Of Medicines Hot
THe care of the Ancient Physitians was such that they did not labor to hide from, but impart to posterity, not only the temperature of Medicines in general, but also their degrees in temperature, that so the distempered part may be brought to its tempe∣rature, and no further; for all things which are of a* 1.1 contrary temperature, conduce not to cure, but the strength of the contrariety must be observed, that so the Medicine may be neither weaker nor stronger, than just to take away the distemper; for if the dis∣temper be but meanly hot, and you apply a Medicine cold in the Fourth Degree, 'tis true you may soon re∣move that distemper of Heat, and bring another of Cold twice as bad.
Then Secondly, Not only the distemper it self, but also the part of the body distempered must be heeded, for if the Head be distempered by Heat, and you give such Medicines as cool the Heart or Liver you will bring another Disease and not cure the for∣mer.
The Degrees then of Temperature are to be dili∣gently heeded, which ancient Physitians have con∣cluded to be Four, in the first qualities, viz. Heat and Cold, of each of which we shall speak a word or two severally.