Nine books of physick and chirurgery written by that great and learned physitian, Dr Sennertus. The first five being his Institutions of the whole body of physick: the other four of fevers and agues: with their differences, signs, and cures.

CHAP. IV. Of the signs of the constitution of the heart.

IF the heatt be temperate, * 1.1 mediocrity is observed in its motion, the Pulse of the Arteries and respiration, and those who have such a heart, they are endued with good manners, not effeminate, nor mad headed, or an∣gry, but humane, not covetous, nor prodigal, but liberal, not dissemblers, nor proud, but candid, without haugh∣tiness of mind, benigne, temperate, not precipitate, nor medlers; nor busie-bodies, but mature in counsels, not envious, but desirous of others good.

Those who have a hot heart, * 1.2 their whole body is hot, the motion of the heart, the pulse, respiration, through urgent use, exceeds all mediocrity in magnitude, celeri∣ty, and frequency, they are couragious, and swift, and unweary of undertaking enterprises, and bold in under∣going dangers: they are rough, and full of brisilely hairs in their brest, and the brest in comparison of the head is great.

The signs of a cold heart, * 1.3 are contrary to those which are of a hot, the whole body is less hot, unless the liver be hotter, the motion of the heart, puise, and respiration when custome doth not so require it, is not so great, and sometimes small and slow, if there be a greater recesse to frigidity; and such a heart argues slowness to anger, fear, distrust, slothfulness, and lingering; whence such are ef∣feminare, contemners of glory and honour, their brests are without hairs, and in comparison of their heads little.

Whose heart soever is dry, * 1.4 their pulse is hard, they are not prompt to anger, but being stin'd up to anger are implacable and mad, and they can dissemble their anger, they are obstinate, and covetous, the whole body for the most part is too dry, unlesse the moisture of the liver cor∣rect it.

Moreover be whose heart is too moist, * 1.5 his pulse is soft, they are apt to an••e, but easily pleased, the habit of the body is dryer, except the dryness of the liver resist it.

The signs of a hot and dry heart are a hard pulse, * 1.6 great swift, frequent, great respiration, swift and frequent, those who have such a heart are fit to take in hand and perform actions, couragious and bold, apt to anger, and unplacable, envious, proud, and if there be excess of heat, and drouth, are mad, cruel, unmerciful, and sparing none; the same are hairy, especially in the Brests and Hypocon∣dries, the whole body is hot and dry, unlesse the consti∣tution of the Liver hinder it, the Brest broad and wide.

The signs of a hot and moist heart, are soft pulses, * 1.7 great, swift, and frequent, and the respiration answers to the pulse, so that the brest answers to the heat of the heart, and those who have such a constitution of the heart, are industrious, and prompt to actions, and not wild, they are apt to be angry, yet it is not sharp and durable, but placable, and this temperature, so that humidity do not too much exceed, most fit to prolong life, but if the hu∣midity doth much overcome the heat, putrifaction is ea∣sily caused, and putted fevers are generated.

Those who are cold and moist in the heart, * 1.8 bring forth a soft pulse, little, slow, thin, those which have such a temperament, are not bold, but fearfull, and distrustfull, effeminate, slow, and not apt to anger, and if they are stirred up to anger, it is not violent, but easily appeased, they are also gentle, shame-faced, desperate in adversity, and altogether endued with a soft and effeminate mind, their brests are bare, and the whole body, and the brest answers to simple constitutions in amplitude.

Moreover in those who have a cold and dry heart, there is found in the pulse hardness, smallness, thinness, * 1.9 and slowness, and such is their breathing, if their breasts be ample, they are no ways propense to anger, but being stirr'd up, and as it were forced to anger, retaine it very long, they are also covetous, and of all others most naked in the brest.

Yet here you are to be admonished, * 1.10 that those things which are spoken of signes, of the moral actions by Phy∣sitians, are not of acquired manners, and such as are com∣pleated by education, discipline, and custome, but are to be understood of the native and congenite manners, which Galen calls Hormas,; and when Physitians tell us that manners follow the constitution of the body, that

is to be taken of the native and ingenite manners, not such as are acquired.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Signs of a temperate heart.
• * 1.2

  Of a hot.
• * 1.3

  Of a cold.
• * 1.4

  Of a dry.
• * 1.5

  Of a moist.
• * 1.6

  Of a hot and dry.
• * 1.7

  Of a hot and moist.
• * 1.8

  Of a cold and moist.
• * 1.9

  Of a cold and dry.
• * 1.10

  Whether mens man∣ners are ac∣cording to their tem∣perature.