Klinike, or The diet of the diseased· Divided into three bookes. VVherein is set downe at length the whole matter and nature of diet for those in health, but especially for the sicke; the aire, and other elements; meat and drinke, with divers other things; various controversies concerning this subject are discussed: besides many pleasant practicall and historicall relations, both of the authours owne and other mens, &c. as by the argument of each booke, the contents of the chapters, and a large table, may easily appeare. Colellected [sic] as well out of the writings of ancient philosophers, Greeke, Latine, and Arabian, and other moderne writers; as out of divers other authours. Newly published by Iames Hart, Doctor in Physicke.

CHAP. XXV.

Of Water as it is used for drinke, and severall waies of cooling the same, and correcting bad Waters.

HAving discoursed of Drinke in generall, as wee have done in meats, so must wee here come to the particular sorts of drinke; a∣mongst which, Water offereth it selfe in the first place,* 1.1 as the first and most ancient; so the most common to all living creatures, most obvious and easie to come by. And although after the flood, wine came in request for mans use; yet by many passages, both of holy and prophane Writers (whom for brevities sake I here passe by) it may appeare that water was the most common and ordinary drinke, and wine used more at festivall times, and so∣lemne meetings, than for their daily and ordinary use; and it is even at this day so used in many places. As for the division of waters, their variety and diversitie, I have already said sufficient, as also con∣cerning the qualities: whereas, I shewed, that water was not of so coo∣ling a qualitie, as hath beene by many, both Philosophers and Physiti∣ans hitherto deemed. A late a 1.2 Writer confirmeth this same opinion by the authority of divers other writers, by valid and probable reasons thereto perswaded. The chiefe and principall reasons are desumed from the inbred principles of this element; as light, heat, agitati∣on and mobiltie; which constitute and make the essence or being thereof: as also from the actions; as the manifold generative power, perspicuity, raritie; the taste also, bitter, salt and sweet, &c. Of the other quality of moisture there is no controversie. Now, concerning the drinking of water, wee are herein to consider three things, the good quantity, the quality, and the order. The qualities of the best water have already largely beene described, and that among all waters, raine water was the best; and next unto it, the best spring water, or good river-water. In quantity, it must not exceed: for so it would hinder the concoction of the stomacke. And as for the order, it must be drunke, as is already in the generall directions of drinke set downe; little, and often at a meale. Vsed before meales, it moistneth much dry bodies, and cooleth more than sacke, or any wine whatsoever, be it ne∣ver

to small; and therefore fitter for hot and drie bodies, than wine or strong drinke. Vsed after meales, it inhibiteth and hindereth the hot vaporous fumes of strong drinke to ascend into the braine; and so is said to resist drunkennesse: but I advise weake stomackes to looke unto themselves, for feare of too much debilitation, proceeding from too much humectation. And howbeit in hot countries, their water, by reason of correction by the splendor of the Sunne-beames is accounted wholesomer than ours; yet might ours be farre more used than it is, especially by hot and dry bodies, especially such stomacks, and yonger people especially: but this is the mischiefe, that such commonly powre downe most strong drinke, by this meanes adding fewell to the fire, untill Fevers, inflammations, and such furious diseases, in the very Aprill of their age bring them to an untimely death. And the poorer sort, I am sure, might make more use of the same than ordinarily they doe; which would better become them than go a begging strong drinke; or which is yet worse, steale, to procure mony to buy it. And notwithstanding this our nicity, I know som honourable and worship∣full Ladies who drinke little other drinke; and yet injoy more perfect health than most of them that drinke of the strongest. Two things do most deterre people from the use of this noble antient drinke, the cold∣nesse and the crudity. As for the coldnesse, howsoever it doth often actually to the palat appeare such; yet have I shewed that there is no such intense cooling quality here to be feared. The other is the cru∣dity; which is indeed nothing else but the abundance of moisture, wherewith it is indowed; and most offensive to weake and moist sto∣mackes: and all is notwithstanding ordinarily imputed to the cold∣nesse of water. Some to correct what they deeme amisse in water, use to adde some sugar to it, and so thinke all is well amended, and is most practised by the female sex. But this is no good correction: for of this they cannot be ignorant, and experience teacheth no lesse, that sweet things doe rather hurt than helpe a weake and tender stomacke. And besides, Sugar being but temperately hot could adde but a little heat to such a drinke, if it were as cold as is supposed. Againe, sugar ha∣ving no drying quality ascribed unto it; but rather a meane moisture, it will rather adde to, than detract from this moist quality. But in my opinion, the best correction is by boiling it first, and then if thou wilt, adde thereunto a little hony or sugar, and a little wine vineger (which well correcteth the moisture, and joined with the other sugar or hony, giveth it a pleasant rellish) thou maiest make thee a pleasant and wholesome drinke.

Now as concerning the boiling of waters, there is a controversie a∣bout the quantity, or how much should be boiled away;* 1.3 some wil∣ling to boile water to the wasting away of the third part, others of the halfe, which others againe thinke too much; and indeed a meane is the best, Againe, some would have water corrected by distillation;* 1.4 which I must needes confesse to be best, if not too costly: besides,* 1.5 that it is not so easy every where, and at all times to be effected. Some straine it thorow a cleane linnen cloth;* 1.6 and some againe boile it with sand. Some with corall beaten to powder correct the bitternesse of

waters; and some attribute a correcting qualitie to Penniroall. Pliny reports,* 1.7 that bitter waters are made sweet and potable by casting into them a little meale or flowre of wheat; so that they may bee drunke within two houres after. I doubt this triall would hardly answere our expectation. And I am sure the practice of the b 1.8 Prophet Elisha in healing the water with salt, was miraculous. It is familiar with ma∣riners after the use of evill waters to eat garlicke. The Arabian Physi∣tians advise him,* 1.9 who is to remove his habitation to a place where waters are not good, to carry with him some of the earth where hee lived before, and mingle with his water, and being well strained, drink of it.

* 1.10Now because oftentimes water is either somwhat warme, and ther∣fore quencheth not the thirst so well; or else is not so cold as to please some nice and curious palats: therefore partly for pleasure and wan∣tonnesse, and partly for necessity; especially when all manner of riot and excesse began to reigne, amongst many other things, were devi∣sed severall waies to coole both their water and their wine. And it cannot be denied that cold water doth better further the concoction of the stomacke than warme. And c 1.11 Galen, in Sommer alloweth of very cold drinke; yea, even cooled with snow, and to such especially as labour hard, and use much exercise: but others that live idly, leading a sedentary life, and free from imployment, either of body or mind, he adviseth to drinke water, as nature hath produced it, without any alte∣ration. Avicen wisheth alwaies to eat before they drinke water, and to drinke sparingly and often at our repast, and out of a vessell with a narrow mouth;* 1.12 that so the draught may be the more moderate. There were six several waies the antients used to coole their water, by means of the aire; which was familiar to the Aegyptians, as witnesseth d 1.13 Galen. In the Sommer (saith he) the Aegyptians of Alexandria, having first well warmed their water, and put it up in close earthen vessells, exposed it to the night aire, and before Sun rising, set them in some shadie places of the ground, environed round about with cooling herbes. Sailers have beene seene some∣times to expose their water to the night aire, and afterwards cover their bottles with many clothes: and thus it is very certaine it retein∣eth still the cold quality. The reason why they thus boiled their wa∣ter, was because that water once boiled receiveth sooner and easilier the impression of the cold aire; as witnesseth the e 1.14 Prince of Philoso∣phers. And therefore in Pontus, where they fish alwaies in frost, they besprinkle their angling-rods with warme water (which afterwards congealeth and freezeth so much the harder) which serveth them in stead of glue. The second way of cooling water, is, by letting it downe in an earthen bottle into a deepe well:* 1.15 howbeit others are of opinion it receives some evill impression from this close water; and therefore thinke it better to draw up the water, and so set it in it. The third way, is by injection of some salt peter, which afterwards for a while is stir∣red about with a sticke: howbeit this is not so well approved of, with whatsoever present satisfaction it may seeme to sooth us up. The fourth way,* 1.16 is by meanes of ice or snow. It was the invention of the Emperour Nero to boile water, and then let it downe into a pit of snow.

f 1.17 Athenaeus saith, it was an old invention, howbeit others affirme it first found out by Nero. g 1.18 The Turkes at this day familiarly use this kinde of cooling their drinke. The fift way,* 1.19 is by meanes of deepe cel∣lars, wherein in antient times, some were wont to set bottles full of hot water, and take them out againe colder than any snow. In Paris there are some such deepe cellars, wherein the smallest wines will seeme to the taste, twice as strong as they are in very truth. Besides all the premisses, water falling from a high place, acquireth unto it selfe a greater coldnesse than that which runneth softly in a river;* 1.20 and the agitation and much stirring of the water furthereth not a little this cooling qualitie. And this for the present concerning the use of water shall suffice; what resteth shall be discussed in the diet of the disea∣sed, which doth something also concerne them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Water the most com∣mon, and most anti∣ent drinke of all o∣thers.
• a 1.2

  Aquam quidem sua natura frigidam dixe∣runt Ocellus, Hippo∣crates, Empedocles, Aristoceles, & potior medicorum pars: imo Strato Philosophus, om∣nium frigidorum pri∣mum esse venit. At Bernardius Telesius, Franciscus Patritius, Franciscus Mutus, & veterum recentiorum{que} non pauci, ab inditu a natura principiis, lumi∣ne, calore, stuore, mobili∣tate, etus essentiam, con∣stituentib{us}, a virib{us}, itē astionibus, generandi multiplici potestate, a perspicuitate, raritate, sapore, item tam dulci, tamamaro & salso, &c. audeater, & confiden∣ter, omnes aquas, ipsum scilicet mare, seu Oceanum, quod & loci magnitudine, & aquarum copia, & molis immensstate primatum obtinet; omnes item lacus, stagna, flumma, sontes, puteos, tum & ipsas subterraneas aquas, Platonis Tartarum, alios{que} ingentes speluncas & cavernas adimplen∣tes, ut & fluvios subterreneos a metallorum fossoribus, alijs{que} curiosis hominibus tum auditos, tum visos, &c. sua natura calidos, eos{que} tum salsos secundum magis & minus, tum & dulces esse astruxerunt. Omnis erum aqua, tam subterraneae quam superterranea (de a∣quis enim supercoelestibus hic nobis non est sermo) vel amara & salsa est; uti maria; vel dulcis, uti flumina, fontes, lacus, &c. Nisi per accidens alieno s••pore, aliarum rerum accessione tingantur. At cum omnes aquae, fontes & flumina, ab uno Oceano, seu aquarum universitate, & abysso oriantur: ne{que} enim ullos habet fontes, sed ipsum fons est & scaturigo reliquarum omnium aquarum teste Moyse; lussit enim conditor omnes aquas quae sub Coelo erant in unum locum congregari, quam postea congregationem mare; & abyssam vocavit Maria autem aquae sunt amarae, ita ut omnes aquae a primordio fuerint amarae, ac salsae, quas post modum qualitates, aquae terrarum anfractus subeundo, & fontes constituendo, amiserunt, &c. Claud. Deod. Panth. Hygiast. lib. 1. cap. 18.
• * 1.3

  Correcting of bad watersfirst by boiling 2. By distillation.
• * 1.4

  3. By straining.
• * 1.5

  4. By boiling with sand.
• * 1.6

  5. By Corall beaten to powder.
• * 1.7

  6 By wheaten floure or meale.
• b 1.8

  2 Kings 2.21.
• * 1.9

  9 By carrying some of the earth of the place.
• * 1.10

  Invention to coole water.
• c 1.11

  Lib. de cibis boni & mali succi.
• * 1.12

  Sixe waies of cooling water.

  1 By the Aire.
• d 1.13

  6 Epidem▪ comment. 4.
• e 1.14

  Arist 1 met e••r. cap. 12.
• * 1.15

  2 Way, letting it downe into a deepe well.

  3 Way, by salt peter.
• * 1.16

  4 Way, by ice or snow
• f 1.17

  Lib. 2.
• g 1.18

  Bellon. observat me∣dicin. lib 3. cap 22.
• * 1.19

  5. Way, by deepe cel∣lers.
• * 1.20

  6. Way by motion & agitation.