The castel of helth gathered and made by Syr Thomas Elyot knyghte, out of the chiefe authors of physyke, wherby euery manne may knowe the state of his owne body, the preseruatio[n] of helthe, and how to instructe welle his physytion in syckenes that he be not deceyued

❧ Of drinkes, and fyrste of Wa∣ter Capit. 18.

VNdoubtedly water hath preemynence a∣boue all other lycours, not onely bycause it is an element, that is to say, a pure mat¦ter, wherof all other lycours haue theyr original substance: but also forasmoch, as it was the very naturall and fyrst drynke, to all maner of creatures. wherfore the fayeng of Pindarus the poete, was euer welle allowed, which sayth, water is beste. And one thyng is to be well con∣sydered that from the creation of the world, vn¦tyll the vniuersalle deluge or floudde, durynge whiche tyme, men lyued eyght or nyne hundred yeres, there was none other drink vsed nor kno∣wen, but water. Also the true folowers of Py∣thagoras doctrine, dranke onely water, and yet lyued longe: as Apollonius, and other: and in the serchynge out of secrete and misticall thyn∣ges, their wyttes excelled. More ouer, we haue sene men and women of great age, and stronge of body, whiche neuer, or very seldome, dranke other drynke, than pure water: As by example, in Cornewall, although that the countray be in a very colde quarter, whiche prouethe, that yf menne from their infancye, were accustomed to

none other drynke but to water onely, mode∣rately vsed it shulde be sufficient to kepe natu∣rall moysture, and to cause the meate that is ea∣ten to perce and descende vnto the places of di∣gestion, which are the purposes that drynke ser∣ueth fore. But nowe to the qualities of water, after the sentence of auncient philosophers and phisitions, The rayne water, after the opinion of the most men, yf it be receyued pure & cleane, is moste subtyll and penetratyue, of any other waters: the nexte is that, whiche yssueth out of a sprynge in the easte, and passeth swyftely, a∣monge great stones or rockes: the thyrde is of a cleane ryuer, which rennethe on great harde sto∣nes or pebles. There be dyuers meanes to trye out, whiche is the beste water, for that which is lyghtest in poyse or weyght is beste. Alsoo that, wherof commeth leste skymme or frothe, whan it doth boyle. Also that, whiche wyll soonest be hote. More ouer deape lynnen clothes into sun∣drye waters, and after laye them to drye, & that whiche is soonest drye, the water wherin it was depid is moste subtylle. After a greate surfette, colde water drunken is a generall remedy. Hip∣pocrates affyrmeth, that in sharpe and feruent diseases, none other remedy is to be requyred, than water. And Galene wylle not, that chyl∣derne shulde be lette from drynkynge of water: * 1.1 but that whan they fele them selues very hotte, after meales, and do desyre to drynke water, specially of a cleane fountayn, they shuld be suf∣fred. Also Hippocrates sayth, In suche syknes where as thou fearest, lest the heed shuld be vehe¦mently greued, or the minde peryshed there must

thou gyue eyther water, or whyte wyne alayed with moche water. Not withstandynge there be in water causes of dyuers diseases, as of swellynge of the splene, and the lyuer, it also flyt¦teth and swymmeth, and it is long or it perceth, in as moche, as it is colde and slowe in decor∣tion, it loseth not the bealy, nor prouoketh vrine. Also in this it is vicyous, that of his proper na∣ture, it maketh none ordure. Fynally, alway re∣specte muste be hadde to the persone, that dryn∣keth it, for to yonge men, and them, that be hot of complexion, it doth lasse harme, and somtyme it profyteth: but to them that are feble, olde, fleu matyke, or melancoly, is not conuenient.

Notes

• * 1.1

  De ratiōe uictus in mor. acu∣tis li. 3.