Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

¶Of moisture. Chap. 4.

MOisture is an Element quality pas∣siue, able to suffer, obedient to wor∣king and printing of the Actiue, & wor∣king qualities, and taketh sodeinlye the working of heate and colde. Moisture féedeth all bodies, and specially the bo∣dies that haue soules, and maketh them ware and growe, and keepeth them, and restoreth that which is left in the body. For by moysture and heate all thinges be bread, as the Philosopher sayth, and things ingendered both nourisheth and féedeth, as we see in rootes and seedes. For the graine that is put in the earth must first bée nourished with moisture of water and of aire, and be spread and opened abroade by kindly heate that is closed therein. And at the last by kindly working of heate, the moysture béeing resolued, sendeth the more grose and rarthlye partes thereof downewarde to the earth, the which parts the earth fa∣keth within it selfe, and mixeth and quaileth them by heate that is therein. And tourneth them into the kinde of a root by conioyning of moisture. And that moisture of the roote left behinde, and so bread in the roote, the humour that it findeth, draweth into the earth lyke it selfe. And also it draweth by the draw∣ing vertue of heat that is closed within. And when it hath so drawen, it turneth into the féeding thereof, as much as sufficeth. And heate dissolueth and dea∣leth, and maketh subtill that other part, that néedeth not to the féeding thereof. And the root sendeth it vpward, and tur∣neth it first into the substaunce of the chawing, and then into the substance of the stocke either stalke. And at the last into the substaunce of boughs & twigs, and leaues, and blossomes, and of fruit. And for moisture it is the séeding and matter of all thing that liueth. It shew∣eth that moisture féedeth all thing that liueth, & is ioyned thereto: and moisture by shedding of it selfe, maketh such thinges waxe and grow in length, déep∣nesse, breadth and thicknesse. Also moy∣sture restoreth what is lost in bodies that haue life and soule. For by heate working alwaie within and without, bodies be consumed and wasted, & shuld bastely and soone be destroyed: but if it were restored againe by moysture. And therfore by cōtinual drawing to of moi∣sture is néedfull, that the restoring of what is lost by continuaunce, the bo∣dye may bée restored and saued. Also moysture kéepeth and saueth these nea∣ther things that bée vnder the Moone. For by continuall gathering of beames and light in the ayre and earth, so great shoulde be bréeding of heate and of dri∣nesse that the ayre shoulde fall a fire, and burne the vtter side of the earth.

But if the working of heate were not mittigated by the moisture of aire and of water, & wer reduced by due proportion to temperatnesse. And therefore God set∣teth to the well of heate the well of all humour, as Macrobius saith, that the vi∣olence of heat might be tempered by the presence of humour set, to withstand it. And so the shape of the world may bée saued:* 1.1 for else by too great heate it shuld sodeinly faile. Also moisture ioyneth to∣gethers the partes of the earth. For the earth is so drie, that euery part thereof shoulde fall from other; if it were not in••istened with moisture of water.

Therefore kinde made mountaines and hills hollow, and the earth with caues, vautes, and cliffes in places, and full of holes. That so by cause of vorvnesse should bée great drawing in of ayre and of water, to slake the kindly drieng of the earth, and the partes thereof, that else woulde fall. And so as bloud doth, runuing through the vaines of the bo∣die, the same doth moysture in the vains of the earth. For it moysteneth the dri∣nesse of the earth, and disposeth it to beare fruit. And moysture hath certeine properties and effectes, that be the first and kindly. And some that bée secunda∣rye, and some Casuall, as other qualy∣ties haue. By kinde moisture is moue∣able, fléeting, and euill bounding in it selfe but yet it is staide by other bound, as sayth the Philosopher. And it mak∣eth moue from the middle outward, and shedding it selfe in fleeting, it should de∣stroy whollye his subiect; if nothing let∣ted the fleeting therof, the which shoulde bounde his fléeting by reduction to the middle. As wée see that of drinesse of grauell to the Sea, cliffes and stronds stopped, and holde in the stoud of the Sea and turneth it somewhat inwarde. Also by kinde, moisture maketh things softe.

For by withdrawing and spréeding thereof, it slacketh and draweth a∣broad, and maketh softe the harde com∣pact partes of the matter. And it hap∣peneth that moysture maketh harde: as wée sée in Postumes and Botches, in the which colde humours come to∣gethers, and smiting the most partes to the colde middlewarde, they come thicke and harde. And oftentimes the partes chaunge into Skliresim, that is hardnesse. The same happeneth of ouermuch heate, wasting the moist partes, the which when they bé wa∣sted, the greate partes and sadde be thrust togethers, and made harde.

Also by kinde, moisture cleanseth &: for by softening therof, and of the parte, by the which it is shadde, it slacketh the senowing partes, and departeth them a¦sunder, and maketh them slipper and slidinge, and moueth and washeth them awaye, as it is séene, naistely, in water that is moist, and washeth by kinde, and most cleanseth hoarie things. And that is speciallye if it helpe the moisture: as it is séene in Branne of Wheat or of Rie; and in the root of a plant that is named and properly called Bryonie in Latine, and also in Sope, & in Meale of Beanes, and in other such.* 1.2 For all these wash away the falth of the face and of all the bodie, and maketh pure and cleane. Also for he moueth kindly from the middle towarde the vt∣ter partes, and that moouing is not full strong of it selfe, but stowe in compari∣son to the moouing of the heate: and so moisture sheddeth it selfe principally in∣to the sideward, and stretcheth not much vpward without helpe of heate. But other while heate hath washerie therin, and worketh therein, the most matter béeing obedient; stretcheth it selfe euery whether, 〈…〉〈…〉 is vpward, & in length: for the strength of heate beareth it vp∣warde, & sheddeth euen to the lifter most pa••tes: And so 〈…〉〈…〉 vp and •••• vp∣on in length. And bodyes in the which heate hath the 〈…〉〈…〉ry, kindly and ge∣nerally they the higher; longe•••• and more ••••nder, then such bodye••••, •••• the which much moisture so••••h the masterye and steele heate: worketh, contrarye the s••••s f••sindo. And therefore, hot men; •••• ••ho•• levike, the substantiall humour of heate béeing obedient to the work∣ing, be shore longer, that is to witte, the flumaticke, and in all extremy∣tyes of the eddye, the other partes

and circumstaunces equall héere & there, running together in slendernesse & length they be more apte. If there be much heat and much humour, not too much nei∣ther too lyttle to the working of y^e heat, but couenably and measurably, then the bodies euery wayes be great, high, long, and broad. They be high through the heate that beareth vp to the topwarde, the most subtill parts of the moysture. Broad and thicke, through the vertue of heate that sheddeth the sad parts of the moisture, as it néedeth to euery side, and vniteth one part to another: so moisture maketh kindly things smooth and softe: for if moystnesse be shed into the vtter parts of a thing, it filleth all the voyde places thereof, and maketh them euen & plaine, and so it maketh smooth and soft. But yet it happeneth sometime it ma∣keth rough, as when in some case, hot humours and cold fléeteth and commeth together to one place. The hot humors beare vp the vttermost parts of y^e thing, and colde humours beare downwarde the vttermost partes: and so contrarye humours, worke contrariousnesse & vn∣euennesse, with roughnes in y^e vtter part of the body. Also if moysture be in the body temperate, as it néedeth, it helpeth all the working of the soule, and of the body also. For of humours the spirites that rule the body, be bread and conser∣ued therein. Also the vertues of the spi∣rits worke their effects in all the lyms of the body sensitiue and motiue, by mi∣nistration and seruice of humours, as it appeareth in the vertue of sight, which by meane of a Christiall humour, work∣eth the sight in the eye. Also the vertue of taaft béemeth neue•• betwéene sauors, but by meane of the humour of spittle, and so of other. For if the substauntiall moysture be destroyed or corrupted in the body, all the working of the soule is let. If there be in all the body, or in any part thereof too much moysture, y^t maye not be ruled of kinde, then moysture is cause and matter of rotting and of cor∣ruption, & bréedeth in the body full euill passions & sicknes: as it is séen in Apo∣plexra,* 1.3 in the which euill superfluitie of moisture, occupieth so al the chambers & dennes of the braine, that the spirit, that is called, Spirites Animalis, maye not passe by the sinewes of feelyng, to make the body feele and moue: and so taketh from the soule his working in the body: And also it taketh from the body feeling and mouing; and bringeth in at last, stif∣lyng and death: as sayth Galen in the Commente super Aphoris. exponens verhū Hippocratis. ••Soluere Apoplexi∣am fortem impossibile ell: dobilem ve∣ro noo facile. Moysture of fleame occu∣pieng all the region of the brayne, stop∣peth the wayes of the sinewes, that the spirite Animalis, maye not come to the neather part: and so the breath is stop∣ped, and the lyfe ended. This moysture defaulteth sometime in qualytie, & some∣time in quantitie, and that sometime by an inwarde cause, and sometime by outwarde cause. By inwarde cause, as by euill complection, when the hurtfull moysture is rooted in the lymmes, and may not be dissolued & wasted by kindly heate, neyther be chaunged from his ma∣lyce: Such moysture in diuers places of the body breedeth-diuers sicknesses, as it is seene in Ep••••epsia, the fallyng Euill, when it commeth of the stopping of the powers and bray••e: and also of y^e drop∣sie; when it commeth of euil complection of the lynes. Also of an outward cause, as of things, that Iohannieus and Ga∣••e•• rall vnkindly things, as aire, meate, and drinke, sléeping and waking, fasting, and too much eating and drinking, wor∣king, trauellyng, and rest. All these, if they be taken as kind as keth, they breed and kéepe substaunciall moysture, and repayre and restore what is lost. And if they bée taken in contrary man∣ner, they haue contrarye effect and doo∣ing. For then they bréede vnkinde moysture, and cause diuers grose and heauye humoures to increase, or els they corrupt, alter and chaunge kindly moysture, as sayeth Galen in Apho∣rismo. Hippocratis particula tertia fuper illum locum, Immutationes temporum maxime generant morbos, &c. That is, The often course and chaunging of times most bréedeth sick∣nesses.

Galen saith, That Ipocras meaneth, that times of the yeare bréed not sicknes, but chaungings of complection of the selfe time. When the complection of y^e ayre, which ought to be according to y^e time, is turned into the contrary: as when the complection of Spring time, that should be hot and moyst, turneth, and is made colde and drye, as it were in Haruest time, and so of other. For if the aire of Spring time be generallye colde & drye, and in the Winter afore, the aire was as it were in Spring time hot & moyst, then it must néedes followe, that manye men shall be sicke in Spring time. And also women that goe with childe, shall be beliuered afore their time by little oc∣casion. And Galen telleth this reason: For by the moysture and heate of the Winter that was arose, much moystnes is bred in bodyes, & knitting of fleame. If the aire in Spring time be colde and drye in the beginning: it closeth small holes, and suffereth not the fumositie to passe out, and the heate holden in, dissol∣neth the superfluitie of moysture, that was bred in the Winter. And for y^t the heate is féeble, and maye not dissolue it, neither make therein perfect digestion, nor wast it at the full: it sendeth that moysture vndissolued, now to the ouer lymmes, and now to the neather: where being mired, it is cause of diuers euills: as if it goe vp to the head, it maye bée cause of rume and of hoarcenesse: if it go into the bowells, & the fleame be salt, it bréedeth Dissenteriam, a fluxe, that hi∣deth the guts, and so of other. The same reason may be in women, y^t be deliuered afore their time: for that moysture flée∣teth to the place that is called, the Mo∣ther, and grieueth it, and softeneth & sla∣keth that that should hold the childe, and so the childe is borne afore the time. And Auicen assigneth another cause, And thus must we vnderstande of other passions of the aire, and of the time: that the qualitie of that aire is chaunged by too great heate, that disolueth either wasteth too spéedely: either by too lyttle heate that putteth not off the superfluitie at full. And so we should vnderstand of too great colde, that closeth poores, & hol∣deth the humours, and draweth them to soone togethers. But of hotte ayre and colde, this that is sayde shall suffice at this time.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The equa¦litie of elements is the worides cause & continu∣aunce.
• * 1.2

  Bryonie. Vitis Siluestris Sigilium heatae Mariae.
• * 1.3

  The lass•• of natural seelyng.