is hotter than ordinarie, doth with a new warmth overheate the heart, lungs and spirits, and weaken the strength by the dissipation of the spirits too much attenuated; so being too cold, in like manner the strength of the faculties faints and growes dull, either by suppression of the vapoures, or by the inspissation, or thickning of the spirits.
Therefore to conclude, that Aire is to be esteemed healthfull, which is cleere, subtile, and pure, free and open on every side, and which is farre remote from all carrion-like smells of dead carkasses, or the stench of any putrifying thing whatsoever: the which is farre distant from standing pooles, and fennes and caves, sending forth strong and ill vapours; neither too cloudy nor moist by the nearenesse of some river.
Such an Aire, I say, if it have a vernall temper, is good against all diseases. That aire which is contrary to this is altogether unhealthfull, as that which is putrid, shut up, and prest, by the straitnesse of neighbouring mountaines, infected with some noysome vapour. And because I cannot prosecute all the conditions of aires, fit for the expelling of all diseases, as which are almost infinite, it shall suffice here to have set downe, what we must understand by this word Aire.
Physitions commonly use to understand three things, by the name of Aire; The present state of the Aire; The Region in which wee live; and the season of the yeare. Wee spoke of this last, when wee treated of Temperaments. Wherefore wee will now speake of the two former. The present state of the Aire, one while for some small time, is like the Spring, that is temperate; otherwhiles like the Summer, that is hot and drie; otherwhiles like the Winter, that is cold and moist; and some∣times like the Autumne which is unequall; and this last constitution of the Aire, is the cause of many diseases. When upon the same day, it is one while hot, another cold, we must expect Autumnall diseases. These tempers and varieties of constitutions of the Aire, are chiefely and principally stirred up by the windes; as which being dif∣fused over all the Aire, shew no small force by their sodaine change. Wherefore we will briefly touch their natures: That which blowes from the East, is called the East∣winde, and is of a hot and drie nature, and therefore healthfull. But the Westerne winde is cold and moist, and therefore sickly. The South winde is hot and moist, the Author of putrifaction and putride diseases. The North winde is cold and drie, therefore heal∣thy: wherefore it is thought, if it happen to blow in the dogge-dayes, that it makes the whole yeare healthfull, and purges and takes away the seedes of putrifaction, if any chance to be in the aire. But this description of the foure windes, is then onely thought to be true, if we consider the windes in their owne proper nature, which they borrow from these Regions, from which they first proceede. For otherwise they affect the aire quite contrarie, according to the disposition of the places over which they came, as snowie places, Seaes, Lakes, Rivers, Woods, or sandy plaines, from whence they may borrow new qualities, with which they may afterwards possesse the aire, and so consequently our bodies.
Hence it is we have noted the Westerne winde unwholsome, and breeding diseases, by reason of the proper condition of the Region from whence it came; and such, that is cold and moist; the Gasconies finde it, truly to their so great harme, that it sel∣dome blowes with them, but it brings some manifest and great harme, either to their bodies, or fruits of the earth. And yet the Greekes, and Latines are wont to commend it for healthfulnesse, more than the rest. But also the rising and setting of some more eminent stars, doe often cause such cold windes, that the whole aire is cooled, or in∣fected with some other maligne qualitie. For vapours and exhalations are often rai∣sed by the force of the stars, from whence windes, cloudes, stormes, whirlewindes, lightnings, thunders, haile, snow, raine, earthquakes, inundations, and violent raging of the sea; have their original. The exact contemplation of which things, although it be proper to Astronomers, Cosmographers, and Geographers, yet Hippocrates could not omit it, but that he must speake somthing in his book De aëre & aquis, where he touches by the way, the description of the neighbouring Regions, and such as hee knew.
From this force of the aire, either hurtfull, or helping in diseases, came that fa∣mous observation of Gnido of Caulias, That wounds of the head are more difficult to cure at Paris, than at Avignion, and the plaine contrarie of wounds of the legges; for