A uery brefe treatise, ordrely declaring the pri[n]cipal partes of phisick that is to saye: thynges natural. Thynges not naturall. Thynges agaynst nature. Gathered, and sette forth by Christopher Langton.

¶The .vi. chapter, of slepe, and watche.

SLepe is the rest of y^e animal power, or as Aristotell sayeth, the priuation & takynge away, of the senses,

whiche cummeth of a profitable humor, fallyng from the brayne in to the senewes. Of slepe the body receyueth many profitable com∣modities.

For whiles the animall power re∣steth, the naturall power laboreth most strōgly, by reasō wherof the meat is well digested, and y^e bodie luckely nurisshed.

There be .iiii. thinges, whiche in slepe, wolde by earnestlye loked vpon.

The firste is the sleping tyme, as the night, which for slepe of all other tymes, is moste conuenient: both because the night is coulde & moyste, and because that then, all thinges is quiet w^tout any noyse. I wolde counsell no man to slepe on the daye except he feele ether a

great wearinesse in al his body, or haue not slept y^e night before, and yet then it wolde not be taken vp∣on a full stomake neyther, but ra∣ther fasting, and emptie.

The second is the quantitie, for slepe yf it continue to long, beside other incōmodities, it letteth the pourginge of excrementes.

The thirde, is the lyinge a bed, for therby the disgestion maye be eyther furthered or hyndered. Wherfore first it is best to lye vp∣on the right side, and then vpon y^e lift, that the meat, and drinke, may go lowe ynough, and the mouth of the mawe shet the better.

As for lying vpon the backe, it is vtterly condemned of all men, for it is the cause of many perilous diseases, as the apoplexie, & such lyke.

The fowerth thing, which must be considered in slepe, is the nature of the dreames: for by them the Phi∣sition shall haue a great gesse of what quality the humor is, which redoundeth and is superfluous. The Phisition ought to be as di∣ligent, in the ministration of slepe, to them that be sicke, as to them y^t be hole. For as all other thinges, so slepe, yf it be not well ordred & taken in hys tyme, may hurt very muche. It hurteth them moste, whiche haue any of theyre innar partes inflamed: wherfore such must be kept from slepe, lest the in∣flammation be encresed withall: and moreouer in shakynge feuers, the sicke ought to be kept waking, whyles the colde shakynge endu∣reth, lest the natural heat, & bloud be drawen in to muche, by reason

whereof, the feuer wyll be much y^e more stubberne to be cured. Such as be hole, and without sicknesse, muste beware of ouer much slepe, lest y^e good temper of theyr braine be quite marred, & theyr strength also cleane resolued: and of the o∣ther syde yf they watche to much, theyre bodies shall be filled with rawe humors: therfore it must be vsed, nether to much, nor to lytell, but moderatlye, & in a meane. Of slepe & watche, much more might be written, howbeit, this maye suffise well ynough, at this time.