Spadacrene Anglica Or, the English spavv-fountaine. Being a briefe treatise of the acide, or tart fountaine in the forest of Knaresborow, in the west-riding of Yorkshire. As also a relation of other medicinall waters in the said forest. By Edmund Deane, Dr. in Physicke, Oxon. dwelling in the city of Yorke.

CHAP. 12.

Of the necessity of preparing the body before the vse of this water.

IT is not in most things the bare and naked knowledge or contemplation of them, that makes them profitable to vs; but rather their right vse, and opportune and fit administration. Medicines are not said to be Deorum ma∣nus, that is, the hands of the Gods, (as Herophilus calleth them) or Deorum dona; that is, the gifts of the Gods (as Hippocrates beleeued) till they be fitly applyed and seaso∣nably administred by the counsell and aduice of the lear∣ned and skilfull Physitian, according to the true rules, and method of Art.

Temporibus medicina valet, data tempore prosunt, Et data non apto tempore vina nocent.

That is,

Medicines auaile in their due times, And profit is got by drinking wines In timely sort; but in all reason They doe offend, drunke out of season.

Therefore to know th'originall mineralls, faculties, and vertues of this worthy acide fountaine, will bee to no end, or to small purpose for them, who vnderstand not the right and true vse, nor the fit and orderly administration of it. For not only Physicke or medicines, but also meats, and drinks taken disorderly, out of due time and without measure, bringeth oftentimes detriment to the partie; who otherwise might receiue comfort and strength ther∣by: So likewise this water, if it be not drunke at a con∣uenient time and season, in due fashion and proportion, yea, and that after preparatiues and requisite purging and euacuation of the body, may easily 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hurt those, whose infirmities otherwise it doth principally respect. For me∣dicines ought not to be taken rashly, and vnaduisedly, as most doe hand ouer head without any consideration of time, place, and other circumstances; as that ignorant man did, who getting the recipt of that medicine, wherewith formerly he had been cured, made triall of it againe long after for the same infirmity without any helpe or good at all; whereat greatly maruailing, receiued this answer frō his Physitian: I confesse (said hee) it was the selfe same medicine, but because I did not giue it, therefore it did you no good.

To the end therefore, that no occasion may hereafter be either giuen, or taken by the misgouernement, or ouer∣rashnesse of any in vsing it to calumniate and traduce the worth, and goodnesse of this fountaine, I will briefly here sh••w, what course is chiefly to be followed and obserued by those who shall stand in need of it.

First then, because very few men are throughly and suf∣ficiently informed concerning the natures, and causes of their grieuances, it will be necessary that euery one shold apply himselfe to some one, or other, who either out of his iudgement, or experience, or both, may truely be able to giue him counsell and good aduice concerning the conueniency of this fountaine. And if he shall be auised

to vse it, then let the party (in the feare of God) addresse himselfe for his way to it, against the fit season of it, with∣out making any long and tedious daies iourneys, which cause lassitude, and wearinesse.

Then, being come to the place, he ought after a dayes rest, or two, to haue his body wel prepared, & gently clen∣sed with easie lenitiues, or purgatiues, both fit, and appro∣priate, as well to the habite and constitution thereof, as also for the disease it selfe, and as occasion shall require, ac∣cording to the rule of method, which teacheth that vni∣versall or generall remedies ought euer to precede and goe before particula••••. Now what these are in speciall, to fit euery ones case in particular, is impossible either for me here, or any else to define precisely. Ars non versatur circa indiuidua. We may see it true in mechanicall trades. No one shoomaker can fit all by one Last: nor any one taylor can suite all by one, and the selfe same measure.

Yet in regard it may perhaps bee expected that some∣thing should be said herein, I say, that in the beginning (if occasion serue) some easie Clyster may very fitly bee giuen, as well for emptying the lower intestines from their vsuall excrements, as for carying away and clensing the mucose slimes contained therein. After that, it will be conuenient to prepare the body by some Iulep or A∣pozeme, or to giue some lenitiue medicine to free the first region of the body from excrements. For otherwise the water might peraduenture conuey some part of them, or other peccāt matter, which it findeth in his passage either into the bladder, or to some other weake, and infirme member of the body, to the increase of that euill disposi∣tion, which is to be remoued, or else to the breeding of some other new infirmity.

* 1.1 Some perhaps will here obiect and say, that the time of the yeere, in which this fountaine will be found to bee most vsefull, will be the hottest season thereof; or (if you list so to call it) the dog-daies, when it will be no fit time to purge at all.

* 1.2 To this I answer and say: First, the purging medicines here required are not strong, and generous, but gentle, mild and weake, such as are styled Benedicta medicamenta: which may with great safetie and profit bee giuen either then or at any other time of the yeere without any dan∣ger, or respect of any such like like circumstance at all.

* 1.3 Secondly I answer; Although this obseruation of the dog-dayes might perhaps be of some moment in hotter countries, as Greece, where Hippocrates liued, who first made mention of those daies: Yet in colder climates, as England, and such like Countries, they are of little or small force at all, and almost not to be regarded any whit, either in vsing mild & temperate purgatiues, or almost in any other; or in blood-letting: though very many, or most doe erroniously say and thinke the contrary. So that (if there be cause) they may as well and safely then purge, as at any other time: Or, if occasion shall vrge, as in pletho∣ricall bodies, and many other cases, a veine may safely (or rather most commodiously) be then opened, and so much blood taken away, as the skilfull Physitian shall thinke in his discretion and wisdome to be needfull and requisite.

Let no man here think, that this is any strange position, or a new paradoxe (for the learned know the contrary) or that I am studious of innouation, but rather desirous to roote out an old and inueterate errour, which in all proba∣bilitie hath cost moe English mens liues, then would fur∣nish a royall army, in neglecting those two greater helpes or remedies, to wit, Purging, and Blood-letting in hot sea∣sons of the yeare; which in all likelihood might haue sa∣ued many of their liues, while expecting more temperate weather, they haue beene summoned in the meane time, or interim, by the messenger of pale death to appeare in an other world.

Wherefore let all those who are yet liuing, bee admo∣nished hereafter by their examples, not obstinately and wilfully to eschue and shunne these two remedies in hot

seasons, and in the time of the Dog-dayes, (much lesse all other manner of physicall helpes) not once knowing so much as why, or wherefore, and without any reason at all, following blind and superstitious tradition, and error, haply first broched by some vnworthy and ignorant Phy∣sitian, not rightly vnderstanding Hippocrates his saying in all likelyhood, or at least wise misapplying it. Which hath so preuailed in these times, that it hath not onely worne out the vse of purging, but also of all other phy∣sicke for that season, because most people by the name of physicke vnderstanding purging onely, and nothing else. As though the art and science of Physicke was nothing else, but to giue a potion or purge. Then we rightly and truly might say, Filia deuorauit matrem.

But for as much as most people are altogether igno∣rant of the true ground or reason, from whence this so dangerous an error concerning the Dog-dayes did first spring and arise, giue me leaue a little to goe on with this my digression, for their better instruction, and satisfacti∣on; and I will briefly, and in few lines shew the case, and the mistake somewhat more plainly.

Hippocrates in his fourth booke of Aphorismes, the fift, hath these words: Sub canicula, & ante caniculam difficiles sunt purgationes. That is, vnder the canicular, or dog-star, and before the dog-star, purgations are painfull and diffi∣cill. This is all that is there said of them, or brought a∣gainst them for that season, or time of the yeare. A great stumbling-blocke, against which many haue dashed their feet, and knockt their shinnes, and a fearfull scar-crow, whereat too many haue nicely boggled. Here you doe not find or see purging medicines to bee then prohibited, or forbidden to be giuen at all (much lesse all other phy∣sicke) but onely said to be difficill in their working: part∣ly because (as all expositors agree) nature is then some∣what enfeebled by the great heat of the weather; partly because the humours being then, as it were, accended, are

more chaffed by the heat of the purging medicines; part∣ly, and lastly, because two contrary motions seeme then to be at one and the same time, which may offend nature; as the great heat of the weather leading the humours of the body outwardly to the circumference thereof, and the medicine drawing them inwardly to the center. All which circumstances in our cold region are little, or no∣thing at all (as formerly hath beene mentioned) to be re∣garded. For as Iacobus Hollerius, a French Physitian, much honoured for his great learning and iudgement, hath ve∣ry well obserued in his Comment vpon this Aphorisme; Hippocrates speaketh here onely of those purging medi∣cines, which are strong, and vehement, or hot and fiery; and that this precept is to take place in most hot Regions, but not in these cold Countries, as France, England, and the like.

Ouer and beside all this, those churlish hot purging medicines, which were then in frequent vse in Hippocra∣tes his time, and some hundred of yeares after, are now for most part obsolete, and quite growne out of vse, sel∣dome brought in practice by Physitians in these dayes; because we haue within these last six hundred yeares great choice and variety of more mild, benigne, and gentle pur∣gatiues found out by the Arabian Physitians, which were altogether vnknowne vnto the ancients, to wit, Hippocra∣tes, Dioscorides, Galen, &c. which haue little heat, and a∣crimony, many wherof are temperate, and diuers cooling, which may most safely be giuen either in the hottest times and seasons of the yeare, or in the hottest diseases. Let vs adde to these the like familiar and gentle purging medi∣cines more lately, yea, almost daily newly found out since the better discoueries of the East and West Indies. So that henceforth let no man feare to take either easie purgatiues, or other inward Physicke, in the time of the canicular, or dog-dayes.

The same Hollerius goeth on in the exposition and in∣terpretation

of the said Aphorisme, and confidently saith: Ouer & besides that we haue benigne medicines, which we may then vse, as Cassia, &c. Wee know and finde by experience no time here with vs more wholsome and more temperat (especially when the Etesian, or Easterly winds do blow) then the Canicular dayes: so that, wee finde by obserua∣tion, that those diseases which are bred in the moneths of Iune and Iuly, doe end in August, and in the Canicular dayes. Wherefore, if a disease happen in those dayes, we feare not to open a veyne diuers times, and often, as also to prescribe more strong purging medicines.

Wherefore away henceforth with the scrupulous con∣ceit, and too nice feare of the Dogge-dayes, and let their supposed danger be had no more in remembrance among vs. And if any will yet remaine obstinate, and still refuse to haue their beames pulled out of their eyes, let them still be blinde in the middest of the cleare Sun-shine, and groape on after darknes: and let all learned Physitians rather pitty their follies, then enuy their wits.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Obiect.
• * 1.2

  Answ. 1.
• * 1.3

  2.