The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

498 HISTORY OF LIFE AND DEATIH.
and in summer, by detaining the spirits within, And therefore linen is to be preferred for delicacy
and prohibiting the resolution of them, and keep- and neatness, but to be suspected for our opeing off the force of the air, which-is then most ration.
predatory. 27. The wild Irish, as soon as they fall sick,
21. Seeing the anointing with oil is one of the the first thing they do is to take the sheets off
most potent operations to long life, we have their beds, and to wrap themselves in the woollen
thought good to add some cautions, lest the health clothes.
should be endangered; they are four, according 28. Some report that they have found great
to the four inconveniences which may follow benefit in the conservation of their health, by
thereupon. wearing scarlet waistcoats next their skin, and
22. The first inconvenience is, that by repress- under their shirts, as well down to the nether
incg sweats it may engender diseases from those parts as on the upper.
excrementitious humours. To this a remedy must 29. It is also to be observed, that air accustombe given by purges and clysters, that evacuation ed to the body doth less prey upon it than new- air
may be duly performed. This is certain, that and often changed; and therefore poor people, in
evacuation by sweats commonly advanceth health, small cottages, who live always within the smnell
and derogateth from long life, but gentle purges of the same chimney, and change not their seats,
work upon the humours, not upon the spirits as are commonly longest lived; notwithstanding, to
sweat doth. other operations (especially for them whose spirits
23. The second inconvenience is, that it may are not altogether dull) we judge change of air to
heat the body, and in time inflame it; for the be very profitable, but a mean must be used which
spirits shut in, and not breathing forth, acquire may satisfy on both sides. This may be done by
heat. This inconvenience may be prevented, if removing our habitation four times a year, at conthe diet most usually incline to the colder part, stant and set times, unto convenient seats, that so
and that at times some proper cooling medicines the body may neither be in too much peregrinabe taken, of which we shall straight speak in the tion, nor in too much station. And touching the
operation upon the blood. operation upon the exclusion of air, and avoiding
24. The third is, that it may annoy the head; the predatory force thereof, thus much.
fir all oppletion from without strikes back the vapours, and sends them up into the head. This III. The Operation upon the Blood, aed the San.
inconvenience is remedied by purgers, especially glisyig leat.
clysters, and by shutting the mouth of the stomach
strongly with styptics, and by combing and rub- The history.
ingl the head, and by washing it with convenient 1. The following operations answer to the two
lees, that something may exhale, and by not precedent, and are in the relation of passives and
omitting competent and good exercises, that actives; for the two precedent intend this, that
somrething also may perspire by the skin. the spirits and air in their actions may be the
25. The fourth inconvenience is a more subtile less depredatory. But because the blood is an
evil; namely, that the spirit being detained by the irrigation or watering of the juices and menibers,
closing up of the pores, is likely to multiply it- and a preparation to them, therefore we will put
self too much; for when little issueth forth, and the operation upon the blood in the first place:
new spirit is continually engendered, the spirit concerning this operation we will propound cerincreaseth too fast, and so preyeth upon the body tain counsels, few in number, but very powerful
more plentifully. But this is not altogether so; in virtue: they are three.
for all spirit closed up is dull, (for it is blown and 2. First, there is no doubt, but that if the blood
excited with motion as flame is,) and therefore it be brought to a cold temper, it will be so much
is less active, and less generative of itself; indeed the less dissipable. But because the cold things
it is thereby increased in heat, (as flame is,) but which are taken by the mouth agree but ill with
slow in motion. And therefore the remedy to this many other intentions, therefore it will be best to
inconvenience must be by cold things, being find out some such things as may be free from
sometimes mixed with oil, such as are roses and these inconveniences.
myrtles, for we must altogether disclaim hot 3. The first is this: let there be brought into
thlings, as we said of cassia. use, especially in youth, clysters not purging at
26. Neither will it be unprofitable to wear all, or absterging, but only cooling, and somenext the body garments that have in them some what opening: those are approved which are
unctuosity, or oleosity, not aquosity, for they made of the juices of lettuce, purslane, liverwort,
will exhaust the body less; such as are those of house-leek, and the mucilage of the seed of fleawoollen, rather than those of linen. Certainly it wort, witht some temperate opening decoction,
is manifest in the spirits of odours, that if you lay and a little camphire; but in the declining age
sweet powders amongst linen, they will much let the house-leek and purslane be left out, and
sooner lose their smell than amongst woollen. the juices of borage and endive, and the like. be