AN ASTROLOGO-PHYSICAL DISCOURSE OF THE HUMAN VIRTUES IN THE BODY OF MAN; BOTH PRINCIPAL AND ADMINISTERING.

Human virtues are either PRINCIPAL for procreation, and conservation; or ADMINISTRING, for Attraction, Digestion, Retention, or Expulsion.

The scope of this discourse is, To preserve in soundness and vigour, the mind and understanding of man; to strengthen the brain, preserve the body in health, to teach a man to be an able co-artificer, or helper of nature, to withstand and expel Diseases.

I shall touch only the principal faculties both of body and mind; which being kept in a due decorum, preserve the body in health, and the mind in vigour.

I shall in this place speak of them only in the general, as they are laid down to your view in the Synopsis, in the former pages, and in the same order.

Virtue Procreative.] The first in order, is the Virtue Procreative: for natural regards not only the conservation of itself, but to beget its like, and conserve in Species.

The seat of this is the Member of Generation, and is governed principally by the influence of Venus.

It is augmented and encreased by the strength of Venus, by her Herbs, Roots, Trees, Minerals, &c.

It is diminished and purged by those of Mars, and quite extinguished by those of Saturn.

Observe the hour and Medicines of Venus, to fortify; of Mars, to cleanse this virtue; of Saturn, to extinguish it.

Conservative.] The conservative virtue is Vital, Natural, Animal.

Vital.] The Vital spirit hath its residence in the heart, and is dispersed from it by the Arteries; and is governed by the influence of the Sun. And it is to the body, as the Sun is to the Creation; as the heart is in the Microcosm, so is the Sun in the Megacosm: for as the Sun gives life, light, and motion to the Creation, so doth the heart to the body; therefore it is called Sol Corporis, as the Sun is called Cor Coeli, because their operations are similar.

Inimical and destructive to this virtue, are Saturn and Mars.

The Herbs and Plants of Sol, wonderfully fortify it.

Natural.] The natural faculty or virtue resides in the liver, and is generally governed by Jupiter, Quasi Juvans Pater; its office is to nourish the body, and is dispersed through the body by the veins.

From this are bred four particular humours, Blood, Choler, Flegm, and Melancholy.

Blood is made of meat perfectly concocted, in quality hot and moist, governed by Jupiter: It is by a third concoction transmuted into flesh, the superfluity of it into seed, and its receptacle is the veins, by which it is dispersed through the body.

Choler is made of meat more than perfectly concocted; and it is the spume or froth of blood: it clarifies all the humours, heats the body, nourishes the apprehension, as blood doth the judgment: It is in quality hot and dry; fortifies the attractive faculty, as blood doth the digestive; moves man to activity and valour: its receptacle is the gall, and it is under the influence of Mars.

Flegm is made of meat not perfectly digested; it fortifies the virtue expulsive, makes the body slippery, fit for ejection; it fortifies the brain by its consimilitude with it; yet it spoils apprehension by its antipathy to it: It qualifies choler, cools and moistens the heart, thereby sustaining it, and the whole body, from the fiery effects, which continual motion would produce. Its receptacle is the lungs, and is governed by Venus, some say by the Moon, perhaps it may be governed by them both, it is cold and moist in quality.

Melancholy is the sediment of blood, cold and dry in quality, fortifying the retentive faculty, and memory; makes men sober, solid, and staid, fit for study; stays the unbridled toys of lustful blood, stays the wandering thoughts, and reduces them home to the centre: its receptacle is in the spleen, and it is governed by Saturn.

Of all these humours blood is the chief, all the rest are superfluities of blood; yet are they necessary superfluities, for without any of them, man cannot live.

Namely; Choler is the fiery superfluities; Flegm, the Watery; Melancholy, the Earthly.

Animal.] The third principal virtue remains, which is Animal; its residence is in the brain, and Mercury is the general significator of it. Ptolomy held the Moon signified the Animal virtue; and I am of opinion, both Mercury and the Moon dispose it; and my reason is, 1, Because both of them in nativities, either fortify, or impedite it. 2, Ill directions to either, or from either, afflict it, as good ones help it. Indeed the Moon rules the bulk of it, as also the sensitive part of it: Mercury the rational part: and that’s the reason, if in a nativity the Moon be stronger than Mercury, sense many times over-powers reason; but if Mercury be strong, and the Moon weak, reason will be master ordinarily in despite of sense.

It is divided into Intellective, and Sensitive.

1. Intellective.] The Intellectual resides in the brain, within the Pia mater, is governed generally by Mercury.

It is divided into Imagination, Judgment, and Memory.

Imagination is seated in the forepart of the brain; it is hot and dry in quality, quick, active, always working; it receives vapours from the heart, and coins them into thoughts: it never sleeps, but always is working, both when the man is sleeping and waking; only when Judgment is awake it regulates the Imagination, which runs at random when Judgment is asleep, and forms any thought according to the nature of the vapour sent up to it. Mercury is out of question the disposer of it.

A man may easily perceive his Judgment asleep before himself many times, and then he shall perceive his thoughts run at random.

Judgment always sleeps when men do, Imagination never sleeps; Memory sometimes sleeps when men sleep, and sometimes it doth not: so then when memory is awake, and the man asleep, then memory remembers what apprehension coins, and that is a dream: The thoughts would have been the same, if memory had not been awake to remember it.

These thoughts are commonly (I mean in sleep, when they are purely natural,) framed according to the nature of the humour, called complexion, which is predominate in the body; and if the humour be peccant it is always so.

So that it is one of the surest rules to know a man’s own complexion, by his dreams, I mean a man void of distractions, or deep studies: (this most assuredly shews Mercury to dispose of the Imagination, as also because it is mutable, applying itself to any object, as Mercury’s nature is to do;) for then the imagination will follow its old bent; for if a man be bent upon a business, his apprehension will work as much when he is asleep, and find out as many truths by study, as when the man is awake; and perhaps more too, because then it is not hindered by ocular objects.

And thus much for imagination, which is governed by Mercury, and fortified by his influence; and is also strong or weak in man, according as Mercury is strong or weak in the nativity.

Judgment is seated in the midst of the brain, to shew that it ought to bear rule over all the other faculties: it is the judge of the little world, to approve of what is good, and reject what is bad; it is the seat of reason, and the guide of actions; so that all failings are committed through its infirmity, it not rightly judging between a real and an apparent good. It is hot and moist in quality, and under the influence of Jupiter.

Memory is seated in the hinder cell of the brain, it is the great register to the little world; and its office is to record things either done and past, or to be done.

It is in quality cold and dry, melancholic, and therefore generally melancholic men have best memories, and most tenacious every way. It is under the dominion of Saturn, and is fortified by his influence, but purged by the luminaries.

2. Sensitive.] The second part of the animal virtue, is sensitive, and it is divided into two parts, common and particular.

Common sense is an imaginary term, and that which gives virtue to all the particular senses, and knits and unites them together within the Pia Mater. It is regulated by Mercury, (perhaps this is one reason why men are so fickle-headed) and its office is to preserve a harmony among the senses.

Particular senses are five, viz. seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling.

These senses are united in one, in the brain, by the common sense, but are operatively distinguished into their several seats, and places of residence.

The sight resides in the eyes, and particularly in the christaline humour. It is in quality cold and moist, and governed by the luminaries. They who have them weak in their genesis, have always weak sights; if one of them be so, the weakness possesses but one eye.

The hearing resides in the ears; is in quality, cold and dry, melancholy, and under the dominion of Saturn.

The smelling resides in the nose, is in quality hot and dry, choleric, and that is the reason choleric creatures have so good smells, as dogs. It is under the influence of Mars.

The taste resides in the palate, which is placed at the root of the tongue on purpose to discern what food is congruous for the stomach, and what not; as the meseraik veins are placed to discern what nourishment is proper for the liver to convert into blood. In some very few men, and but a few, and in those few, but in few instances these two tasters agree not, and that is the reason some men covet meats that make them sick, viz. the taste craves them, and the meseraik veins reject them: In quality hot and moist, and is ruled by Jupiter.

The feeling is deputed to no particular organ, but is spread abroad, over the whole body; is of all qualities, hot, cold, dry, and moist, and is the index of all tangible things; for if it were only hot alone, it could not feel a quality contrary, viz. cold, and this might be spoken of other qualities. It is under the dominion of Venus, some say, Mercury: A thousand to one, but it is under Mercury.

The four ADMINISTERING VIRTUES are, attractive, digestive, retentive, and expulsive.

The attractive virtue is hot and dry, hot by quality, active, or principal, and that appears because the fountain of all heat is attractive, viz. the sun. Dry by a quality passive, or an effect of its heat; its office is to remain in the body, and call for what nature wants.

It is under the influence of the Sun, say authors, and not under Mars, because he is of a corrupting nature, yet if we cast an impartial eye upon experience, we shall find, that martial men call for meat none of the least, and for drink the most of all other men, although many times they corrupt the body by it, and therefore I see no reason why Mars being of the same quality with the Sun, should not have a share in the dominion. It is in vain to object, that the influence of Mars is evil, and therefore he should have no dominion over this virtue; for then,

1. By the same rule, he should have no dominion at all in the body of man.

2. All the virtues in man are naturally evil, and corrupted by Adam’s fall.

This attractive virtue ought to be fortified when the Moon is in fiery signs, viz. Aries and Sagitary, but not in Leo, for the sign is so violent, that no physic ought to be given when the Moon is there: (and why not Leo, seeing that is the most attractive sign of all; and that’s the reason such as have it ascending in their genesis, are such greedy eaters.) If you cannot stay till the Moon be in one of them, let one of them ascend when you administer the medicine.

The digestive virtue is hot and moist, and is the principal of them all, the other like handmaids attend it.

The attractive virtue draws that which it should digest, and serves continually to feed and supply it.

The retentive virtue, retains the substance with it, till it be perfectly digested.

The expulsive virtue casteth out, expels what is superfluous by digestion. It is under the influence of Jupiter, and fortified by his herbs and plants, &c. In fortifying it, let your Moon be in Gemini, Aquary, or the first half of Libra, or if matters be come to that extremity, that you cannot stay till that time, let one of them ascend, but both of them together would do better, always provided that the Moon be not in the ascendent. I cannot believe the Moon afflicts the ascendent so much as they talk of, if she be well dignified, and in a sign she delights in.

The retentive virtue is in quality cold and dry; cold, because the nature of cold is to compress, witness the ice; dry, because the nature of dryness, is to keep and hold what is compressed. It is under the influence of Saturn, and that is the reason why usually Saturnine men are so covetous and tenacious. In fortifying of it, make use of the herbs and plants, &c. of Saturn, and let the Moon be in Taurus or Virgo, Capricorn is not so good, say authors, (I can give no reason for that neither;) let not Saturn nor his ill aspect molest the ascendent.

The expulsive faculty is cold and moist; cold because that compasses the superfluities; moist, because that makes the body slippery and fit for ejection, and disposes it to it. It is under the dominion of Luna, with whom you may join Venus, because she is of the same nature.

Also in whatsoever is before written, of the nature of the planets, take notice, that fixed stars of the same nature, work the same effect.

In fortifying this, (which ought to be done in all purgations,) let the Moon be in Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces, or let one of these signs ascend.

Although I did what I could throughout the whole book to express myself in such a language as might be understood by all, and therefore avoided terms of art as much as might be, Yet, 1. Some words of necessity fall in which need explanation. 2. It would be very tedious at the end of every receipt to repeat over and over again, the way of administration of the receipt, or ordering your bodies after it, or to instruct you in the mixture of medicines, and indeed would do nothing else but stuff the book full of tautology.

To answer to both these is my task at this time.

To the first: The words which need explaining, such as are obvious to my eye, are these that follow.

1. To distil in Balneo MariÆ, is the usual way of distilling in water. It is no more than to place your glass body which holds the matter to be distilled in a convenient vessel of water, when the water is cold (for fear of breaking) put a wisp of straw, or the like under it, to keep it from the bottom, then make the water boil, that so the spirit may be distilled forth; take not the glass out till the water be cold again, for fear of breaking: It is impossible for a man to learn how to do it, unless he saw it done.

2. Manica Hippocrates, Hippocrates’s sleeve, is a piece of woolen cloth, new and white, sewed together in form of a sugar-loaf. Its use is, to strain any syrup or decoction through, by pouring it into it, and suffering it to run through without pressing or crushing it.

3. Calcination, is a burning of a thing in a crucible or other such convenient vessel that will endure the fire. A crucible is such a thing as goldsmiths melt silver in, and founders metals; you may place it in the midst of the fire, with coals above, below, and on every side of it.

4. Filtrition, is straining of a liquid body through a brown paper: make up the paper in form of a funnel, the which having placed in a funnel, and the funnel and the paper in it in an empty glass, pour in the liquor you would filter, and let it run through at its leisure.

5. Coagulation, is curdling or hardening: it is used in physic for reducing a liquid body to hardness by the heat of the fire.

6. Whereas you find vital, natural, and animal spirits often mentioned in the virtues or receipts, I shall explain what they be, and what their operation is in the body of man.

The actions or operations of the animal virtues, are, 1. sensitive, 2. motive.

The sensitive is, 1. external, 2. internal.

The external senses are, 1. seeing, 2. hearing, 3. tasting, 4. smelling, 5. feeling.

The internal senses are, 1. the Imagination, to apprehend a thing. 2. Judgment, to judge of it. 3. Memory, to remember it.

The seat of all these is in the brain.

The vital spirits proceed from the heart, and cause in man mirth, joy, hope, trust, humanity, mildness, courage, &c. and their opposite: viz. sadness, fear, care, sorrow, despair, envy, hatred, stubbornness, revenge, &c. by heat natural or not natural.

The natural spirit nourishes the body throughout (as the vital quickens it, and the animal gives it sense and motion) its office is to alter or concoct food into chile, chile into blood, blood into flesh, to form, engender, nourish, and increase the body.

7. Infusion, is to steep a gross body into one more liquid.

8. Decoction, is the liquor in which any thing is boiled.

As for the manner of using or ordering the body after any sweating, or purging medicines, or pills, or the like, they will be found in different parts of the work, as also in the next page.

The different forms of making up medicines, as some into syrups, others into electuaries, pills, troches, &c. was partly to please the different palates of people, that so medicines might be more delightful, or at least less burdensome. You may make the mixtures of them in what form you please, only for your better instruction at present, accept of these few lines.

1. Consider, that all diseases are cured by their contraries, but all parts of the body maintained by their likes: then if heat be the cause of the disease, give the cold medicine appropriated to it; if wind, see how many medicines appropriated to that disease expel wind, and use them.

2. Have a care you use not such medicines to one part of your body which are appropriated to another, for if your brain be over heated, and you use such medicines as cool the heart or liver, you may make bad work.

3. The distilled water of any herb you would take for a disease, is a fit mixture for the syrup of the same herb, or to make any electuary into a drink, if you affect such liquid medicines best; if you have not the distilled water, make use of the decoction.

4. Diseases that lie in the parts of the body remote from the stomach and bowels, it is in vain to think to carry away the cause at once, and therefore you had best do it by degrees; pills, and such like medicines which are hard in the body, are fittest for such a business, because they are longest before they digest.

5. Use no strong medicines, if weak will serve the turn, you had better take one too weak by half, than too strong in the least.

6. Consider the natural temper of the part of the body afflicted, and maintain it in that, else you extinguish nature, as the heart is hot, the brain cold, or at least the coldest part of the body.

7. Observe this general rule; That such medicines as are hot in the first degree are most habitual to our bodies, because they are just of the heat of our blood.

8. All opening medicines, and such as provoke urine or the menses, or break the stone, may most conveniently be given in white wine, because white wine of itself is of an opening nature, and cleanses the veins.

9. Let all such medicines as are taken to stop fluxes or looseness, be taken before meat, about an hour before, more or less, that so they may strengthen the digestion and retentive faculty, before the food come into the stomach, but such as are subject to vomit up their meat, let them take such medicines as stay vomiting presently after meat, at the conclusion of their meals, that so they may close up the mouth of the stomach; and that is the reason why usually men eat a bit of cheese after meat, because by its sourness and binding it closes the mouth of the stomach, thereby staying belching and vomiting.

10. In taking purges be very careful, and that you may be so, observe these rules.

(1.) Consider what the humour offending is, and let the medicine be such as purges that humour, else you will weaken nature, not the disease.

(2.) Take notice, if the humour you would purge out be thin, then gentle medicines will serve the turn, but if it be tough and viscous, then such medicines as are cutting and opening, the night before you would take the purge.

(3.) In purging tough humours, forbear as much as may be such medicines as leave a binding quality behind them.

(4.) Have a care of taking purges when your body is astringent; your best way, is first to open it by a clyster.

(5.) In taking opening medicines, you may safely take them at night, eating but a little supper three or four hours before, and the next morning drinking a draught of warm posset-drink, and you need not fear to go about your business. In this manner you may take Lenitive Electuary, Diacatholicon, Pulp of Cassia, and the like gentle electuaries, as also all pills that have neither Diagrydium nor Colocynthus, in them. But all violent purges require a due ordering of the body; such ought to be taken in the morning after you are up, and not to sleep after them before they are done working, at least before night: two hours after you have taken them, drink a draught of warm posset-drink, or broth, and six hours after eat a bit of mutton, often walking about the chamber; let there be a good fire in the chamber, and stir not out of the chamber till the purge have done working, or not till next day.

Lastly, Take sweating medicines when you are in bed, covered warm, and in the time of your sweating drink posset-drink as hot as you can. If you sweat for a fever, boil sorrel and red sage in your posset-drink, sweat an hour or longer if your strength will permit, then (the chamber being kept very warm) shift yourself all but your head, about which (the cap which you sweat in being still kept on) wrap a napkin very hot, to repel the vapours back.

I confess these, or many of these directions may be found in one place of the book or other, and I delight as little to write tautology as another, but considering it might make for the public good, I inserted them in this place: if, notwithstanding, any will be so mad as to do themselves a mischief, the fault is not mine.