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 breath. Cap. 37.

* 1.1THe breath is the mouing of the hart and of the lunges, gendered through drawing in of colde ayre, to temper kinde heate, and expulsing out of the same ayre: for the heart by no meanes can suffer the lacke of drawing of aire, for if the heart should rest a lyttle while of drawing of aire, it should be grieued, or fayle. And therefore the heart hath contrary mouings: For it openeth the lunges, and draweth in ayre: and clo∣seth the lunges, and putteth out ayre. And so the breath by drawing in of aire tempereth the heate of the heart, and by putting out of ayre, it cleanseth y^e heart of smokie vapour, and also it seedeth and nourisheth the spirituall lyfe. Also by strength and feeblenes of breath is shew∣ed the state of the spirituall members: as it is sayd afore of the properties of the limges. Also in breathing there is more ayre drawen in, than is put out. For a great deale turneth into the seeding and nourishing of the spirituall life: and the breath is taken within the lungs, and the beast lyueth without st••ffeling, as long as the spirite is cloased within the instrument of breth. Also when the in∣struments of the breath be grieued, the spirites are corrupt, and chaungeth after the qualytie of the lymme and the in∣strument that is grieued, as saith Con∣stantine.

The breath is sometime grieued by default of vertue that moueth and ru∣leth the sinewes. Sometime by stopping of the instruments of the spirite, that commeth of great and thicke humours, or of great ventositie and winde, that stoppeth the waye of the breath: or els of some postume of the lungs, that grie∣ueth the cloathing and the skinnes of the heart: or of the great heate of the heart, hauing masterie in the substance of the lunges. By reason of all which diseases, the breath is made feeble and scant. And if the breath be swifte and lyttle, it betokeneth strong heate, that stifleth and ouercommeth the vertne, and namely if the touch be hot, and if there followeth thirst and drinesse of the tongue. And colde breath and lyttle in Febribus acutis, is token of death: for slownesse of breath betokeneth default of vertue of out putting: and coldnesse be∣tokeneth quenching of kinde heate: and default of vertue in the substance of the heart, and of the instruments of spirite. Also chaunging of breath commeth of vniuersall corruption of the inner mem∣bers, as it fareth in leprosies, in y^t which the breath stinketh and is corrupted, and infe••teth the aire that is nigh. Where∣fore the blowing of such is wont to in∣fect those that come neere them: it infect∣eth and corrupteth the ayre neere about, lyke as the hissing of the Serpent, cal∣led,

Regulas, whose blowing corrupt∣eth the aire, and slaieth the birds ••••eng, as Au••cen and Constantine say.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Anheli∣••us. ••••rinus. P••euma∣Respira∣tio. S••raculū Hippaco.