a Secret The 〈◊〉 of Aire especially in 〈◊〉 Perfection is better found by Experiment than by 〈◊〉 Or Coniecture You may make a Triall by a Locke of Wooll exposed for a few dayes in the open Aire If the weight be not much increased Another by a peece Flesh exposed likewise 〈◊〉 corrupt not over-soone other by a Wether-Glasse the water interchange 〈◊〉 suddenly Of these and like enquire further 30 Not only the Goodnesse Purenesse of the Aire but 〈◊〉 the Equality of the Aire Materiall to long Life 〈◊〉 mixture of Hils and Dales pleasant to the fight but spected for Long Life Plaine moderately dry 〈◊〉 yet not over-barren or 〈◊〉 nor altogether without 〈◊〉 and Shade Is very 〈◊〉 for Length of Life 31 Inequality of Aire as 〈◊〉 even now said in the 〈◊〉 of our Dwelling is 〈◊〉 But Change of Aire by Traveling after one be used unto good And therefore great Travellers have beene Long Liv'd Also those that have 〈◊〉 perpetually in a little Cortage in the same place 〈◊〉 been Long Livers For Aire Accustomed consumeth esse but Aire changed 〈◊〉 and repaireth more 32 As the Continuation and Number of Successions which we said before Makes nothing to the Length or Shortnesse of Life So the Immediate Condition of the Parents as well the Father as the Mother without doubt availeth much For some are begotten of Old Men some of Young Men some of Men of Middle Age Againe some are begotten of Fathers Healthfull and well Disposed Others of Diseased and languishing Againe some of Fathers immediately after Repletion 〈◊〉 when they are Drunke Others after Sleeping or in the Morning Againe some after a long Intermission of 〈◊〉 Others upon the Act 〈◊〉 Againe some in the 〈◊〉 of the Fathers Love As it is commonly in 〈◊〉 Others after the Cooling of it as in long Married Couples The same Things may bee considered on the Part of the Mother Unto which must bee added the Condition of the Mother whilest shee is with child 〈◊〉 touching her Health As tou ching her Diet The Time 〈◊〉 her Bearing in the Wombe To the Tenth Moneth or earlier To reduce these Things to a Rule how farre they may concerne Long Life 〈◊〉 hard And so much the Harder for that those Things which a Man would conceive to be the best will fall out to the contrary For that Alacrity in the Generation which begets lusty and Lively Children will bee lesse Profitable to long Life because of the Acrimony and Inflaming of the Spirits We said before That to partake more of the Mothers Bloud conduceth to long Life Also we suppose all Things in Moderation to bee best Rather Conjugall Love than Meretricious The Houre for Generation to be the Morning A state of Bodie not too Lusty or Full And such like It ought also to be well observed That a strong Constitution in the Parents is rather good for them than for the Childe Especially in the Mother And therefore Plato thought ignorantly enongh 〈◊〉 the vertue of Generation halted because the women used not the same Exercises both of Minde are Body with the Men The contrarie is rather true For the Difference of 〈◊〉 betwixt the Male and the 〈◊〉 male is most profitable for the Childe And the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 women yeeld more to wards the Nourishment 〈◊〉 the Childe which also hold in Nurses Neither did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 women which 〈◊〉 not before twentie two 〈◊〉 as some say twenty five And therefore were 〈◊〉 Man-like women Bring forth a more Generous or Long-liv'd Progenie Than the Roman or Athenian or Theban women did which were ripe for Marriage at twelve or fourteene yeares And if there were any Thing eminent in the Spartans That was rather to bee imputed to the Parcimony of their Diet than to the late Marriages of their women But this we are taught by experience That there are some Races which are long liv'd for a few Descents So that Long Life is like some Diseases a Thing Hereditarie within certaine Bounds 33 Faire in Face
the Body and humbleth the spirits no marvel if an extraordinary length of life doe follow Such as was that of Paul the 〈◊〉 Simeon Stilita the 〈◊〉 Anchorite And of many other Hermites and Ancherites 48 Next unto this is the Life led in good letters Such as was that of Philosophers Rhetoricians Grammarians This life is led also in feisure And in those Thoughts which seeing they are severed from the Affaires of the world bite not But rather delight through their Varietie and Impertinencie They live also at their pleasure Spending their Time in such Things as like them best And for the most part in the company of young Men which is ever the most cheerefull But in Philosophies there is great Difference betwixt the Sects as touching long Life For those Philosophies which have in them a Touch of Superstition and are conversant in High Contemplations are the best As the Pythagoricall and Platonick Also those which did institute a perambulation of the world And considered the Varietit of Naturall Things And had Retchlesse and High and Magnanimous Thoughts As of Infinitum of the Stars of the Heroicall Vertues and such like were good for lengthening of Life Such were those of 〈◊〉 Philolaus Xenophanes the Astrologians and Stoicks Also those which had no profound speculation in them But discoursed calmly on both sides out of common sense and the Received Opinions without any shapr Inquisition were likewise Good Such were those of Carneades and the Academicks Also of the Rhetoricians and Grammarians But contrarily Philosophies conversant in perplexing subtilties And which pronounced peremptorily And which examined and 〈◊〉 all Things to the Scale of Principles Lastly which were Thornie and Narrow were Evill Such were those commonly of the Peripateticks and of the Schoolemen 49 The Countrie Life also is well fitted for long Life It is much abroad and in the open Aire It is not slothfull but ever in Employment It Feedeth upon Fresh Cates and unbought It is without Cares and Envie 50 For the Militar Life wee have a good opinion of that whilest a Man is young Certainly many excellent 〈◊〉 riers have beene long liv'd Corvinus Camillus 〈◊〉 Agesilaus with others 〈◊〉 Ancient and Moderne No doubt it furthereth long life to have all Things from our youth to our Elder Age Mend and Grow to the Better That a youth full of Crosses may minister sweetnesse to our Old Age. Wee conceive also that 〈◊〉 Affections inflamed with a Desire of Fighting and Hope of Victorie doe infuse such a Heat into the Spirits as may be profitable for long Life Medicines for long Life THe Art of Physick which we now have lookes no further commonly than to Conservation of Health and Cure of Diseases As for these Things which tend properly to long Life there is but slight mention and by the way onely notwithstanding we will propound those Medicines which are Notable in this Kinde I 〈◊〉 those which are called Cordials For it is consonant to Reason that those Things which being taken in Cures doe defend and fortifie the Heart or more truly the Spirits against Poysons and Diseases Being transferred with judgement and choice 〈◊〉 Diet should have a good effect in some sort towards the prolonging of Life This wee will doe not heaping them promiscuously together as the manner is but selecting the best 1 Gold is given in three Formes Either in that which they call Aurum potabile Or in Wine wherein Cold hath beene quenched Or in Gold in the Substance such as are Leafe Gold and the Filings 〈◊〉 Gold As for Aurum 〈◊〉 it is used to bee given in desperate or dangerous Diseases And that not without good successe But wee suppose that the Spirits of the Salt by which the Gold is dissolved doe rather minister that vertue which is found in it than the Gold it selfe Though this Secret be wholly suppressed Now if the Body of Gold could be opened without these Corrosive waters Or by these Corrosive Waters so the venemous Qualitie were wanting well washed wee conceive it would bee no unprofitable Medicine 2 Pearles are taken either in a fine powder or in a certaine Masse or Dissolution by the Juyce of sowre and new Limons And they are given sometimes in Aromaticall Confections sometimes in Liquour The Pearle no doubt hath some affinitie with the Shell in which it groweth And may be of the same qualitie with the Shels of Crey-Fishes 3 Amongst the Transparent precious Stones two onely are accounted Cordiall The Emeraud and the 〈◊〉 which are given under the same Formes that the Pearles are Save only that the Dissolutions of them as farre as wee know are not in use But wee suspect these Glassy Iewels left they should be cutting Of these which we have mentioned how farre and in what manner they are helpfull shall be spoken 〈◊〉 4 Bezear Stone is of approved Vertue For refreshing the Spirits and procuring a gentle sweat As for 〈◊〉 Horne it hath lost the Credit with us yet so as it may keep Rank with Harts Horne And the Bone in the Heart of a Hart And Ivorie And such like 5 Amber Grise is one of the best to appease and Comfort the Spirits Hereafter follow the Names onely of the Simple Cordials seeing their Vertues are sufficiently knowne Hot. Cold. Saffron Nitre Folium Indum Roses  Violets Lignum Aloes Straw-berrie leaves Citron-Pill or Rinde Straw-berries Balme Iuyce of sweet Limons Basill  Clove Gilly-Flowers Iuyce of sweet Orenges Orenge Flowers Iuyce of Permaines Rosemarie Borrage Mint Buglosse Betony Burnet Carduus Benedictus Sanders  Camphire Seeing our Speech now is of those Things which may be transferred into Diet All Hot Waters And Chymicall Oyles which 〈◊〉 a certaine Trifler saith are under the Planet Mars And have a Furious and Destructive Force As also all Hot and Biting Spices Are to be rejected And a Consideration to bee had how Waters and Liquours may bee made of the Former Simples Not those Phlegmatick Distilled Waters Nor againe those Burning Waters of Spirit of Wine But such as may be more temperate and yet lively and sending forth a Benigne Vapour 6 Wee make some Question touching the Frequent Letting of Bloud whether it conduceth to long Life or no And wee are rather in the Opinion that it doth if it be turned into an Habit and other Things be well disposed For it letteth out the old Juyce of the Body and bringeth in new 7 We suppose also that some Emaciating Diseases well cured doe profit to long Life For they yeeld New Juyce the old being consumed And as he saith To recover a sicknesse is to renew youth Therefore it were good to make some Artificiall Diseases which is done by strict and Emaciating Diets Of which wee shall speak hereafter The Intentions HAving finished the Inqusition according to the Subjects As Namely of Inanimate Bodies Vegetables Living Creatures Man Wee will now come nearer to the Matter and order our Inquisition by certaine
But if the Diet shall not bee 〈◊〉 so Rigorous and 〈◊〉 yet notwithstaning shall bee alwayes equall 〈◊〉 constant to it selfe it 〈◊〉 the same effect We see in Flames That a Flame somewhat bigger so it bee alwayes alike and quiet 〈◊〉 lesse of the Fewell 〈◊〉 a lesser Flame blowne with Bellowes And by Gusts 〈◊〉 or weaker That which the Regiment and Diet 〈◊〉 Cornarus the Venetian 〈◊〉 plainly who did eat and 〈◊〉 so many yeares 〈◊〉 by a just weight 〈◊〉 hee exceeded an hundred yeares of Age strong in Lims and entire in his senses 72 Care also must bee taken that a Body plentifully Nourished and not emaciated by any of these aforesaid Diet omitteth not a seasonable use of Venus lest the Spirits increase too fast and soften and destroy the body So then touching a Moderate 〈◊〉 of Spirits and as we may say Frugall thus much 73 The Inquisition touching Brideling the Motion of the Spirits followeth next 〈◊〉 Motion doth manifestly 〈◊〉 and Inflame them 〈◊〉 Brideling is done by 〈◊〉 Meanes By Sleepe By Avoiding of vchement 〈◊〉 Immoderate Exercise and a word all Lassitude And by Refraining Irksome 〈◊〉 And first touching Sleep 74 The Fable tels us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many yeares together in a Cave And all that 〈◊〉 needed no Meat 〈◊〉 the Spirits waste not much in sleep 75 Experience teacheth us 〈◊〉 certaine Creatures as 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Sleepe in 〈◊〉 close places an whole Winter together Such is the Force of Sleepe to restraine all 〈◊〉 Consumption That which Bees and Drones are also thought to doe Though sometimes destitute of 〈◊〉 And likewise Butterflies and other Flies 76 Sleepe after Dinner The Stomack sending up no unpleasing Vapours to the Head as being the first Dewes of our Meat is good for the Spirits but derogatorie and hurtfull to all other points of Health Notwithstanding it extreme Old Age there is the same Reason of Meat and Sleepe For both our Meales and our Sleeps should be then frequent but short and little Nay and towards the last Period of Old Age a meere Rest and as it were a perpetuall Repasing doth best Especially in Winter time 77 But as Moderate Sleepe conferreth to Long Life So much more if it be Quiet and not Disturbed 78 These procure Quiet Sleep Violets Lettuce especially boiled Syrupe of Dried Roses Saffron Balme Apples at out going to Bed A Sop of 〈◊〉 in Malmesey especially wherein Musk Roses have beene first 〈◊〉 Therefore it would 〈◊〉 be amisse to make some 〈◊〉 or a small Draught of 〈◊〉 things and to use it 〈◊〉 Also those Things 〈◊〉 shut the Mouth of the 〈◊〉 close As Coriander 〈◊〉 prepared Quinces and 〈◊〉 roasted doe induce 〈◊〉 Sleepe But above all things in youth and for those that have sufficient strong Stomacks it will bee best to take a good Draught of Cleare Cold Water when they goe to Bed Touching voluntarie and procured Traunces As also Fixed and Profound Thoughts so as they be without Irksomenesse I have nothing certaine No doubt they make to this Intention And condense the Spirits And that more potently than Sleepe Seeing they lay asleepe and 〈◊〉 the senses as much or more Touching them let further Inquiry be made So farre touching Sleepe 79 As for Motion and Exercises Lasfitude hurteth And so doth all Motion and Exercise which is too Nimble and Swife As Running Tennis Fencing And the like And againe when our strength is extended and strained to the uttermost As Dancing Wrestling and such like For it is certaine that the Spirits being driven into streights either by the swiftnesse of the Motion or by the straining of the Forces Doe afterward become more Eager and Predatorie On the other side Exercises which stirre up a good strong Motion But not over swift or to our utmost strength such is are Leaping Shooting Riding Bowling and the like doe not hurt but rather benefit We must come now to the Affections and Passions of the Minde And see which of them are Hurtfull to long Life which profitable 80 Great joyes attenuate and diffuse the Spirits and shorten Life Familiar Cheerfulnesse strengthens the Spirits by calling them forth and yet not resolving them 81 Impressions of joy in the sense are naught Ruminations of joy in the Memory Or Apprehensions of them in Hope or Fancie are good 82 Ioy suppressed or communicated sparingly doth more comfort the Spirits than Joy powred forth and published 83 Griefe and Sadnesse if it be void of Feare and 〈◊〉 not too much doth rather prolong Life For it contracteth the Spirits and is a kind of Condensation 84 Great Feares shorten the Life For though Griefe and Feare doe both streighten the Spirit yet in Griefe there is a simple Contraction But in Feare by Reason of the Cares taken for the Remedy and Hope intermixed there is a Turmoile and Vexing of the Spirits 85 Anger soporessed is also a kinde of Vexation and causeth the Spirit to feed upon the Juyces of the Body But let loose and breaking forth it helpeth As those 〈◊〉 doe which induce a Robust Heat 86 Envie is the worst of all 〈◊〉 And feedeth upon the Spirits And they againe upon the Body And so much the more because it is perpetuall And as is said Keepeth no Holy-dayes 87 Pity of another Mans Misfortune which is not likely to befall our selves is good But Pity which may reflect with some similitude upon the Party pitying is naught because it exciteth Feare 88 Light Shame hurteth not seeing it contracteth the Spirits a little and then straight diffuseth them In so much that Shamefast Persons commonly live long But 〈◊〉 for some great Ignominie and which afflicteth the Minde long contracteth the 〈◊〉 even to suffocation And is Pernicious 89 Love if it be not unfortunate and too deeply wounding is a kinde of Ioy And 〈◊〉 subject to the same Lawes which wee have set downe touching Ioy. 90 Hope is the most Beneficial of all the Affections And doth much to the Prolongation of Life if it bee not too often Frustrated But entertaineth the Fancie with an Expectation of Good Therefore they which fix and propound to themselves some End a the Marke and Scope of their Life And continually and by Degrees goe forward 〈◊〉 the same Are for the most 〈◊〉 long Liv'd In so much that when they are come to the Top of their Hope And 〈◊〉 goe no Higher therein They commonly droope and Live not long after So that Hope is as a Leafe-Ioy Which may be beaten out to a great Extension like Gold 91 Admiration and Light Contemplation are very powerfull to the prolonging of Life for they hold the Spirits in 〈◊〉 Things as Delight them And suffer them not to tumultuate or to carry themselves unquietly and waywardly And therefore all the Contemplatours of Naturall Things which had so many and so eminent Objects to admire As Democritus Plato Parmenides Apollonius were long Liv'd Also 〈◊〉 which tasted but lightly of Things And studied rather Exornation of
of it is effectuall to Length of Life 2 Another Effect which followeth the Exclusion of Aire is much more subtill and profound Namely that the Bedie closed up and not perspring by the Pores detaineth the Spirit within and turneth it upon the Harder Parts of the Body Whereby the Spirit Mollifies and Intenerate them 3 Of this Thing the 〈◊〉 is explained in the 〈◊〉 of Inanimate Bodies And it 〈◊〉 an Axiome almost infallible That the Spirit Discharged and Issuing forth dryeth Bodies Detained melteth 〈◊〉 intenerateth them And it further to bee assumed 〈◊〉 all Heat doth properly 〈◊〉 nuate and moisten And cotracteth and Drieth only Accident 4 Leading the Life in Dens and 〈◊〉 where the Aire receives not the Sun-beams may be effectuall to long Life For the Aire of it selfe doth not much towards the Depredation of the Body unlesse it be stirred up by Heat Certainly if a Man shall recall Things past to his Memory it will appeare that the Statures of Men have beene anciently much greater than those that succeeded As in Sicely and some other Places But this kind of Men led their Lives for the most part in Caves Now Length of Life and largenesse of Lims have some Affinity The Cave also of Epimenides walkes amongst the Fables I suppose like wise that the Life of 〈◊〉 Anchorites was a Thing Resembling the Life in Caves In respect the Sun-beams could not much pierce thither Nor the Aire receive any great changes or Inequalitles This is certaine Both the Simeon Stylita's as well Daniel as Saba And other Columnar Anchorites have been exceedingly long Liv'd Likewise the Anchorites in our dayes closed up and immured either within Walls or Pillars are often found to be long Liv'd 5 Next unto the Life in 〈◊〉 is the Life on Mountaines For as the Beames of the Sun doe not penetrate into Caves So on the Tops of Mountaines being destitute of Reflexion they are of small force But this is to be understood 〈◊〉 Mountaines where the 〈◊〉 is cleare and pure Namely whether by reason of the Drinasse of the Valleyes Clouds and Vapours doe not ascend As it is in the Mountaines which encompasse Barbary Where even at this day they live many times to an Hundred and fifty yeares As hath been noted before 6 And this kinde of Aire Of Caves and Mountaines of his owne proper Nature is little or nothing Predatory But 〈◊〉 such as ours is which is Predatory through the Heat of the Sunne ought as much 〈◊〉 is possible to be excluded from the Body 7 But the Aire is prohibited 〈◊〉 excluded two waies First 〈◊〉 Closing the Pores 〈◊〉 by Filling them up 8 To the Closing of the Pores 〈◊〉 Coldnesse of the Aire Going Naked whereby the Skin is made Hard Washing in Cold Water Astringents applyed to the Skin Such as are Mastick Myrrhe Myrtle 9 But much more may we satisfie this Operation by 〈◊〉 yet those rarely used especially in Summer which are made of Astringent Mineral waters such as may safely be used As Waters participating of Steele and Coppera For these do potently contract the Skinne 10 As for Filling up the Pores Paintings and such like 〈◊〉 ous Dawbings And which may most commodiously be used Oyle and Fat Things Do nolesse conserve the Substance of the Body than 〈◊〉 colours and Vernish doe preserve Wood. 11 The Ancient Britons painted their Bodies with Woad and were exceeding long Liv'd The Picts also used Paintings And are thought by some to have derived their Name from thence 12 The Brasilians and Virginians Paint themselves at this day Who are especially the former very long Liv'd In so much that sive yeares agoe the French Iesuites had speech with some who remembred the Building of 〈◊〉 which was done an hundred and twenty years since And they were then at Mans estate 13 Ioannes de Temporibus who is reported to have extended his Life to three hundred yeares Being asked How he preserved himselfe so long Is said to have answered By Oyle without and by Honey within 14 The Irish especially the wilde-Irish even at this day live very long Certainly they report that within these few yeares the Countesse of Desmond lived to an hundred and forty yeares of Age and bred Teeth three times Now the Irish have a fashion to chafe and as it were to baste themselves with old Salt-butter against the Fire 15 The same Irish use to weare Saffroned Linnen and Shirts Which though it were at first devised to prevent Vermine yet howsoever I take it to be very usefull for Lengthening of Life For Saffron 〈◊〉 all Things that I know is the best Thing for the Skin and the Comforting of the Flesh Seeing it is both notably Astringent And hath besides an Oseosity and subtile Heat without any Acrimony I remember a certaine English-Man who when he went to Sea carried a Bagge of Saffron next his Stomach that he might conceale it and so escape Custome And whereas he was wont to be alwayes exceeding Sea-sick At that time he continued very well and felt no provocation to vomit 16 Hippocrates adviseth in Winter to weare cleane Linnen And in Summer fonle Linnen and besmeared with Oyle The Reason may seeme to be because in Summer the Spirits exhale most Therefore the Pores of the Skinne would bee filled up 17 Hereupon wee are of Opinion that the use of Oyle either of Olives or sweet Almonds to annoint the skin therewith would principally conduce to long Life The Annointing would bee done every Morning when we rise out of Bed with 〈◊〉 in which a little Bay-salt and Saffron is mixed But this Annointing must bee lightly done 〈◊〉 Wooll or some soft Sponge Not laying it on thick but gently touching and wetting the skin 18 It is certaine that 〈◊〉 even the Oyly themselves in great Quantities draw some what from the Body But contrarily in small Quantities are drunk in by the Body Therefore the annointing would bee but Light as we said Or rather the 〈◊〉 it selfe would be besmeared with Oyle 19 It may haply bee objected that this Annointing with Oyle which wee commend Though it were never in use with us And amongst the Italians is cast off againe was anciently very Familiar amongst the Grecians and Romans And a part of their Diet And yet Men were not longer-liv'd in those dayes than now But it may rightly be answered Oyle was in use only after Baths unlesse it were perhaps amongst Champions Now Hot Baths are as much contrarie to our Operation as Annointings are congruous Seeing the one opens the passages the other stops them up Therefore the Bath without the Annointing following is utterly bad The Annointing without the Bath is best of all Besides the Annointing amongst them was used onely for Delicacie Or if you take it at the best for Health But by no meanes in Order to long Life And therefore they used then withall precious Ointments which were good for Deliciousnesse but Hurtfull to our Intention in regard
of their Heat So that 〈◊〉 seemeth not to have said amisse Nec Casiâ liquidi corrumpitur usus Olivi That Odoriferous Casia 〈◊〉 not supplanted the use of 〈◊〉 Oyle-Olive 20 Annointing with Oyle 〈◊〉 to Health Both in Winter by the Exclusion of the Cold Airc And in Summer by Detaining the spirits within And prohibiting the Resolution of them And keeping off the force of the Aire which is then most predatorie 21 Seeing the Annointing with Oyle is one of the most potent Operations to long Life wee have thought good to adde some Cautions lest the Health should bee endangered They are Foure according to the Foure Inconvience which may follow thereupon 22 The First Inconvenience is That by repressing Sweats it may engender Diseases from those Excrementitious Humours To this a Remeby must be given by Purges and Clysters That Evacuation may bee duely performed This is certaine that Evacuation by Sweats commonly advanceth Health and derogateth from long Life But Gentle Purgers work upon the Humours not upon the Spirits as Sweat doth 23 The Second 〈◊〉 is That it may heat the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in time inflame it For the Spirits shut in and not Breathing forth acquire Heat This Inconvenience may 〈◊〉 prevented If the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nsually 〈◊〉 to the Colder part And that at times some proper Cooling 〈◊〉 bee taken of which wee shall straight speak in the Opertion upon the Bloud 24 The Third is That it may 〈◊〉 the Head For all 〈◊〉 from without strikes back the Vapours and sends them up unto the Head This Inconvenience is remedied by Purgers Especially Clysters And by shutting the Mouth of the Stomach strongly with Stipticks And by Combing and Rubbing the Head and washing it with convenient Lyes that something may exhale And by not omitting competent and good Exercises that something also may perspire by the Skin 25 The Fourth Inconvenience is a more subtile Evill Namely that the Spirit being detained by the Closing up of the Pores is likely to multiply it selfe too much For when little issueth forth and new Spirit is continually engendred the Spirit increaseth too fast and so preyeth upon the Body more plentifully But this is not altogether so For all Spirit closed up is dull For it is Blowne and Excited with Motion as Flame is And therefore it is lesse Active and lesse Generative of it selfe Indeed it is thereby increased in Heat as Flame is but slow in Motion And therefore the Remedy to this Inconvenience must be by Cold Things Being sometimes mixed with Oyle Such as are Reses and Myrtle For wee must altogether disclaime Hot Things As was said of Csia 26 Neither will it bee unprofitable to weare next the Body Garments that have in them some Vnctuosity or Oleositie not Aquositie For they will exhaust the Body lesse 〈◊〉 are those of Woollen rather than those of Linnen 〈◊〉 it is manifest in the Spirits of Odours That if you lay sweet-powders amongst Linnen they will much sooner lose their smell than amongst Wollen And therefore Linnen is to be preferred for Delicacie and Neatnesse But to bee 〈◊〉 for our Operation 27 The Wilde Irish as soone as they fall sick The first Thing they doe is to take the sheets off their Beds and to wrap themselves in the woollen cloathes 28 Some report that they have found great Benefit in the conservation of their Health by weating Scarlet Wast-coats next their skin and under their shirts As well downe to the nether parts as on the upper 29 It is also to be observed That Aire accustomed to the Body doth lesse prey upon it than New Aire and often changed And therefore poore people in small cottages who live alwayes within the smell of the same chimney And change not their seats Are commonly longest-liv'd Notwithstanding to other Operations especially for them whose Spirits are not altogether dull wee judge change of Aire to bee very profitable But a Mean must be used which may satisfie on both sides This may bee done by Removing our Habitation foure times a yeare at constant and set Times unto convenient seats That so the Body may neither be in too much Peregrination nor in too much Station And touching the Operation upon the Exclusion of Aire and Avoiding the predatorie force thereof thus much The Operation upon the Bloud and the Sanguifying Heat 3. The Historie 1 THe two Following Operations answer to the two precedent And are in the Relation of Passives to Actives For the two precedent intend this That the Spirits and Aire in their Actions may bee the lesse Depredatorie And the two latter that the Bloud and Iuyce of the Body may be the lesse Depredable But because the Bloud is an Irrigation or Watering of the Juyces and Members And a 〈◊〉 to them Therefore 〈◊〉 will put the Operation upon the Bloud in the first place Concerning this Operation we will propound certain Counsels Few in number but very powerfull in vertue They are three 2 First there is no doubt but that if the Bloud be brought to a cold Temper it will bee so much the lesse Dissipable But because the Cold Things which are taken by the Mouth agree but ill with many other Intentions Therefore it will be best to finde out some such Things as may be free from these Inconveniences They are two 3 The first is this Let there be brought into use especially in youth Clysters Not Purging at all or Absterging But onely Cooling and some what Opening Those are approved which are made of the juyces of Lettuce Purstaine Liverwort Houseleek and the 〈◊〉 of the Seed of Flea-wort with some temperate opening Decoction And a little Canphire But in the Declining Age let the 〈◊〉 and Purslaine beo left out And the Juyces of Borrage and 〈◊〉 and the like bee put in their Roomes And let these Clysters be retained if it may be for an houre or more 4 The other is this Let there be in use especially in Summer Baths of Fresh water and out Luke-warme Altogether without Emollients As Mallowes Mercurie Milk and the like Rather take new Whey in some good Quantitie And 〈◊〉 5 But that which is the Principall in this Intention and New wee advise That 〈◊〉 the Bathing the Body be 〈◊〉 with Oyle with some Thickeners whereby the Qualitie of the Cooling may bee received and the water excluded yet let not the pores of the Body bee shut too close For when the outward Cold closeth up the Body too strongly It is so farre from Furthering Coolenesse That it rather forbids it and stirs up Heat 6 Like unto this is the use of Blodders with some Decoctions and Cooling Iuyces Applied to the Inferiour Region of the Body Namely from the Ribs to the privie parts For this also is a kinde of Bathing where the Body of the Liquour is for the most part excluded And the Cooling Qualitie admitted 7 The Third Counsell remaineth which belongeth not to the Qualitie of the Bloud but to the Substance
thereof That it may be made more Firme and lesse Dissipable And such as the Heat of the Spirit may have the lesse power over it 8 And as for the use of the Filings of Gold Leafe-Gold Powder of Pearle Precious stones Corall and the like wee have no opinion of them at this day unlesse it be only as they may satisfie this present operation Certainly seeing the Arabians Grecians and 〈◊〉 Physicians have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such vertues to these Things It cannot be altogether Nothing which so great Men have observed of them And therefore omitting all 〈◊〉 Opinions about them we doe verily beleeve That if there could bee some such Thing conveighed into the whole Masse of the Bloud in Minute and fine Portions Over which the Spirits and Heat should have little or no power Absolutely it would not onely resist Putrefaction but Arefaction also And be a most effectuall Meanes to the prolongation of Life Neverthelesse in this Thing severall Cautions are to bee 〈◊〉 First that there be a most 〈◊〉 Comminution Secondly that such Hard and solide Things be void of all Malignant Qualitie Lest while they be dispersed and lurk in the veines they breed some Inconvenience Thirdly that they be never taken together with Meats nor in any such manner as they may stick long Lest they beget dangerous Obstructions about the Mesentery Lastly that they be taken very rarely that they may not congregate and 〈◊〉 together in the veines 9 Therefore let the manner of Taking them be Fasting in White wine A little Oyle of Almonds mingled therewith Excrcise used immediately upon the Taking of them 10 The Simples which may satisfie this Operation are In stead of all Gold Pearles and Corall For all Metals except Gold are not without some Malignant Qualitie in the Dissolutions of them Neither will they bee beaten to that exquisite Finenesse that Leafe-Gold hath As for all Glassie and Transparent 〈◊〉 wee like them not as wee said before for feare of Corrosion 11 But in our judgement the 〈◊〉 and more effectuall way would be by the use of Woods 〈◊〉 Infusions and Decoctions For there is in them sufficient to cause Firmnesse of 〈◊〉 And not the like danger for breeding Obstructions But especially because they may bee taken in Meat and Drink whereby they will finde the more easie Entrance into the veines And not be voided in Excrements 12 The Woods fit for this purpose are Sanders the Oake and Vine As for all Hot Woods or something Rosennie wee reject them Notwithstanding you may adde the Wooddy Stalks of Rose-Marie dried For Rose-Marie is a Shrub and exceedeth in Age many Trees Also the Wooddy Stalks of Ivie But in such quantitie as they may not yeeld an unpleasing taste 13 Let the Woods be taken either boiled in Broathes Or infused in Must or Ale before they leave working But in Broathes as the custome is for Guaiacum and the like they would be infused a good while before the Boyling That the firmer part of the Wood and not that only which lieth loosely may bee drawne forth As for Ash though it be 〈◊〉 for Cups yet wee like it 〈◊〉 And touching the 〈◊〉 upon the Bloud thus much The Operation upon the Juyces of the Body 4. The Historie 1 THere are two kindes of Bodies As was said before in the 〈◊〉 touching Inanimates which are hardly consumed Hard Things and Fat Things As is seene in Metals and Stones and in Oyle and Wax 2 It must be ordered therefore that the Iuyce of the Body be somewhat Hard And that it bee Fattie or Sub-roscide 3 As for Hardnesse It is caused three wayes By Aliment of a firme Nature By Cold condensing the Skin and Flesh And by Exercise Binding and Compacting the Juyces of the Body that they bee not Soft and Frothy 4 As for the Nature of the Aliment it ought to be such as is not easily Dissipable Such as are Beefe Swines-Flesh Deere Goat Kid Swan Goose Ring-Dove Especially if they bee a little powdered Fish likewise Salted and Dried old Cheese And the like 5 As for the Bread Oaten Bread Or Bread with some Mixture of Pease in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or Barley Bread Are more solide than Wheat 〈◊〉 And in wheat Bread the course Cheat Bread is more solide than the pure 〈◊〉 6 The Inhabitants of the Or cades which live upon Salted Fish And generally all Fish-Eaters are long-liv'd 7 The Monks and Her mites which fed sparingly and upon dry Aliment attained commonly to a great Age. 8 Also Pure Water usually drunk makes the Juyces of the Body lesse Frothy unto which if for the Dulnesse of the Spirit which no doubt in Water is but little Penetrative you shall adde a little Nitre wee conceive it woold be very good And touching the Firmnesse of the Alimens thus much 9 As for the Condensation of the Skin and Flesh by Cold They are longer liv'd for the most part that live abroad in the open Aire than they that live in Houses And the Inhabitants of the Cold Countries than the Inhabitants of the Hot. 10 Great Store of Cloathes either upon the Bed or Back doe resolve the Body 11 Washing the Body in Cold Water is good for length of Life Use of Hot Baths is naught Touching Baths of Astringent Minerall Waters we have spoken before 12 As for Exercise An Idle Life doth manifestly make the Flesh Soft and Dissipable 〈◊〉 Exercise so it be without overmuch Sweating or Wearinesse maketh it Hard and Compact Also Exercise within Cold water as swimming is very good And generally Exercise abroad is better than that within Houses 13 Touching Frications which are a kinde of Exercise because they doe rather call forth the Aliment than Harden the Flesh wee will inquire hereafter in the Due place 14 Having now spoken of Hardning the luyees of the Body we are to come next to the Oleositie or Fattinesse of them Which is a more perfect and potent Intention than Induration Because it hath no Inconvenience nor Evill annexed For all those Things which pertaine to the Hardning of the Iuyces are of that nature that while they prohibite the Absumption of the Aliment they also hinder the Reparation of the same Whereby it happens that the same Things are both propitious and adverse to Length of Life But those Things which pertaine to making the Iuyces Oyly and Roscid help on both sides For they render the Aliment both lesse Dissipable and more Reparable 15 But whereas we say that the Iuyce of thē Body ought to be Roscide and Fat It is to bee noted that we meane it not of a visible Fat But of a Deminesse dispersed or if you will call it Radicall in the very Substance of the Body 16 Neither again let any Man thinke that Oyle or the Fat of Meats or Marrow doe engender the like and satisfie our Intention For those Things which are once perfect are not brought backe againe But the Aliments ought to be such which after Disgestion and
leisure to turne to sowrenesse which is a kind of Putrefaction 13 But in extreme old Age such a preparation of Meats is to be made as may be almost in the Middle-way to Chylus And touching the Distillations of Meats they are meere Toyes For the Nutritive part at least the best of it doth not ascend in Vapours 14 The Incorporating of 〈◊〉 and Drink before they meet in the Stomach is a Degree to Chylus Therefore let Chickens or Pertridges or 〈◊〉 or the like bee taken And boiled in Water with a little Salt Then let them be cleansed and dried Afterward let them be infused in Must or Ale before it hath done working with a little Sugar 15 Also Gravies of Meat and Mincings of them small well seasoned Are good for old Persons And the rather for that they are destituted of the Office of their Teeth in chewing which is a principall kinde of preparation 16 And as for the Helps of that Defect Namely of the Strength of Teeth to grinde the Meat There are three Things which may conduce thereunto First that New Teeth may put forth That which seemes al together Difficult and cannot bee accomplished without an Inward and powerfull Restauration of the Body Secondly that the Iawes be so confirmed by due Astringents that they may in some sort supply the office of the Teeth which may possibly bee effected Thirdly that the Meat bee so prepared that there shall be no need of chewing which Remedy 〈◊〉 ready and at Hand 17 We have some Thought also touching the Quantitie of the Meat and Drinke That the same taken in larger Quantitie at some times is good for the Irrigation of the Body Therefore both Greas Feastings and Free Drinkings are not altogether to be inhibited And touching the Operation upon the Aliments and the Preparation of them thus much The Operation upon the Last Act of Assimilation 8. TOuching the last Act of Assimilation unto which the three Operations immediately preceding chiefly tend our Advice shall be briefe and single And the Thing it selfe rather needs Explication than any various Rules 1 IT is certaine that all Bodies are endued with some Desire of Assimilating those things which are next them Tuis the Rare and Pneumaticall Bodies As Flame Spirit Airt performe generously and with Alacritie On the contrary those that carrie a Grosse and Tangible Bulke about them Doe but weakly In regard that the Desire of Assimilating other Thing is bound in by a stronger Desire of Rest and Containing themselves from Motion 2 Againe it is certaine That that Desire of Assimilating being bound as wee said in a Grosse Body and made 〈◊〉 Is somewhat freed and stirred up by the Heat and Neighbouring Spirit So that it is then Actuated which is the onely cause why Inanimates Assimilate not and Animates 〈◊〉 3 This also is certaine That the Harder the Consistence of the Body is the more doth that Body stand in need of a Greater Heat to prick forward the Assimilation Which fals out ill for old Men because in them the Parts are more Obstinate and the Heat weaker And therefore either the Obstinacie of their Parts is to be softned or their Heat increased And as touching the Malacissation or Mollifying of the Members we shall speak afterward Having also formerly propounded many Things which pertaine to the prohibiting and preventing of this kinde of Hardnesse For the other touching the Increasing of the Heat wee will now deliver a single precept After wee have first assumed this Axiome 4 The Act of Assimilation which as we said is excited by the Heat circumfused in a Motion exceeding Accurate Subtile and in Little Now all such Motions doe then come to their Vigour when the Locall Motion wholly ceaseth which disturbeth it For the Motion of Separation into Homogeneall parts which is in Milke That the Creame should swim above and the Whey sink to the bottome will never work if the Milk bee never so little agitated Neither will any Puterfaction proceed in Water or Mixt Bodies if the same be in Continuall Local Motion So then from this Assumption we will conclude this for the present Inquisition 5 The Act it selfe of Assimilation is chiefly accomplished in Sleepe and Rest Especially towards the Morning the Distribution being finished Therefore we have nothing else to advise but that Men keep Themselves Hot in their Sleepe And further that towards the Morning there be used some Annointing or Shirt 〈◊〉 with Oyle such as may gently stir up Heat And after that to fall asleep again And touching the Last Act of Assimilation thus much The Operation upon the Inteneration of that which begins to be Arified Or the Malacissation of the Body 9. WEe have inquired formerly touching the Inteneration from within 〈◊〉 is done by many Windings 〈◊〉 Circuits as well of 〈◊〉 as of Detaining the Spirit from Issuing forth 〈◊〉 therefore is accomplished Slowly Now we are to inquire touching that Inteneration which is 〈◊〉 without And is effected as 〈◊〉 were Suddenly Or touching the Malacissation and 〈◊〉 of the Body The Historie 1 IN the Fable of Restoring Pelias to Youth againe Medea when the Faigned to doe it 〈◊〉 this way of 〈◊〉 the same That the 〈◊〉 Mans Body should be cut into severall Peeces And 〈◊〉 Boyled in a Cauldron with certaine Medicaments There may perhaps some 〈◊〉 bee required to this Matter But the Cutting into 〈◊〉 is not needfull 2 Notwithstanding this Cuting into Peeces seemes in some sort to be usefull Not 〈◊〉 a Knife but with Judgement For whereas the Consistence of the Bowels and 〈◊〉 is very divers It is needfull that the Inteneration of them both be not effected the same way But that there be a Cure designed of each in particular Besides those Things which pertaine to the Inteneration of the whole Masse of the Bodie Of which notwithstanding in the first place 3 This Operation if perhaps it bee within our power is most likely to bee done by Baths Vnctions and the like Concerning which these Things that follow are to be observed 4 We must not be too forward in Hoping to Accomplish this matter from the Examples of those Things which we see done in the Imbibitions and Macerations of Inanimates By which they are intenerated whereof we introduced some Instances before For this kinde of Operation is more Easie upon Inanimates Because they attract and suck in the Liquour But upon the Bodies of Living Creatures it is Harder Because in them the Motion rather tendeth outward and to the Circumference 5 Therefore the Emollient Baths which are in use doe little good but on the contrary hurt Because they rather draw forth than make entrance And resolve the Structure of the Body rather than consolidate it 6 The Baths and Vnctions which may serve to the present Operation Namely of Intenerating the Body truly and really ought to have three properties 7 The First and Principall is That they consist of those Things which in their Whole Substance are
will gather tender and young Flesh againe And this will appeare even to the Taste and Palate So that the Inteneration of Flesh is no hard Matter Now it is likely that this Inteneration of the Flesh being often repeated will in time reach to the Inteneration of the Bones and Membranes and like Parts of the Body 2 It is certaine that Diets which are now much in 〈◊〉 Principally of 〈◊〉 And of 〈◊〉 China and 〈◊〉 If they be continued for any time and according to strict Rules Doe first Attenuate the whole Iuyce of the Body And after Consume it and Drinke it up Which is most manifest because that by these Diets the French Pox when it is growne even to an Hardnesse And hath eaten up and corrupted the very Marrow of the Body may be assuredly cured And further because it is as manifest that Men who by these Diets are brought to be extreme Leane Pale and as it were Ghosts Will soone after become Fat well-coloured and apparantly Young againe Wherefore we are absolutely of opinion 〈◊〉 such kind of Diets in the 〈◊〉 of Age being used every 〈◊〉 yeare would bee very useful to our Intention Like the old Skin or Spoile of Sarpents 3 Wee doe confidently affirme neither let any Man reckon us amongst those Heretikes which were called Cathari That often Purges and made even Familiar to the Body are more availeable to long Life than Exercises and Sweats And this must needs be so if that be held which is already laid for a Ground That Vnctions of the Body And Oppletion of the Passages from without And Exclusion of Aire And Detaining of the Spirit within the Masse of the Body Doe much conduce to long Life For it is most certaine that by Sweats and Outward Perspirations not onely the Humours and excrementitious Vapours are Exhaled and consumed But together with them the Juices also and good Spirits which are not so easily repaired But in 〈◊〉 unlesse they be very Immoderate it is not so Seeing they worke 〈◊〉 upon the Humours But the best Purges for this Intention are those which are taken immediately before 〈◊〉 Because they Dry the Body lesse And therefore they must be of those Purgers which doe least trouble the Belly These Intentions of the Operations which wee have Propounded as we conceive are most true The Remedies Faithfull to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is it credible to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Although not a Few of these Remedies may seeme but 〈◊〉 with what Care and Choice they have beene examined by us That they might be the Intention not at all empeached both Safe and Effectuall Experience no doubt will both verifie and promote these Matters And such in all things are the works of every prudent Counsell That they are Admirable in their Effects Excellent also in their Order but seeming vulgar in the Way and Meanes The Proches of Death WE are now to inquire touching the Porches of Death That is Touching those Things which happen unto Men at the point of Death Both a little before and after That seeing there are many Paths which lead to Death it may be under stood in what Common-way they all end Especially in those Deaths which are caused by Indigence of Nature rather than by violence Although something of this Latter also must be inserted because of the Connexion of Things The Historie 1 THe Living Spirit stands in need of three Things that it may subsist Convenient Motion Temperate Refrigeration And Fit Aliment Plame seemes to stand in need but of two of these Namely Motion and Aliment Because Flame is a simple substance the Spirit a Compounded Insomuch that if it approach somewhat too neare to a Flamie Nature it overthroweth it selfe 2 Also Flame by a greater and stronger Flame is extinguished and slaine As Aristotle well noted Much more the Spirit 3 Flame if it be much compressed and straitned is extinguished As wee may see in a Candle having a Glasse cast over it For the Aire being dilated by the Heat doth contrude and thrust together the Flame And so lesseneth it and in the end extinguisheth it And Fires on Hearths will not Flame if the Fewell bee thrust close together without any space for the Flame to break forth 4 Also Things Fircd are extinguished with Compression As if you presse a Burning Coale hard with the Tongs or the Foot it is straight extinguished 5 But to come to the Spirit If Bloud or Flegme get into the 〈◊〉 of the Braine it causeth sudden Death Because the Spirit hath no Roome to move it selfe 6 Also a great Blow on the Head induceth sudden Death The Spirits being straightened within the Ventrides of the Braine 7 Opium and other strong 〈◊〉 doe coagulate the Spirit And deprive it of the Motion 8 A Venemous Vapour totally abhorred by the Spirit causeth sudden Death As in deadly poisons which worke as they call it by a Specificall Malignity For they strike a Loathing into the Spirit that the Spirit will no more move it selfe nor rise against a Thing so much Detested 9 Also Extreme Drunkennesse or Extreme Feeding sometime cause sudden Death Seeing the Spirit is not only Oppressed with overmuch Condensing or the Malignity of the Vapour As in Opium and Malignant Poysons But also with the Abundance of the Vapours 10 Extreme Griefe or Feare Especially if they be sudden As it is in a sad and unexpected 〈◊〉 cause sudden Death 11 Not only over-much Compression but also over-much Dilatation of the Spirit is Deadly 12 Ioyes excessive and sudden have berest many of their lives 13 In great Evacuations As when they cut Men for the Dropsie the waters flow forth abundantly Much more in great and sudden Fluxes of Bloud oftentimes present Death followeth And this happens by the meere Flight of Vacuum within the Body All the parts moving to fill the Emptie places And amongst the rest the Spirits themselves For as for slow Fluxes of Bloud this Matter pertaines to the Indigence of Nourishment not to the Diffusion of the Spirits And touching the Motion of the Spirit so farre either Compressed of Diffused that it bringeth Death thus much 14 We must come next to the Want of Refrigeration Stopping of the Breath causeth sudden Death As in all Suffocation or Strangling Now it seemes this Matter is not so much to be referred to the Impediment of Motion as to the Impediment of Refrigeration For Aire over-hot though attracted freely doth no lesse Suffocate than if Breathing were hindred As it is in them who have beene sometime suffocated with Burning Coales Or with Char-coale Or with Wals newly plaistered in close chambers where a Fire is made which kind of Death is reported to have beene the end of the Emperour Iovinian The like happeneth from Dry Baths over-heated which was practised in the killing of Fausta wife to Constantine the Great 15 It is a very small Time which Nature taketh to repeat the Breathing And in which she desireth to expell the Foggie Aire drawne
into the Lungs and to take in new Scarce the third part of a Minute 16 Againe the Beating of the Pulse And the Motion of the Systole and Diastole of the Heart are three times quicker than that of Breathing Insomuch that if it were possible that that Motion of the Heart could be stopped without stopping the Breath Death would follow more speedily thereupon than by Strangling 17 Notwithstanding Vse and Custome prevaile much in this Naturall Action of Breathing As it is in the Delian Divers and Fishers for Pearle who by long use can hold their Breaths at least ten times longer than other Men can doe 18 Amongst Living Creatures even of those that have Lungs there are some that are able to hold their Breaths a long time and others that cannot hold them so long According as they need more or lesse Refrigeration 19 Fishes need lesse Refrigeration than Terrestriall Creatures yet some they need and take it by their Gils And as Terrestriall Creatures cannot beare the Aire that is too Hot or too Close So Fishes are suffocated in waters if they be totally and long Frozen 20 If the Spirit be assaulted by another Heat greater than it selfe it is dissipated and destroyed For if it cannot beare the proper Heat without Refrigeration much lesse can it beare another Heat which is farre stronger This is to bee seene in Burning Fevers where the Heat of the Putrified Humours doth exceed the Native Heat Even to Extinction or Dissipation 21 The Want also and Use of Sleepe is referred to Refrigeration For Motion doth attenuate and 〈◊〉 the Spirit And doth sharpen and increase the Heat thereof Contrarily Sleepe settleth and restraineth the Motion and Gadding of the same 〈◊〉 though Sleepe doth strengthen and advance the Actions 〈◊〉 the Parts and of the livelesse Spirits and all that Motion which is to the Circumference of the Body yet it doth in great part quiet and still the proper Motion of the Living Spirit Now Sleepe regularly is due unto Humane Nature once within Foure and Twentie Houres And that for Six or Five Houres at the least Though there are even in this kinde sometimes Miracles of Nature As it is recorded of Mecaenas that he slept not for a long time before his Death And as touching the Want of Refrigeration for Conserving of the Spirit thus much 22 As concerning the third Indigence Namely of Aliment It seemes to pertaine rather to the Parts than to the Living Spirit For a Man may easily beleeve that the Living Spirit 〈◊〉 in Identitie Not by succestion or Renovation And as for the 〈◊〉 Soule in Man it is above all question That it is no engendred of the Soule of the Parents Nor is repaired Nor can dye They speake of the Naturall Spirit of living Creatutes And also of Vegetables which differs from that other Soule essentially and formally For out of the Confusion of these that same Transmigration of Soules and Innumerable other Devices of Heathens and Hereticks have proceeded 23 The Body of Man doth regularly require Renovation by Aliment every day And Body in Health can scarce endure Fasting three dayes together Notwithstanding Use and Custome will doe much even in this Case But in Sicknesse Fasting is lesse grievous to the Body Also Sleepe doth supply somewhat to Nourishment And on the other side Exercise doth require it more abundantly Likewise there have some beene found who have susteined themselves almost to a Miracle in Nature a very long time without Meat or Drink 24 Dead Bodies if they bee not intercepted by Putrefaction will subsist a long time without any Notable Absumption But Living Bodies not above three dayes as wee said unlesse they be repaired by Nourishment rishment which sheweth that quick Absumption to bee the work of the Living Spirit which either repaires it selfe or puts the Parts into a Necessitie of being repaired Or both This is testified by that also which was noted a little before Namely that Living Creatures may subsist somewhat the longer without Aliment if they Sleepe Now Sleepe is Nothing else but a Reception and Retirement of the Living Spirit into it selfe 25 An abundant and continuall Effluxion of Bloud which sometimes happeneth in the Hemorrhoides sometimes in Vomiting of Bloud the Inward Veines being unlocked broken sometimes by Wounds Causeth sudden Death In regard that the Bloud of the Veines ministreth to the Arteries And the Bloud of the Arteries to the Spirit 26 The Quantitie of Meat and Drink which a Man eating two Meales a day receiveth into his Body is not small Much more than he voideth againe either by Stoole or by Urine or by Sweating You will say No marvell Seeing the Remainder goeth into the Juyces and Substance of the Body It is true But consider then that this Addition is made twice a day and yet the Body aboundeth not much In like manner though the Spirit be repaired yet it growes not Excessively in the Quantitie 27 It doth no good to have the Aliment ready in a Degree removed But to have it of that Kinde And so prepared and supplied that the Spirit may work upon it For the Staff of a Torch alone will not maintaine the Flame unlesse it be fed with wax Neither can Men live upon Herbs alone And from thence comes the Inconcoction of old Age That though there bee Flesh and Bloud yet the Spirit is become so Penurious and Thin And the Juyces and Bloud so Heartlesse and Obstinate that they hold no proportion to Alimentation 28 Let us now cast up the Accounts of the Needs and Indigences according to the Ordinarie and Usuall Course of Nature The Spirit hath need of Opening and Moving it selfe in the Ventricles of the Braine and Nerves even continually Of the Motion of the Heart every Third part of a Moment Of Breathing every Moment Of Sleepe and Nourishment once within three Dayes Of the Power of Nourishing commonly till Eighty yeares bee past And if any of these Indigences bee neglected Death ensueth So there are plainly three Porches of Death Destitution of the Spirit In the Motion In the Refrigeration In the Aliment It is an Errour to think that the Living Spirit is perpetually generated and extinguished as Flame is And abideth not any notable time For even Flame it selfe is not thus out of his owne proper Nature But because it liveth amongst Enemies For Flame within Flame endureth Now the Living Spirit liveth amongst Friends and all due Obsequiousnesse So then as Flame is a Momentany Substance Aire a Fixed Substance The Living Spirit is betwixt both Touching the Extinguishing of the Spirit by the Destruction of the Organs which is caused by Diseases and Violence 〈◊〉 inquire not now As wee foretold in the Beginning Although that also endeth in the same three Porches And touching the Forme of Death it selfe thus much 29 There are two great Forerunners of Death The one sent from the Head the other from the Heart 〈◊〉 and the Extreme Labour of the Pulse
For as for the Deadly Hiccough it is a Kinde of 〈◊〉 But the Deadly Labour of the Pulse hath that unusuall Swiftnesse Because the Heart at the point of Death doth so tremble that the Systole and Diastole thereof are almost consounded There is also conjoyned in the Pulse aweaknesse and Lownesse and oftentimes a great Intermission Because the Motion of the Heart faileth And is not able to rise against the Assault stoutly or constantly 30 The Immediate preceding Signes of Death are Great Vnquietnesse and Tossing in the Bed Fumbling with the Hands Catching and Grasping hard Gnashing with the Teeth Speaking hollow Trembling of the Neather Lip Palenesse of the Face The Memory confused Speechlesnesse Cold Sweats The Body shooting in Length Lifting up the White of the Eye Changing of the whole Visage As the Nose sharp Eyes Hollow Cheekes fallen Contraction and Doubling of the Tongue Coldnesse in the Extreme Parts of the Body In some shedding of Bloud or Sperme Shriking Breathing thick and short Falling of the Neather Chap And such like 31 There follow Death A Privation of all Sense and Motion As well of the Heart and Arteries As of the Nerves and Joynts An Inability of the Body to support it selfe uprigh Stifnesse of the Nerves and Parts Extreme Coldnesse of the whole Body After a little while Patrefaction and Stinking 32 Eeles Serpents and the Insecta will move a long time in every part after they are cut asunder Insomuch that Countrey People think that the Parts strive to joyne together againe Also Birds will flutter a great while after their Heads are pulled off And the Hearts of Living Creatures will pant a long time after they are plucked out I remember I have seene the Heart of one that was bowelled As suffering for High Treason That being cast into the Fire leaped at the first at least a Foot and Halfe in Heighth And after by degrees lower and lower For the space as we rememher ber of seven or eight Minutes There is also an ancient and credible Tradition of an Oxe Lowing after the 〈◊〉 were plucked out But there is a more certaine Tradition of a Man who being under the Executioners Hand for High Treason After his Heart was plucked out and in the Executioners Hand Was heard to utter three or foure words of Prayer which therefore we said to be more credible than that of the Oxe in Sacrifice Because the Friends of the partie suffering do usually give a Reward to the Executioner To dispatch his Office with the more speed That they may the sooner bee rid of their Paine But in Sacrifices wee see no Cause why the Priest should bee so speedy in his Office 33 For Reviving those againe which fall into sudden Swownings and Catalepses or Astonishments In which Fits many without present Help would utterly expire These Things are used Putting into their Mouths water distilled of Wine which they call Hot Waters and Cordiall Waters Bending the Body Forwards Stopping the Mouth and Nosthrils hard Bending or Wringing the Fingers Pulling the Haires of the Beard or Head Rubbing of the Parts especially the Face and Legs sudden Casting of Cold Water upon the Face shreeking out aloud and suddenly Putting Rose-water to the Nosthrils with Vinegar in Faintings Burning of Feathers or Cloth in the Suffocation of the Mother But especially a Frying Pan heated red hot is good in Apoplexies Also a Close Embracing of the Body hath helped some There have beene many Examples of Men in shew Dead Either laid out upon the Cold Floare Or carried sorth to 〈◊〉 Nay of some Buried in the Earth which notwithstanding have lived againe which hath beene found in those that were buried The Earth being afterwards opened By the Bruising and Wounding of their Head through the strugling of the Body within the Coffin Whereof the most Recent and Memorable Example was that of Ioannes Scotus Called the Subtile and a Schooleman who being digged up againe by his Servant unfortunately absent at his Buriall And who knew his Masters Manner in such Fits Was found in that State And the like happended in our Dayes in the Person of a Player buried at Cambridge I remember to have heard of a certaine Gentleman That would needs make Triall in Curiositie what men did feele that were hanged So hee fastened the Cord about his Necke raising himselfe upon a Stoole and then letting himselfe fall Thinking it should bee in his power to recover the Stoole at his pleasure which he failed in But was helped by a Friend then present He was asked afterward what he felt He said Hee felt no paine But first he thought he saw before his Eyes a great Fire and Burning Then hee thought he saw all Black and Darke Lastly it turned to a pale Blew or Sea-water-Greene which Colour is also often seene by them which fall into Snownings I have heard also of a Physician yet Living Who recovered a Man to Life which had hanged Himselfe And had hanged halfe an Houre By Frications and Hot Baths And the same Physician did professe that he made no doubt to recover any Man that had hanged so long so his Neck were not broken with the first Swing The Differences of Youth and Old Age. 1 THe Ladder of Mans Bodie is this To be Conceived To be Quickned in the Wombe To bee Borne To Sucke To be Weaned To Feed upon Pap To Put forth Teeth the First time about the Second yeare of Age To Begin to goe To Begin to speake To Put forth Teeth the Second time about seven years of Age To come to Pubertie about twelve or fourteene yeares of Age To be Able for Generation and the Flowing of the Menstrua To have Haires about the Legges and Arme-holes To Put forth a Beard And thus long and sometimes later to Grow in Stature To come to full years of Strength and Agility To grow Gray and Bild The Ceasing of the Menstrua and Ability to Generation To grow Decrepit and a Monster with Three Legs To Die Meane while the Mind also hath certaine Periods But they cannot be described by yeares As to decay in the Memory and the like Of which hereafter 2 The Differences of Youth and Old Age are these As Young Mans Skin is Smooth and Plaine An Old Mans Dry and Wrinkled Especially about the Forchead and Eyes A young Mans Flesh is Tender and Soft An old Mans Hard A young Man hath Strength and Agilitie An old Man feeles Decay in his Strength and is Slow of Motion A young Man hath good Disgestion An old Man Bad A young Mans Bowells are Soft and Succulent An old Mans Sale and Parched A young Mans Body is Erect and Straight An Old Mans Bowing and Crooked A young Mans Limbs are steady An old Mans Weake and Trembling The Humors in a young Man are Cholerick and his Bloud inclined to Heat In an old Man Phlegmatick and Melancholick and his Bloud inclined to Cold nesse A young Man Readie for the Act of
the Bodie as that newly made flye away together by Degrees This is best seene by the Dimination of the Weight in Bodies dryed through Perspiration For neither all that which is issued forth was Spirit when the Body was Ponderous Neither was it Not Spirit when it issued forth Canon III. THe Spirit Issuing forth Dryeth Detained and working within either Melteth or Putrifieth or Vivifieth The Explication THere are Foure Processes of the Spirit To Arefaction To Colliquation To Putrefaction To Generation of Bodies Arefaction is not the proper Worke of the Spirit but of the Grosser Parts after the Spirit issued forth For then they contract themselves partly by their Flight of Vacuum partly by the Vnion of Homogeneals As appeares in all Things which are Arified by Age And in the Drier Sort of Bodies which have passed the Fire As 〈◊〉 Charocoales Bread Colliquation is the meere Work of the Spirits Neither is it done but when they are excited by Heat For then the Spirits dilating themselves yet not getting forth Do insinuate and disperse themselves amongst the Grosser Parts And so make them Soft and apt to Run As it is in Metals and Wax For Metals and all Tenacious Things are apt to inhibite the Spirit that being excited it iffueth not forth 〈◊〉 is a Mixed work of the Spirits and of the Grosser Parts For the Spirit which before restrained and bridled the Parts of the Thing being partly issued forth and partly Enfeebled All things in the Body doe Dissolve andreturne to their Homogeneities Or if you will to their Elements That which was Spirit in it is congregated to it selfe whereby things Patrified begin to have an ill Savour The Oyly Parts to Themselves Whereby Things Putrified have that Slipperinesse and Vnctuositie The Wairyparts also to themselves The Dregs to Themselves Whence followeth that Confusion in Bodies putrified But Generation or Vivification is a Worke also mixed of the Spirit and Grosser parts but in a far different Manner For the Spirit is totally detained but it swelleth and moveth locally And the Grosser Parts are not dissolved But follow the Motion of the Spirit and are as it were blowne out by it and extruded into divers figures From whence commeth that Generation and Organization And therefore Vivification is alwayes done in a Matter Tenacious and Clammie And againe Yeelding and Soft That there may bee both a Detention of the Spirit And also a gentle Cession of the Parts according as the Spirit formes them And this is seene in the Matter as well of all Vegetables as of Living Creatures whether they be engendred of Putrefaction or of Sperme For in all these Things there is manifestly seene a Matter hard to breake thorow easie to yeeld Canon IV. IN all Living Creatures there are two Kindes of Spirits Livelesse Spirits such as are in Bodies Inanimate And a Vitall Spirit superadded The Explication IT was said before That to procure long Life the Body of Man must be considered First as Inanimate and not Repaired by Nourishment Secondly as Animate and Repaired by Nourishment For the Former Consideration gives Lawes touching Consumption The latter touching Reparation Therefore we must know That there are in Humane Flesh Bones Membranes Organs Finally in all the parts such Spirits diffused in the substance of them while they are alive As there are in the same Things Flesh Bones Membranes and the Rest Separated and Dead Such as also remaine in a Carkase But the Vitall Spirit although it tuleth them and hath some Consent with them yet it is farre differing from them Being integrall and subsisting by it selfe Now there are two especiall Differences betwixt the Livelesse Spirits and the Vitall Spirits The one that the Livelesse Spirits are not continued to Themselves But are as it were cut off And encompassed with a Grosse Body which intercepts them As Aire is mixt in Snow or Froth But the Vitall Spirit is all continued to it selfe by certaine Conduit Pipes through which it passeth and is not totally intercepted And this Spirit is twofold also The one Branched onely passing through small Pipes and as it were Strings The other hath a Cell also So as it is not onely continued to it selfe but also Congregared in an Hollow Space in reasonable good Quantity according to the Analogie of the Body And in that Cell is the Fountaine of the Rivulers which branch from thence That Cell is chiefly in the Ventricles of the Braine Which in the Ignobler sort of Creatures are but Narrow Insomuch that the Spirits in them seeme scattered over their whole Body rather than Celled As may be seene in Serpents Eels and Flies whereof every of their parts move long after they are cut asunder Birds also leape a good while after their Heads are pulled off Because they have little Heads and little Cels But the Nobler sort of Creatures have those Ventricles larger And Man the largest of all The other Difference betwixt the Spirits is That the Vitall Spirit hath a Kinde of Enkindling And is like a Winde or Breath compouuded of Flame and Aire As the Juyces of Living Creatures have both Oyle and Water And this Enkindling ministreth peculiar Motions and Faculties For the Smoke which is inflammable even before the Flame conceived is Hot Thin and Moveable And yet it is quite another Thing after it is become Flame But the Enkindling of the Vitall Spirits is by many Degrees gentler than the softest Flame As of Spirit of Wine or otherwise And besides it is in great part mixed with an Aeriall Substance That it should be a Mystery or Miracle both of a Flammcous and Aereous Nature Canon V. THe Naturall Actions are proper to the Severall Parts But it is the Vitall Spirit that excites and sharpens them The Explication THe Actions or Functions which are in the severall Members follow the Nature of the Members Themselves Attraction Retention Disgestion Assimilation Separation Excretion Perspiration Even Sense it selfe According to the Proprietie of the severall Organs The Stomach Liver Heart Spleene Gall Braine Eye Eare and the rest Yet none of these Actions would ever have beene actuated but by the Vigour and Presence of the Vitall Spirit and 〈◊〉 thereof As one Iron would not have drawne another Iron unlesse it had beene excited by the Load-stone Nor an Egge would ever have brought forth a Bird unlesse the Substance of the Hen had beene actuated by the Treading of the Cock. Canon VI. THe Livelesse Spirits are next Consubstantiall to Aire The Vitall Spirits approach more to the Subsiance of Flame The Explication THe Explication of the precedent Fourth Canon is also a Declaration of this present Canon But yet further from hence it is That all Fat and Oyly Things continue long in their Being For neither doth the 〈◊〉 much pluck them Neither doe they much desire to 〈◊〉 Themselves with Aire As for that Conceit it is altogether vaine That Flame should bee Aire set on Fire Seeing Flame and Aire are no lesse Heterogeneall
than 〈◊〉 and Water But whereas it is said in the Canon That the Vitall Spirits approach more to the Substance of Flame It must bee understood that they doe this more than the Livelesse Spirits Not that they are more Flamy than Airy Canon VII THe Spirit hath two Defires One of Multiplying it selfe The other of Flying forth and Congregating it selfe with the Connaturals The Explication THe Canon is understood of the Livelesse Spirits For as for the second Desire the Vitall Spirit doth most of all abhorre Flying forth of the Body For it findes no Connaturals here below to joyne withall Perhaps it may sometimes flye to the outward Parts of the Body to meet that which it loveth But the Flying forth as I said it abhorreth But in the Livelesse Spirits each of these two Desires holdeth For to the I ormer this belongeth Every Spirit seated amongst the Grosser Parts dwelleth unhappily And therefore when it findes not a Like unto it selfe it doth so much the more labour to create and make a Like As being in agreat Solitude And endevours earnestly To Multiply it selfe And to prey upon the Volatile of the Grosser Parts That it may be increased in Quantitie As for the Second 〈◊〉 of Flying forth And Betaking it selfe to the Aire It is certain that all Light Things which are ever Moveable doe willingly goe unto their Likes neare unto them As a Drop of water is carried to a Drop Flame to Flame But much more is this done in the Flying forth of Spirit into the Aire Ambient Because it is not carried to a Particle like unto it selfe but also as unto the Globe of the Connaturals Meane while this is to be noted That the Going forth and Flight of the Spirit into Aire is a redoubled Action Partly out of the Appetite of the Spirit Partly out of the Appetite of the Aire For the Common Aire is a Needy Thing And receiveth all Things greedily As Spirits Odours Beams Sounds and the like Canon VIII Spirit Detained if it have no possibilitie of begetting new Spirit intenerateth the Grosser Parts The Explication GEneration of new Spirit is not accomplished but upon those Things which are in some Degree neare to Spirit Such as are Humide Bodies And therefore if the Grosser parts amongst which the Spirit converseth be in a remote Degree although the Spirit cannot convert them yet as much as it can it weakeneth and softeneth and subdueth them That seeing it cannot increase in Quantitie yet it will dwell more at large and live amongst good Neighbours and Friends Now this Aphorisme is most usefull to our End Because it tendeth to the Inteneration of the Obstinate Parts by the Detention of the Spirit Canon IX THe Inteneration of the Harder Parts commeth to good effect when the Spirit neither Flyeth forth nor begetteth new Spirit The Explication THis Canon solveth the Knot and Difficultie in the Operation of Intenerating by the Detention of the Spirit For if the Spirit not flying forth wasteth all within there is Nothing gotten to the Inteneration of the Parts in their Subsistence But rather they are dissolved and Corrupted Therefore together with the Detention the Spirits ought to bee cooled and restrained that they may not be too Active Canon X. THe Heat of the Spirit to keepe the Body Fresh and Green ought to be Robust 〈◊〉 Eager The Explication ALso this Canon pertaineth to the solving of the knot 〈◊〉 But it is of a much larger Extent For it fetteth downe of what Temporament the Heat in the Body ought to be for the 〈◊〉 of Long Life Now this is usefull whether the Spirits bee 〈◊〉 or whether they be not For howsoever the Heat of the Spirits must bee such as it may rather turne it selfe upon the Hard Parts than waste the Soft For the one Desiccateth the other Intenerateth Besides the same Thing is available to the well perfecting of Assimilation For such an Heat doth excellently excite the Facultie of 〈◊〉 And withall doth excellently prepare the Matter to be Assimilated Now the Properties of this kinde of Heat ought to be these First that it bee Slow and heat not Suddenly Secondly that it be not very Intense but Moderate Thirdly that it be Equall Not Incomposed Namely Intending and Remitting it selfe Fourthly that if this Heat meet any Thing to resist it it bee not easily suffocated or languish This Operation is exceeding subtile but seeing it is one of the most usefull it is not to be deserted Now in those Remedies which we propounded to invest the Spirits with a Robust Heat Or that which we call Operative not Predatory wee have in some sort satisfied this Matter Canon XI THe Condensing of the Spirits in their Substance is available to long Life The Explication THis Canon is subordinate to the next precedent For the Spirit Condensed receiveth all those foure properties of Heat whereof wee spake But the wayes of Condensing them are set downe in the first of the Ten Operations Canon XII THe Spirit in great Quantity hasteneth more to Flying forth and preyeth upon the Body more than it small Quantitie The Explication THis Canon is cleare of it selfe Seeing meer Quantitie doth regularly increase Vertue And it is to be seene in Flames That the bigger they are the stronger they breake forth and the more speedily they consume And therefore over great 〈◊〉 or Exuberance of the Spirits is altogether Hurtfull to Long Life Neither need one wish a greater store of Spirits than what is sufficient for the Function of Life and the Office of a good Reparation Canon XIII THe Spirit equally dispersed maketh lesse Haste to flye forth and preyeth lesse upon the Body than unequally placed The Explication NOt onely Abundance of Spirits in respect of the whole is hurtfull to the Duration of Things But also the same Abundance unevenly placed is in like manner hurtfull And therefore the more the Spirit is shred and inserted by small portions the lesse it preyeth For Dissolution ever beginneth at that part where the Spirit is looser And therefore both Exercise and Frications conduce much to Long Life For Agitation doth fineliest diffuse and commix Things by small Portions Canon XIIII THe Inordinate and Subsultorie Motion of the Spirits doth more hasten to Going forth and doth prey upon the Body more than the Constant and Equall The Explication IN Inanimates this Canon holds for certaine For Inequality is the Mother of Dissolution But in Animates Because not only the Consumption is considered but the Reparation And Reparation proceedeth by the Appetites of Things And Appetite is sharpened by varietie It holdeth not rigorously But it is so farre forth to be received That this Varietie bee rather an Alternation or Enterchange than a Confusion And as it were Constant in Inconstancie Canon XV. THe Spirit in a Body of a Solide Composure is detained though 〈◊〉 The Explication ALl Things doe abhorre a Solution of their Continuitie But yet in proportion to their Density or
make them more fit to bee nourished Canon XXVI MAlacissation is wrought by Consubstantials By Imprinters 3 And by Closers up The Explication THe Reason is manifest For that Consubstantials doe properly supple the Body 〈◊〉 doe carry in Closers up doe retaine and bridle the Perspiration which is a Motion opposite to Malacissation And therefore as we described in the Ninth Operation Malacissation cannot well be done at once But in a Course or Order First by Excluding the Liquour by Thickners For an Outward and grosse Infusion doth not well compact the Body That which entreth must be Subtile and a Kinde of Vapour Secondly by Intenerating by the Consent of Cousubstantials For Bodies upon the touch of those Things which have good agreement with them open themselves and relax their Pores Thirdly Imprinters are Convoyes and insi nuate into the Parts the Consubstantials And the Mixture of Gentle Astringents doth somewhat restraine the Perspiration But then in the 〈◊〉 place followes that 〈◊〉 Astriction and Closure up of the Body by 〈◊〉 And then afterward by 〈◊〉 Untill the Supple be 〈◊〉 into Solide As wee said in the proper place Canon XXVII FRequent Renovation of the Parts Reparable watereth and reneweth the lesse Reparable also The Explication WE said in the Preface to this History That the Way of Death was this That the Parts Reparable died in the Fellowship of the Parts lesse Reparable So that in the Reparation of these same lesse Reparable Parts all our Forces would bee employed And therefore being admonished by Aristotles Observation touching Plants Namely That the putting forth of new Shoots and Branches refresheth the Body of the Tree in the Passage Wee conceive the like Reason might be If the Flesh and bloud in the Body of Man were often renewed That thereby the Bones themselves and Membranes and other Parts which in their owne Nature are Lesse Reparable Partly by the cheerefull Passage of the Iuyees Partly by that new Clouthing of the young Flesh and Bloud Might be Watred and Renewed Canon XXVIII REfrigeration or Cooling of the Body which passeth some other wayes then by the Stomach is usefull for Long Life The Explication THe Reason is at hand For seeing a Refrigeration not Temperate but Powerfull especially of the Bloud is above all Things necessary to long Life This can by no means be effected from within as much as is requisite without the Destruction of the Stomach and Bowels Canon XXIX THat Intermixing or Entangling That as well Consumption as Reparation are the workes of Heat is the greatest Obstacle to long Life The Explication ALmost all great workes are destroyed by the Natures of Things Intermixed when as that which helpeth in one respect hurteth in another Therefore Men must proceed herein by a sound Judgement and a discreet Practice For our Part wee have done so as farre as the matter will beare and our Memory serveth us By Separating Benigne Heats from Hurtfull And the Remedies which tend to both Canon XXX CUring of Diseases is effected by Temporary Medicines But Lengthening of Life requireth Observation of Diets The Explication THose things which come by Accident as soone as the Causes are removed cease againe But the Continued Course of Nature like a Running River requires a continuall Rowing and Sayling against the Streame Therefore we must worke regularly by Diets Now Diets are of two Kindes Set Diets which are to be observed at certaine times And Familiar Diet which is to be admitted into our Daily Repast But the Set Diets are the more potent That is A Course of Medicines for a time For those Things which are of so great Vertue that they are able to turne Nature backe againe Are for the most part more strong and more speedily Altering than those which may without danger be received into a Continual use Now in the Remedies set downe in our Intentions You shall find only three Set Diets The Opiate Diet The Diet Malacissant or Suppling And the Diet Emaciant and Renewing But amongst those which wee Prescribed for Familiar Diet and to be used daily the most efficacious are these that follow Which also come not farre Short of the Vertue of Set Diets Nitre and the Subordinates to Nitre The Regiment of the Affections and Course of our Life 〈◊〉 which passe not by the Stomach Drinkes Roscidating or Eng ndring Oyly Iuyces Besprinkling of the Bloud with some Firmer Matter as Pearles certaine Woods Competent Vnctions to keepe out the Aire and to keepe in the Spirit Heaters from without during the Assimilation after Sleepe Avoiding of Those Things which Enflame the Spirit and put it into an Eager Heat as Wine and Spices Lastly a Moderate and Seasonable use of those Things which endue the Spirits with a Robust Heat As Saffron Cresses Garlick Elecampane and Compound Opiates Canon XXXI THe Living Spirit is instantly extinguished if it be deprived either of Motion or of Refrigeration Or of Aliment The Explication NAmely these are those three which before we called the Porches of Death And they are the Proper and Immediate Passiōs of the Spirit For all the Organs of the principall parts serve hereunto That these three Offices be performed and againe all destruction of the Organs which is Deadly brings the Matter to this point that one or more of these three faile Therefore all other Things are the divers Wayes to Death but they end in these three Now the Whole Fabricke of the Parts is the Organ of the Spirit As the Spirit is the 〈◊〉 of the Reasonable Soule which is Incorporeous and Divine Canon XXXII FLame is a Momentany Substance Aire a Fixed The Living Spirit in Creatures is of a Middle Nature The Explication THis Matter stands in need both of an higher Indagation and of a longer Explication than is pertinent to the present Inquisition Meane while we must know this That Flame is almost every Moment generated and extinguished so that it is continued onely by succession 〈◊〉 Aire is a Fixed Body and is not Dissolved For though Aire begets new Aire out of watry Moisture yet notwithstanding the old Aire still remaines whence commeth that Super-Oneration of the Aire where of we have spoken in the Title De Vent is But Spirit is participant of both Natures both of Flame and Aire Even as the Nourishments thereof are Aswell Oyle which is Homogeneous to Flame As Water which is Homogeneous to Aire For the Spirit is not 〈◊〉 either of Oyly alone or of Watry alone but of both together And though Aire doth not agree well with Flame nor Oyle with Water yet in a mixt Body they agree well enough Also the Spirit hath from the Aire his Easie and Delicate Impressions and yeeldings And from the Flame his Noble and Potent Motions and Activities In like manner the Duration of Spirit is a Mixed Thing Being neither so Momentany as that of Flame Nor so Fixed as that of Aire And so much the rather it followeth not the Condition of Flame For that Flame it selfe is extinguished by Accident Namely by Contraries and Enemies environing it But Spirit is not subject to the like Conditions and Necessities Now the Spirit is repaired from the Lively and Floride Bloud of the small Arteries which are inserted into the Braine But this Reparation is done by a peculiar Manner of which we speake not now FINIS To the I Artic. To the 2 Artic. To the 1. Article To the 4. Artile To the 5 6 7 8 9 and 11. Article To the 10. Article To the 12 13 and 14. Artic. To the 15. Article To the 16. Article
rightly bee referred to the Condensation of the Spirits For it is a kinde of Henbane And manifestly troubles the Head as Opiates doe 28 There are sometimes Humours engendred in the Bodie which are as it were Opiate themselves As it is in some kinde of Melancholies With which if a Man be affected it is a signe of very Long Life 29 The Simple Opiates which are also called Stupefactives are these Opium it self which is the Juyce of Poppy Both the Poppies as well in the Herb as in the Seed Henbane Mandrake Hemlock Tobacco Night-shade 30 The Compound 〈◊〉 are Treacle Mitbridate Trifera Ladanum Paracelsi Diacodium Diascordium Philonium Pills of Hounds-Tongue 31 From this which hath been said certaine Designations or Councels may be deduced for the Prolongation of Life according to the present Intention Namely of 〈◊〉 the Spirits by Opiates 32 Let there be therfore every yeare from Adult yeares of Youth an Opiate Diet Let it bee taken about the end of May Because the Spirits in Summer are more Loose and Attenuated And there is lesse Danger from Cold Humours Let it bee some Magistrall Opiate weaker than those that are commonly in use both in rtspect of a smaller Quantity of Opium and of a more sparing mixture of extreme Hot Things Let it be taken in the Morning betwixt sleeps The Fare for that time would bee more simple and sparing than or linary without Wine or Spices or Vaporous Things This Medicine to be taken onely each Other Day And to bee continued for a Fortnight This Designation in our Judgement comes home to the Intention 33 Opiates also may bee taken not onely by the Mouth but also by Fumes But the Fumes must bee such as may not move the Expulsive Facultie too strongly nor force downe Humours But only taken in a Weft may worke upon the Spirits within the Braine And therefore a Suffumigation of Tobacco Lignum Alce Rose-Mary Leaves dr ed and a little Myrrhe snuffed up in the Morning at the Mouth and Nosthrils would bee very good 34 In Grand Opiaces Such as are Treacle Mithridate and the rest It would not bee amisse especially in Youth to take rather the Distilled Waters of Them than themselves in their Bodies For the Vapour in Distilling doth rise But the Heat of the Medicine commonly 〈◊〉 Now Distilled Waters are good in those vertues which are conveyed by Vapours In other Things but weake 35 There are Medicines which have a certaine weak and hidden Degree And therefore safe Toan Opiate Vertue These send froth a Slow 〈◊〉 Copious Vapour but not 〈◊〉 as Opiates doe Therefore they put not the Spirits to 〈◊〉 Notwithstanding they congregate them and somewhat thicken them 36 Medicines in Order to Opiates ate Principally Saffron Next Folium Indum Amber-Grise Coriander-Seed prepared Amomum and 〈◊〉 Lignum-Rhodium Orenge-Flower Water And much more the infusion of the same Flowers new gathered in Oyle of Almonds Nutmegs pricked full of Holes and macerated in Rose water 37 As Opiates are to be taken very sparingly and at certaine times as was said So these Secundaries may be taken familiarly and in our daily Diet And they will be very effectuall to prolongation of life Certainly an Apothecarie of Calecute by the use of Amber is said to have lived 〈◊〉 hundred and sixtie yeares And the Noble Men of Barbarie through the use thereof are certified to be very long liv'd whereas the meane people are but of short life And our Ancestours who were longer liv'd than wee did use Saffron much In their Cakes Broathes and the like And touching the first way of Condensing the Spirits by Opiates and the Subordinates thereto thus much 38 Now we will inquire of the second way of Condensing the Spirits by Cold. For the proper worke of Cold is Condensation And it is done without my Malignitie or adverse Qualitie And therefore it is a fafer Operation than by Opiates Though somewhat lesse powerfull if it bee done by Turnes only as Opiates are But then againe because it may bee used familiarly and in our daily Diet with Moderation It is much more powerfull for the Prolongation of Life than by Opiates 39 The Refrigeration of the Spirits is effected three wayes Either by Respiration or by 〈◊〉 or by Aliment The first is the best but in a sort out of our power The second is potent but yet ready and at hand The third is weake and somewhat about 40 Aire cleare and pure And which hath no Fogginesse in it before it bee received into the Lungs And which is least exposed to the Sun-beames Condenseth the Spirits best Such is found either on 〈◊〉 Tops of Drie Mountaines or in 〈◊〉 open to the windes and yet not without some shade 41 As 〈◊〉 Refrigeration and 〈◊〉 of the Spirits by Vapours The Root of this Operation wee place in Nitre As a Creature purposely made and chosen for this end Being thereunto lead and perswaded by these Arguments 42 Nitre is a kinde of Coole Spice This is apparent to the sense it selfe For it bites the Tongue and Palate with Cold as Spices doe with Heat And it is the onely Thing as 〈◊〉 as wee know that hath this propertie 43 Almost all cold Things which are cold properly and not by Accident as Opium is are poore and jejune of Spirit Contrarily Things full of Spirit are almost all Hot Only Nitre is found amongst Vegetables which 〈◊〉 with Spirit and yet is Cold. As for Camphire which is full of Spirit and yet performeth the Actions of Cold it cooleth by Accident onely As namely for that by the Thinnesse thereof without Acrimonie it helpeth Perspiration in In flammations 44 In Congealing and Freezing of Liquours which is latel growne into use By Laying Snow and Ice on the Outside of the Vessell Nitre is also added And no doubt it exciteth and 〈◊〉 the Congelation It is 〈◊〉 that they use also for this worke ordnarie Bay-salt which doth rather give Activitie to the Coldnesse of the Snow than coo'e by it selfe But as I have 〈◊〉 in the Hotter Regions where snow fals not the Congealing is wrought by Nitre alone But this I can not certainly affirme 45 It is affirmed that 〈◊〉 which consisteth principally of Nitre being taken in drink doth conduce to Valour And that it is used oftentimes by Mariners and Souldiers before they begin their Battels as the Turks doe Opium 46 Nitre is given with good successe in Burning Agues and Pestilentiall Fevers to mitigate and Bridle their per. nicious Heats 47 It is most manifest that 〈◊〉 in Gunpowder doth mightily abhorre Flame From whence is caused that Horrible Crack and Puffing 48 Nitre is found to bee as it were the Spirit of the Earth For this is most certaine That any Earth though pure and unmixt with Nitrous Matter if it bee so laid up and covered that it be free from the Sun-beames and putteth forth no Vegetable will gather Nitre even in good Abundance By which it is clear That the