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 ages. Cap. 25.

CHyldren wold be nourysheth with meates and drynkes, whiche are moderately hote and moyste, not withstandynge Galene dothe prohibite them the vse of wyne, by∣cause it moysteth and heateth to moche the bo∣dye, and fylleth the heedes of them, whiche are hotte and moyste, with vapours. Also he permit¦teth them in hotte wether to drynke clere water of the fountayne.

¶ A chylde growynge faste in his members to∣warde a man, soo that he semeth well fedde in the bodye, is than to be feared of fulnes of hu∣mours, and if it be perceyued, that he is replete, than muste be withdrawen and minished some parte of that nutriment, and accordynge vnto his age, some euacuation wold be deuised, other while by exercyse, walkynge vp and downe fa∣stynge,

and before that they eate any meate, lette them exercise them selfes with theyr own labors and do theyr own accustomed busynes, and eate the meates wherunto they be moste vsed, so that it be suche, that may not hurte theym. And this nede they not to knowe of phisitions, but by ex∣perience and diligent serche by theyr stoole, theyr norices shall perceyue what dygesteth well, and what doth not.

¶ But yf it appere, that by excessiue feedynge the bealy of the chyld is fuller and greater than it was wonte to be, and that whiche passeth by the bealy, is corrupted, or his sweate stynketh, these thynges knowen, if they eate stronge mea∣tes, gyue them not one kynde of meate, but dy∣uers, that the noueltie of the meate may helpe, that they may go more easily to the stole. For if any haue an vnreasonable appetite, he is sooner recouered, yf he be pourged by a boyle or impo∣stume comen forthe and broken, before that the meate be corrupted: and after that let hym eate fyne meates, and beynge ones hole, retourne by lyttell and lyttell to his olde custome.

¶ Yonge men, excedyng the age of .xiiii. yeres, shal eate meates more grosse of substance, colder and moyster: also salades of colde herbes, and to drynke seldome wyne, except it be alayd with water. All be it all these thynges muste be tem∣pred, accordyng to their complexions, & exercyse and quietnesse in lyuynge, wherof ye shall reede in theyr proper places hereafter.

¶ Dide men, in whom natural heate & strength semeth to decay, shuld vse alway meates, which are of qualitie hotte and moyst, and ther with all

easy to be digested, and absteyne vtterly from al meates & drinkes, whiche wyll ingender thicke iuyce and slymy, semblably from wyne, whiche is thicke, swete, and darke redde wynes, and ra∣ther vse them, whiche wyll make thyn humors, and wyll purge well the bloudde by vryne: ther∣fore whyte or yelowe wynes, and perchaunce frenche clarette wynes, are for them very com, mendable. Also wyne prepared with pure hony clarified, wherin rootes of persely or fenelle be steped, specially yf they suspecte any thynge of the stoone, or goute▪ And yf they more desyre to clense theyr raynes and bladder: than is it good to vse small white wine, as racked renishe wine, or other like to it. and sommetyme to stepe ouer nyght therin a persely roote slyt, and somwhat bruysed, and a lyttell lykorice. Fynally, let them beware of all meates, that wyll stoppe the poo∣res, and make obstructions or oppilations, that is to saye, with clammy matter stoppe the pla∣ces, where the naturall humours are wroughte and digested, the whyche meates I haue before sette in a table. But if it chaunce theym, to eate any suche meate in abundance, lette them take shortely suche thynges, as do resyste opilations, or resolue theym. As white pepper, bruised and myxte with theyr meates or drynke: garlyke also or onyons, yf they abhorre them not. Alway re∣membre, that aged men shuld eate often, and but lyttell at euery tyme, for it fareth by theym, as it dothe by a lampe, whiche is almooste extincte, whiche by powrynge in of oyle lyttell and lyt∣tell, is longe kept bournynge: and with moche oyle poured in at ones, it is cleane put out. Also

they must forbeare all thynges, whiche doo in∣gender melancolye, wherof ye shall rede in the table before: and breadde cleane without leuen, is to theym vnholsome.

Notes

• Gal. de tu. san. li. 1. Chyldern.
• Oribasins de virtute simpli. li. 1.
• Yong men
• Olde men
• Paulus E∣g••••eta. li. 1. cap. 23.
• Opilatiōs what they are.