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 meate and drinke. Cap. 5.

OF meate and drinke if appeareth. For that by withdrawing of féeding of meate and drinke moysture is with∣drawen, and drinesse commeth in, and thereby the heat is the stronger, and fin∣ding not wherein it should worke, tour∣neth it selfe to the substancial moysture and working therein, maketh it hollow and wasteth it, and returneth.* 1.1 If meate or drinke passeth measure, moysture pas∣seth too swifte, and kinde heat féebleth, for it is not sufficient to worke digesti∣on, but yet heate doth what it may: For it dissolueth somewhat of the superflui∣tie of the meate y^t is taken. That that is resolued, when it is great smoake and vndefied, it commeth vp to the brayne, and smiting Miringas, * 1.2 the smal Curtels thereof, hurteth and grieueth them sore, And bréedeth sometimes the Migram, An aking in the forepart of the head,* 1.3 where through the abundaunce of the moyst humour, the eyes waxe bleare and dimme: and other euill passions of the head. And sometime that malitious smoke smiteth to the rootes of y^t sinews of féelying, and passeth into y^t innermost partes of the sinewes in his sharpnesse and force, and letteth the spirite of fee∣lyng that is therein and grieueth him: and so it distempereth the substance and the vse of reason, and taketh awaye the kindlye mouing of the tongue, that tel∣leth what reason meaneth, and maketh the tongue stammer and fayle, as it is séene in drunken men. Also oftentimes, it letteth and destroyeth altogether kind∣ly mouing: as appeareth in them that shake and quake, and haue the palsie. And no wonder: For the powers that should rule in the sinewes and all the members and lymmes be ouerset, as ouerflowed with a vapor infecting kind∣ly iuyee in the bodye, but that sharpe smoake having masterie, and coueting to subdue y^t kindly vertue, purposeth and

striueth to beare downward the member or lymme. And so of this double con∣trary mouing one heauing vpward, and another thrusting downward, a trem∣blyng or quaking of the lymmes is ofte ingendered. And at last if this vertue of ruling be all ouercome, then the palsie or death hath masterie in such bodyes. And therefore the wise mans counsayle is best, that saith: Hurt not thy selfe vpon all manner of meate.* 1.4 Many meats haue diuers taasts, that breedeth sundry ope∣rations, & is the cause of incurable dis∣eases, in nice and daintie mouthed bo∣dies: for in many manner meates is di∣uers sicknesse. Also too much sléeping, breedeth the same euill and sicknesse in the body. For in sléepe the vertues are féebled, and the working of féeling, and of kinde be strengthened within. And so the gates being closed without, y^t heate is comforted and strengthened within, and draweth too many humors, y^t which it may not dissolue neither wast.

And then great superfluitie hauing the masterie, the which kinds can not rule, then of necessitie, followeth death and stiffeling.* 1.5 Also licouresnes of meates wasteth the powers, & lecherie the senses: These bee two delectable Diuelles, that kill the bodye, be∣side the soule. As it is séene in them that sléepe after that they haue taken medicines, and also in them that be newly let bloud. In them that wake too much, the contrary cause lykewise wor∣keth. For in them the humours & the spirites be wasted too much, and therfore oft death threateneth or menaceth. Also the same cause of stifling, is in them, that eate and drinke beyond measure: and the same reason of fayling, is in them y^t fast more then nature can beare: and be con∣sumed and wasted. Also be that trauay∣leth ouer measure, destroyeth & wasteth himselfe by too strong heate, that wasteth the humours too sore. In them that rest too much, the cause is contrary: For in them y^t drawing too of moisture, passeth measure. And there is none euaporation, neither deliueraunce of the superfluities, neither subtiliation of the spirites. And therefore necessarilye the superfluitie of moysture is disposed to rotting and cor∣ruption. In these manners, and in many other infinite, the elementall qualities be in theyr kindly workings hindred. As it is knowen by the foresayd reasons that we haue shortly gathered of the words of Constantine in Pantegni, and of Ga∣len in Commento Aphorisio, Hippo∣cratis, & Epidimiarum, of euills y^t com∣meth by ouermuch moysture. And ther∣fore we will passe ouer, and describe the properties of humours, that be composed of these qualyties: of the which euerye bodye is made, that hath a soule and fee∣lyng, either reason.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cause of suiset.
• * 1.2

  Euapora∣tiō to the brayne.
• * 1.3

  Addition
• * 1.4

  Addition
• * 1.5

  Addition