The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. IIII. Of Elements.

AN Element (by the definition which is commonly received amongst Physi∣tians) * 1.1 is the least and most simple portion of that thing which it compeseth: or that my speech may be the more plaine: the foure first and simple bodies are called Elements; Fire, Aire, Water, and Earth; which accommodate and subject themselves as matter to the promiscuous generation of all things which the Heavens engirt, whether you understand thingsperfectly, or unperfectly mixed. Such Ele∣ments * 1.2 are onely to be conceived in your minde, being it is not granted to any exter∣nall sense to handle them in their pure and absolute nature. Which was the cause that Hippocrates expressed them not by the names of substances, but of proper qualities; saying, Hot, Cold, Moist, Drie; because some one of these qualities is inherent in * 1.3 every Element, as his proper and essentiall forme, not onely according to the excesse of latitude, but also of the active facultie; to which is adjoyned another simple qua∣litie, and by that reason principall, but which notwithstanding attaines not to the highest degree of his kinde, as you may understand by Galen in his first Booke of Ele∣ments. So, for example sake, in the Aire wee observe two qualities, Heat, and Moi∣sture, both principall, and not remitted by the commixture of any contrary quality, * 1.4 for otherwise they were not simple. Therefore thou maist say, what hinders that the principall effects of heat shew not themselves as well in the Aire, as in the Fire? because as we said before, although the Aire have as great a heat according to his nature, extent and degree, no otherwise than Fire hath, yet it is not so great in its active qualitie. The reason is, because that the calfactorie force in the Aire is hinde∣red, * 1.5 and dulled by societie of his companion and adjoyned qualitie, that is, Humidity which abateth the force of heat, as on the contrary, drinesse quickneth it. The Ele∣ments therefore are endewed with these qualities.

Names of the substances;	Fire	is	Hot and drie.	Names of the qualities.
Aire	Moist and hot.
Water	Cold and moist.
Earth	Cold and drie.

These foure Elements in the composition of naturall bodies, retaine the qualities * 1.6 they formerly had, but that by their mixture and meeting together of contraries, they are somewhat tempered and abated. But the Elements are so mutually mixed one with another, and all with all, that no simple part may be found; no more than in a masse of the Emplaister Diacalcitheos you can shew any Axungia, oyle, or litharge by it selfe; all things are so confused and united by the power of heate, mixing the smal∣left particulars with the smallest, and the whole with the whole, in all parts. You may know and perceive this concretion of the foure Elementary substances in one com∣pound body, by the power of mixture, in their dissolution by burning a pile or heape of greene wood. For the flame expresses the Fire, the smoke the Aire, the moisture that sweats out at the ends, the Water, and the ashes, the Earth: You may easily perceive by this example so familiar and obvious to the senses what dissolution is, which is succeeded by the decay of the compound body; on the contrary, you may know that the coagmentation, or uniting and ioyning into one of the first mixed bo∣dies is such, that there is no part sinceere, or without mixture. For if the heat which * 1.7 is predominant in the fire, should remaine in the mixture in its perfect vigor, it would consume the rest by its pernitious neighbourhood; the like may be said of Coldnesse, Moisture, and Drinesse; although of these qualities, two have the title of Active, that is, Heat, and Coldnesse, because they are the more powerfull; the other two Passive, because they may seeme more dull and slow, being compared to the for∣mer. The temperaments of all sublunarie bodies arise from the commixture of these substances & elementary qualities, which hath bin the principall cause that mo∣ved me to treate of the Elements. But I leave the force and effects of the Elementary

qualities to some higher contemplation, content to have noted this, that of these first qualities, (so called, because they are primarily and naturally in the foure first bo∣dies) * 1.8 others arise and proceed, which are therefore called the second qualities: as of manythese, Heauinesse, Lightnesse, variously distributed by the foure Elements, as the Heat, or Coldnesse, Moistnesse or Drinesse, have more power over them. For of the Elements, two are called light, because they naturally affect to move upwards: the other two heavy, by reason they are carried downeward by their owne weight. So we thinke the fire the lightest, because it holds the highest place of this lower world; the Aire which is next to it in site, wee account light; for the water which lies next to the Aire, we judge heavy; and the earth the center of the rest we judge to be the heaviest of them all. Hereupon it is, that light bodies, and the light parts in bo∣dies, have most of the lighter Elements; as on the contrary heavy bodies have more of the heavier. This is a briefe description of the Elements of this fraile world, which are onely to be discerned by the understanding, to which I thinke good to adjoyne another description of other Elements, as it were arising or flowing from the com∣mixture of the first; for besides these, there are said to be Elements of generation and * 1.9 Elements of mans body. Which as they are more corporall, so also are they more ma∣nifest to the sense. By which reason Hippocrates being moved, in his Booke de Natura humana, after he had described the nature of Hot, Cold, Moist and Drie, he comes to take notice of these by the order of composition. Wherefore the Elements of our ge∣neration, as also of all creatures which have bloud, are seed and menstruous bloud. * 1.10 But the Elements of our bodies are the solid and similar parts arising from those Ele∣ments of generation. Of this kind are bones, membranes, ligaments, veines, arteries, and many others manifest to the eyes, which wee will describe at large in our Treatise of Anatomie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What an Ele∣ment is.
• * 1.2

  Elements are understood by reason, not by sense.
• * 1.3

  Why he ex∣pressed the E∣lements by these names of qualities.
• * 1.4

  Two princi∣pall qualities are in each Element.
• * 1.5

  Why the Aire heats not so vehemently, as the Fire.
• * 1.6

  How the E∣lements may be understood to be mixed in compound bodies.
• * 1.7

  Why of the first qualities, two are ac∣counted active, and two passive.
• * 1.8

  Why the first qualities are so called. What the se∣cond qualities are. What Ele∣ments light, what heavy.
• * 1.9

  What the E∣lements of ge∣neration are.
• * 1.10

  What the Ele∣ments of mize bodies.