Galen's art of physick ... translated into English, and largely commented on : together with convenient medicines for all particular distempers of the parts, a description of the complexions, their conditions, and what diet and exercise is fittest for them / by Nich. Culpeper, Gent. ...

Proemium. CHAP. I.

ALL the order and Method of Phy∣sick, so far as concerns Order may be reduced to these three Heads.

• 1. The first consists in Notion, which is done by Resolution.
• 2. The Second consists in Composi∣tion of those things which are found out by this Resolution. And
• 3. The Third of the Dissolution of Definition.

This Third contains not only the Dissolution of Definition, or defining Diseases, but also an explica∣tion, Resolution, Division, Explanation or Exposition upon them, & this is the Basis of our Work at this time: and indeed this laies down the Way and Order to the whol Practice of Physick, and truly excels the other two as much as the Light of the Sun doth the Light of

the Moon, and we have drawn it into a very short Com∣pendium, that so we may benefit your Judgment, and not burden your Memory; we have devided it into an hundred Chapters, whereof this is the first, each of the rest contain easie Rules of Definition, yea so easie that a Child of seven yee••s old may understand them, and so short that they will not be burdensom to the weakest Memory, and although some of the Chapters be very short, yet they contain very necessary Rules di∣stinct f••om the rest, and he knows nothing that knows not this, That Order and Method help the Memory much. But put all the Chapters together and they com∣pleatly contain the Definition and Explanation of the whol Art; for from these do all Diseases arise, and in these doth the very Essence of Physick consist. As for the Contemplative part of Physick that hath been large∣ly pe••formed by us in many Treatises, which any that pleaseth may make use of. We come now to the matter it self, only we desire you to take notice, that these Heads are more largely discoursed of here and there in other of our Treatises, only we drew them up here in this form to satisfie the desires and inform the Judg∣ments of such as intend to study Physick.