Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi upon questions of all sorts for the improving of natural knowledg made in the assembly of the Beaux Esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation / render'd into English by G. Havers, Gent. & J. Davies ..., Gent.

CONFERENCE CLII. Whether Wine helps or hinders Digestion, and why? (Book 152)

THis Question will seem frivolous to the vulgar, who are no sooner debarr'd Wine by the Physitian, but they complain of Indigestion and weakness of Stomack. But our free Philo∣sophy shall use its own rights, and inquire, whether the common Opinion in this Point be the best. Now if Wine, which is hot, and acknowledg'd such by all Physitians, be receiv'd into a tem∣perate Stomack, it brings it into a distemper, whence Saint Paul enjoyn'd it not to Timothy, but in regard of the coldness or weakness of his Stomack, in which case a due temper results from the one cold, and the other hot. But temperate persons must avoid it's use, which was a just cause of Divorce to the Ro∣man Dames, capital in the Camp of the Carthaginians, and still in divers parts of Asia; whereunto if you add, all those that are depriv'd of it, because they have none produc'd amongst them, Children and sick persons, it will appear that (to say nothing of Beasts, which drink onely water, and are more healthy than we) there are a hundred live without it for one that drinks it. More∣over, they who are troubled with Indigestions, find and make others sufficiently understand, that Wine is last digested; other∣wise it would not keep its first colour, savor, and smell, after all other food, or at least onely alter'd by the acidity into which 'tis easily corrupted. Besides, Water-drinkers have a better Appe∣tite than Wine-drinkers, which is an Argument that Wine helps Concoction less then Water; and no wonder, since, as Galen saith, it increases Thirst instead of quenching it as Water doth. For Thirst, which is the Appetite of Cold and Moist, cannot be extinguish'd by Wine, which is Hot, and so more apt to in∣flame it. The Life of the first Patriarch, before the use of Wine, namely, before the Deluge, was much longer than it hath been since; and, no doubt, the principal defect in Man, and the Cause of most Diseases, is bad Digestion.

The Second said, That Digestion being perform'd by the con∣flux of Spirits elaborated in the Spleen, and Wine which is more spirituous, and consequently, furnishes more matter for our Spirits than any other Aliment, cannot but powerfully promote the same. Which clearly appears by old men, in whom Wine hath the same Effect that Milk hath in Children, and preserves these latter from Worms. Whence possibly Hippocates gave it not onely in Quotidian, but also in Continual Fevers; the hurt∣fulness to be fear'd from its heat, were it conjoyn'd with dryness, being secur'd by its humidity, which makes it symbolize with blood. Yet all Wines are not hot; small green Wines, especially the White and Sharp, have more of coldness than of heat; and

other Wines drunk in small quantity with much water, refresh more than water alone, because opening the Pores, they insinu∣ate into the remote parts, which plain water presently closes. Yea, Wine, as hot, is a friend to the Stomack and Bowels, whose membranous substance being cold and dry, needs the contrary qualities of Wine; wherefore Wine helps Digestion, which wa∣ter hinders, being indigestible it self, and so unable to give what it hath not. God's discovering Wine to Men after the Flood, as a remedy to the defect, left thereby in all Creatures serving for their food, being rather an evidence of its utility than hurtfulness. And there is as little reason to accuse it of shortning our dayes, as Guaicum of causing the Pox, upon pretence that the use thereof was not known till that Malady appearing, need∣ed it for its Cure.

The Third said, That the sole reason of the difficulty we find in digesting Wine, is the great resemblance of its qualities with those of Blood, both being Hot and Moist. But there can be no proper Physical Action without contrariety. For since every principal Agent induces Alteration in the subject which receives its Action, this change cannot be effected, but by depriving it of its former State, and the qualities which maintain'd the same. Which cannot be done, but by contesting with, and destroying them by contrary qualities; and so according to more or less contrariety, the Action is stronger or weaker. Hence in the Digestion of Aliment, which is a proper Physical Action, where∣in the Natural Heat destroyes the Food, in order to turn it into another Form, there must be contrariety; and such Food as ha's least, gives the Heat least hold to work against it; it not being easie for the Natural Heat and Moisture to act against an Aliment Hot and Moist, by reason of the resemblance between them; as a Friend hardly combats and destroyes his Friend. Wherefore Wine being of the same quality, our Heat becoms idle in order to its Concoction. Possibly too, its abundance of Spirits make it hard to be digested, stifling the Spirits employ'd for Con∣coction, by reason of the too great resemblance between those of the one and the other.

The Fourth said, That onely a disproportionate quantity of Wine is of difficult Digestion, a small quantity promoting it. Which holds good in all repletions, but, particularly, of Wine; which relaxing the Fibres and Tunicles of the Stomack, weakens the Retentive Faculty, provokes the Expulsive by its Acrimony, either in the Superior Orifice, whence arise Hick-cocks; or in the Inferior, whence proceed loathings and vomitings. Therefore the Apostle saith, Drink a little (not drink much) Wine. Nor would the inconvenience be less, if the best Aliments in the World were taken in Excess. For when their mass is too great to be constring'd and embrac'd by the Stomack, the Natural Heat is it self alter'd instead of over-mastering that, in order to Assimilation.

The Fifth said, That the Question is to be determin'd by the difference of Wines and Stomacks. Strong Wines, such as are sweet and piquant, are improper for Hot and Cholerick Stomacks which must have only small green Wines, or other beverages of neer quality to common water. On the contrary, Phlegmatick and Cold Stomacks, and Melancholy Tempers, are strengthened by Wine, but prejudic'd by water and other cold drinks; not that Heat is the cause of Digestion, (for the hotter a Fever is, the more it hinders the same) but because 'tis a Medium, whereof our Natural Heat serves it self.

The Sixth said. That indeed the diversity of Subjects makes some change in the Hypothesis, yet hinders not but we may pronounce upon the Thesis; whether Wine helps or hurts Di∣gestion. I believe the latter; because Digestion cannot be perform'd, unless all the Meats of one meal be digested at the same time; else the Chyle will be, part well elaborated (namely, that made of the Food which hath had a convenient stay in the Stomack) and part too much concoct and adust, made of that which stay'd in the Stomack too long and after Digestion; and part also too little, proceeding from Meats requiring more Con∣coction, and yet hurried away with the rest. Now 'tis certain, that Wine being sooner digested than other Aliments, by the authority of Hippocrates and Galen, (who hold, that it asswages Thirst, and is distributed sooner than they) it will produce a con∣fusion and hotch-potch in the nature of the Chyle, which should be uniform. But Water serving only for a Vehicle, agrees better with variety of Meats, being like the Menstruum of the Chy∣mists, and the Uniting Medium of the Lullists, which serves to re-unite all different Bodies into one alone, patiently attending their disposition without corrupting, (as Wine and Vinegar doth) and without leaving behind in the Kidneys the tartar, or lee of Wine, which is the seed of the Stone, where-with Water-drinkers are not so commonly troubled; partly, for the above∣said reason, and partly, because that tartar is not dry'd in them, as having less Heat than others.