Speculum ægrotorum. The sicke-mens glasse or, A plaine introduction wherby one may giue a true, and infallible iudgement, of the life or death of a sicke bodie, the originall cause of the griefe, how he is tormented and afflicted, what thinges are medicinable to the diseased person: and the day and houre in which he shall recouer, or surrender his vitall breath. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of the foure humors, and how they are ingendered and distributed in our humane bodies: with certaine and manifest signes to discerne of what complexion any man is: and the operation that eating, drinking rest and exercise, worketh in euery person: with certaine speciall preseruatiues for the eye-sight. Composed by Iohn Fage, student in phisicke, and practitioner in astrologie.

How the foure Humours are distributed in mens bodyes.

THe foure Humours are proportioned and distributed in mens bodyes two manner of wayes: (that is to wit) totally, and particularly:

Totall or generall distribution, is when one of them on∣ly hath the predomination and superioritie, as he in whose body choller soly excéedeth, is called Cholericke &c.

But particularly they are distributed after 12. sundry wayes, as followeth:

In some mens bodyes▪ Choller only excéedeth the other Hu∣mors, and that man I call Chollericke.

And in some, Choller hath che principall dominion, and Me∣lancholy excéedeth the other Humours, and such a person I call cholleticke Melancholy.

But in some men, Melancholy hath the soueraigntie, and Chol∣ler hath some dominion, and those I call Melancholly chollericke.

In some, Melancholy soly excéeds, & such persens I terme Me∣lanchollicke.

In other, Melancholy hath the superioritie, and blood-some do∣minion, and they I call melanchol••ike Sanguine.

In other, blood surmounteth, and melancholy hath the next do∣minion, and such persons I nominate sanguine Melancholike.

And in other, Blood only raigneth, and such I call Sanguine.

But in other, Blood excéedes and Fleame hath perticipation with it, and those I call Sanguine flegmaticke.

Also in some, Fleame surpasseth, and Blood hath some domini∣on, such I call flegmaticke Sanguine.

In other some, Fleame onely hath the preheminence, and such I call Flegmaticke.

And in other some, Fleame hath mastery, and choller some domination: such persons I call Flegmaticke cholericke.

Also in sone mens bodyes, Choller hath the principall soueraign∣tie,

and Fleame somewhat excéedeth the rest, and such I call chole∣ricke Flegmaticke.

Hereat the ignorant perchaunce will finde some matter to spurne, because I haue deuided the complexions of men into so ma∣ny sundry proportions: yet he that is acquainted with the secret o∣perations of nature & knoweth the original cause of a mans com∣plections and also obserueth the diuersitie of mens colours, the sun∣dry proportions of their bodies, and variety of conditions: shall plainly perceiue, that nature hath many wayes distributed them, and not onely by foure manner of proportions, as I will herefol∣lowing declare at large.