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 the Nose. cap. 13.

ISidore saith, that the Nose is the instrument of smellyng, & hath the

name of the nosethrills. And the nose∣thrills be so called, for that by them wee smell, sauouring and vitall things, and discerns betwéene swéets and stinking. And so because smellyng remaine to vs by them: they be called nosethrilles, as by the contrary, men blockish, carelesse, vnskilfull, and ignoraunt, be called, as it were without nosethrills. Constan∣tine saith, that the nose hath two holes, that is diuided a sunder by a manner gristle bone; and one of these two holes, commeth to the hollownesse of y^e roofe of the mouth: and that other passeth to the skinnes of the brayne, to drawe the ayre to the brayne, and to bring the spi∣rite of féelyng to the nosethrils to make the sense of smellyng perfect. The first hole is néedfull to put off superfluities, that come from the brayne: & the other to draw spirite and breath, and to make perfect the smellyng. But properlye to speake, the instruments of smellyng, be two holow fleshy peeces, that hang from the nosethrills as it were scales that re∣ceiue first in themselues the aire that is drawen, and then sendeth it into the in∣ner part of the brayne. To these teates the vtter nosethrilles serue drawing in aire, and closing it within themselues, & making it subtil, that it be lightlyer and the more perfectlye changed and likened in the lymmes of smellyng. A sinewe commeth from the brayne, and entereth into the sayd teates of the nose, and gi∣ueth to them the spirite of féelyng, as saith Constantine. Then by meane of the ayre, the nose draweth in a fumositie that ioyneth it selfe to the spirite of fee∣lyng, the which spirite taketh lykenesse of that smoake, and presenteth it in the brayne to the gouernment of the soule. Therefore Constantine sayeth, that the nose is needfull to drawe in ayre tem∣perately, to cleanse and pourge y^e braine by suiting places, and to temper y^e kinde heate in the dennes and chambers of the braine: and also to giue perseueraunce to know smokes that be resolued & dis∣pearced from what substaunce it be, whe∣ther it smell swéetely or stinke seruent∣ly. And therefore lib. 12. Aristotle saith, the wit of smellyng is departed, as is the wit of hearing. And except it were so, it should not doe the acte and déede of smelling, and also the witte of smellyng should not be, but to draw in ayre in a beast y^t hath a nose And this lim, y^t nose, is in the midle of y^e formost part of the head, and for that kinde setteth the nose in the middes of the three instruments of f••••lyng, as it were the tongue in the ballaunce: for mouing of the breth that is needfull to the other wits. Then ga∣thers briefly by these-things aforesayd. y^t the nose is a member of office, to knowe and drawe, and to put out ayre, to déeme smellyng, to clense and to purge y^e brain of great superfluityes, to serue the spirit of feelyng, and by drawing of ayre to open and close the lungs. And therfore as Constantine saith, the nosethrills bée set not euen afore the lungs, but thwart ouer, that the colde aire that other whyle commeth to the lungs should not grieue them: and if dust or anye other thing entereth with the ayre, it should not an∣noye the lunges. And also as Gregorie super Cantica sayeth, The Nose be∣seemeth most the Face, insomuch, that if the nose lacketh, all the other parte of the face is more vngoodly and vnseeme∣ly. The disposition of the nose should be meane, so that it passe not due manner in length, breadth and highnesse. For if the nosthrills be too thin, either too wide: then by great drawing in of aire, they betoken fiercenesse of heart, and indig∣nation of thought. For by disposition of the members of the bodye, the affections and will of the soule are foreshewed & déemed, as it is sayd, Iu principio Phi∣losophiae: For the accidents of y^e soule be often chaunged according to the acci∣dents of the body as white wine, taketh the lykenesse and coulour of a redde glasse, that it is poured in. And therefore meanes of disposition betokeneth means of goodnesse, as the Philosopher saith in libro suo In principio super Pronosti∣ca. Gaien saith that the nose is let of this dooing and working.

And there hée sayeth also, that a sharpe nose, and hollowe eyen, &c. through strength of heate that wasteth moysture.

* 1.1And therefore if the nosethrilles ware sharpe, and the eyen déepe, in sharpe fea∣uers, it is a token of death. And that falleth to the nosethrils, as Galen saith, when the kinde heate is so féeble, that it maye not stretch and spreade it selfe into the vtter partes. And therefore it followeth, that the spirite & bloud maye not come together to the vtter partes. And then through colde that slayeth, the lymmes shrinke togethers, and the heart is altered, and then commeth sharpnesse of the nosethrils, that is the worst signe and token, and the deadliest, of them that haue the ague. Also the nose is let other while, as Constantine saith lib. 9. cap. 15. by euill disposition of the brayne: Sometime by stopping of the sinewe of smelling, sometime by fulnesse and re∣plection of stinking and corrupt humors in the teates of the nosethrilles. And somtime by bréeding of superfluitie and corrupt flesh in the holes of the nose, as in sniuelards and leapers. And this grie∣ueth not onely the smellyng: but also it decayeth the voyce. And sometime it is grieued by superfluities of humors, that flitte into the dennes and chambers of the brayne: and chat commeth of disso∣lution and dealyng of heate, either of too great constrayning & closing that com∣meth of colde: as it fareth oft in a reuine that falleth to the breast. And sometime by repletion and sharpnes of the veynes. Neuerthelesse bléeding at the nose, is speciall cause of dissolution of the euill in many sicknesses, & certayne token of recouery and of health, as it fareth in sharpe Agues, that ende and passe away ofte by such bleeding. And in Aphoris. it is saide, it is good for a woman De∣ficientibus men••truis, to bléede at the nose.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A token of death.