XIIII. Of Meat and Drink
XV. Of Motion and Rest.
XVI. Of Sleepe and Watching.
XVII. Of Repletion, and Imanition, or Emptiness.
XVIII. Of the Perturbations, or Passions of the mind
XIX. Of things against Nature, and first of the Cause of a Disease
XX. Of a Disease
XXI. Of a Symptome.
XXII. Of Indications.
XXIII. Of Certaine wonderfull and extravagant wayes of Curing diseases.
XXIIII. Of Certaine jugling and deceiptfull wayes of Curing.
A Temperament is defined as a proportionable mixture of hot, cold, moist and dry; or, it is a concord of the first disagreeing faculties. That harmony springs from the mixture of the four first bodies of the world. This Temperament, or concord, is given to Plants and brute beasts for the beginning of their life, and so consequently for their life and form. But as plants are inferior in order and dignity to beasts, so their life is more base and infirm, for they have only a growing faculty by which they may draw an Alimentary juice from the Earth, as from their mothers breasts, to preserve them and their life, by which they may grow to a certain size; and lastly, by which they may bring forth their like for the perpetual continuance of their kind.
But the life of beasts have to the three former the gift of sense annexed; by benefit whereof, as by a certain inward knowledge, they shun those things that are harmful, and follow those which profit them, and by the power of their will, they move themselves whither they please. But the soul of man is far more perfect and noble than the rest, arising not from that earthly mixture and temper of the elements, but acknowledges and has a far more divine offspring, as we shall teach hereafter.
They divide a temperament at the first division into two kinds; as one a temperate, another an intemperate. The intemperate is of two sorts; the one wholly vicious, which hath altogether exceeded the bounds of mediocrity; the other which hath somewhat strayed from the mediocrity of temper, but notwithstanding is yet contained within the limits of health: as that which brings no such evident harm to the actions, but that it somewhat hinders them, so that they cannot do well and perfectly perform their duties. But the vicious Temperament doth in three manner of ways corrupt the functions, either by weakening, depraving or abolishing them. For so stupor, or astonishment, diminishes and slows the quickness of motion; convulsion depraves it; the Palsy abolishes it, and takes it away.
The temperate Temperament is also divided into two kinds, which is either to equality of weight, or justice.
It is called a temperature to weight which arises from the equal force of exactly concurring qualities, and as placed in a perfect balance, draws down neither to this nor that part. They think the example of this Temperament to appear in the inner skin of the fingers ends of a man tempered to justice. For seeing the most exquisite touch resides there, they ought to be far from all excess of contrariety; for otherwise being corrupted by too much heat or cold, moisture or dryness, they could give no certain judgment of the tangible qualities. For which thing nature hath excellently provided in the fabric and coagmentation of the parts of which the skin consists. For it is composed of hot and moist flesh, and therefore soft, and of a tendon and nerve cold and dry, and therefore
hard, which are not only equally fitted and conjoined, but wholly confused and mixed together, by which it comes that removed from all extremes of opposition, it is placed in the midst, as a rule to judge of all the excesses that happen to the touch. So it was fit the eye, which was to be the instrument of sight, should be tinctured with no certain colour, that it might be the less deceived in the judgment of colours. So it was convenient the hearing should not be troubled with any distinct sound, whereby it might more certainly judge of equal and unequal sounds, not distinguished by a ratable proportion; neither was it fit the tongue should have any certain taste, lest the access of that taste should deceive it in knowing and judging of so many different tastes.
The Temperature tempered to justice is that, which although it is a little absent from the exact and severe parility of mixed qualities, yet hath that equality which doth fully and abundantly suffice for to perform all the functions fitly and perfectly which nature doth require, wherefore we can judge no otherwise of it than by the integrity of the Actions. For hence it took its name, for as distributive justice equally gives to every one rewards, or punishment according to their deserts; so nature having regard to all the parts of the body, gives them all that temper which may suffice to perform those duties, for which they are ordained.
Let us for an example consider a Bone; no man doubts but that, like as the other similar parts of the body proceeds from the mixture of the four Elements; but nevertheless nature weighing the use of it, and ordaining it to support the rest of the body, would not have more of the terrene and dry element infused into it, that it might be the stronger and firmer to sustain weight. But a ligament, seeing it was made for other uses, has less of that earthly dryness than the bone, but more than the flesh, altogether fitted to its nature. So it hath seemed good to nature to endow all the parts of the body, not only with an equal portion, but also proportion of elements and qualities; we call that a temperament to justice: and we say that it is in Plants, brute beasts, and all natural bodies, which enjoy that temper and mediocrity, which may be agreeable to their nature. Hereupon by comparison arise eight kinds of intemperate tempers, as
Again, such temperaments are either healthful, which suffice perfectly to perform their actions; or unhealthful, which manifestly hurt them, the signs whereof may be read described by Galen. And you must observe that when we say the body, or any part of it is hot, wee understand more hot than is fit for one of that kind which is tempered to justice; as when we say a man has a hot liver, we mean his liver is hotter than a man justly tempered should have; for all other tempers, whether of the whole body, or any of the parts thereof, are to be referred to this; and in the cure of diseases we must look upon it, as the mark, and labour to preserve it by the use of convenient things, as much as lies in our power. Wherefore because it is very necessary to know the distinction of temperaments, I have thought good in this place, briefly to handle the temperaments of the parts of the body, ages, seasons of the year, humors, and medicines. Therefore the temperaments of the parts of our body are of this nature, not only by the judgment of the touch of a mans hand which is justly tempered, who is often deceived by flowing heat, which spread from the heart into all the body, imparts a certain kind of heat to all the parts, but also by the rule of their reason, composure, and substance as
A bone is the most dry and cold
A gristle less than it.
A ligament less than a gristle
A tendon is so much drier and colder than the membrane, by how much it in the same temper exceeds a vein and artery. Then follow the harder veins, for the softer are in a middle temper of dryness and moisture, like as the skin, although all both soft and hard, are of a cold temper. Wherefore all these parts of their own nature are cold and without blood: although the veins and arteries wax hot, by reason of the heat of the blood they contain, which notwithstanding also borrows that heat from the heart, as a part most hot, and softer than the skin; the liver next follows the heart, in the order of the hotter parts, which is far softer than the skin itself; for if, according to Galen’s opinion, the heart is somewhat less hard than the skin, and that is far harder than the liver, as appears by touching them, it must necessarily follow that the liver much exceeds the skin in softness. I understand the skin is simple, and separated from the flesh lying under it, to which it firmly cleaves. The flesh is more moist and hot than the skin, because of the blood dispersed in it. The spinal marrow is colder and moister than the skin; but the brain so much exceeds it in moisture, as it is exceeded by the fat. The lungs are not so moist as the fat, and the spleen, and kidneys, are of the like nature, and nevertheless they are all moister than the skin.
According to the diversities of ages, the temperaments both of the whole body, and all its parts, undergo great mutations; for the bones are far harder in old men than in children, because our life is, as it were a certain progress to dryness, which when it comes to the height consequently causeth death. Wherefore in this place we must speak of the temperaments of ages, when first we shall have defined what an age is.
Therefore an age is defined, a space of life in which the constitution of the bodies of itself and own accord, undergoes manifest changes; the whole course of life hath four such ages. The first is childhood, which extends from birth to the eighteenth year of age, and has a hot and moist temper, because it is next to the hot and moist beginnings of life: seed and blood. Youth follows this which is prolonged from the 18th to the 25th year, and is temperate, and in the midst of all excesses. Man’s estate succeeds youth, which they deny to extend beyond the 35th year of age, in its proper temper it is hot and dry: whereby it comes to pass that then the heat is felt more acrid and biting, which in childhood seemed mild; because the progress of the life to dryness has much wasted the native humidity.
Then succeeds old age ever divided into two parts: the first whereof extends from the 35-49th year; those of this age are called old men (but we commonly call them middle aged men). The latter is as it were divided by Galen into three degrees. The first whereof are those, who having their strength sound and firm undergo civil affairs and businesses; those things which are in the second degree of old age cannot do, because of the debility of their now decaying strength.
Those which are in the last degree are afflicted with most extreme weakness and misery, and are as much deprived of their senses and understanding, as of the strength of their bodies; whereof arose this Proverb: Old men twice children.
Those old men of the first rank are pleasant, courteous, and those we say are beginning to grow old, or in their green old-age; those of the second sort delight in nothing but the board and bed. But old decrepit men of the last order, think of nothing else, than their graves and monuments. Their firm and solid parts are of a cold and dry temperature, by reason of the decay of the radical moisture, which the inbred heat causes in the continuance of so many years. Which thing may happen in a short space, by the vehement flame of the same natural heat, turned by fevers into a fiery heat.
But if any want to prove old men moist, will say that they cough up, and spit much. I will answer him, as an old doctor once said; that a pitcher filled with water may power forth much moisture; yet no man will deny that such a vessel of its own terrene nature and matter is most dry; so old men may plainly be affirmed to be moist, by reason of their defect of heat, and abundance of excrements. But this description of ages, is not to be taken so strictly, as always to be measured by the spaces and distances of years, for there are many which by their own misdemeanor, seem older at forty, than others do at fifty.
Lastly, the famous philosopher Pythagoras, divided man’s life into four ages, and by a certain proportion compared the whole course thereof to the four seasons of the year. Childhood is the spring, in which all things grow and sprout out, by reason of plenty and abundance of moisture. And youth is the summer, because of the vigor and strength which men enjoy at that age. And man’s estate, or constant age to autumn, for that then after all the dangers of the forepassed life, the gifts of discretion and wit acquire a seasonableness or ripeness like as the fruits of the earth enjoy at that season. And lastly, he compares old age to the sterile and fruitless winter, which can ease and consolate its tediousness by no other means, than the use of fruits gathered and stored up before, which then are of a cold and troublesome condition. But for extreme old age, which extends to eighty, or a hundred years, it is so cold and dry, that those which arrive at that decrepit age are troublesome, harsh, touchy, froward, crabby, and often complaining, until at the length deprived of all their senses, tongue, feet, and understanding, they doting, return again to childishness, as from the staff to the start. And thus much of the temperaments of ages.
But now in like manner we will explain the temperatures of the seasons of the year, which are four: the spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The spring continues almost from the twelfth or thirteenth day of March, to the midst of May, Hippocrates seems to make it hot and moist; which opinion seems not to have sprung from the thing itself, but from an inveterate error of the ancient Philosophers, who would fit the temperaments of the four seasons of the year, as answering in proportion to the temperatures of the four ages.
For if the matter come to a just trial, all men will say the spring is temperate, as that which is in the midst of the excess of heat, cold, moisture, and dryness; not only by comparison because it is hotter than summer, and colder than winter; but because it has that quality of its own proper nature.
Wherefore it is said of Hippocrates: the spring is most wholesome and least deadly; if so be that it keep its native temper, from which if it decline, or succeed a former intemperate season, as Autumn, or winter, it will give occasion to many diseases described by Hippocrates; not that it breeds them, but because it brings them to sight, which before lay hid in the body. Summer is comprehended in the space of almost four months; it is of a hot and dry temper, a breeder of such diseases as proceed from choler, because that humor at this time is heaped up in many bodies by adustion of blood bred in the spring; but all such diseases do speedily run their course. The beginning of Autumn, is from the time the sun enters into libra, and endures the like space of time as the spring. But when it is dry, it has great inequality of heat and cold, for the mornings and evening being very cold, the noondays on the contrary are exceedingly hot.
Wherefore many diseases are in Autumn, and then long and deadly, especially if they incline towards winter: because all daily and sudden changes to heat and cold are dangerous. The winter possesses the remnant of the year, and is cold and moist, is increases natural heat, stirs up the appetite, and augments Phlegm. It increases heat by Antiperistasis, or contrariety of the encompassing air, which being then cold prohibits the breathing out of heat: whereby it happens that the heat, being driven in and hindered from dissipation, is strengthened by co-uniting its forces.
But it augments phlegm, for that men are more greedy, the appetite being increased by the strengthened heat: from whence proceeds much crudity and a large store of diseases, especially Chronic or Long which spread and increase rather in this winter season than in any other part of the year. To this discourse of the temper, of the seasons of the years, is to be revoked the variety of tempers which happens every day, which certainly is not to be neglected, that there may be place of election, especially if nothing urge. For hither belongs that saying of Hippocrates; when in the same day it is one while hot, another cold, autumnal diseases are to be expected. Therefore an indication taken from hence is of great consequence to the judgment of diseases; for if it agree with the disease, the disease is made more contumacious, and difficult to cure. Whereupon the patient and physician will have much trouble; but if on the contrary it reclame and dissent, the health of the patient is sooner to be expected.
Neither is it a thing of less consequence to know the customs and habits of the places and countries in which we live, as also the inclination of the heavens and temperature of the air, but let us leave these things to be considered by natural philosophers, that we may deliver our judgment of the temperaments of humors, blood, as that which answers to the aire; in proportion, is of a hot and moist nature or rather temperate, as Galen testifies; for, said he, it is certain and sure that the blood is neither hot, nor moist, but temperate as in its first composure one of the four first qualities exceeds other by any manifest excess, as he repeats it upon the 39 sentence.
Phlegm, as that which is of a watery nature, is cold and moist; choler, being of a fiery temper, is hot and dry. But melancholy, assimilated to earth, is cold and dry. This which we have spoken in general of phlegm and melancholy, is not always true in every kind of the said humors. For salty Phlegm is of a hot and dry temperature, as also all kinds of melancholy which have arisen, or sprung by adustion from the native and alimentary, as we will teach in the following chapter.
Now the temperaments of medicines have not the same form of judgment, as those things which we have before spoken of; as, not from the elementary quality which conquering in the contention and mixture, obtains the dominion; but plainly from the effects which taken or applied they imprint in a temperate body. For so we pronounce those things hot, cold, moist, or dry, which produce the effects of heat, coldness, moisture, or dryness. But we will defer the larger explication of these things to that place, where we have peculiarly appointed to treat of Medicines; where we will not simply inquire whether they be hot or cold, but what degree of heat and cold, or the like other quality; in which same place we will touch the temperature and all the nature of tastes, because the certainest judgment of medicines is drawn from their tastes. Hitherto of Temperaments, now we must speak of humors whose use in physical speculation is no less than that of temperaments.