A way to health, long life and happiness, or, A discourse of temperance and the particular nature of all things requisite for the life of man as all sorts of meats, drinks, air, exercise &c., with special directions how to use each of them to the best advantage of the body and mind : shewing from the true ground of nature whence most diseases proceed and how to prevent them : to which is added a treatise of most sorts of English herbs ... the whole treatise displaying the most hidden secrets of philosophy ... / communicated to the world for the general good by Thomas Tryon.

Of Oxen and Cows, their Nature and Com∣plexion.

Oxen and Cows are dignified with a Sanguine Melan∣choly Nature, a little inclinable to the Phlegmatick; therefore much moisture is an Enemy to these Crea∣tures, in whom the four Humours are pretty well mixt, yet the Sanguine does predominate. As they are of an indifferent equal Tem••erature, so they are indued with harmless Properti•••• and innocent Incli∣nations: They are clean in their Radixes, and there∣fore refuse all filthy Food, and the same is likewise manifest by their sweet breathings, and the Dung that proceeds from them; whereas on the contrary those Beasts and Creatures that are unclean in their Root, do always desire and most rapinously feed on a proportionable unclean Food, as Swine, Bears, Dogs, &c. which is further demonstrated by their Shapes, Tones or Cries, (frightful and displeasing) as also in the fierceness of their Spirits and cruel wrathful Natures, all such Creatures are highly gratified with unclean Food, viz. Flesh, Blood, and the like.

But Cows and Oxen do afford many excellent sorts of Food, no Creature being more useful or profitable unto Mankind, not only in labouring and dressing the Earth, by which it becomes fruitful, but how many sorts of most excellent Food are made of Milk? And so natural and proper, no Fruit that proceeds from any Creature is of so great use. Milk in its

own nature being so simple and innocent, and having no manifest Quality that does too violently predomi∣nate, but is indued with equality and concord, easie of Concoction, especially Raw, as it comes from the Cow, it gently cleanseth and frees the Passages from Obstructions, which strong Fat Food does generate; it has a sympathetical Union with the Stomach and na∣tural Heat; it silently, and without making any di∣sturbance insinuates its Vertues and Nourishment in∣to all parts of the Body. Milk also being mixt with Flour; does make some of the most healthy and whol∣somest Food that can be eaten for all sorts of People and Ages, especially Children, it being heretofore their almost only Food, boiled with some Flour and a little Water, without any other Ingredients, which then in the Country was called Pap, but of late Years, in and about the City, they call that Pap which is made of Bread and Water, which is nothing near so good; and since the frequent use of Spanish Fruits and Spices, the aforesaid simple wholsom Food has much been laid aside, which is one cause why our Children in this Age are so much troubled with Di∣stempers in the Ioynts, viz. Rickets, and the like, hardly known in former times.

Milk likewise altered and Manufactur'd (if I may call it so) by the good House-Wives Art and In∣dustry, yields many other sorts of good Food, as Cheese and Butter, and many more innocent, as Milk-Pottage (which I especially recommend) there being such an agreement in the Ingredients, viz. Milk, Water and Oatmeal, being boiled together briskly, and not too long, as it not only affords a good Nou∣rishment, but opens the Passages, and is of a clean∣sing healing Nature; and therefore those that do fre∣quently use it, do seldom want a good Appetite.

Cheese is a wholsom healthy Food, a great strengthener of the Stomach, affording a strong firm

Nourishment; and such People as eat much Bread and Cheese, and do not want good Beer or Ale, are generally the strongest of men, abler to endure La∣bour and Travel, than those that feed on Flesh; there is as much difference between the one and the other, as there is between Horses that are fed with Corn and Hay, and those that are fed with Grass: Most men being mistaken in Nature, do believe that Flesh of all other sorts of Food affords the greatest and strongest Nourishment, because 'tis full of matter and Iuices; the very same may be supposed of Grass, compared with Hay: But the Husbandman will tell you, that those Cattel that feed on Grass are weak and faintish in comparison of those that are fed with Hay and Corn; for the Grass contains too much gross Moisture, which causeth the Nourishment to be unfirm, whence doth proceed dull heavy Spirits, the Flesh and Fat being soft and greazy, which in case of Labour, will waste, and such Cattel are apt to tire: But those that are fed with dry Food, (whereby the gross Hu∣midity and Phlegm is dryed away, or exhaled by the Sun and Elements) are strong and lively, of great Spirits, quick and active, little Bellies and clean Limbs. The very same is to be understood of the Food of Men, and if men could be as well satisfied as to their Minds with eating Bread, Cheese, Butter, flour'd Milk, Gruels, Pottages, Herbs in their Seasons, and the like, they would find by Experience how wonderfully such things support Nature, beyond all the Flesh in the World; for most of that matter which People suppose to be Nourishment in Flesh, is a gross Iuice, which turns to Putrifaction, as the gross phlegmy part of Grass does in Cattel.

Butter does afford a good Nourishment, but it ought not to be eaten in too great quantity, for then it generates Choler, oyls and furs the Passages, dulls the edg of Appetite; but moderately taken, is of

good use and healthy, especially to such as are ac∣customed to it.