all by touching therfore the ayre is more moyst yet because water is of more rounder and compact substance then of an intentiue qualitie some philosophers report water is more moist then ayre otherwise how should yse more coole then water and yet not more colder Galen affirmeth water to be most moist for that it is cleare and no drinesse is contained within the substance thereof By this reason no simple medicine can shewe in his vttermost nature to be either hot colde moist or drie in the highest degree in respect of equalite 〈…〉 ature from contrary plaâ—ing therefore this reason most proâ—pereth and prooueth in â—urt bodies and although the ayre were clearely hot yet not in the highest degree So likewise if water were clearlie moist yet not in the highest degree for it â—s repugnaâ—t in the reasonable onâ—e standing of elements that there should be two qualities or els noâ— at all obtained in the highest degree for if ayre hath not maystnesse it shoulde then vnnaturally exceede in the vttermost place which is against the nature and order of the elements And furthermore it is greatly to be marueyled that certain new Philosophers with some counterfeit weake reasons blaste abroad in the world that water is more moyst then ayre which cannot holde for then the elements shoulde fall out in contrarie order which otherwise haue an equall constitution in the rest of the bodies one after an other although they bee of disframed conditions and qualities or els we may iudge of mans bodie to haue more earth and water litle ayre and lesse fire whereas it is in holie writing farre otherwise declared that man was not fashioned neither of ayre water nor fire but of the earth shewing that earth water are imperious ruling elements This element as a heauie substance doth beare great sway in the constitution of man for that heat and drinesse are of more lighter matter Then doeth it stande by naturall reason that heat among other qualities is actiue and as the qualitie therof is most plaine so the least portion thereof as in man for which cause these two outward bodies colde and heat may bee perceyued and that coldnes is tempered by heat and heat delaâ—ed by cold drines by moystnesse and moystnesse by drenesse that one of them should haue equall seruice by an other so there is also a motiue cause of coldnesse and drinesse thorow the sinewes so also there is coldnes and moystnes in the braine where the conceit and sence beginneth their place The hart is the instrument of life the liuer the instrument of blood the which of necessity are hot and moist and so from thencefoorth there are certaine instruments of necessitie some cold some hot some moyst and some drie if any one of them at any time do bend or writh aside from these iust temperature their actiue qualitie must be disured and fall away therewith for that the instrument which leadeth the same is decaied Therefore the bodye of necessitie is to possesse and inioy a perfect estate in his members in seruice of all the offices appertaining thereunto And the rather because all bodies haue a coniunction of the foure elementes otherwise choller which is hot drie and colde cannot serue the body in perfect nature and operation for that vnnaturall choller corrupteth the whole body And furthermore as the foure humours are seperated one from another in seueral estates and constitutions so such members which are insigned vnder any one of these humors are commoderated one by an other vntill there be a iudicial temperance raigning ouer all the wholl members for although any such instrument were of necessitie cold yet it is not conuenient so to be in the highest degree for that certaine immixt elementes doo want the temperance of the second qualitie Now if successiuely these instruments were by this means most righteous and equall they ought not to be tempered on some one behalfe but on euery behalfe for no instrument can bee meete whereas if any part thereof be vnmeete And for this cause it is not onely a seemely sight that these elements after their greatest portions should be grosly mingled in a myxt body but that in the whole they become perfectly vnited and that there be no want in any part thereof Therefore as diuers elements are so mixed in one body as that there is a ful seruice of al the members one to another So was it righteous that there should be a whole perfect coniunction in the iust commoderation of all other instrumentes for if all and euery part were not equally moderated one part would decay and fall away from another For is not the body conserued and satisfied by the said elements from hunger and thirst which otherwise would in al the partes thereof languish and fal Wine is a bountiâ—ull element ordained to me perfect properties away therefore man is nourished of the foure elemâ—ts in that the heat of the sunne is commixed with the earth and the water and ayre commixed are of generable nature producing sustenance agreeing with all natures indumentes And furthermore consider that whosoeuer drinketh wâ—â—e for coldnesse of stomach dooth not poure or infuse fire into his body although the moistnesse of water is tempered with a fiery element to frame a perfect body not in outward action but by the pure power of heat This verily proueth that one element is fashioned with another so that all the elementes are of equall power and propertie one with another Otherwise if man were framed of one element he were impassible and without suffering Or if there were such a dissimilitude in the elementes as that not one of them could be drawne in agreement with the other but still continue a contrarietie then all passiue actions were dispropriated and vnperfectly disequalled Euen as there is manifestly shewed forth all necessarie causes to the construction of euery one body So these elementes all in all are commixed without separation following vpon the immixion of humours in mans body vnto which euerie liuing man is subiect and bound vnto by natures ordinance And there are some which wallowing in their owne wils doe affirme that bloud is nothing els but a certaine confounded humour extracted out of three humours although the same is vtterly false Yet may it manifestly proue a great varietie in the permixioÌ„ of elements Therefore if it be possible that foure humours are confounded Maners doe follow the humour of bloud within themselues and yet their formes kept together vndiffacioned or that one forme or fashion appeareth for them all then surely these elementes are aswell commixed in these humours as wholly perfected thorow the body it selfe that although their formes were eyther disfigured or in some part abstracted yet there qualities are vndefaced Otherwise the reason and measure of mixture should perishe together both in forme and qualtie touching corporall formes as they are neuer taken from their substance So not the forme but the qualitâ—e hath
rebellious and thereby without stay easily subdueth the body Hypocrates generallie and deeply speaketh of all feauers eyther simple or compound that first the disease is vnsetled and vncertainly roueth in the bodye and next for that it dooth abound with paynfull trauels difficultlie wrastleth skyrmisheth and trauelleth either to settle and possesse some one part of the body or after the spyrituall partes possessed inuadeth all the partes of the body to destruction Herein is it manifestly prooued that in the beginning of diseases nature hath no need of such nourishments for if appetite were gredy and desirous thereof yet not able to beare that which is wished and lingred vpon For whosoeuer infarceth and inforceth nature in the first entrance of euerie such sicknes both cherisheth the disease weakeneth and defoyleth nature Galen in his first booke de arte curatiua writing to Glawco in his chapter de cura febrium continuarum saith that if continuall feauers consist in one estate the body very weake are best ruled vnder an exquisite and sharp diet if strength and age agree therewith but if the disease exceed beyond that lymittation is then to be vnderstaied with a plenarie stronger food so the same be apt to constitution Auycen saith when the estate is perfected in the disease let the diet be more plentifull or otherwise let the diet be augmented or diminished as the disease increaseth or vanisheth away So also this is a generall agreement among all the auntient Fathers for the regiment of mans health hauing put foorth an vniuersall edict that in all mestiue mortalites thin diets are most pertinent for medicine to work vpon because their accidentes are infectious and of indiuertible substance and especiallie so long as these infections in their accidents are conioyned to the beginning otherwise if the increase of the disease prosper and proceede to be perfected and setled to some verie likely estate they ought to be sollicited more at large either by curatiue medicine or diet vntill the vsurped properties be expelled after which the body is to be inlarged to a full diet vntil nature be reuiued restored and recouered in full strength These rules and reasons proceede from men of great countenance of sound and vpright iudgement repugning the wrongfull and erronious interpretations and opinions of certaine newe writers who hauing set open their shoppe of counterfect practises in defrauding the good constitutions of heath in mans body who in the beginning of simple feuers in place of a gracil and thin diet haue constituted and put in place a free and bountifull diet Secondly in simple feuers when the disease increaseth doo prefer a thin diet in steed of a compleat diet And thirdlye they doo in the estate of compound and inflamatiue feuers magnifie a full diet in steede and place of a thin and peaceable diet Surely Hypocrates somewhat bendeth to the second controuersie that in the increase of al simple feuers a competent diet is most meetest so that if the disease doo proceede in the increase or forsheweth any similie end either by ripenesse to cease or els take safe degrees to estate Then the Phisitian hath full power ouer the disease eyther to recouer health or els to stay the patient from large and strong sustenance Petrus Brissotus and Lionicius doo say if in the estate of simple feuers sustenance bee denied to the patient because of the strength of the disease then what ieopardie are those pacientes put into in their time of estate when inflamations and accidentes together yeeld no place to rest their bodies beeing strenghened with nutrimentall sustenance doo continue the disease most cruell fierce dangerous and outragious vnto the approchment of death Hereby all patientes may perceiue that all diseases within the knowledge and helpe of man are vnder lawes and ordinances Therefore whosoeuer shall either violate or mistake these lawes and ordinances offendeth both the sicke patient and his owne conscience And furthermore if the sicke Patient will not bee ordered but rebell against this wholsome gouernment preferring both his owne wilfull minde and reason before the sounde and perfect counsell of the Phisitian Let him be adiudged guiltie of his owne death and distruction The first Booke of the Temperamentes AN Element is the least part of euery proper thing compounded and vnited into one substance perfourmeth not the least but the immixt parcels of the same thinges to bee made a perfect element and equally to place those smallest things to be tempered with the highest as that not in any behalf any one of them be immixt from an other It is an high onderstanding wherefore we oguht to deuide the least portion of euerye tempered bodie as followeth That is there ought to be in number foure elementes neither ought there to be more or lesse and yet can there be but one element alone for that with an vnreprooueable qualitie all things returne to destruction neither can there bee two elements as fire and ayre because all interiour thinges woulde presentlie be consumed with their coniomed strength of heat Then may it be imagined that nature might haue framed fire and water to beare their seueral course alone both because they doo in variablenesse differ one from another or that they might seeme more durable in their course aboue the rest The third element is the ayr which nature hath so placed between the rest as that moistnesse is ioined to water and heat to fire neither do these three elementes suffice except there be a fourth element conioyned hereunto that is say the earth not only because it is the seat and habitation of men in this world but also and much rather being commixed with water dooth by her coldnes temper the other two elements therfore nature most decently hath bound not one nor two nor three but four elements and that with a straight and agreeable concord as when they were disâ—ramed and dissociated from their equall places As when the earth was downward the water and the ayre in the middle and the fire vpward although there are not onely some philosophers but verie Christians which haue practised to discouer Which is taken as an errour for the knowledge of man a certain dark thicke and shadowed fire about the point centre of the earth by a direct light gleaming and irradiating from the starres The which fire is vestall pure not elementarie Herein if we consider that both the earth and the water doo not onely entertaine the same fire but the ayre interiected forthwith followeth the same euen as there is a coniunction of the earth to the ayre so is the water placed betweene both of them otherwise the ayre should wholly remaine moyst being placed between two drie elements Galen and other graue Philosophers doe seem otherwise to thinke who on their behalfe call the water most moyst and is so adiudged in the absolute power of nature for by touching the same is perfectly bewraied whereas the ayre is not comprehended at
in the accidence of euerie disease there be a true obseruation to consider whether the disease be ghostly or bodily moist or drie and whether the bodie be of good or euill complexion whether the stomach and the liuer bee cold or hot whether the humours be quick or dead and whether the operations be heauie or sharp Whether choller hath a burning preheminence in the lunges or mouth of the stomach or whether a dust choller haue kindeled an vnproper heat vpon the spleen The second obseruation is when the disease consisteth staieth in a propertie whether the humours haue passage and due course by the straight conduites of the bodye or no or whether there be a quicke springing bloud in the vaines or whether the disease relinquisheth or retaineth nature The third obseruation in concoction is to consider the pulses whether they be hard or soft hot or colde moist or drie and whether the humours haue perfect resolution or no. Surely without perfect regard of all these causes to be eyther direct or indirect in sicknesse there is no intermedling with purgation before cuncoction be pefectly comprehended for if in sicknes there be no alteration why should nature be vehemently vexed As purging when the accidentes are most strong doth nothing els but styrre and chafe the disease to wax more powefull and cruell And to purge when the disease consisteth disquieteth both the disease and the patient also being at rest besides which not onely disperseth but venometh the disease to be in all the parts of the body vnperfect so that neyther in the beginning or the â—state medicine auaileth in the disease but the surest passage for health life in al sicke patients is that in the vttermost course of sicknesse purgation be placed that is when al putrified infections be gathered to a certaintie by coÌ„coction notwithstanding there is an vniuersal iudgement pronounced of the best sort that all such medicines which extenuâ—te and diminish eyther the extremity of the disease or vnsettle other congeled humours therwith are to practised a lowed and vsed both in the beginning and estate so that the disease thereby may more swyftly bee hastened and ripâ—ned to concoction yet it is not herein so spoken that so large a libertie is graunted as to vse any purgation at all except mollefaction or extenuation which only is permitted in strong accidenâ—s for styrring vp congested humours or prouoking bodies insoluble And so long as the beginning of euery disease continueth so long these weake medicines may be perfectlie permitted it cannot hold together that the sicknesse of one moneth hath equall beginning with the disease that hath continued but one weeke and yet who dare be so bolde as to purge within the compasse thereof before the signes of manifest concoction appeare Certainly if the beginning of the disease continue in one accidence sixe monethes or a whole yeare before concoction be gathered yet there ought to be no troubling or molesting the body with purgatiue medicine both because the disease is thereby vnperfected and the course to concoction quite stopped vp It is to be wished and counselled for all such to take heed and be hereby aduertised which run at hasard with present purgation vpon all diseases for the learned Phisitian which in iudiciall reading is before made to vnderstand the same is neither to bee warned counselled nor taught Lastlie no practioner is abridged either by medicine or diet or any or all good indeauours to drawe such diseases to concoction as a ready preparatiue for purgation which is a singular and perfect way to health agreeable to all the rules of Phisicke These thinges so highly considered who dooth not maruell to behold some carelesse rude persons who vnder the counterfeit shewe of Phisitians doo in the first beginning of diseases profer three or foure draughtes of desperate phisicke with purgations inchaunt the bodie of the sicke patient not onely to innumerable inconueniences but most commonly to dâ—ath it selfe These rather desire to behold the number of phisicke cuppes standing vpon tables round about them then the motion of nature in the diseased patient Heare may rightlie be vnderstood and perceiued that concoction ought to haue a most high superioritie in gathering preferring the vniuersal corruption of the body on a heape before purgation take place But there is a consociety of very daungerous persons in this our age whose custome and maner is the very same instant and day when they approch and drawe neere the sick patient doo first prescribe minoration doo the second day expect concoction the third day eradication the fourth day a potion consortatiue the custome hereof is doubtfull to be allowed both because the disease is caried by so large a compasse without stay into many afflictions â—ooseth his stomach grace lieth dead in the body vnmoueable and euerie seuerall confection may haue hereby a seuerall operatiue nature to doo harme in some fresh and contrarie propertie Auycen vtterly disaloweth their practise herein Howe much the preparing and seasoning of the body auaileth for the perfect altering of the disease to concoction whereby purgation may more naturallie and effectually doo the duetie of a trustie messenger in perfourming the intent of the Phisition the sicke patient shal euidentlie find the ease thereof being released from such and so great continual dolours Galen Hypocrates Auycen Dyoscorides doo confound and consent with this vertuous and medicable indeuor whereas these rude and corrupt practitioners in the firste instant and beginning of the infection minister a strong purgation in offence of the whole constitution is like as if a rotten fulsome channell were raked or stirred to the bottome corrupteth the sences and infecteth the ayre in more poysoned putrifaction so that many daungerous effectes insue thereby The skilfull phisitian dooth farre otherwise that as the sweete fountaine water or the pure celestiall showers of raine by litle and litle purge and purifie the fulsome sauours and contagions of the earth doo not onely keepe them vnder whereby their fulsome smelles breake not out but also by litle and litle vtterly taketh away both their intollerable foyzing the ayre as the corrupt stopping vp and poysoning the comfortable and essentiall estate of mans health Here followeth an other diligent obseruation that all bodies ouertaken with any vniuersall malefaction are not beesides the which clear free from other corruptions as hauing ingenderment with black fleamie yellowe choller so that one of them are verie offensiue to an other and therefore ought they to be mundified and diminished as two offensiue causes inconuenientlie conioined in one disease For if they â—ee not concocted and gathered to a mutuall certaintie their grosse and thicke matter being discouered and estraunged thinlie and vncertainlie breaketh into all the partes of the bodie For Auycen sayth thicke thinges are easily comprehended and swiftly excluded as euidently is perceiued in those diseases which happen in the breast as whether their spytcle bee thicke or thin is
of all thinges in winter and waxeth more outward and stronger with the increase of the yeare vntill by the temperature of the sunne it bee powerfull and mightie Arnoldus de noua villa affyrmeth that the complexion of man ariseth and falleth with the temperature or distemperature of the yeare so may we gather hereby that choller rageth and super aboundeth more in sommer then winter only by an intentiue qualitie Then fieam doth not argue no ful quantitie of heat in winter but rather sheweth some remissiuenesse therein for which we haue some opportunitie offered to discouer these liuing creatures of the water as the crab-fish and other shel-fishes whose outward vesiure is alwaies hard and drie yet there inward temperance is moyst and soft especiallie in winter The Phisitians doe minister these and suche like fishes to patients which are wasted and consumed vppon the loonges and liuer and other affected partes of the body as a speciall nourishment and restoratiue They are much deceiued herein for the egredience thereof proffereth litle moysture is of saltish taste and stubborne digestion And those which are indangered and vexed with that disease doe take best liking of easie and light meates which speedily doe digest There is another kinde of shell fishe called an Oyster is in operation easily conuerted to choller the constitution therof is most wholesome in winter vnder qualification of strong and eger feâ—stes they haue perfect digestion in the body of man by the bountifulnesse of pure good wine especially if the same It is an errour that rackt wines may be perfected by obseruing seasons of the yeare wine be vertuous in odour colour sapour and feruour then doth it putrifie corrupt bloud vnsetleth euill humours refresheth the senses But rackt wines are most vnwholesome for the body of man although the seasons of the yeare be obserued for perfecting them in their degree And furthermore wee must make coniecture of the inward temperance of fishes by their outward proportion and propertie of which there is foure sortes as chrustie shellie scalie soft and sleeke skinned fish Their inward causes doe most easily conuert into dangerous diseases if that circumspectly they be not remedied and preuented in their strange operation For whereas some kinde of fish are in their naturall propertie cold so are they flegmatike nourishing variable and grosse substance Whereas some kinde of fishe are hote so are they chollericke and of most churlish operation in the body of man Also there is some kinde of fish drie vnnourishable and returneth to slender excrementes But Auycen affirmeth that chollericke fish is best brooked and digested in winter and flegmaticke fishe in sommer And Ruellius with many other excellent writers doe commend the Sammon king of fishes which of verie nature ministreth If the Sâ—mon be moderately eaten is easily digested great safetie to the body of man both in sickenesse and health and hath a very perfect constitution to be resolued into pure bloud especiallie being dronke with wine as Cornelius Celsus sayth is an approued medicine for costiuenesse in the loonges and perfecteth the opilation of the liuer So also a most high and singular commendation belongeth to the constitutioÌ„ of the Gurnet And although fish is a lenitiue foode being of an extenuatethinne slimie substance yet are they of diuers temperatures and orders and hardly coniectured vpon in their seuerall operations for flegmaticke and vaporous fish nourisheth hollow belching immoderat thirst sower sharp fleame and as manie haue a moste greedie desire thereunto so their stomackes are mordicated and ouercharged vnder vilde monstrous and vaporous humours and not by the vnmeasurable meanes of anie distemperance otherwise And surely the stomacke indureth these vaporous humectations rather by euill nourishmentes then anie distemperance of the bodie or putrified corruptions in the ayre And yet there are very great considerations to be herein vnderstood whether these belchinges or coughinges proceede of euill nourishments or of naturall humours in the body or from accidentall corruptions in the ayre For if grosse feeding and euill nourishments be cause heereof then the vniuersall body is infected with fuliginous vapours of disposition yeelding to be pituitous and flegmaticke And if it proceede of naturall humours and the body inclined thereunto then the fleshe absâ—meth and by litle and litle mynorateth not onely in substance but digestion waxeth weake the guttes clung the liuer and loonges waste the sinewes and vaines in their naturall and iust course of bloud stoope And also if it proceede of the corruption and interchange of the ayre the euidence thereof is regarded in the alteration and deflowring of the excrementes by a pituitous disposition of rewins in all partes of the body There is also another moste hote and contrary excrement called choller as it is deciued from the liuer so doth it outrage and superabound in the bodies of those men ouer whom it beareth rule If the strength thereof grow great and troublesome it is best remedied by euacuation downeward so that the humours be before vnsetled by some preparatiue medicine But if the stomacke be therewith ouercharged it were not amisse by moyst vomites to be aduaunced vpward And yet there be manie which cannot be so helped both for that they be naturallie disframed as also for that their passage from the gall to the bowels is ouer-little and more larger about the stomacke comprehending excessiue excrementes which impureth vitall bloud ouer grosly For vnto whome such choller is generated in the stomacke cannot otherwise be withdrawne except by naturall euacuation downeward therefore it is both vnnaturall and without arte to purge them vpward except there cannot be deuoydance otherwise especially and the rather because of a greene rotten prassiue substaunce congested in the stomacke There is a further and a more higher waight to be heere in respected as not onely in putting a difference in knowing the diuers natures of this choller but an artfull experience in purging and putting away the same For if it proceede from the liuer it is yellow and pale if it ingender vppon the stomack it is greene like to the colour of a Leeke if it breede thorow a malicious corruption it is ouerprassiue and an enemie to all the naturall and sensible members of the body deflowreth discoloureth and defaceth mans natiue and perfect complexion and in it selfe fauoureth a venomous propertie Galens opinion is that if a cold liuer be warmed vnder anie accidentall heate it increaseth and ingendreth a profluous choller exceedeth all the heates of stomacke and all other partes of the body although they be neuer so full of feruour and heate And greene choller hath for his condition and qualitie an exceeding heate which thorowe any accidentall dislike it be chased from the stomacke doth forthwith recourse to the liuer and desireth a perfection therein Although appetite delighteth to gnawe and whet vpon grose and fulsome meates and to infarce and ingorge the stomacke therewith so doe they contagiously breede nourish and