Via recta ad vitam longam, or A plaine philosophical discourse of the nature, faculties, and effects, of all such things, as by way of nourishments, and dieteticall obseruations, make for the preseruation of health with their iust applications vnto euery age, constitution of bodie, and time of yeare. Wherein also, by way of introduction, the nature and choice of habitable places, with the true vse of our famous bathes of Bathe is perspicuously demonstrated. By To: Venner, Doctor of Physicke, at Bathe in the spring, and fall, and at other times in the burrough of North-Petherton neere to the ancient hauen-towne of Bridgewater in Somerset-shire.

Whether Cyder and Perrie are for common vse wholsome and profitable drinkes?

CYder and Perrie are vsuall drinks where fruits doe a∣bound: they are cold in operation, and better or worse, according to the fruits whereof they are made. In respect of the coldnesse of them, they are good for such as haue hot stomacks or hot liuers, and by reason of a very pleasing sharpe taste which they haue, if they be drunke after they be foure or fiue moneths olde, they are of a no∣table penetrating facultie, and doe greatly helpe the weak∣nesse of the stomacke, and distemperature of it, proceeding of a hot cause: for they excite the appetite, temper the drinesse of the humors and inward parts, asswage the thirst, and very greatly represse the ebullition of choler. More∣ouer, by reason of their penetrable power, they prouoke vrine, and open the obstructions of the stomocke, mesa∣raicke veines, milt, liuer, and reines. They are wholsome

for hot and dry bodies, namely, for the cholericke, but especially the atrabilaricke. Yet they are not good to be vsed as common drinke with meats except of them that haue very dry stomacks, and subiect to too much astricti∣on of the same, because they cause the mea•…•…s too speedily to descend from the stomacke; and besides that, the much and often vse of them is very hur•…•…full to the liuer, which by ouer-cooling, it doth so enfeeble, and dispoliate of its san∣guifying facultie, that the colour of the face becommeth pale and riueled, and the skin oftentimes polluted with a white spottie deformitie, through an ill habit of the parts, acquired by the too often vse of them. Moreouer, the much and often vse of these drinks doe exceedingly wea∣ken the braine and reines, whereupon rheumes and semi∣nall fluxions, aches of the joynts, weaknes of the limmes and backe doe very quickly ensue. They are best to be taken for whom they are agreable, in an emptie stomacke, as mornings fasting, and about an houre or two before meale, for then they better remoue the obstructions, and attemper the drynesse of the parts. Onely those that are atrabilary, which abound with choler adust, because their stomacks are very dry, where-from, for the most part the meats doe very slowly, and that not without some diffi∣cultie descend, may very profitably drinke a draught or two thereof at their meales. But let the phlegmaticke, and * 1.1 such as are of cold constitutions, or subiect vnto the win∣die collick, altogither eschew the vse of these drinks, be∣cause they abundantly opplete their bodies with waterish, crude, and windie humors, with a suddaine labefaction of the liuer. They are meliorated, by putting to them sugar, nutmeg, and especially ginger, which cheifely correcteth their crude and windie qualitie. Of these two sorts of drinks, caeteris paribus, Perrie for pleasantnes and goodnes hath the precedencie, which in taste is like vnto a small Rhenish wine, from which it differeth but litle in opera∣tion. But you must vnderstand that these drinks while they be new, are very hurtfull, because they consist of

much excrementall moysture, which abundantly filleth the bodie with crude and flateous humours. But after that, the excrementall superfluity of them, by processe of time, is concocted and absumed, which in fower or fiue moneths, will very well come to passe, the vse of them (as may be very profitable to coole, to moysten, I haue shewed and to open obstructions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cyder and Perie very hurtfull vnto cold bodies, and such as are troubled with y^e winde collicke.