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
coorses of most noble personages which doo cendensate into substance with the flesh by long continuance as is afterwardes taken vp for perfect Mumy Ther is an other sort of Mumy which commeth by means of men trauelling ouer the high mountaines of Arabia are oftentimes swallowed vp in the dangerous deepnesse of the sandes their flesh by large continuance of times concreat therwith growing to be of one perfect substance nature together the Arabian writers do much commend this kind of Mumy Now to returne to our purpose in the naturall causes of cold and heate for that there was neuer anie able to shewe the action of colde and heate in one like qualitie of the same And who was euer able to draw the strength of hote causes to take effect from mans naturall heate Or who was euer able or yet would bring to passe that cold thinges should take their action of colde and heate in one like degree from mans naturall heate Except in suffocating the sences vtterly thereby For cold medicines do in their owne propertie and nature follow their owne strength and qualitie in the bodie Galen proueth by the example of cold water which if it be inuested with an accidentall heate will by potentiall essence in it selfe returne to a naturall propertie of coldnesse For as water hath a secret interflowing from the vaines of the earth which although it hath some secret heate by vapours or the influent exhalations of the elementes ascending and discending yet is it in propertie altogether cold without alteration and therefore it is to be regarded that hote fire is extinguished and put out with scalding water so medicines many times haue an action of heate yet of their potentiall power they doe ouercoole and infrefe the body So likewise there is another degree of medicines of cold actions which although they be altered by art to become of a more hote power yet doe they returne to the former first frigiditie yet altogether without excellencie in it selfe So water doth returne alwaies to a peculiar and naturall coldnesse Therefore if medicines be ministred in anie degree to the body and therewithall doe congeale and extreame with coldnesse it is done in the propertie and nature of medicine not because they are preferred beyond their accustomed action Now it is further to be inquired whether medicines in the fourth degree dronke vnder euident coldnesse may in anie sort be quite translated from the naturall heate of man For that it doth not much appertaine to our question wee will not much here dispute with Galen neither is it a matter of anie importance or waight It cannot be denied but if these cold medicines be in small quantitie proffered vpon anie distemperance of the body cannot escape altogether the worke of nature but therewithall profiteth the bodie For like as medicines framed and composed of fumitorie much preuaile in helpe of the dropsie so the disease called Hydros that is when the skinne is filled with water is presently cured with blacke popie And Galen somewhat touched in conscience practiseth to wash away his former obiection against the preparation of popie seemeth to admit the vse thereof against those hote vlcerations so it be both artificially tempered and naturally composed with the complexion Then such medicines are not in same quantitie alwaies so deepelie foreset with cold but that they may haue some naturall instinct of heate especially such hearbes which are in the second and third degree colde and may not altogether reiect and dispossesse themselues from the strength of heate So doe they easily conuert themselues to become in vnion with bodily heate and their wholesome kindly temperance quietly secretly and sodainly subdueth and appeaseth all extreame distemperances of heate in the bodie But Theophrastus Paracelsus on the contrarie affirmeth that Galen is herein greatly deceiued For he further sayth that cold medicines haue a priuate and effectuall nature of cooling and intertained into the body as possibly to be indured vntill it be regenerat with bodily heate Paracelsus reason herein is for that heate and cold may in both their properties obtaine a double distinction as either are they to do some effect in their own properties or els by accidentall meanes the which hath bene sufficiently handled in the former books of these temperaments especially in the qualities of dry and moyst thinges We may finde out sufficient similitudes and testimonies of cold and hote things as popie being of cold nature so Henbane is of hoâ—e nature although they be hotly tempered in their single natures together without artfull confection into the body are not of equall operation so are their actions vnequall and discrepant one from another and their accidentall heate hath supreame intendment in the one and disgraceth the other So likewise if Celledin be dronke in naturall kindnesse of it selfe much profiteth the body but being receiued into the body by an accidentall heate doe greatly hurt and distemper the vital parts of man not so much in respect of action as of operation And certainly as there may be a translation of all thinges beyond nature So oyle is not simply called hote because it is turned into a flame of fire but because it hath a natural and powerfull heate in it selfe For surely hote nourishmentes although they be put into the bodie in the nature of fire yet are they no fire for such kinde of nourishmentes are oftentimes to profite the body in place of medicines and yet the same trasferred beyond the common course of temperance disprofiteth and distempereth the body I would haue it to be heere vnderstoode that whatsoeuer altereth the disease is a medicine except onely that meate and sustenance which aduaunceth it selfe beyond common temperance otherwise all foode ministred vnto the bodie should be medicinable sheweth some naturall effect eyther of liking or disliking propertie For some are of equall power to comfort and nourish the body some doe alter the body to some vnkindly distemperance some doe purge the bodie some do surfet the body and some doe poyson the body We may not therefore coniecture that all sortes of meates suffered in the body are medicines but we must certainly perswade our selues that all purgations ministred vnto the body are poyson some for present operation although not deadly for purgatiue medicines are of three natures In their first nature lenitiuely doe approue and molifie the body In their second propertie vehemently doe search and strongly feede vpon the body They doe in their third propertie insume nature vtterly oppresse the bodie by a sharpe adust fluxing of bloud or cls a deadly benumming of the vitall partes As all naturall sustenance agreeing with the body is conuerted to the substance of flesh and bloud so all poysons of what condition soeuer they be after they be chastised from their poisonsome malice are most curable antidotes and remedies against all venims and stenchfull corruptions which eyther offend or ouercharge the wholesome estate of mans life Yet Galen
hearbe in growth is alwaies ascendent and discendent with the increase and decrease of the moone So also there is an other hearbe called Scopa Regia which draweth a most high dignitie from a starre which followeth the newe moone called Occulus Lunae and is of right vertue to heale a swelling congesled blood in the throat called the kinges euill Petrus Galiensis saith the hearbe Dragon is of cold operation and draweth a vertue from the Lode star The heate of the Sun without difference warmeth all thinges yet in deeper penetration of one thing more then another Herewithall it is a most excellent thing to consider the propertie of Honie the which honie is respected to be in the vse of man in one degree and in the vse of a Bee in an other degree For as the heate of the Sun is sincere and pure in nature and propertie so dooth it conioine with the course of starres discending by a certaine mellifluous dewe inseaseth it selfe vpon the hearbs of the earth by attraction Neither is it of right iudgment that this hony is naturall indifferent to all the hearbs of the earth although the Bee hath a generall portion thorowout Therfore Dyoscorides saith that the naturall Bee sucketh the most mellifluous fruites of the earth But the vnnaturall Beeroueth and rangeth aswell vpon the one as the other especially all wilde and sauage weedes And yet as the Magnet or Lode-stone is vnforceable to attract vppon euerye complexion so all sortes of hearbes are not drawen from the Elementes for theyr attractiue aptnesse many times fall out diuersly after the complection of men For as there be hearbes of thin and light operation so there are thin and light humours in men And as there be thick and grosse operations in hearbes so are there also thicke and grosse humours in men Therefore the power of hot thinges may not be adiudged by touching neither yet vnderstood by reason for that al things are diuers in operation For as hot things are not alwaies thin and light so thicke things are not alwaies cold yet doth it commonly fall out that solutiue medicines are alwaies hot sharpe and bitter But we may not iustlie affirme that all sweet medicines are hot for that bitter medicines are shadowed many times with outward sweetnes As Galen saith Sub melle venenum tegitur Surely al hot things are of subtill extenuation and yet oftentimes through a hotte substance in themselues doo growe into sleshie thicknesse Hypocrates reporteth his helpe towardes a yoong man which was ouergrowen with fleshie thicknesse both of bellie and other partes of his bodie did aboundantlie wash bath and soke himselfe in the middest of sommer in colde water And whereas chieflie his face and other partes of his body were styffened thickened and bound with cold humours and for the exceeding thicknesse of his skinne the deflation of heate was repressed foorthwith a righteous experience tooke a prooffe For that fresh vnion and naturall collection of heate did follow This excellent temperance followeth the elementes by a natural repercussion of all cold temperatures into the sweete and medicionable springes of the earth for that the hot sommer course in the Elementes hath repressed all colde temperaments of morning dewes into the vaines and hart of the earth the water springes become thereby potatiue wholesome and medicionable and both within as without the bodie of high operation For now as the increase of heate is hereby styrred vp so also the exteame coldnesse and ouer great thicknesse of the skinne conceiueth a free relaxation in the poores whereas also both the bloud and breath were inwardly repulsed so the one freely interfloweth the vaines and the other hath a temperate and equall propertie from the loonges And also the humours which were before halfe setled doe become nowe more plentifull and are perfected into a regular order and heate herewith regenerated doth first spring vp and forthwith returne and strike backe againe thereby at length heate ouercommeth colde in the extreame and vttermost partes and permanently there doth settle Galen doth seeme to call this repercussion onely the same repulsion which is made after the concoction of humours Neither is it to be maruelled if heate heereby returne more plentifull both because the bloud being increased and renewed the heate also must of necessitie be increased Theophrastus Paracelsus saith I doe esteeme heate to be borne out more euident and manifest to outward things by manie repercussions although no increase of bloud shall follow in outward thinges for certain momentanie repercussions may hinder bloud anie more to bend yet it may not be said that the cause thereof hapneth in the ripenesse of vnperfect humours For this cause doth it seeme to come to passe after this maner that bloud cannot easily be drawne when it is chased from the outward plentie and fulnesse vncertainly to possesse the inward partes after which beeing againe inforced to anie outward operation draweth a portion of humours to pursue those vaynes euer after as the old prouerbe is Fluxus fluxum prouocat Therefore it is a moste excellent ornament to beholde the signes of the elementes in all euacuations For seeing inferiour causes do expresse and exercise the nature of superiour causes it standeth with equitie they shoulde be obeyed Especiallie the tides of the sea drawing vpon the course of the moone the sunne giuing increase to the vniuersal creation The hearbs hauing an excellent pure and secret vse in the starres The plannets hauing their temperance or distemperance in the complexions of all thinges So then it is a moste high assurance that euerie sickenesse which distempereth in offending the life of man ought to be considered vpon after the high temperance or distemperance of the elementes aswell as the complexion of the patient I ende to the laud of God and profite of christian health Thus endeth the third Booke of the Temperamentes The Lord made heauen and earth and all thinges that therein is blessed are the workes of his handes At my next conuenient leysure three bookes more are to come forth vnder one volume as followeth A booke of the Distemperamentes An Apologie to the Plurisies A discourse vpon the diseases in the Arteries FINIS
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
and stately diseases happening in the constitution of strong bobies 〈◊〉 dyet shal minister best remedie for their mittigation so when long and langushing sicknesses distemper and vexe the bodie thinne dyet is verie daungerous For consider that fulnesse of bodie in sharpe and sodaine sicknesses is moste difficult putting this difference in either of them that as continuall fulnesse pestreth and inageth the disease in a fleshie bodie to become more stronger so on the contrarie if a patient bee incombred and infeebled with the feuer Ephimcras or anie such like sicknesse surely thinne dyet is not then meete for such a thinne body seeing strength thereby is decayed and thorowe variable tormentes all the members venomed the vitall bloud corrupted and benu 〈…〉 ed as the spirituall partes of man distructioned the remedie heereof aswell to the first as to the last is to obserue the constitution of the body that like as hote fires are sonest quenched with cleere and pure water before it exceede so these fleshly rages are subdued if the extreame thirstinesse of the body thorow colde remedies bee quieted and mittigated before it 〈…〉 tch to the farthest boundes and becommeth contumatious and without remedie Also a bodie almost deuoured with emptinesse and where both nature vigour and bloud are quite ouerthrowne cannot easily be recouered except by artificiall remedie and thorow due oportunitie be nursed vp therefore it is a most singular skill commended by the learned writers of all ages in sicknesse to preserue and continue nature in her full power and strength And to comfort nourishe and increase strength and 〈…〉 re in a body fallen away For oftentimes a strong bodie in sickenesse fauoureth himselfe is both similiar and defensible against sicknesse resisting the assaults of many diseases interchancing in mans life Wheras a thinne and leaue bodie easily is vanquished when both sicknesse and penurye dangerously attempt the ruin and decay therof As the desperate estate of man in sicknesse is eyther furthered or hindered by fulnesse or emptinesse so will not I confirme those bodies who haue ingrossed their garbages with excesse fatnesse and stuffed all their members with superfluous humors as hauing fed vpon sundrie inordinate varieties of meates or infected with varietie of diseases As they liue without order so I purpose not to prescribe an order where fatal confusion hath ouerrun them Furthermore set not the blind ignorance of many vnskilfull practitioners be herein pertermitted who should with moderate cherishing help nature doe with immoderate chasing hinder and inflame those hote bodies which were before infected by the most hot seasons of the yeare In steade of thin nutriment doe ingurge their stomackes with thicke spices or drudges of hygh hot and subtill operation whereas in those sicknesses regard and view must be taken vppon sundrie and seuerall casualties which strangely fall out in sicknesse that neyther appetite be cloyed or clunged with ouermuche or ouer little resection nor yet that nature be ouerdried eyther by great sweates or ouermuch resisting or wrastlinges with the force of sicknesse These strong diseases moste commonlie happen vnder a swift chrysis whose mightie predomination ouerruleth difframeth and disseperateth those bodies from due temperance which shoulde be thereto subiect and framed These diseases The strength of nature furthereth all medicines by a right constitution in sicknesse most violently and swiftly settle in the roote of the heart except preuented and aleuiated by present medicine aswell that nature may weaken the force as displace and expell the poyson of the disease And for as much then as it doth ingender vppon the liuer from which place the bloud is soonest corrupted and therewithall draweth and staineth all the inward partes of man In the end becommeth pestilentiall and therewithall the sences thorow the same so farre ouercharged as that manie times colâ—quation or destruction inuaâ—eth the mind in the losse of life Therfore whosoeueâ— desireth to cure these or such like infectious diseases must chiefly prepare and season the body with waters of cold and naturall hearbes in the first and second degree before The pestilâ—ncâ— ought to be preuented before â—oâ— the taken at the heart and thâ— medicine must be stronger thâ—n the disease the disease be possessed then foorthwith flux the body by some gentle and potatiue electuarie in equall and artificialâ— degree fauourably casting out the infected humours Forthwith after these painefull defatigations let naturall sweate and quiet sleepe consolidat and refresh the body to become more vâ—gent and the stomacke more sharpe Then next thereunto it were not good that emptinesse or abstinence were vsed but to haue sustinance in continuall practise not of the grosest but of the chosen sortes of meates for if the poores thorow emptinesse be left open and vnshut for want of nourishment to increse naturall bloud and strength are not onely in danger againe to be corrupted but doe stain foyzen and infect others Then howe grieuous a thing is it in beholding some busie medlers repayring vnto sicke pacientes doe not in anie perfect skill distinguish vpon the disease whether there be any crud and rawe matter or concockt setled in some part of the body or whether the disease consist and stand at a stay or increase or whether nature be of any forcible power in the body or no but without searching the cause or vnderstanding the matter of the sicknesse doe preferre their owne hazard and exasperating the disease eyther with fulsome medicine or grosse nourishment stuffing their sicke bodies eyther by entisement or force And whereas before they had some abilitie appetite forthwith waxeth wearie and lothesome in them Galen affirmeth that the perfectest rule to The patient might bee nourished and measured vnder appetite health is to represse a cold sicknesse by nourishing foode so that nourishment and appetite agree He giueth no such large libertie to the hote diseases notwithstanding manie haue aduentured in the greatest heate and trauell of diseases not onely to purge the bodie to cut vaines and let bloud but also haue stifeled their bodyes rather with inchaunted meates then wholsome medicines and for that nature canot disgest such grosse imperfections stand in so hard a stay of recouerie as commonly in the end become immedicable and mortall Cornelius Celsus a most excellent writer affirmeth that a satictie and fulnesse of meate in sicknesse is neuer profitable aâ—â— therefore to auoyd eyther mischiefe doth appertaine to singular skill The safest and directest passage for the vnskilfull phisition herein is that the patient rather be continued with a thinne diet then vnordered fulnesse so that he be not ouermuch extenuated Galen and Hypocrates both consenting together affirme that fasting and thinne diet doe surely and secretly mortifie such diseases which happen vnder surfet or anie other vnordered and glottonous meates and a staying of manie sharpe diseases that followe thereupon And some high clarkes holde opinion that abstinence ought in time of sicknesse to be guided with discretion and
furious diseases yet all nourishment plainely is denied before some thing in so dangerous a case be perfected There is a farther counsell to be here in extended that if the patient be desirous of sustenance or some supping and will not there from be refrayned then shall be ministred vnto him some slender foode in verie small quantitie as is neyther operatiue nor nourishable both because of the drinesse and distemperature of the body Many very good writers agree and consent that fountaine water sharpe vineger not sophisticall but seasoned from the naturall grape aromatized with honny is of sâ—owring propertie if it be well boyled together and dronke next the heart morning and euening also it is a most wholesome oxinâ—ell to mundifie fleame in the stomacke gently penetrateth congested An oximell is pure to mundifie the stomocke in sicknesse bloud in the sides doth quench and appease the furie of flammatiue feuers and sharpeneth the stomacke therein shall be found most present helpes in so hard dangers Next it is good to vnderstand how the patient profiteth or disprofiteth by these significatiue markes as followe That is when the increase of the sickenesse prospereth towardes health the concoction therewith prospereth also to a full estate as appeareth by the mouth waxing moyst or else reaching vp from the loonges some concoct matter of ripe qualitie to be easily deliuered foorth in full quantitie For the more aboundant those excrements be purged out so much the rather the stomacke is framed and sharpened â—it for foode and sustenance Then it behoueth to yeeld the body some slender reliefe so that continually it be limitted within iudication For as euery disease is rather qualified vnder a barraine dyet in the beginning so a small and thinne dyet is commended in the increase of euery sicknesse Surely a thinne dyet is best approoued in the opinion of Auycen that is when the disease consisteth and stayeth in one course towardes health But if the disease in forceable assault runneth forward without stay then all dyets are substracted vntill the nature of the disease appeare more open and perfect For the bodie hauing escaped these and such like perils of sickenesse is like a wayfaring man hauing passed a tedious and hard iourney through long fasting and much labour desireth foode So these bodies ouerpassing and preuenting variable hazardes by fatigable wrestling and painefull induring both the beginning increase with the estate and perfection of the disease are like a strong captaine after conquest and victorie desireth quietnesse rest meate and sustinance And yet many of these diseases recouered both by good ordinance of medicine and wholesome foode haue returned backe to their olde dangers and not staied their course before deathe All which falleth out both because there was some disordered surfet before health setled in perfection and the disease not quite rooted out Auycen saith that if the bodye fall into present misgouernance after that it hath bene recouered from sharpe sicknesses especially inflammatiue diseases and before nature be restored to her prestinat and potentiall estate and dignitie death without commisseration insulteth ouer life And therefore he aduiseth all men vniuersally to settle nature to sharpen the stomacke to shut the poores and to entertaine sleepe and quiet rest after sicknesse before they expoose their body to any hard practise Now these perfect canons holden by generall consent haue confounded and ouerthrowne the controuersies of new writers and retired vnto their antient and former separation of diseases and secretly therewithall holde backe and inwardly contayne their knowledge and counsell touching simple diseases As though no such thing appertaine vnto them But largely comprehend the estate of these inflammatiue feuers in eyther of their natures vnder one generall method for remedie to eyther of them so that these diseases haue diuers natures and operations aswel in their accidentes as in their concoction And many times it so falleth out that medicine altereth and setleth them not onely to concoction but also to be of an nature whereas before they were in their accidentes variable and diuers in their course and propertie Touching the difference of these simple and coÌ„pounded feuers I cannot finde no direct agreement betweene Hypocrates in his book de ratione victus other writers but Hypocrates and Leonard Fuchsins doe consent and with a true report sound out that all diseases happening in the spring ought to be vnder a moderate dyet in their beginning because nature is then most occupyed in digesting raw flegmatike humours congested the winter before and by the naturall ascending of bloud painefully diuerteth from common course And also the bodye which is replenished with humoures is in the spring season more troubled then anie other time But touching those diseases which fall out in sommer thinne dyet is then most meetest for that both naturall and vnnaturall heate exceede moystnesse and those diseases which then happen are most aptest to inflame But all those diseases which happen in Autume meate is measured according to the disease for no perfect dyet sayth Fuchsins can be prescribed for that diseases are then of diuers properties and contagions And therefore to be measured according to the phisitians skill knowledge and discretion So also suche diseases which fall out in winter are furthered or hindered according to the seasonablenesse or vnseasonablenesse of the time For moyst foggy winters ingender corrupt diseases in the body to the vttermost And naturall whether of frosts and snowe approoue and search the body eyther to great welfare of much health or els to speedie death therefore Fuchsins Frost cold purifieth the vaynes and sinewes for the bloud ascending in the spring season sayth diseases in thinne bodyes are then guided with restoratiue dyets for oftentimes such bodyes are in those seasons apt to be consumpted and vtterly wasted both because the naturall bloud is departed in the deepest vaynes and strong bodyes inwinter seasons subiect to sickenesse are best pleased and approoued with meane stipticall and sauorie dyets If in these bodies both medicine and dyet by present remedie haue not a positiue operation to conserue a strong estate in nature Forthwith nature perisheth For as they are not able to indure the pinching cold outward so their fleshie foggines cannot inwardly suffer for want of perfect and pure bloud so that no outward shelter nor inward nourishment counteruaileth to recouer health in theÌ„ Let vs returne to the substance of our purpose for the searching out the best diet in al diseases either simple or coÌ„pound Galen in the first of the Aphorisms the seuenteeth Comment wisheth a thin and sharpe diet to be established in all sharpe diseases both because the body is infected with most greatest fleames and because inflamations doo therein most abound One Hugh Senensis a learned man disputeth that thin diets are meetest in the beginning of sharpe sicknesses both because strength is in full propertie vndecaied and the materiall substance of the disease ouer
why is Galen moued so to thinke First for that children hath multitude of bloud Secondly they haue greedinesse in appetite And lastly they haue a substantiall valour in concoction As these reasons shewe a great ground why there should be more aboundant heate in children so he denieth their heate to be intentiue For Dyoscorides verily affirmeth that adolescencie hath more aboundance thereof not according to the proportion of the body For the body of a child although in the small quantitie thereof hath not more intentiue heate yet hath more coyious and intentiue bloud then adolescencie Surely children in their proportion obserued and considered haue a greedie and quicke desire to sustenance and are of redie digestion therunto Therefore I thinke it extreame madnesse in Theophrastus Peracelsus who absolutely granteth a larger sustenance to children then adolescencie seeing naturall operation refuseth to be more stronger in children and yet there heate is most plentifull and their digestion most redie Yet I doe not mislike his difference made betweene children and infantes For infantes in their first natiuitie are colde and therefore whollie giuen to sleepe but growing vp to children are euery day more sanguine and therfore more hote and moyst for as heate prouoketh appetite so moystaesse is the cause efficient aswell to nourish great sleepe in the body as to aduaunce therewith the office of good nourishment And truely Dyoscorides affirmeth that children are vnder diuers inclinements both of weakenesse and strength And the same is well discerned vnder a double operation of their excrementes as that the one being ouersoft and the other vtterlie voyd of moystnesse The first argueth moyst coldnesse which stirreth vp a naturall desire and disposition to sleepe in children the other prouoketh and increaseth bloud releeueth and comforteth the vitall partes The Philosopher is woonted to declare that moystnesse is the first cause of sleepe and coldnesse is the second cause And therefore when the humours of the body be deâ—ected eyther by nature or art both moystnesse and coldnesse both in the first and second degree are possest in the body Yet these colde humid deâ—ections vpward manie times infeebleth the stomackes of children with cold distemperance and doe egerly scower wast and extenuate their bodyes downeward as that thereby all their naturall vertues are quite weakened and their facultie of appetite quite ouerthrowne Then surely we haue iust cause to make further search inquierie as touching the difference betweene adolescencie and In respect of naturall châ—ller adoleseencie exceedeth children in â—eate or els not children in their heate which is chalenged that adolescencie exceedeth children in larger aboundance of heat in respect of naturall choller which more sharpely inflameth and pursueth the body And except the same be preuented oftentimes in gluttonous und glassie corruption excessiuely draweth the body to inflaming diseases therby In this respect adolescencie surpasseth children in heate or els not For the better vnderstanding hereof let vs vse this comparison following and agreeable hereunto that if two cuppes being of vnlike quaÌ„titie filled with hot pure water without slime or corruption put thereunto the qualitie of the lesser may exceed the quantitie of the greater in heat and yet their equall quantity according to proportion is nothing diminished Euen so blood may according to proportion be matched in children and adolescencie alike yet their heate may exceed one aboue another This is onely spoken for that heate is established by bloud for as in some dispositions nature is earthly and colde from their conception so heate of bloud aduaunceth and promoteth the same to become vegetable and wholesome in the vniuersall partes of the body by nutrimentall meanes For which respect if the qualitie be vnlike yet the quantitie according to prportion may equally agree together This proueth heat in children and young men ought to haue seuerall proportions in substance and yet in qualitie they doe exceede vnlike for as heate in yoong menne may be more sharper so in children more sweeter and tastefull And whereas bloud is in Children more intentiue so heat is in yong men more intentiue as is aforesaid For which cause medicines prepared for yoong men are of more higher degree both in nature and operation Otherwise vnforceable to reach the constitution of adolescencie onely and because of their high courage and strength which is in the substance of thetr intentiue heate for which cause the greatest skill that belongeth to the heedefull and wise phisitian is euermore to consider aswell of the cause as the constitution that temperance may thereby be perfected into good estate and condition by qualitie and that medicine and the body doe not exceede one another For heate ought to be more sharper comprehended therein not by a variable substance in it selfe but by artificiall helpe aduaunced thereunto so that sometimes bodies of cold and raw constitutions doe swiftly hasten towardes many dangerous diseases except onely translated into some other more perfect nature or otherwise reuiued both in substance of bloud and strength of heate As if a hote stone being dipped in a cold bath or a colde stone in a hote bath of water doth forthwith alter both the water and the ayre to be of a like qualitie with the stone So these distempered bodies are reformed by artfull knowledge to become in equall temperance alike and yet not in operation for want of bloud so that heate may be restored or the excesse thereof diminished For like as difference is interposed betweene a cleere and grosse ayre as hauing like qualitie of heate yet not like neyther in substance nor naturall operaion so diuers constitutions by this meanes may be lâ—ke in qualitie and the variable estate thereof may become also of one temperance and operation There is a difference to be set downe in the outward estate of two temperat bodies together As first to regard their differences by touching and feeling the substance according to proportion of euery seuerall part by it selfe for many times by the proportion of outward thinges the good and euill estate of inward thinges are knowne beleeued as onely by a supposed Hypothesis For if the heate of adolescencie and childhood may be found equall by teeling then would it fall out that the comparison of ages betweene adolescencie and children were of necessitie equall vnto which there must be adioyned both discretion consideration and constant stay For Cornelius Celsus saith that yong men which are perfect in conceit vnderstanding are of hote dispositions haue verie little desire to sleepe the which thing somewhat bendeth towardes drinesse Hote braines are apt and inuentiue and small desire to sleepe And yet nothing is in the obscure workes of nature to be discerned in them either by feeling or touching Galen in his booke de sanitate tuenda rehearseth manie high and variable dispositions both in adolescencie and children and putteth forth moste excellent preseruations in eyther their defences Theophrastus Paracelsus saith that heate
bee liquid and yet forthwith returneth to the same naturall substance as before This marrowe is of diuers qualities in the disposition of the The spinall marrow is the backe bone marrowe Ther be two oments one in the head called Pâ—a mater and the other belonging to the open fat ouer the belly bones As first in the braines next in the fiat broad hollow and round bones Galen sayth that the marrow of the bones is most drie and the spinall marrowe moist in the second degree for the bone marrowe is perfected and made pure naturallye compacted within the hard shell of the bones and the oment marrowe is liquid in the celles of the head and void of all during substance for that the humours haue such large accesse thereunto that the same is thereby continually molified and verie highly weakened in operation Surely it is a wonderfull mysterie to consider and thorowly weigh this excellent worke of nature for the variable couching this pyth in the deepe bottome of the bones sowpling scouring renuing and fortifieng the strength and swiftnes of the body thereby Galen hath many degrees in the variable art of nature touching marrow of diuers kindes and properties and touching the vniuersall frame of the bones is nothing els but an outward anathomie of the whole bodie couered and set foorth with flesh blood sâ—iâ— vaines sinewes So also there wanteth no necessarie office within that appertaineth to the life of man But touching measelled or kernelled flesh with which we haue not to interdeale within the drift of this our purpose both beccause it is a monstrous mishapen substance gathered within the flesh contrary to nature and also because sundrie infections arise thereby in mutuall consort one with an other so that hauing this spoken of the inwarde worke in the outward temperance are not to omit also the temperaunce of the inward motions Touching the lightes spleane and raines which are of hot and moist dispositions and yet their ordinances minister many drie effectes in the body for there are some writers as Petrus Brissotus Petrus Galiensis Iohannes Glarensis Michell Scotus or Cornelius Celsus who suppose the loonges to be indued with lesser moystnesse then the liuer and the rather because cholericke bloud is not intermingled therewith except that which perfectly purgeth the same Theophrastus Paracelsus concludeth the loonges to be a certaine spungie instrument in the side and is of such hote propertie as that most chiefly it is nourished by extracting moystnesse from the liuer And also it is to be adiudged vnder the nature of drinesse for that the spirite and breath hath such a forceable exhalation from the same Therefore Auycen affirmeth That which is hote is easily corrupted with cold that as all accidentall hearbes doe much comfort the loonges so all accidentall coldnesse is most harmefull thereunto as generating tysickes coughes belchinges short breathinges And yet the loonges are much comforted vnder a naturall choller in these bodies which can best possesse inioy the same whereas the liuer bloud is moyst and earthly and vnder a melancholious temperance and a melancholious body is very thicke and subiect to putrified corruptions in the ayre and therefore subiect to pestilence especially vnder euery colde and drie distemperance Galen speaketh of certaine hot moystnesse in mucilaginous flesh inclineable to the second degree such bodies doe drawe from the loonges and liuer by an excesse exhalation eyther of temperance or distemperance the corruption heereof is easily found out by a stincking and contagious breath and other superfluous excrementes deuoyded by fleanie And although the morning breath may be vnsauorie by filthie and hurtfull contagions proceeding eyther by long fasting emptinesse of the stomacke or the breath closly detayned vnder long sleepe gathereth excrementall filthinesse thereby so surely all the fathers and best writers doe attribute the efficient cause vpon a slimie decay and noysome corruption in the loonges which necessarily falleth out by the moystnesse of the liuer feeding the same It is a very hard thing to finde one member hote and drie together except the hart which standeth vpoÌ„ the dyaphragmâ— which maketh diuision vppon the spirituall partes Therefore Auycen placeth the hart absolutely drie Dyoscorides somewhat doth contradict Auycen heerein Who saith that although the loonges giue breath yet their comfort proceedeth from the heart giueth heate and strength thereunto And also breath by either partes adioyned thereunto is made more hoter So likewise the liuer bloud is deferued and strengthened in heate by pursuing and searching vppon other parts of the body adioyned thereunto otherwise it is earthly especially when accidentall effectes in diseases are transferred beyond the power of nature And as the breath followeth the nature of the loonges so the bloud onely followeth the nature of the liuer and yet in their propertie they doe both decline for breath is most filthily corrupted aswel by inward excremeÌ„ts as inward diseases So the bloud by sweete and delicious nourishmentes is conuerted to choller and is then both hote and inflammatiue So that discrepating froÌ„ his first propertie vtterly orrupteth decayeth becoÌ„meth absumpt in the degree of death Cornelius Celsus sayth the spirite the heart the bloud the liuer the single flesh the musculous fleshe the spleane the raynes the arteries the vaines are hote by accidentall meanes otherwise they are cold this his meaning is left raw and vnseasoned it is to be coniectured he meaneth those accidentes to be the nourishment which increaseth prospereth and cherisheth those parts of the body in qualitie and quantitie which otherwise after the maner of the membrance woulde debilitate and surcease their power All this considered as the spirite is more exquisite and searching so is it also in due propertie more warmer then bloud Likewise and on the contrary the arteries with the vaynes and fatnesse are hote and yet by all and euery euill and subtill accidents colde if the body infecting or touching be found soft it is not forthwith moyst for reason may not iudge such a bodie to be soft which by vnnaturall humour is manie times fluxible For euen as wax is not of his owne propertie onely moyst as by the excesse of accidentall heate put thereunto so cleere water is thickned or hardened by accidentall colde This proueth all thinges to be vnder some vnnaturall propertie and reuertible from their first fresh florishing natural course So that hitherto hauing defined temperance with all measurable moderation so also haue we differenced ages and proportions of yoong men from olde men and olde men from children and children from infantes Next after the opinion of Galen we are onely to shewe the temperature of these accidentes which verie highly varie many times from nature and become deformed and unproper in theÌ„selues As slendernesse thickenesse corpulencie and a measurablenesse in the naturall condition of all men And touching slendernesse there are two euidences thereby signified that is aswell the small quantitie of flesh as the puâ—r
Paracelsus geueth counsell and therewithall assureth that no good scarchâ—r of mans disposition after fourtie and sixe yeares of age inderdealeth with the excrementes Arnoldus de noua villa geueth more larger libertie in perfect bodies vntill fyftie and fiue yeares bee accomplished For as many old men haue a hot drie bodies so manye others haue yearthly and waterie bodies vnder which seuerall dispositions in old age falleth out Last of all it is a doubtfull and vncertaine thing to discerne the temperature of euerie olde man in age and sicnesse Rasis holdeth in opinion that in age nothing is to be gathered neither from excrementes neither from fourme nor shape nor scarse from operation for operation of some part by occasion of variable disposition may be confounded in an other part I doo let passe the opionins and iudgmentes of manye Writers how the signes of diuers ages differ in sicknesse neither thorow out the whole ages of man doo they obtaine or continue any one perfect significatiue agreement Therefore whosoeuer traueileth in the variable temperances of man let his best direction bee taken from the pulses as feeling euery office of the bodie in his proper worke Yet surelye whatsoeuer is spoken against the view of excrementes in the sicknes of old men Ruellius saith that excrementes are not altogether to be reiected or dispised but according to the straungenesse of the sicknesse and accidentes of the disease duely to bee considered vpon To conclude euerie practitioner hath a large field to trauell in in the time of sickenesse As first to vnderstand the disease by feeling the pulses Nexte to consider whether euerie office of the bodie laboureth alike or no. And thirdlie whether the Accidentes doo stay in any one parte of the body more then an other And last of all whether the duetie of the excrementes be perfourmed in a naturall course or no. Thus endeth the second booke of the Temperamentes The Lord made heauen and earth and all thinges therein blessed bee the wâ—orkes of his handes HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRD booke of the Temperaments IN these former bookes there is set open the differences significations and accidentes of cold hote moyst and drie thinges in their actiue natures and to finde out the reason not only why they should be approued in action as also why they should obtaine their equall qualities to be comprehended and easily perceiued by touching I will not much herein trauell For as one of them hath no powerfull nor perfect constitution without the equall trauell and furtherance of one another So one constitution doth still appeale vnto another vntill the occasion which before was obscure and vnperfect be drawne vnto manifestation power strength and agreement which as Galen sayth doth confirme all medicinable confections And there must be hereunto also annexed not onely the sensible vnderstanding of these naturall causes but a iust coÌ„senting of their forcible power and vertue to haue one successe Also there must be a very high regard had that medicines do nothing in nature digresse from the assenting inclination of suche bodyes vnto which they owe their defence helpe and succour For contrary medicines dangerously doe imprint their malice power inforcing the griefe to become more outragious inflammatiue and vnsetled Experience may instruct heerein that a powerfull medicine in the fourth degree hote cannot escape or be driuen backe from Causticke iâ— burning some verie dangerous action For these putrifactiue or corosiue playsters which in their causticke nature doe worke vpon outward sores although they be sodainly taken away from that place ouer which they did worke power and effect yet their impression or action of heate cannot sodainly or vnawares be taken away for the deepenesse of the sore hath comprehended the power thereof And therefore these inflammatiue actions without more larger libertie and skill cannot bee extinguished The same thing by colde medicines is more clearely perceiued and vnderstoode For blacke popy cannot in the fourth degree vnawares be intertained into the body but that by the same meanes doth oftentimes forthwith alter the body and the actiue mouinges sensible hindered in the vnnaturall course and action thereof It is otherwise with hote medicines which although they exceede from vs in common course of heat yet the power thereof many either be mitigated or vtterly put out As touching cold medicines the reason and vnderstanding is not heereunto alike because coldnesse not onely deepely lurketh in the vaines but stoppeth the vegetation and quickenesse of nature hauing once ouercome the sensible partes of man that although warme thinges be proffered for restoring quickning and lifting vp of that sleepie and deadly inuasion either shal it nothing at all preuaile or els the sensible and naturall partes cannot be recouered to a perfect and due estate and disposition as before For if colde water by a secret potentiall estate be intertained into a warme body and the body by a variable disposition therof altereth into a more higher degree of coldnesse doth extenuate nature and decayeth the power of bloud although the strength of the body exhausteth the sensible coldnesse thereof yet there remaineth a sharpe impression for many discases to insue Furthermore warme water being receiued into a hote bodie although it be possessed with the body for a whole dayes space as it hath nourished vnder some naturall warmth by the strength of the body so can it not be otherwise knowne or perceiued but that the body is made more colder thereby although vnder naturall warmnesse it passeth from the bleather againe So doe we beholde the power of a cataplasma which although it hath a naturall power of coldnesse yet if it be remoued and the place touched all inflammations shall sensibly appeare more subdued moderated and seasoned for inducement of a more higher and excellenter practise in the worke thereof which as some holde in opinion is contrarie in powdred medicines whose power is onely to purge drie and excoriat Yet no doubt there are some powdred medicines which in reuealing an imagination of drinesse in substance are in propertie altogether moyst And except the body be of a drie chollericke disposition shall nothing preuaile to accomplishe any drie action to become perfect and sound Some will maruell why the qualitie of elementes shoulde minister health ease and safegard to one And shewe no potentiall act but rather offence in another Certainely as all inferiour causes are subiect to the alteration of celestiall dispositions so celestiall bodies are stable firme and perfect and in their properties are voyd from alterations Then no scruple herein neede to arise whether this potentiall estate be ingendered or giuen to medicineable hearbs from nature or from celestiall bodies I doe thinke not onely power but all indicible properties inioy a metaphisicall effect And surely forme or bodily shape which heerewith is adioyned hath an indifferent participation from the complexion of elementes and the condition of celestial thinges Yet the iudgement of olde writers is that the propertie of
these naturall causes to be no other thing theÌ„ an indicible All indicible thinges haue a indicible temperance temperature hauing some indicible propertie and forme is no other thing then a temperance in his owne nature or the immediate and extraordinarie reason from the celestiall influence therefore the naturall philosophers haue not spoken in vaine that Man and the sonne did beget man Then surely the starres are nothing at all occupied in the generation of mixt things rather doe they claime a most great part to themselues of that which appertaineth to these immixt properties and powers And it is no maruell but that these vertues powers and strength are so opposite and manifest to our feeling and perceiuing that heate and colde should also haue a singular prehemmence in the stars Theophrastus Paracelsus sayth that all these medicineable hearbes are not elementarily ingendred But brought forth of some deuine power from the pure celestiall estate aboue But yet these elementall qualities so highly doe beare their force in the countenance of all inferiour thinges and their powers are so full and large in all medicineable effectes that no furtherance or meanes preuayleth eyther to confirme them or els bring them backe to any other strange act or vnusuall alteration Dyoscorides sayth that the deuine power moueth the elementes to become eyther naturall or vnnaturall to the earth And the earth withall the bountifull creatures therein do take their essence increase or decrease from the due course or alteration of the said elementes The chiefe Philosophers doe say that the high fruitfull scituation of the sunne worketh vpon all liuing creatures that all naturall causes greatly preuayle thereby Then it is no maruell that single medicines haue an appropriat inclination in themselues but artificially qualified from their owne nature haue a more clearer and peaceable effect And although the sunne doth in euery place east her seasonable power and strength yet not with one indifferent qualitie of warmenesse and heate to be intertained into all thinges alike not for that there is any defect in the primarie propertie of the sunne but because there is a seuerall propertie from the complexion of elements For as no phisitian can frame one medicine to be indifferently receiued and intertained into euerie seuerall constitution So the sunne is shewed forth in one force and potentiall estate alike although the action vpon all inferiour causes vnlike for that euery thing followeth the propertie of nature from the complexion of elements in generation and the propertie of the sunne in augmentation The vnseasonable elementes doe oftentimes darken the sun and thereby distemper and disseason the inferiour causes of the earth So also the confused courses and running together of the flâ—â—s 〈…〉 oursing by an vnsingled and variable power within themselues is the onely cause why all the hearbes and fruits of the stelde are of medicionable and saluing condition ouer one and nothing at all profiting but rather hurting vnto another Therefore the power of all these thinges are distinguished three maner of waies As firste their possibilitie hath one ordinarie power in themselues Secondlie that a supreame naturall substance coagulateth in the power of all inferiour causes Thirdlie dooth in the same power obtaine and accomplish some effectuall propertie in it selfe which by any forraine accidents can neither be interuented nor altered except inforced from one propertte to an other to some supreame excesse within their owne naturall essence Therefore these medicines whose vertues are determined hot in the second degree are most easily made hot in their action and also most easily are they conuerted to fire in open extremitie exceeding their natures as vnflaken lune rosenne or gumme which yssueth from the excesse vapours of trees But the greatest danger happeneth in colde medicines especially if nature hath determined their operation hotte and their action colde as the Hemlock which of Dyoscorides is called Cicuta a most poisonsome practise in the fourth degree hath not onely a hot propertie and troublesome effect but an impressiue action of a colde benumming the sences which cannot bee afterwards rased out And yet many times some strong forcible complections will rather alter and subdue such strong medicines to become inclinable to the body then indure themselues to be altered or subdued af the body Theophrastus Paracelsus saith it is no perfect opinion neither of the olde nor new writers that medicines ought to bee first drawen into actuall preheminence before the corruption bee styrred and prepared by some preparatiue or gentle mollefaceion the easier the power of of purgation is extended to mortifie and slay the disease Alwaies prouided that medicines be matched with the nature of the bodie aswel in sicknesse as in health Like as clear water contemperated with pure wine doth much profite and season a hot and inflammatiue bodie to become ttmperate After the same manner weake medicines gentely are framed to doo their effect then those medicines which are of high and grosse operation For the more weaker medicines are composed for slender bodies the easier their strength is euidently knowne their limits and bounds discouered and therby lesse feared Whereas grosse hot and strong medicines are subtill fierce easily doo insinuate and winde themselues into all the partes of man and although they be most charily regarded yet will they many times exceed art wherefore medicine ought to be framed and drawen after the measure of bodyly heate otherwise it is no equall instrument of nature neither can nature be vsed in her potentiall measure for the speedy ouerthrowe of the disease For as medicine ought to be framed most like vnto nature so the disease from time to time is directed by nature Therefore medicine ought to bee receiued into the body vnder the warmnesse of newe milke or mans blood although Galen counselleth that medicines in sommer season bee proffered vnto some bodilie constitutions vnder the coldnesse of fountaine water But touching medicines outwardly applyed some high and singular practise must be attained for healing and curing such outwarde sores First by rubbing and searching the grieued place of the patient whereupon sometimes the inflammatiue infection of the furious and hot humour increaseth and far surpasseth the boundes both of medicine and nature except peraduenture it be corrected by some drieng drinke or purgatiue potion inwardlye taken or that the outwarde medicine bee of some very colde and slender power in operation which sensibly is perceiued For and if medicines be vnapt they will contrarile wrastle both against nature and the afflicted sore as swiftlie vncertainlie and groslie winde in their power and strength But if colde medicines be slowe they may be remedied and preferred after the skill of the Chirurgian to a more fuller and larger estate and degree Yet hot searching and inflammatiue medicines are necessarilie required in fulsome putrified and corâ—siue sores eyther for searching searing scowring and fadoming the deepenesse thereof as for the staying and stopping of some further
impendent danger And as some medicines are changed in their own qualities so there are also some medicines which thorow their lenetiue nature passe ouer into the substance of the body Ther is also an other cause in the vniuersall participation of ioyning superiour causes together into one perfect substance is so duly regarded in them as that their qualitie in action hath no domination in it selfe but their properties are rather deducted and brought downe from the starres into the power of hearbes Otherwise this wandring desert hearbe Scanmionyum which vnperfectly purgeth choller and leaueth the constitution of the body in more worse estate then before should be as familiar to the body as Succorie Endiffe Buglosse and such like hearbes of saluing and curing nature And yet Dyoscorides saith that Succory is of diuers kindes one is cherished in Gardens as a pretious treasure preserued for bodilie health so the other is wilde and of more resisting vertue Yet because they doo both alike drawe a naturall power from the starres in one perfect kind and substance doo equally agree in one manner of operation for they are so indicible and euident as that their propertie is not knowne onely by reasonâ— as by experience as also highlie occupied in the gouernment of mans health although they haue a right and due propertie of euident vertue which mans art cannot seperat or put away therefore action and passion are due vnto their qualities aswel for that they haue a whole and perfect substance of moouing power as also for that there is an easie transmutation of their nature into the naturall substance of mans body There is also an hearbe called Molios which draweth a power from the high gouernour of Spirites called Amy and hath sixteene legions vnder his dominion as Dyoscorides reporteth in his third booke and the fiftie two chapters in the Commentes of Barbarus and Virgilius that this hearbe is of an outward vertue most excellent it hath great power against witchcraft south saieng and coniuration it is not inwardly to be taken but outwardly to bee caried about it is of a propertie by it selfe and wil not inwardly be changed into the substance of mans nature neither doeth it preuaile in remedy of any disease except the falling sicknesse And surely all other hearbs haue some naturall or vnnatuturall portion with our bodie Yet it is vnpossibly that they should be of one power and effect together neither is there a like alteration one with an other For if their properties were of equall agreement then one substance could not haue equall operation into an other Euen as these prrperties doo verie much disagree within themselues so can they not foorthwith passe ouer into mutuall substance of mans bodie without artful knowledge aptly composing them thereto As fire sodainly without art can not bee trasformed into water nor ayre into earth So by the same difference medicines are distinguished and and knowen from nourishments For as nourishmentys agree with the natural comfortes of men so medicines haue their properties differing from the properties of men And as medicines are repugnant to the disease so both the body and the disease not onely become subiect but refourmed to medicine for health and safetie thereby And although Art domifieth them to become gentle kinde and naturall yet art neuer depriueth them from their free propertie For how much the rather they are of contrarie substance so doo they shew themselues the rather in the similitude of a more greater action and yet for that one substance is passed ouer into an other they are qualified also in power therefore let vs once againe distinguish the estate and condition of medicines within themselues Although there is an artificiall forme in the constitution of all medicines framed to some speciall appointed purpose yet as Galen saith there are some hearbes colde which take a verye litle portion of change in the heate of mans blood And many times not onely because they are of colde nature but venomed in some degree of poison very notably do they corrupt mans body As the mandragoron and such like There are also some other poisoned hearbes in a most hot degree of strong venym as the Daphnaydes the Colociâ—tidaâ—â—the Iâ—ios As they do exceed the heat of mans body so do they reach most highly beyond mans nature do forthwith oppresse life and entertaine death if their strength be not artificially remedied There are also medicines neither of hurting nor saluing power neither of hote nor cold operation neither doe they nourish nor yet destroy but very indifferent to the body of man There are also composed medicines of honnie butter sweet oyle as they are not of no pure nor cleere verdoue so are they verie nourishable and restauratiue to nature And as nourishmentes are easily changed into nature so the power of all other medicines doe comprehend a worke in their owne properties and therefore it is impossible their power should be both kept and changed Galen doth make further report that so long as medicines doe continue their nature and degree vnder the equall condition of the body are not onely gentle and fauourably incertayned but changed into bloud with the nature of the body are no more vnder the compasse of medicines but rather followe the due course of vegetation preseruation and simpathie with natuturall operation both in qualitie and power of the body Whether Galen hath extended his reasons to hote medicines I know not but I feare not to speake that oftentimes both hote and cold medicines are vnder one propertie turned into bloud when as the body meanely is subdued with coldnesse from the extremitie of heat and aduaunced to heat from the extremitie of coldnesse for then is it impossible that any impropertie should at all remaine where many properties are duely changed And also it is a most hard and difficult estate if substance in the nature of euerie one thing should whollie be taken away or diminished so neyther then is any suche bloud left alone to doe good in absolute power for humours doe nourish themselues where good bloud wanteth And euery naturall thing hath no naturall operation nor measure where any such defect is For Where no naturall operatiâ—is there is no measure surely there is no doubt but whosoeuer ouer-largely feedeth vpon honnie cannot escape but that at length his complexion is discoloured defiled stayned with a hott flegmaticke bloud So likewise in sommer season some bodies by eating of cold Lattice are drawne to ouer great comminution and heate nature and bloud are many times extenuated weakened and altered in their due course Let euery one therefore most highly call to memorie that measure and moderation are much preferred vnder the constitution of mans health Thrusianus an old fatherly writer as one falfly perswaded doth say that nothing is caryed or conueyed beyond the heate of mans body and that bodily heat congruently consenteth to all forraine heates being of neuer so strong and high valour and
sayth that whosoeuer drinketh iuyce of the vyper or aspes is deadly poysoned can neuer be healed nor the poyson thereof subdued corrected or surprised by any art in man Yet Dyoscorides sayth that the stone taken from the corse and sepulchre of some ancient king after hee hath bene long dead is a speciall remedie against the poyson of vyper or aspes and all other poysons in the highest degre Galen calleth euerie distemperate action in propertie deleterion that is venomous to which hee rehearseth two seuerall kindes of hote and colde poysons as aforesaid Dyoscorides reporteth that the natures of poysons are of sondrie degrees to mans body And this contrarietie not onely respecteth a most mischieuous operation for a peculiar qualitie in it selfe but hath also an indicible propertie in his owne substance which is not onely contrary vncertaine and gathered from the most distemperat influences aboue but of the moste contagious vaporations beneath all which easily is knowne by a certaine ordinary mutation going betweene so that all those which continently doe not passe ouer in agreement with nature are contrarie in their power to bodily substance although they doe in eyther qualitie disagree As manie of these vnnaturall poysons are within themselues of one proper qualitie so manie of them are of two qualities one disagreeing from another and yet are they not contrarie in their seueall operatiue malice There are on the other side many poysons which in their owne proper qualities resist againe and yet in their kinde are not contrarie therefore some extraordinarie mutation may determine and correct this onely contrarietie Yet I doe greatly maruell that Auycen holdeth opinion that all colde poysons are whollie contrarie to mans nature in their kinde and propertie as that they may not be corrected or delayed Dyoscorides reporteth that an olde wife of Athens made a contrarie experience hereof transmuting the heath Cicuta by litle and litle without danger agreeable to purge her owne nature And Galen in his third booke of Simples the xxi chapter doth say that all cold poysons shewe their venome not in nature but in quantitie neither can they be altered from their malignitie nor yet passe ouer into substance Theophrastus Paracelsus saith this opinion is very dangerous neither can it be true that poisonsome medicines obtain their force rather from powerfull quantitie then actiue malignitie for the force of colde poysons beeing loste vnder the action of heate manifestly doe infrigerate the body which cannot be more notablie discouered then if colde water being made of an accidentall heat from a former propertie of cold not onely returneth to nature but becommeth more colder then before So whosoeuer drinketh cold medicines being drawen into accidentall heate do in their operation return to former propertie and not onely alter in their owne power but are preferred to a more greater manifestation For oftentimes colde fieame is so discerned as if the vrine be thicke and clammie by contemplation or by some forraine corruption hath an vsurping accidence of heat which although natural medicine hath some operatiue inclinatio nyet there may be a texgiuer sation to their former propertie and power of coldnesse and thereby oftentimes greatly offend vs except the strength of our nature ouertrauell the danger thereof or that the quantitie be small or because litle heat is obtained and gotten in the vertue thereof is the more easier deiected We haue an example of the Salamander who hath a continuall propertie of fire and yet beeing of extreame naturall power of coldnesse extinguisheth and quencheth all fire Euen so this hearbe Cycuta and such like vnconstant poysons haue an outward affynitie with fire yet the practise thereof benummeth the most perfect heat of the body to become vncertaine and wauering Dyoscorides affyrmeth that although artificiall practise should delay this hearbe Cycuta to worke in a moderat propertie yet wil it returne to a former affliction and euill disposition in it selfe Which easily may be perceiued in that al cold poysons are of contrary natures to hot poisons So both of them are two dangerous contrarieâ—â—es to the substance of the body as also such medicines which work beyond common course are poisons and all such medicines which hasten the disease to become more swift sharp and insult the spirituall partes are poâ—sons And all such medicines which disgrace the disease are ordinarie and of high condignitie with nature And all such medicines whith purely frame and vnite with the body are prepreseruations for the helpe both of health and long life to the bodie Therefore in ministring of medicines there is both an ordinarie and an extraordinarie composition ministration and operation For medicines are rather framed of an actiue then passiue nature As Pepper or Mustard seede are actiue so wine and honnie are passiue in operation Also there be other simples of doubtfull propertie in their worke As the Lettuce which although Galen commendeth the propertie thereof to bee wholsome against the heate of the the stomach yet Theophrastus Paracelsus reporteth that it hath an energiecall worke to moderate coole and season the body in the middest of hotte infectious diseases but neither Valerius Cordus neither the Pandeâ—t nor yet the Luminarie make any such rehearsall But Petrus Galiensis saith that both the Lettuce and hearbes of such like vertue drawe vpon the north Pole as some more nearer and some farther off and therefore in degrees they exceede one an other And saith all hearbes whose properties are leuied from the south hot are mitigated measured and equally compounded by an increment of the north â—ind And he further saith that all single hearbes worke after the coastes of the elementes except hearbes of cold propertie which of themselues haue no elemental attraction the Fusun notwithstanding hath a singular conflexion vpon them And although it was before spoken in the first booke of these Temperaments that the Sun splendeth or diminisheth her force vpon all liuing creatures yet there must bee vnderstood that the Sun hath a permanent reflection in her owne power and nature but onely that the heat of the Sun is styrred and prouoked to be of greater strength in sommer by meanes of certaine hot planets which then haue speciall domination in the elementes So on the contrarie the coldnesse of the elements in winter doo weaken and infeeble the heat and yet the sunne hath one like power both in winter and sommer so that as the sunne arrisâ—th in heat by the temperance of the year aâ—so the fruits of the ground arise and ripen therewith and as the sun with the course of the yeare falleth so doo the naturall fruites of the earth recline Then are we rightlie to coniecture that the hearbes of the field attract from the elements an operatiue power in the vniuersall estate of mans health for the hearbe Peperites hath a wonderfull and excellent operation against the commiâ—iall disease called the falling sicknesse and draweth vpon the full of the moone in the east and the said