The castell of health, corrected, and in some places augmented by the first author thereof, Sir Thomas Elyot Knight

The precepts of the ancient phisition Diocles to King Antigonus. CAP. 11.

WE will now deuide the body of man into foure parts, the head, the bulke called in Latine Thorax, which contayneth the breast, the sides, the stomack and intrailes. The belly, called in latine Venter, containeth the paunch and bowels. Also the bladder called in latine Vesica, in the which name, is also contayned the conduits by the which vrine passeth. When any disease approcheth to the head, these tokens do commonly precede, swimming in the head, headache, heauines of the browes, sounding in the eares, pricking in the temples, the eies in the morning doe water or waxe dim, the smelling is dull, the gummes doe swell.

When thou féelest such tokens, forthwith purge the head with somewhat, not with vehement medicines, but taking Isope or organum, & the crops of them boyle with white or claret wine halfe a pint, and therewith gargarise your mouth fasting, vntil the fleum be purged out of your head: this is the easiest medicine in diseases of the head.

It is also very holesome to gargarise the mouth & breast with hony water, whereunto mustard is put and mingled, but first the head must be rubbed with a warme cloth, that the fleum may easily come out of the head. And if these to∣kens be neglected, these maner of sicknesses do follow soon after, bleared eies and humours letting the sight, cleftes in the eares, swellinges in the necke full of matter called the kings euill, corruption of the braines, poses or rheumes, heauines of the head, and toothache. When the bulke is like to suffer any sicknes, it is perceiued by these tokens, all the bodie is in a sweat, the spittle is either salt or bitter, or cholerick, the sides and shoulders doe ake without any occasion, the pacient gapeth often, also there doth happen much waking, suffocations or lacke of breath, thirst after sléepe, the mind is vexed with heauines, also the breast and armes are very cold, and the hands doe tremble. Against these things, thie remedy may be prouided. After a mode∣derate supper assay to vomite without any medicine, vo∣mite is also profitable, which meate doth follow. He that in such wise wil vomit, let him eat hastily smal radish roots, townkerses, roket, senuy, or purslaine, and drinke after it a great quantity of warme water, and prouoke himselfe to vomit. He that setteth little by the said tokens, let him fear these sickenesses following, the pluresie, the sicknes of the lungs, melancholie or madnes, sharp feuers, the lethargie, inflamation with yexing. If any sickenesse bee towarde the belly, they may be espied by these tokens, y^e belly is first wrapped together, and in it selfe is troubled, all meates and drinkes doe séeme bitter in taste, he féeleth heauines in his knéees, a stifnes in his loynes, and wearines in all his body, without any occasion, a sléepines in his legs, with a

little feuer: when thou feelest these tokens, mollify the bel∣ly, not with medicine, but with good order of diet, for it is best and most sure, to vse those things, wherof lightly may ensue none annoyance, in the number of them are beetes boyled in water of honie, Garlicke sodden, Malowes, Sorell, Mercurie, and all thinges condite in honie. All these doe expell the ordure of the bellie: but if anie of the sayd signes, doe more and more increase, the licour where∣in the séed of Carthamus called also Cnicus is boyled, is a pleasant sure medicine, small cole wortes boyled in a good quantitie of water, the licoure thereof in measure two pintes, sauing the third part of a pint with honie and salte being dronken, shall profite much. Cicer & the pulse called in latine Eruum, in english (I suppose) chits in water, drūk fasting hath y^e same effect. To thē which set little by y^e said tokens, these diseases do suddenly happen. Fluxe of the bel∣lye, bloudie fluxe, slippernes of the bowels, paines in the guttes, ach in the huckle bones, the feuer tertian, the gout, the apoplexy or palsley in the lims. Hemerhoydes, aking of ioynts. When the bladder is towarde any sickenesse, it is perceiued by these tokens, fulnes felt after little meat, breaking winde downewarde and vpwarde, palenesse of colour in all the body, heauie or troublous sleepes, the v∣rine pale and passing foorth painefully, swelling about the coddes, & priuy members. When these tokens appeare, thē it is expedient to haue remedye of odoriferous thinges, which doe expell vrine, which shall bée done without any perill, with the rootes of fenell and parcely stéeped one or two daies in good white wine, and to drinke thereof fa∣sting euery morning thrée oūces and two drams, with the water of wilde Carets or Elicampane, which of these is nexte at hande, euery of them haue like effect. Also water wherein the peason called in latine Ciceres are stéeped, be∣ing drunke with wine is like commodious. Hee that neg∣lecteth the said tokens, let him looke for these sicknesses fol∣lowing, the dropsie, the greatnes of the spléen, griefe in the liuer, y^e stone, ach of back, or pains in the raines, y^e difficulty

of vrine, fulnes of the belly. In all these things that wee haue spoken of, wee shall giue to children mast easie medi∣cines, to men those that bee stronger in working. This diet of Diocles, although at this time it seemeth not most pleasant, nor according to the practise now vsed, yet being tempred with that which I haue before remembred, some thing may be found in it, which being experienced, may be as commodious for the health of mans bodie, as the dyet which is more curious or pleasan̄t.