Of holding the breath.

Though all men can tell, what a singular benefit breathing is, whervnder the vse of our life is comprehended: yet they can best tell, which haue it most at commaundement. For as they liue with others, in societie of common dealinges, so they can execute any thing by the bodie, farre better then others, whether it be politike in the towne, or warlike in the fielde. And all exercises haue this ende, most peculiar and proper, by helping the naturall heat, to digest the good nurriture, and to auoide the offall, thorough out the whole bodie. Which what is it els, but to set the breathing at most libertie, being best discharged of impediment and let? And as the libertie of breathing maketh the soldiar to abide in fight long, the runner to continue his race long, the daunser to endure his labour long, and so forth in the rest, which must either haue breath at their will, or els shrinke in the midest: so the restraint and binding of the breath, euen where it is most at will, (for else it could not abide the restraint,) hath his commoditie, by waye of exercise to assist our health.

Now in breathing there be three thinges to be considered, the taking in, the letting out, and the holding in of the breath, wherof euerie one hath his priuate office to great effect, in the vpholding of health, and maintaining of life. For when we take in our breath, by the working of the lungues thorough such passages, as be appointed for the vse of breathing, we conueigh and fetch in aire into the roomy and large places of the bulke, to coole the harte and fine the spirites. When we let out our breath by those same passages, by which we tooke it in, we discharge the hart of a certaine smoky substance engendred in it, which is conueyed thence, thorough the same hollow, and roomie places of the bulke. When we hold and kepe in our breath which is of iudgement, and not of such neede as the other two, and done vpon cause to helpe nature therby: we must neither fetch aire inward, nor sende those smokie excrementes outwarde, bycause the belly and breast muscles and such fleshy partes as be about the ribbes being violently and vehemently strained and stretched, do for the time as it were mure vp, and stop the passage. This keeping in of the breath, by reason of the straine offered to those partes, and heating of the bowells, is therfore heeld for one of the vehement exercises, as it is also a postparatiue, called before apotherapeutike, bycause after maine stirringes it helpeth to expell those residences, which lynger within the bodie as being lothe to depart: and furthereth those, that are in good waye, and make hast to be gone. They that vsed this exercise by waye of traine to health, did it in two sortes: for either they strayted onely those muskles, which appertaine to the breast and bulke, and let those be at libertie which belong to the midrife and belly, that the excrementes might haue the readier waye downward, being once forced on: or they strayned both all the partes, and all their muscles at one time, that the bowelles also which are beneth the midrife might enioye the benefit of the exercise, and be as ready to discharge, as the other to driue downe. But for the better and more daungerlesse performing therof, they were wont to swadle the chest, the ribbes, and the belly. Bycause the holding of ones breath vnaduisedly and with to much strayning causeth ruptures and diuers other infirmities in the interiour vesseles of the bodie. Their meaning was hereby, sometime to strengthen the inward and naturall heat being encreased by exercise: sometime to helpe the breathing partes: sometime to discharge the breast and bellie of needlesse burden. For the breath being so violently strayted, when it findeth issue forceth his owne passage, and caryeth with him some finish and thinne excrement, either driuing it before, if it lye in his waye, or drawing it with him, if he catch it by the waye. Being of it selfe such a strainer, and expeller, it is good for to open the pipes, to fine the skinne, to driue out moysture from vnder the skinne: to warme, to strengthen and to scoure the spirituall and breathing partes, to make the places of receit more roomy, to encrease strength in labour, to helpe the eare in listening, to remoue coldnes or inflations from the entrailles, to stay the hikup and the cowgh: which commeth of some cold distemperature in the windepipes, to remedie the colick, the weaknesse of stomacke, the want or difficultie of breath. So that all those ought to esteeme of it, which haue their breathing and spirituall partes either cold or weake, or cloyed with excrementes, or whose bodies can either with much adoe or with none at all expell and ridde superfluous humours, or that be cumbred with much gaping and yawning, with resolution or weaknesse of the tongue, or any vocalle instrument. If it were to be perceiued by no waye els, verie children let vs see, that holding of the breath doth stirre and strengthen that power in vs, wherwith we expell superfluities. For let them staye their breath either laughing long, or weeping fiercely, or vpon some such other occasion, and they will either presently or verie shortly after, disburden themselues one waie or other, by ordure, vrine, or some other matter at the nose and eares. Now as this exercise is healthful to manie in good order: so contrariewise to some in disorder it is verie daungerous, bycause oftimes while the breath is to forcibly stopt, the arteries in the iawes, and baulles of the eyes swell so, as they will never come in temper againe. It filleth the head also with a grosse and stuffing humour, as maie easely be seene by the swelling of the vaines and arteries in the neck, by the puffing about the eyes, by the rednesse of the face, and by the strutting of the whole head, all which be manifest signes of repletion. It is daungerous for those which be subiect to the falling sicknesse, bycause it encreaseth the disease by that recourse, which the blood hath vp into the head: as also to them which spit or cast vp blood, for that both the sound and whole inward vesseles do burst with stretching, if they be but weake: or being broken once before, and healed againe, they will then breake out againe, by reason of heat which is encreased in the hollow of the breast, and the ouerstraining of the said vesselles withall. Moreouer such as from their birth haue small entraulles and thinne, or the rim of their bellie tender and weake: or that be troubled with renting and ruptures must in no case minde this exercise, bycause it straineth those partes to sore, and lightly teareth them, as it proueth oftimes to pitifull true in young children, which by holding their breath to long, either weeping or otherwise, oftimes breake either the rim of their belly, or the call of their cods, wherby the bowelles and guttes falling downward, they become miserably tormented with incurable ruptures and burstinges: If trumpetters, and those that play vpon winde instruments were asked the question, whether they feele not the effect herof somtime, they would shake the head, and so sooth the demaunde, though they said no more. They do write of Milo18 the Crotoniate, a great champion in those achleticall exercises, that he vsed to binde his forehead, his breast, and his ribbes with verie strong tapes, and would neuer let his breath goe, till the vaines were swelled so full, as they burst the tapes. But this fellow had no fellow in any of those pastimes. It was he that bare the bull vpon his shoulder in the Olympian assemblie by vsing to cary him of a litle young calfe. So great thinges be easely compassed, if they be set in hand with, when they be but litle, or medled with, by litle and litle. The best waye to auoide perill in this exercise is to beginne gently, and so to grow on by degrees, and to leaue be times before extremitie bidde hoe, and while ye be yet able to do more, neither to force nature to the furthest.