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 drinke.

DRinke whereby the moist substance is restored which is dayly consumed, and the naturall thirst allayed, * 1.1 the

fat, and thick moisture, carried through the narrow passages, and the meat in the stomach is mingled, concocted, and pow∣red forth, and an inflamation of that fat, which is destina∣ted by nature to nourish our bodies, is prohibited; there are divers kinds, * 1.2 Water, Wine, strong Beere, and water mingled with Hony, and certaine liquors made with Apples, Peares, and such like.

There is great variety of Waters, * 1.3 all which are cold, and moist, but the best is that which is found to be pure and fin∣cere, by the sight, taste, and smell, and offers the savour of nothing to the taste, * 1.4 neither odour to the smell, which soone growes hot, and suddenly grows cold, which is light, and wherein flesh, and fruit are soon boyled: some is Fountaine water other is River, some is Raine water, other lake, or Pond water, some Marish, other Snow water.

The Fountaine is the best which hath these notes of good water, * 1.5 that which spreds towards the East, and runs towards the rising of the Sun, and thrickles through sand, and gra∣vell, that carries no mud with it, that is hotter in Winter, and colder in Summer.

River water for the most part is Fountaine water, * 1.6 and a∣riseth from many Fountains flowing together, and therefore is of a mixt nature, and receives also a mixt nature from the earth through which it flowes, and somtimes also, they are mingled with Snow melted in the Mountaines, and great Showres of water collected together, yet its crudi∣ty is corrected by the beames of the Sun, whilst it runs through many parts of the Earth; before the use of it, it should stand, and setle, in water-tubs, that whatsoever it carries with it that is impure may settle in the bottome.

Rain water which falls in the Summer time with thunder is the thinnest, * 1.7 and lightest, but since many Vapours are lift up by the heate, and mingled with the Showres, these waters are not very pure, whence they are obnoxious to putrifact∣ion.

Well waters, * 1.8 since they are not raised above the Earth, and are lifted up on high, only by the benefit of Art, they are thick and heavy, whence they continue long in the bowels and offend them.

Lakes and marish waters are the worst, * 1.9 they easily become purred, they are thick, and crude, and often times, malig∣nant, and Pestilent, from whence the stomack is offended by them, the bowels obstructed, and humours corrupted and

often times putred, and malignant feavers and Pestilen∣tiall do thence arise,

Waters of Snow, and Ice, are condemned, * 1.10 for they are thick and hurt the stomach, and stirr up greivous diseases of the joynts, nerves, and bowels.

But the malignancy of waters are corrected, by boyling, * 1.11 whereby not only the crudity, and frigidity is amended, but also, the terrene, and vitious parts are separated, which af∣terwards when the heate vanisheth, settles in the bot∣tome.

Wine hath a heating, * 1.12 and drying power which even the Spirit which is drawn out of it teacheth, yet because it easi∣ly nourisheth, and increaseth moisture, and blood, fit to nourish the body, tis said to be moist, namely Wine is a me∣dicinall aliment, hot, and dry, some in the first, some in the second, and some in the third degree; for this reason, the use of it is forbidden boyes, and by reason of this drying faculty many use to mixe water therewith, yet there is not a little difference in heating, and drying, not only according to age, but also according to the nature of the Wine it selfe, for some is very little suffering, because in mixture it will indure but little water, but other Wine is called winy Wine, because it may indure more water to be mixt with it.

But Wines differ according to taste, smell, colour, * 1.13 and manner of subsistance: as for what belongs to the taste, sweet Wines properly so called, nourish best, and are not only most gratefull to the palate, but to the bowells, but because they are thicker, they easily produce obstructions in the Liver, and Spleen, inflame the Hipocondries, and are easily turned into choler, they are profitable for the Lungs, Chops, and Throate, nor do they so hurt the head, nor offend the nerves.

Austere or harsh wines have the weaker heat, tarry longer in the belly, nor doe they easily passe through the veines, and pe∣netrate through the passages of the urine, whence they are good for a loosenesse of the belly, but hurtfull in diseases of the brest and Lungs, for they detaine spittle; the best wines are the middle sort which are neither very sweet, nor sowre.

A fragrant smell is a token of the best Wine, * 1.14 because it can increase Spirits, restore decayed strength, and recreate, and suddenly refresh those that are languishing, even by its smell, and can exhilerate the mind, and strengthen the

whole body and all its faculties, and principally tis good for old men, only that it fills the head, and hurts the nerves, but Wines that have no smell are base, and neither received so greedily by the stomach, nor are they so easily concocted, nor do they afford matter, nor so fit aliment to engender Spirits, nor do they add so much strength to the heart, nor do they so much refresh the body, but those which have a strange smell, whencesoever contracted, are all nought.

White or pale Wines heate lesse, * 1.15 then full and yellow Wines, and are weaker, especially if besides their whitenesse they are of a thin substance, all black wines are of thicker sub∣stance, and for the most part sweete and nourish very much, yet they beget thick blood, and not so laudable, they cause obstructions, and continue long in the bowels, and fill the head with many Vapours; between the white, and red, there are middle colours, yellow, reddish yellow, a pale red, and perfect red; a pale red are necrest to the white, and if the substance be thin, are the best, such as are Rhenish Wines, the most apt to strengthen the heart, and to renew strength; Greek Wines also strengthen the heart, and are beneficiall to to those that are troubled with cholick paines, and with the flatus of the stomach; red Wines for the most part have not so great a force of heating, they generate good blood, and do not load the head, but if they are of a thicker substance, they are not so good for the Liver, and Spleen, by reason of the ob∣structions, which they occasion; between the white, and red, is a Wine of a mixt colour, which also doth not heat so much, nor offend the head.

As for the manner of subsistence, * 1.16 tenuity is in the first place in that which is watry, hence that which is of a pale red, and yellow; crassitude is in that which is black, red, sweet and sowre, and thin wines easily penetrate, and soon refresh the strength, they open passages, move sweates and urine, yet they nourish more sparingly, but the thick nourish more, and are longer detained in the parts, and heat and dry them more, and often times bring forth obstructions.

Wines also differ according to age, * 1.17 new Wine is thick and flatuous, begets the cholick, impeads excretion of urine, yet it loosens the belly, and unlesse it doth so, tis the more hurtfull, new Wine, and that which it as sweet, as Wine new prest, is not easily distributed into the body, but old Wine does work too much upon the nerves, and offend the head.

That which is middle aged is more commodious for all uses, in which thing neverthelesse there is a great difference according to the nature of the Wine, for some will indure age, others sooner loose their strength, and consume away, and loose all their Spirits.

In places towards the Septrentrionall, * 1.18 wherein there is not so great store of Wine, strong Beere, or Ale, is the familiar drinke, and indeed profitable enough, as experience shewes.

But the strong drinke is prepared, some of Wheate, * 1.19 some of Barly, others of them both, in Polonia it is made of Oates, and preserved with Hops, the manner of preparing is very different every where, the waters also differ, wherewith they are boyled, they are kept also in some places in pitched Vessels, in others not pitched.

Strong drinke made of Wheate nourisheth more then that of Barley, and also heats and moistens more, * 1.20 especially see∣ing the strong drink made of Wheate hath lesse Hops, then that which is made of Barly, but it generates more viscous juice, it causeth obstructions, it provokes urine, * 1.21 but it loosens the belly.

Barly Beere, because of the Barly, heateth lesse, but be∣cause more Hops for the most part are put into it, acquires no small force of heating, it nourisheth lesse, * 1.22 and yeelds a thinner juice, but is more diuretick, that which is mixt of Wheate and Barly is of a middle nature.

That drink which is made of Corne, no way dried but by the heate of the Sun, hath more excrementicious humours, and often times brings forth obstructions.

All new drink is more unwholesome, especially, if it be troubled, for it obstructs the passages, and breeds the stone, but that which is more cleansed is wholesomer, but princi∣pally, strong drinkes have their faculties, from various wa∣ters of severall natures.

Hony and water mingled, * 1.23 for the most part heate and dry more then Wine, especially if Aromatick things are ad∣ded, but it easily turnes into choler, by reason of the Hony and therefore is not so good a drink for cholerick per∣sons.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The benefi of drink.
• * 1.2

  The kinds.
• * 1.3

  Waters.
• * 1.4

  Differences of Waters.
• * 1.5

  Fountain.
• * 1.6

  River.
• * 1.7

  Raine.
• * 1.8

  Well wa∣ters.
• * 1.9

  Lake wa∣ters.
• * 1.10

  Of Snow and Ice.
• * 1.11

  Boyling of waters.
• * 1.12

  Wine.
• * 1.13

  Differences of Wines Savour.
• * 1.14

  Smell.
• * 1.15

  Colour.
• * 1.16

  The man∣ner of sub∣sistance.
• * 1.17

  Differences of Wines according to age.
• * 1.18

  Strong drinke.
• * 1.19

  Its differ∣ences.
• * 1.20

  Drinkes made with Wheate.
• * 1.21

  With Barly
• * 1.22

  Mixt.
• * 1.23

  Hydromell.