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 Skinne. Chap. 64.

* 1.1THe Skinne is the vttermost part of the bodie of a beast, and is called Cutis in latine, for it couereth the body, and is oft cut and coruen as sayth Isi∣dore. For Cutin in Gréeke, is Incisio in Latine, that is, cutting in English. Also the skin is called Pellis in Latine, and hath that name of Pellere to put of: For it putteth off the vtter griefes of the bodie, as winde, and raine, and suffe∣reth Sunne burning and other griefes. And when the skin is flaine, & is draw∣en of, then it is called Corrium, that is saide of Caro in Latine, flesh. For the flesh is couered with the skinne, as saith Isidore. Then the skin is the vttermost part of the body, and beclippeth the flesh and bones, & couereth and defendeth all the inner parts, & is now stretched out, and now drawen together, after as the diuerse néeds of the body axeth. Also for defence of the inner part of the body the skinne putteth it sefe forth against di∣uerse griefes of the aire. And the skinne hath a kindly thinnesse, as sayth Con∣stantine, for that it shuld not occupy the body ouer measure. And the skinne is sad to conteine the more easily the parts which bée within, and also to lette and withstand the vtter griefes. In men the skinne is more nesher and softer then in other beasts. And that is for to haue good touch and feeling. For if the skinne were harde and thicke, as the shell of a fish is, it should not féele any thing. And if they were rough and hairye, as the skinne of an Asse: then it should féeble and appaire the witte of féeling and of groping. Therefore in the palme of the hand the vtter skinne is more and sof∣ter then in other partes of the body, that it should the rather be chaunged to tou∣ching. And the skin is all full of poores, and namely the skinne of the head, and that is néedefull to put off superfluous fumositie. For by heate the pores open, and the superfluitie that is betwéene the fell and the flesh, is put out by va∣pours and sweating.

Also mans skinne is not in all mem∣bers like: For the skinne of the visage is more tender and thin, and more subtil then other: And that is for the perfectnes of féeling and shewing of fairenesse. For if the skin of the visage were too great, men shuld not sée there through the red∣nesse of bloud: Also if it were thicke, it were not according to y^e working of the wits, y^t be in y^e visage: and y^e skin is so fast ioyning to y^e body, y^t it may not easily be flaine & departed therfrom, & namely in y^e soles of y^e féet, & in y^e palms of the hands:

in the which it cleaneth to the sinewes of the heart, and brawnes as saith Con∣stantine. Aristotle li. 3. saith, That after the coulour of the skin the haire and the nailes of beasts vary. For if the skin be black, the haire and the nailes be black. And if the skin be white, the haire and the nailes be white. And euery beast that hath bloud hath a skinne. And if the skinne be hurt, or if it be flaine off, it hath no féeling. And the skinne hath this propertie, that if in a place without flesh, it bée cut off, it groweth no more, nor draweth not together, as it fareth in the Nauell, and in the breadthes of the eye liddes. Also liber.19. In some beasts the skinne is small and thinne, and in some greate and thicke, as the humour small or great hath the masterie. And in a great skinne groweth great haire, and in a small skinne small haire. And in age the skinne waxeth great and harde, and shrinketh and riueleth, for defaults of heate, and consuming of kindlye hu∣mour, and then the beautie chaungeth. Also the skinne is oft grieued as other members bée. Sometime the cause is without, as with wounds and slitting, with heate of the Sunne, with burning, with hot and colde, wherewith it wax∣eth pale, wanne, and bliewe, and taketh many diuerse vnséemly coulours: Som∣time the griefes of the skinne come of a cause that is within, as riueling, which commeth of wasting of the substantiall moysture, as it fareth in olde men and women. Sometime of infection of hu∣mours, as it fareth in leprous, and in thē that haue the Morpheu. For kinde put∣teth out from the inwarde partes the matter that is infect to the skin: and that matter abideth vnder the skinne, and chaungeth and infecteth the skinne.

Sometime it is grieued with scales and sometime with itching, with drye scabs and wet: Sometime with striping and pilling, and with many another griefe. And skinnes of beasts be right necessa∣rie for men, for right many manners and diuerse vses, as for clowting, and for armour, for writing, for bootes & shoes, and for many other necessaryes, the which were long to reheare.

And scarce is any beast found, but that his skinne is couenable to some vse of mankinde.

If the skinne be white it doth come of fleme,* 1.2 if red, then of bloud, if blacke of blacke Choler, if Tawnye or shining of coulour, adusted, if gray∣ish or greenish, then of melancholy & colde humours.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pellis, Cutis, Chros, Derma. be names for the skinne. The skins of men be of diuerse colours, ac∣cording as to cōplec∣tions be, reddish, blacke, pale, vvhite, brovvne, tavvnie greenish, & vvatry.
• * 1.2

  Addition