blood and phlegm the cast excrementitious viz. Choller melancholy and why the matter of urine as also those which be expelled from the third and private concoction viz. Teares and swet secondarily such as proceed from the manifold concoction of the blood till it come to the most perfect degree of assimilation viz. Ros Gluten Humour Innoninatus Caubis The two last are added without necessity and therefore by some excluded without iniury The four humours blood phlegm choler and melancholy be made in the liver all at one and the same time all by one and the same heat The difference of them is not to be imputed to this heat but to the condition and qualification of the subiect matter if they be mad when which is the Chylus that is the meat and drinke concocted in the stomack resembling perhaps no colour consistence Almond-butter now this though it seem to be one simple humour yet it never is no not in the greatest disease Fornelius if this Chylus be temporate in a temporate body then all these humours in that body are temporate in their kinde if all then choler does not alwayes proceed from an immoderate but sometimes from a temporate nay a weak heat For what mans liver how cold soever it be is altogether without it This Chylus is carried by the meseraick vains to the liver which encompasseth it with the same heat from all parts and penetrates it equally making of the temporate part thereof blood of the hot part choler of the crude phlegm of the terrene melancholy and all this at the same time Obiect But phlegm is cold and crude the rudiment and shadow of the blood and and may by further concoction be turned into blood Ans. T is true yet not therefore necessary that we should name all halfe-concocted-blood phlegm or think it proceedes therefrom For then we might call the Chylus our meat or whatsoever we are nourished withall phlegm which how dissonant from reason let the obiector iudge moreover if the whole masse of blood were made of phlegm and choler of that and melancholy of this and each thus of other successively there should be but one humour in us taking diverse names according to the degrees or continuence of heat working upon it as a river is called now thus now otherwise by the inhabitants of this or that towne as it passeth by it It may here seem to be required what phlegm is but of that hereafter Thus much of the Galenists opinions of the humours the Chynicks laugh at these and their defenders calling them Humorists c. And count it folly to fetch the common internall causes of diseases from these supposed humours but derive all from Suphur Salt and Mercury which three principles to speak properly are not bodyes but plainly spiritual as they say by reason of the influence from heaven with which they are filled nor are they spirits because corporall therefore of a mixed nature participating of both and do bear anallagey and allusion as followes viz. Salt Common Salt Acerbe and bitter The Body Matter Art Sulphur Salt peter Sweete The soul Forme Nature Mercury Salt Armoniack Acid The Spirit Idea Vnderstanding c. And as they extract these third principles out of naturall bodies so they resolve them into the same hence they argue that bodies are made of the same and therefore must be well or ill as these shall stand affected to say the truth doubtles that which being present in us makes us sicke and being expelled from us we are well was the cause of our sicknessâ— but common experience saies a body full of corrupted humours is sick and freed from them is wâ—ll therefore here is no reason why we should not thinke those ill humours the causes of our malady on the otherside I thinke Bertinus was deceived when he said that not a crum of salt lay hid in the body which if any deny I thinke he deserves to be served as Lots wife Concerning the temper of the body and every part how the elements concur to their constitution over ruling qualities result how there is one equall temper where the qualities of the elements do not exceed each other in quality nor their substance in quantity how this is the rule of all the other eight to speak of these things is too large a discourse let it therfore suffice to know that when a man aboundeth with blood he is not therfore to be called of a sanguine complection if with melancholy humors of a melancholy teÌ„per c. For the abundance of this or that excrement does not instantly alter a mans perticular temper doubtles choler phlegm melancholy may abound in any nature if in the liver be cold and dry blood a long time together it may encline the body to coldnes driues which is a melancholy temper Astrologers refer the variety of the constitutions to the severall natures of the seven Planets and hereupon call some Ioviall some Martiall some venereall c. And from each Planet draw two constitutions as it shall be found well or ill disposed as from Mars well disposed they conclude a man valiant courragious fit to be an Emperour If ill they argue a man rash and fool hardy no better then a Tyrant He that desires to know more of this may have recourse to the learned treatise of M. Perkins stiled a resolution to a country man in the third volume of his works Of the Blood Blood is a humour hot yet temperate sweet and red prepared in the meseraick veines made in the liver of the temperate fat and aieriall parts of the Chylus and flowes from hence to all parts of the body Phylosophers affirme that we are nourished with his humour only Phisicians say with all four The seeming contrariety may be composed by the distinguishing thus blood is often taken for the whole masse conteined in the veines appointed to nourish the body now this masse is not homogenerall but of a diverse nature For the best and most temperate part of the blood is properly and in specie called blood the hot and dry part of it is called colerick blood the cold and moist part phlegmatick blood the cold and dry melancholick blood this diversity is answerable to the qualities of the Chylus whereof it is made therefore when Phylosophers say we are nourished with blood alone they understand the whole masse contained in the veines which neither Arisâ—otle nor any other Phylosopher will deny to have parts of the foresaid qualities these parts of the blood thus qualified must not be taken for excrementitious but for alimentary humours since they all nourish the body here two things are questioned first whether there be any pure blood in the veins without the 3. humors 2. Whether the blood be only a mixture of the third sincere humors so that choler or rather colerick blood in the veins should be the same with that wch is in the Gall I conclude negatively to both
great mens sins whilest you see and hear the glorious Name of God dishonoured and dare not or will not reprove for the same consider what the Psalmist saith 50.16 But unto the wicked said God what hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behinde thee For when thou seest a thiefe thou runnest with him and thou art partakers with the adulterers vers 22. O consider ye that forget God least I teare you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Now therefore I beseech you observe that those that run with the wicked and are partakers with the ungodly in their wicked delights are those whom the Lord shall tear in pieces thus you see that not onely the wicked themselves but also their associates and partakers shall be torne in pieces in the day of Gods fearfull wrath O consider this sweet meat must have sower sawce and then I trust through the Lords great mercy you will utterly refuse it upon those tearmes for what were it to gaine the whole world and to loose our soules But to conclude if neither perswasions nor exhortations may prevaile with you to break the neck of your Cock-fighting pleasures consider wel with your self that the Lord hath put you as it were into the Cock-pit of the round world to fight his battel against the flesh the world and the divel the strongest striking the sorest hitting and the cunningest fighting Cock in the world who is onely to be wounded with the spurres of faith and piety and that all those that wil overcome in this battell must be thorowly fed with the word of God and dayly breath with prayer and meditation whereby they strengthen their faith and sharpen the spurres of their holy zeale and those that neglect this meanes let them brag never so much upon their own dunghill yet when it comes to a sound tryall they will prove themselves to be brand fallen Cravens and likewise consider that every houre idely spent and every vaine word that proceeds out of your mouth is as it were vain to your soule and all unlawfull pleasures like hovells upon the spurres of your devotion and then with wisdom consider what an unlikely or rather impossible a thing it is for a poor famisht Cock pitifully vained and thus hung and hovelled to overcome a Cock of that wonderfull strength and devilish spirit that you are matched withall Again suppose that those that sit in the lower ring of the Cock-pit are the Divells and wicked Spirits and those that sit in the upper ring of the Cock-pit are the glorious Angels and blessed Saints both behoulding this doubtfull battell though with contrary affections the angels reioycing when they see you fight this spirituall battell like a good souldier of Jesus Christ that wicked Spirits wohping and hallowing when they see you strike faint fight like a Craven and fall beastly and hear dear brother that we make our selves a laughing stock to this wicked spirits let us pray unto our Lord Jesus Christ to strengthen our faith and to assist us with his grace that we may resiist the devill and make him flie from us and in the end tread Sathan underfoot and give us a crown of immortall glorie Amen Lord Jesus From your truly loving brother though he deals thus plainly with you Iohn Spencer GOod Sir Robert Carr I have receaved your â—etter and do acknowledge my thankfullâ—e unto you that you are pleased to have so good opinion of me and my endeavoures to commit your brother unto my care and ordering and that all things accomodate unto my desire at Steeford but I must entreat you that I may be spared for my coming to undertake care of him so farre remoted from my family I have my hands full of such dangerous employments again I hear there are suits in law betwixt you his mother my Ladie Carr who should I think have the custodie of him and therefore matters standing upon those litigious termes I should be loath to meddle with him but if you would bring him into this country I should be glad to do you the best service I can and the rather because his mother is very willing to commit him to my care but if my directions may do you or him any pleasure I have sent them unto you and desire you to employ Master Dixie that hath lived with me and is acquainted with his courses and so I beseech the Lord to blesse these or any other good meanes to yeild him comfort I take my leave and rest Desirous to do you service JOHN SPENCER The direction for Master Rochester Carr. OVr help is in the Name of the Lord that made heaven and earth First therefore let that blessed Lord be humbly fought unto by fasting and prayer Secondly let the distressed gentleman be removed from his own house unto some other convenient place well situate for aire and spacious fields to walk in and to do other exercises Thirdly settle with him a religious discreet Divine that may constantly pray with him and read unto him evening and morning and upon all good occasions to keep him company Fourthly place about him six honest servants men of good discretion and resolution that may be ready upon all occasions to aid and assist in the well ordering of him according to the dirrections of him that shall undertake the government of him to watch with him to ride with him and to exercise with him in shooting or bowling or any other exercise that shall be thought fit for him Fiftly let them be very carefull and take heed that there be no knives nor swords nor any wounding instruments left in the roomes wherein he comes nor worn by others that he may suddenly snatch at them for their temptations are many times very violent and their resolution sudden and disperate Sixtly let his apparell be decent and comely of cloth or plaine stuffe without lace or any such curious trimming and let his attendants give him no titles of honour but in civillity call him Master Rotchester or Master Carr and when he doth any thing wel then to shew the more respect unto him but otherwise to slight him as those that are set over him to command him and not to be commanded by him Sevently let his diet be sparing and moderate rather to support nature then to pomper the flesh veale lambe pheasant larkes smelts troutes pike pearch also let him fast often and pray much let him refraine from all kinde of wines and strong drink if you can by any meanes let him sleep six or seven houres in the foure and twenty and not above Eightly let him be held constantly to prayer and reading an houre in the morning and an hour in the evening and if the weather be fitting and his strength answerable let him walke a mile out right in the morning and evening and if you finde him inclining to
the mad dogs teeth made and this I saw in experience by one Richard Haines a tall young man pursued a mad dog a mastie neer the place where I dwell and standing at the gap the mad dog would come thorow clasped him in his armes intending to hold him tell his fellows came but the dog bit him very grievously in his side and about his belly they gat the mad dogs liver and made poridge and stuffed the wounds with the hair and so through Gods blessing the mad man did very well Crabs clawes and lobsters claws beaten to pouder and put into butter-milk or drinke is very good It is for the zeal of Gods glorie the desire to yeeld comfort unto poore afflicted soules and love of my country which moves me to write upon this subject Samuel 16.23 And so when the evill spirit sent of God came upon Saul David took an harpe and played with his hand and Saul was refreshed and was eased for the evill spirit departed from him NOw the question is wether this distemper and distraction grew out of some inordinate affection which proud ambitious covetous and amorous men are subiect to fall into the only help in this case is to pray unto God to give them humilitie and patience to submit themselves unto Gods will and faithfully beleeve that God will turn all crosses and losses to the best Rom. 8.28 Againe consider what thy sinnes have deserved and thine own unworthinesse of the least of Gods mercies despise the world and prise heaven this is the only musick to cheat the heart Secondly if it were some naturall in disposition or distemper Pheniticall timpheticall then materiall drugges might rectifie the humour so a sensible musick might recreate the spirits so a man preferre the spirituall and inward remedies but the corporall and outward also are not to be neglected as mirth good company or any comendable recreation is not to be refused but undoubtedly it was an absolute madnesse or melancholy fury with some intermission in which time he could hear advice and do mischief those mischeivous actes of mad men are both guilty before God and punishable also before men when the force of reason is not totally transported and extinquisht Again if it were a meer obsession that daibolicall spirit troubled and vexed him and because the divell is Gods creature and at Gods comand he may be said to be an evil spirit sent from God now in case of demonaicall obsession and affliction I cannot conceave what naturall power musick or melodie sick can have for the profligation or repulsion of devils and seeing a created Art hath properly not farre upon any proternaturall habit unlesse musick doth delight the sence and so draw attention and so alter the passion but I resolve it thus this musick cured Saul not as musick but as Davids musick no musick but Davids musick could do it otherwise seeing Saul so much hated him he would not have been so much behoulding unto David having many other cunning Musicians in the temple but their musick made him more mad God was pleased to work such an effect to bring him into favour with the king A TRACTATE OF MELANCHOLIE IT is my love to my Country which incites me to write upon this subject And since Almighty God hath been pleased to make my studies and labours fortunate in this kinde I have here presented them to the publike view hoping that some may receive good by my directions as many have done by practice I do not promise an addition to learning in this respect nor do I doubt but my long experience may adde somewhat to others readings however this good the understanding reader shall receive when as he shall by my faithfull relation know the effects of those means which I have used he shall either be emboldned to use the like or inabled by judgeing them to find out a more exellent way although I goe not accuratly to work because I intend to be short and only positive avoiding the more questions yet to avoide confusion I will observe this order First I will speak somewhat of the humours in general secondly somewhat of the four chief in particular Thirdly will set down a method 1. For knowledge of those things that any wise concerne the melancholy humour 1. Of the humours in generall MAns body may be divided into such parts as are contained or such as do containe them those which be contained are of a fluid and liquid substance the other may be called the subject or vessels wherein these are kept and do cohere which otherwise would be as water spilt upon the ground To omit the parts containing those which be contained are humours and spirits Concerning spirits let it suffice to know that they are a thin aieriall vapours substance the chief instruments which our soul worketh withall those which be inplanted and fixed in our solid partes from our first generation be the seat of our native heat and the bond of soul and body those which be after added to the former are first naturall in the liver conveied in the vains to the habit of the body secondly vital made in the lest cavity of the heart partly of the naturall spirit and partly of the air which we suck in and runneth by the Arteryes through the whole body Thirdly Animal made of the vitals in the braine thence diffused by the sinewes into the body stirring up sense and motion therein A humour is either Radicall or adventitious that is necessary to the constitution of a thing this to the preservation thereof Here is a fat aieriall oyly substance inplanted inbred an inherent in the body from the conformation thereof this we call Radicall moisture or naturall Balsome and compare it to a candle there is likewise an inbred and innate heate which word does not signifie a naked quality but a substance indued with this quality which our most wise Creatour hath made sensible to our touch so long as the life lasteth this heat is the instrument of the soul and is likened to the flame wasting the candle the coexistence of these two in the heart chiefly is the beginning and continuation of life this is that perpetuall fire that continuall light although it never flame which hitherto the Chymicks have in vain laboured to imitate and blow up or kindle when nature saw this heat ever feeding upon consuming that moisture she thought good to adde oyl to the lamp and provided wayes to repaire what was spent this she appointed should be done by the use of meat drinke c. The humour thus generated is called Adventitious because it is added to the former now whether the faculties flow with this humor or no I will not here determine All those humours which are continually made to renew so much of the Radicall moisture as is dayly spent are first primairly such as proceed from the second publique concoction the liver of these to be accounted alimentary or fit to nourish viz.
and think that the blood is alwayes accompanied with the rest of the humours which only resemble those which be separated and received into their proper vessells this of humours is the best the treasure of life many excellent things are spoken hereof insomuch that Empedocles and Critius say it is the soul Chrysippus Zeno say it nourisheth the soul It is needles here to thrust in a reason among others why Almighty God sometimes forbad the eating hereof as also to speak of the circular motion how it resembles the fountains running to the sea and the sea supplying the fountains Of Phlegm Phlegm so called by contrariety because of its crudity and that not in respect of the first concoction but of the second is an humour cold and moist white and without tast or somewhat sweet It may be called imperfect blood for by further concoction it becometh reall blood therefore nature hath appointed no vessell to receive it intending it for alteration not evacuation this is the Alimentary phlegm that is the Phlegmatick blood That which is preternaturall as are all the following kindes is avacuated with other excrements having no peculiar receptacle here note that the filth of the nose is not phlegm properly but the private excrement of the braine yet I deny not but that if the body be full of phlegmatick humours part of them may passe this way of this preternaturall phlegm be four kindes the first is called Nisipid not absolutely as the Alimentary but in respect of the other three kindes which follow This onely is properly termed a crude humour t is true every concoction may have its crudity but this concoction which attaines not its full perfection in the stomack by way of eminence is called crude and that body which aboundeth herewith is of the colour of lead such an humour also appears 1 in the sediment of some urines 2. Acid tasting like vineger which remaine thus for want of naturall heat and is caused by cold and moist diet especially if liberall large and out of due time as also by the constitutions which is colder in old men and women then others by a cold liver cold aire to much sleep and the want of the ordinary evacuation thereof thirdly Salt Avian thinks phegm becomes salt by adustion of bitter humours as we finde after combustion the fixed salt of any plant as wormwood c. Galen sayes t is either from putrefaction or from the mixture of a salt whaylike humour neither do oppose other if rightly understood for doubtlesse the true cause is a salt whaylike moysture which is nothing but the superfluous salt of those things which we eat and drink do we not finde tartar in wine casks and is not such a substance found in the earth wherewith plants are nourished do we not use salt with many meates that then hereof which nature cannot convert to nourishment is the matter of this preternaturall humour which is therefore hot because salt Fourthly glasse this difference is not taken from the taste as the other but from the colour and consistence it represents melted or liquid glasse this is the coldest of these kindes yet not exactly cold for then it should be like ice nor exactly moist but thick and viscous pertaking of the two other qualities Of Choler Choler Alimentary is the hot and dry part of the blood and fit to nourish called colerik blood because blood thus qualified will easily degenerate unto choler Secondly Naturall this an excrement of the second concoction hot dry bitter and yellow sâ—parated from the blood in the liver conveighed to the gall hence it distills upon the first gut adhearing to the stomack and by its acrimony excits the slow expulsive faculty of the guts to excretion this is that which we meane when we say choler viz. Yellow not black choler this in cold bodyes is somewhat pale in hot bodies somewhat red Thirdly preternaturall which is not made after the law of nature of this be foure kinds first is in consistence and colour like the yolk of a raw egge this is hotter and thicker made of choler adust so Galen Second resembles the juce of leeks such are infants stools for milk in them is soon corrupted garlick and onions cause it in others third is of colour like verdigrease here the heate is more vehement fourth resembles the colour which the herb Woad maketh and is made by a further adustion The materiall cause is hot and dry diet sweet and fat meats The efficient cause hot and dry constitution of the body aire and age which is youth watching hunger anger vehement exercise and lastly the suppression of naturall evacuation Of Melancholy Melancholy 1. Alimentary is the fourth part of the blood cold and dry 2. Naturall this is a humour cold and dry thick blâ—ck bitter and sowre made of the thick druggy part of nourishment and according to the vulgar opinion drawne from the liver to the spleen and transmitted from thence to the stomack to further the actions thereof Thirdly preternaturall which differs much from the former kind for that is a cold and dry iuce made naturally in a healthfull man this hot and dry tasting like the sharpest vineger this of the four humours is the worst this kinde of the foregoing kinds is the worst it wasts the body melts the flesh it works upon the earth like Ceaver upon meat and no beast will tast thereof But I cease to write more hereof under this head because it shall be the subject of the ensuing discourse unto which this which I have already penned is but an apparatus But having so much tired out my selfe with this sad Subject I will here give some ease to my pen and leave this to be supplyed by some learned Phisitian beseeching the great God of heaven and earth the great Phisition of soul and body to give this good blessing upon this weak means and if any poor afflicted soules receive any comfort by it to give the glorie and praise unto God unto whom it doth of all right belong Amen Lord Jesus Amen At my lodging in Black Fryers Aprill 19. 1641. MAny times it fals out that a loving husband parting with his deare wife behaves himselfe like the child of some great man Whose Father hath given him a fine Toppe to play withall but afterwards perceiving his sonne to much carried away with that pleasure or too lusty in justling the Topp or else to try the boyes disposition takes up the topp and puts it up into his owne pocket whereat the boy puts finger in the eye pouts and cryes notwithstanding his father perswades him to be content tels him what fine Coates he hath given him what dainty things he hath for him and what goodly land and houses he will bestow on him but for all that the sulling boy sits pouting and lowring and will not so much as thanke his Father for all these because he hath taken away his top and yet when he had