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 lassitude. Cap. 2.

LAssitude is a disposition toward sycknes, wherin a man feleth a soorenesse, a swel∣lynge, or an inflammation. Sorenesse hap∣neth of humours sharpe and gnawyng, as

after great exercise and labours which lassitude hapneth to them, whose bodyes are fulle of ylle iuyce, & excrementes. Also after cruditie in them which ar not exercised, or do abyde longe in the * 1.1 heate of the sonne. It may also be in the bodye, wherin is good wyce, yf he be fatigate with im∣moderate exercise. In them, whiche do feele this lassitude, the skyn appereth thycke and rough, & there is felte a griefe somtyme in the skyn onely, * 1.2 〈…〉〈…〉tyme also in the fleshe, as it were of a soore. The cure therof, is by moch and pleasaunt rub∣bynge, with sweete oyles, whiche haue not the vertue to restrayne or close, and that with many handes, and afterwarde to exercyse moderately, and to be bayned in water swete and temperate in heate. also thā must be gyuen meates of good iuyce, potage but seld, wyne is not to be forbod¦den: for vnto wyne, vneth any thyng may be cō∣pared, that so ••ell dygesteth crude humours: It also prouoketh sweate & vrine, and maketh one to slepe sundly. But yf this lassitude do abyde the nyght and day folowyng, or waxeth more & more, than yf the pacyent be of good strengthe and yonge, and hath abundaūce of bloude, lette hym be lette bloude, or prouoke the hemoroides or piles to blede, yf they do appere. But yf it pro¦cede of the malyce of any humour, without abū¦dance of bloude, than resorte to purgations apte for the humour that greueth. The tokens wher∣of, shall appere as well by the colour of the skyn and diete precedyng, as by vrine, ordure, sweate, thyrste, and appetyte, as it is rehersed before in the complexions. If the yll bloudde be lyttell in quantitie, and the crude humours aboundant,

than shall he not be lette bloude, nor vehemently pourged, neyther, shal exercyse or moue hymselfe nor be bayned, for all exercyse caryeth humours throughout all the body, & stoppeth the powers. Wherfore these maner of persons shuld be kept in reste, and such meates drynkes and medicyns shuld be gyuen to them, which should attenuate or dissolue the grossenes of the humours, with∣out notable heate, as oximell, barley water, and mulse, yf the pacyent abhorre not hony. And for as, moch as in the sayd persons, comonly there is abundance of wynde about theyr stomakes, therfore pepper specially longe pepper or whyte is very conuenient to be vsed, and the medicine before wrytten, callyd Diaspoliticum, whan the humours are dissolued, than it is good to drinke whyte wyne, or small clarette wyne moderately.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.2

  〈1 line〉〈1 line〉.