The temperate man, or, The right way of preserving life and health, together with soundness of the senses, judgment and memory unto extream old age in three treatises / the first written by the learned Leonardus Lessius, the second by Lodowich Cornaro, a noble gentleman of Venice, the third by a famous Italian; faithfully Englished.

CHAP. V.

Of the Commodities which a sober diet brings to the body; and first, That it freeth almost from all diseases.

29. NOw follows the third of those things, which we propound∣ed, to wit, The explication of those Commodities, which a sober life brings both to soul and body.

The first Benefit therefore is, That it doth free a man, and preserve him from almost all manner of diseases. For it rids away catarrhs, coughs, wheazings, dizzinesses, and pains of the head and stomach: it drives away Apoplexies, Lethargies, Falling-sick∣ness, and other ill affections of the brain: it cures the Gout in the feet, and in the hands, the Sci∣atica, and those diseases that grow in the joynts. It likewise prevents Crudity, the mo∣ther of all diseases. In a word, it so tempers the humors, and maintains them in an equal proportion, that

they offend not any way either in quantity or quality. Now where there is an agreeable proportionable∣ness amongst the humors, there is no matter for sickness to work upon: inasmuch as the ground of health lies in this, That the humors be rightly and proportionably tempered in the body.

And this both Reason and Expe∣rience doth confirm. For we see, that those who keep them to a sober course of diet, are very seldom or ra∣ther never molested with diseases: and if at any time they happen to be op∣pressed with sickness, they do bear it much better, and sooner recover, than those others, whose bodies are full fraught with ill humors, bred through the intemperance of Glut∣tony. I know very many, who al∣though they be weak by natural con∣stitution, and well grown in years, and continually busied in imploy∣ments of the mind, nevertheless by the help of this Temperance they live in health, and have passed the greatest part of their lives, which have been

many years long, without any nota∣ble sickness. The self same is to be made good by the examples of the Holy Fathers and Monks of old, who lived very long, healthy, and chear∣ful in the height of spare diet.

30. The reason hereof is, For that almost all the diseases, with which men are ordinarily vexed, have their beginning and birth from Repletion; that is to say, from mens taking more of meat and drink, than Nature requires, and then the stomach can perfectly concoct. In proof whereof we see, that almost all diseases are cured by Evacuation. For blood is taken away either by opening a vein, or by cupping-glasses, leaches, or o∣therwise, that Nature may be lighten∣ed: The great overflowing of humors in the bowels, and throughout the whole body, is abated and drained by Purgings and other Medicines: Absti∣nence and a very spare diet is pre∣scribed. All which ways of cure do plainly shew, that the disease was bred by Repletion: For contraries are cured by contraries. Whereupon

Hippocrates, Sect. 2. Aphor. 22. saith, Whatever diseases are bred by Repletion, are cured by Evacuation; and those that are bred through Evacuation, by Re∣pletion. But diseases by Evacuation happen seldom, and scarcely other∣wise than upon dearths, sieges, sea∣voyages, and the like chances. In which cases, the adust humor, which the heat through want of food hath bred and kindled, is first to be remo∣ved; and after that, the body by lit∣tle and little is to be nourished and strengthened, the measure of food be∣ing increased by degrees. The self-same course is likewise to be held for the repair of Nature, when upon great sicknesses the Evacuations have been many, whereby the strength hath been much impaired.

Since therefore almost all diseases proceed from this ground, to wit, That more food is taken into the body, than Nature requires; it will follow, That he who follows the just mea∣sure, shall be free from almost all dis∣eases. Which thing is also intima∣ted in that famous saying of Hip∣pocrates,

l. 6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, sect. 4. The Rule of health, is to eat without fulness, and to be diligent in labor. Where∣by he makes the true course of preserving health to con∣sist in spareness of food, and exercise of the body.

31. The self-same is con∣firmed by that which Phy∣sicians affirm, That Crudi∣ties are the Nursery of all those dis∣eases wherewith men are ordinarily vexed. Whereupon Galen, in his first Book concerning meats of good and evil juice or nourishment, saith, No man shall be oppressed by sickness, who keeps himself warily from falling into Crudi∣ties. And in respect of these Crudi∣ties the common saying is, That more are killed by surfets than by the sword. And the holy Scripture saith, Ecclus. 37. Many have perished by sur∣fets; but he that is temperate should prolong his life. And a little before, Be not greedy upon every dainty, and pour not thy self out upon every meat;

for in many meats there will be sickness. Now a sober course of Diet doth pre∣vent these Crudities, and thereby cuts away the ground of diseases. That which we call Crudities, is the imperfect concoction of Food. For when the stomach, either through the over-great quantity of meats, or for their refractory quality, or for the variety of them taken at the same time, or because there was not a due space of time left for the per∣fect concoction of food, doth imper∣fectly digest: then that Chylus or juice, which it makes of the meats so taken, is said to be Crude, that is, raw, or to have Crudity in it; which brings many inconveniences. First, it fills the brain and bowels with many phlegmatick and bilious excrements. Secondly, it breeds many obstructions in the narrow pas∣sages of the bowels. Thirdly, it cor∣rupts the temper of the whole body. Lastly, it stuffes the veins with pu∣trid humors, whereof proceed very grievous diseases.

32. These things might be largely demonstrated; but the thing is mani∣fest enough of it self, especially the first and the second point: I will on∣ly therefore explain the third and fourth.

When the Chylus is crude, or ma∣lignantly concocted by the stomach, and rather corrupted than digested (for so Aristotle calls it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; a corruption, not a concoction) there cannot be bred good blood in the store-house of the Liver, out of this kind of Chylus, but only that which is bad and vicious. For, as Physicians affirm, The second con∣coction cannot amend the first. Now then from corrupt blood there can∣not be made good nourishment in the body, but of necessity the whole tem∣per of the body is corrupted, and so becomes subject to diseases. For the third concoction, which is made in the small pores of the body (where the blood is assimilated to every part which it is to nourish, and lastly dis∣posed to the receiving of the form thereof) cannot mend the second.

By this means the temper of the body through these Crudities is by little and little altered, and marred, and made subject to many inconveniences.

Again, the crudity of the Chylus is a cause, that the veins through the whole body are replenished with im∣pure and foul blood, and such as is mingled with many evil humors, which in tract of time do by little and little putrifie, and at last upon occa∣sion of Labor, Heat, Cold, Winds, and the like, are set on fire, break∣ing out into great and perilous disea∣ses, whereby an innumerable compa∣ny of men do perish even in the flower of their age.

These inconveniences a sober course of Diet prevents, by taking away the Cruditities which are the cause of all. For when there is no more taken in, than the stomach can well concoct, and afterwards sufficient space of time is allowed thereunto, Crudities can∣not arise, but the Chylus is made good and agreeable to Nature: And from good Chylus, good blood is bred; And from good blood there

followeth good nourishment and good temper in and throughout the whole body.

By this means also the putrefaction of the humors in the veins is avoided; as likewise obstructions in the inward parts, and those superfluous excre∣ments which do so often vex and mo∣lest the head and inward parts and joynts of the body: So that a good constitution of the body, and health is hereby preserved: for they consist in these two things, to wit, the due proportion and sym∣metry of the humors, both in respect of their quantity and quality; and in a certain spon∣gy kind of disposition throughout the whole body, having no let nor impedi∣ment by obstructions, so that the spi∣rits and blood have their free passage and recourse through all parts.

Nor doth Sobriety only prevent the Crudity of humors, and the evil con∣sequences arising thereupon: but it doth also consume the superfluous hu∣mors, and that much more safely and effectually than bodily exercise doth;

as the famous Doctor Viringus doth learnedly shew in his Fifth Book con∣cerning Fasting, chap. 3, 4, 5. For Labor doth confusedly stir the body, and alwaies exerciseth some parts more than other, and most common∣ly only some few parts alone; and that ofttimes with a great perturba∣tion in the humors, with much heat and hazard of sickness, especially of Fevers, Pleurisies, and several kinds of Distillations upon sundry parts, which breed much grief and pain. But Abstinence pierceth far more in∣wardly, even unto the very entrals, and to all the joynts and knittings in the body, and doth with ease and equality make a general evacuation: For it extenuates that which is over∣thickened, it opens that which is clo∣sed, it consumes those things that are superfluous, it unlocks the passages of the spirits, and makes the spirits them∣selves the more clear; and that with∣out disturbance of the humors, with∣out fluxes and pains, without heating the body, and without hazard of dis∣eases, without expense of time, or

loss and neglect of better imploy∣ments. Notwithstanding it must needs be granted, That Exercise, if it be used in due time, and do not exceed measure, is very profitable, and to many necessary.

Yet ordinarily to such as lead tem∣perate and sober lives, and follow their studies, being much given to the imployments of the mind, there is no great need of long walks, or other long continued exercises, whereby much time is wasted and lost: but it is sufficient, if only for the space of a quarter or half an hour before meals, they use to swing or to toss a Bar, Stool, or some such like heavy thing; or taking in each hand a weight of Two or Three pounds, they strike and swing their arms about them, the one after the other as if they fought with a shadow. These are Exercises, which many grave and worthy men, even Cardinals themselves, do use (and that not un∣decently) in their Chambers. And there is no other which I know, that

doth more stir all the muscles of the breast, and of the back, nor more rid the joynts of superfluous humors, than these forenamed Exercises do.

Notes

• Dolores ischiadicos.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Crudity the mother of diseases.
• Non plu∣res gladio quàm ceci∣dere gula.
• Health con∣sisteth in two things.
• Vectis agitatio.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.