Approved directions for health, both naturall and artificiall deriued from the best physitians as well moderne as auncient. Teaching how euery man should keepe his body and mind in health: and sicke, how hee may safely restore it himselfe. Diuided into 6. sections 1. Ayre, fire and water. 2. Meate, drinke with nourishment. 3. Sleepe, earely rising and dreames. 4. Auoidance of excrements, by purga. 5. The soules qualities and affections. 6. Quarterly, monethly, and daily diet. Newly corrected and augmented by the authour.

The first Section.

What be the causes of the preseruation of Mans health?

CHAP. I.

THE causes of the preserua∣tion of mans health be foure; The first, Aire, Fire, and Wa∣ter. The second, meate and drinke, and such as we vse for

nourishment. The third, mirth, exercise, and tranquillity of the body. The fourth, auoy∣dance of excrements, vnder which Phleboto∣mie, purgations, vomits, vrine; sweat, bathes, carnall copulation, and such like are contai∣ned temperately.

What is Ayre?

Aire naturally by it selfe, is an element hot and moist, whereupon the whole consti∣tution of our liues dependeth. The attracti∣on of this naturall body is so necessarie vnto vs, that if any one of the instruments of our bodies be stopt, we cannot choose but forth∣with be strangled. In respect whereof, the choosing of a good ayre must (for the pre∣seruation of health) obtaine the chiefest place.

Which is the best ayre?

That which is a mans natiue soyle, and Countries ayre is best. This by the Philo∣sophers is approued in this principle: Euery mans naturall place preserueth him, which is placed in it. And by the Poet confirmed:

Sweet is the smell of Countries soile.

Also a good Aire may be knowne both by his substance (as when it is open, pure, and

cleane, free from all filthy dunghils, noysome channels, Nut trees, Figge trees, Coleworts, Hemlocks, Mines and Forges; for these haue a contrary quality vnto the animall spirit, and make men to fall into consumptions) and by his qualities: as extremity of colde, heat and moysture.

What is the cause, that the Aire changeth so oft?

The Aire receiues sundry alterations, not onely according to the sundry aspects of the starres and of the heauenly planets: but also by reason of the diuersities of Countries, and of the particular situations of some places, as well vpon the water as vpon the land. Doe but marke, how feauers, rheumes, & plagues are ingendred by reason of troubled aire, and of low marshie grounds: And on the contra∣rie, how our health is continued, refreshed, and recouered in drie or sandie Countries.

What shall a man doe, if the Aire be either too hot, too cold, or too corrupt?

He must vse cold things to keepe away the heat, and hot things to expell the cold. He must adde dry things to moyst, and moyst to dry. To depart thence into another place

were not amisse. For oftentimes it is seene, that sicke folkes doe recoure their former health onely by change of aire. But if the aire be corrupt, and that a man cannot re∣moue thence very quickly, hee must artifici∣ally rectifie it by perfuming his Chamber with Iuniper, Rosemary, Bay tree, or vvith wood of Aloes: and then by sprinkling vine∣ger here and there in his chamber. In briefe, a man in such cases must get him a Nosegay composed of Roses, Violets, Maioram, Mari∣gold, and such like▪ And when hee goeth a∣broad he must hold in his mouth eyther the pill of an Orenge, or a peece of the root of Angelica. Likewise, he must haue an espe∣ciall regard, that his Chamber be at least once a day neatly swept. Our Mariners lately returned from their East Indian voyage con∣fesse, that their onely remedy against the Cal∣lentura, the Scuruie, and other diseases at sea, is the iuyce of ••emons. At my being in Hungarie, I saw the fiery Feauer, a disease in∣fectious in that Country, cured onely by salt niter prepared with sulphur, and giuen in wa∣ter as drinke to the patient: a thing very strange, that fire should quench fire.

Shew me particularly, how the Aire may be corrected for the recouerie of sicke folkes, accor∣ding to the diuersities of places, times, and sea∣sons?

Art may moderate all this by accommo∣dating the Aire in respect of the sick. For if it be in Sommer, that the Aire be too hot and sultrie, as the vulgar say, and that the patient is affected with some ague or with some other burning disease, hee must be placed in some lower roome or some coole chamber, where the heat of the Sunne comes not so forcibly. In Winter time let fire correct the raw and cold aire, specially for them, that be afflicted with cold sicknesses. For such, a close warme roome must be prepared, secured from winds, where a good fire may be made.

Aduise me how I should build mee an house for pleasure, health and profit?

First, you must choose out a fine soile, which hath water and wood annexed vnto it, and forecast in your minde whether the pro∣spect too and fro be decent and pleasant to the eye. For I am of this opinion, that if the eye be not satisfied, the minde cannot be plea∣sed: if the minde be not pleased, nature doth

abhorre, and if nature doth abhorre, death at last must consequently follow. Next you must marke, whether the ayre which com∣passeth the situation of your house, be of a pure substance, and that shortly after the Sunne is vp groweth warme; and contrarily groweth cold after the Sunne is set. Thirdly, you must make your foundation vpon a gra∣uell ground mixt with clay, vpon a hill, or a hils side. Fourthly, looke that your windowes be Northward or Eastward. Lastly, when your house is finished, you must prepare a Garden replenished with sundry kindes of hearbs and flowers, wherein you may recre∣ate and solace your selfe at times conue∣nient.

Doth the nature of places alter the quality of the Aire?

Yea doubtlesse. Either by reason of mar∣shes, as I said before, which commonly are corrupted with rotten vapours, and exhalati∣ons, or else of Churchyards subiect likewise to the same mutations, we see by experience that the aire, which compasseth vs about, doth change his temperature: As also when it be∣comes eyther excessiuely hot or colde, dry or

moist, we doe finde our selues in much trauell and alteration.

Doth the nature of the time of the yeare alter the Ayre?

The like mutations doth the aire inferre vnto vs in the foure seasons of the yeare, ac∣cording to the course of the Sunne: for in the Spring time the Aire is neerer vnto his owne nature, to wi••, reasonably hot and moist: in Sommer further heated by the Sunne, it be∣comes, hot and dry: in Haruest, colde and dry: in Winter, colde and moist. And not onely the Sunne in the foure seasons of the yeare brings such alterations in the aire, but likewise the Moone in her foure quarters, cau∣seth foure differences: for the first seauenth day from the new Moone vntill the next sea∣uenth day, is like the Spring time, being hot and moist. The second seauenth day vntill the full of the Moone is like Sommer. The third day, the Moone decreasing, is correspondent vnto the Autumne. And the fourth and last quarter is like the Winter: Euen so againe the morning is hot & moist like the Spring time: noone is compared to Sommer: the Euening to Autumne: and the night to the Winter.

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What sicknesses doth the Aire cause?

The aire causeth sicknesses according to the variety of the climate. In colde Coun∣tries, I meane, from the fiftieth degree to the Pole Northward or Southward, few sicknes∣ses abound; except they happen through ex∣cesse or distemperature of diet, or vnwhole∣somnesse of the aire, as aboue written.

In hot Countries, specially betweene the both Tropickes, the aire is more intemperate and pestilent. Here-hence spring plagues, Callenturaes, and Lues Venerea, insomuch as a certaine Writer affirmeth by experience, that an Europaean can hardly liue in Aethiopia, or vnder the Equinoctiall line aboue fiue yeares, whereas on the contrary wee heare that men liue in Swethland, in the North parts of Ireland, and in other colde places, where the aire is pure and Notherly, till they attaine to a hundred or sixe score yeares.

Of Water. CHAP. 2.

What is water?

WAter is an Element colde and moyst, and doth not nourish, but helpe digestion.

How many kindes of waters be there?

To discerne good waters from bad, you must learne, that there be foure differences of waters, namely, Raine water, Riuer water: fountaine water: and stange water. By Raine water I meane all that falls from the Region of the aire vpon the earth in forme of water. And this is either sweet when if falls without a storme; or else troublesome, when it falls with stormes and tempests.

Is not Snow water as good as Raine water?

Snow waters, albeit they be counted a∣mong those waters which are light, as hauing beene sublimed, purified, and as it were di∣stilled, yet notwithstanding they be not so good: For they ingender feauers and mor∣phewes.

What is the nature of fountaine water?

Fountaine water is the best water for pre∣seruation of health. But you must obserue, of what side it springs, for if it comes from the East, it excels the rest as well in moisture and thinnesse of substance, as in pleasant smel, and it doth moderately comfort the spirits: Contrariwise those fountaines, which spring out of rockes, towards the North, and which haue the Sunne backward, are of a hard digestion, and nothing so pure as the o∣ther.

Whether water being drunke doth nourish? And whether the same be wholesome for sicke persons?

Surely water cannot nourish, because of it selfe it is of no substance to fortifie or en∣crease the vitall faculties. For which cause the wisest Phisitians aduised men to drinke it honied, which they called Oximell & Hodro∣mel; or with wine; or with suger, or with white wine vinegar. Being drunke alone, it neuer quencheth the drowth nor heat of the lungs, but rather hindereth the spetting vp of phlegme. Yet notwithstanding, at meales in Sommer time it may be drunke of hot com∣plexioned

people, rather to helpe digestion, then to nourish the body.

How shall I know good water?

By the clearenesse of it. That water is best, which runneth from an higher to a lower ground, and that water, which runneth vp∣on clay, is better clarified then that which goeth vpon the stone.

VVhen is water wholesomest?

In Sommer time it is most wholesome: yet notwithstanding, seldome to be drunke. But if at any time you be compelled to drinke it, see first that you seeth your water gently: for by seething, the grosse substance of it is taken away.

How shall I reuiue waters that begin to pu∣trifie?

This is performed by the addition of some small proportion of the oyle of Sulphur, or else of Aqua vitae well rectified, incorpora∣ting them both together.

Of Fire. CHAP. 3.

VVhat is fire?

FIre is an element hot and dry, which dissolueth the malicious va∣pours of the aire, stirreth vp natu∣rall heat in mans body, and ex∣pelleth cold.

What kinde of fire is best?

That fire is best, which is made of dry and sweet wood. For wet and greene wood is dis∣commodious: and so are all coales except chark-coales, because they make the head heauie, and dry vp naturall moysture.

Turfes likewise are very dangerous, be∣cause they stop the windpipes, and make the skinne yellow.

In Germany they vse Stoues, which que∣stionlesse cannot but dull the spirits, and of∣fend the purer faculties. There may be a kinde of fewell made of the cinders of coales, or olde burnt sea-coale, or stone-coale incor∣porated with Sawiers dust and Cow-dung, which being formed in balls and dried in

the winde, will burne very cleare.

Are not sweatings and hot-houses whole∣some?

No, because they exhaust the good hu∣mours together with the bad. But in Spring time they may be vsed against the itch and small Pockes.