greater inconvenience; è malis minimum, better do this then do worse. And as Tully holds, "better be a temperate old man, then a lascivious youth." 'Tis the only sweet thing, (which he adviseth) so to moderate our selves, that we may have senectutem in juventute, & in juventute senectutem, Be youthfull in our old age, staid in our youth, discreet and temperate in both.

MEMB. II.

Retention and Evacuation rectified.

d

HAVE declared in the causes, what harm costiveness hath done in procuring this disease; if it be so noxious, the opposite must needs be good, or mean at least, as indeed it is, and to this cure necessarily required; maximè conducit, saith Montaltus cap. 27. it very much availes. Altomarus cap. 7. "commends walking in a morning, into some fair green pleasant fields, but by all means first, by art or nature, he will have these ordinary excrements evacuated." Piso calls it, Beneficium ventris, the benefit, help or pleasure of the belly, for it doth much ease it. Laurentius cap. 8. Crato consil. 21. l. 2. prescribes it once a day at least: where nature is defective, art must supply, by those lenitive electuaries, suppositories, condite prunes, turpentine, clisters, as shall be shewed. Prosper Calenus lib. de atra bile, commends Clisters, in Hypocondriacall melancholy, still to be used as occasion serves, © Peter Cnemander in a consultation of his pro hypocondriaco, will have his patient continually loose, and to that end sets down there many forms of Potions and Clisters. Mercurialis, consil. 88. If this benefit come not of its own accord, prescribes Clisters in the first place: so doth Montanus consil 24. consil. 31. & 229. he commends turpentine to that purpose: the same he ingeminates, consil. 230. for an Italian Abbot. 'Tis very good to wash his hands and face often, to shift his clothes, to have fair linnen about him, to be decently and comely attired, for sordes vitiant, nastiness defiles, and dejects any man that is so voluntarily, or compelled by want, it dulleth the spirits.

Bathes are either artificiall or naturall, both have their special

*Cat. Major: Melior conditio senis viventis ex præscripto artis medica, quam adolescentis luxuriosi. d Debet per amæna exerceri, & loca viridia, excretis prius arte vel natura alvi excrementis. • Hildesheim spicel. 2. de mel. Primum omnium operam dabis ut singulis diebus habeas beneficium ventris, semper cavendo ne alvus sit diutius astricta. Si non sponte, Clisteribus purgetur.

uses

uses in this malady, and as Alexander supposeth lib. 1. cap. 16. yeeld as speedy a remedy, as any other Physick whatsoever. Etius would have them daily used, assidua balnea, Tetra. 2. sect. 2. c. 9. Galen crakes how many severall cures he hath performed in this kinde by use of bathes alone, and Rufus pills, moistning them which are otherwise dry. Rhasis makes it a principall cure, Tota cura sit in humectando, to bathe and afterwards anoint with oyle. Jason Pratensis, Laurentius cap. 8. and Montanus set down their peculiar formes of artificiall bathes. Crato consil. 17. lib. 2. commends Mallowes, Camomile, Violets, Borage to be boyled in it, and sometimes faire water alone, and in his following counsell, Balneum aquæ dulcis solum sæpissimè profuisse compertum habemus. So doth Fuchsius lib. 1. cap. 33. Frisimelica 2. consil. 42. in Trincavelius. Some beside hearbes, prescribe a ramme's head and other things to be boyled. Fernelius consil. 44. will have them used 10. or 12. dayes together; to which he must enter fasting, and so continue in a temperate heat, and after that frictions all over the body. Lelius Ægubinus consil. 142. and Christoph. Ærerus in a consultation of his, hold once or twice a week sufficient to bathe, the "* water to be warme, not hot, for fear of sweating." Felix Plater, observ. lib. 1. for a Melancholy Lawyer, will have lotions of the head still joyned to these bathes, with a lee wherein capitall hearbs have been boyled." Laurentius speaks of bathes of milk, which I finde approved by many others. And still after bath, the body to be anointed with oyl of bitter Almonds, of violets, new or fresh butter, Capon's grease, especially the back bone, and then lotions of the head, embrocations, &c. These kinde of bathes have been in former times much frequented, and diversly varied, and are still in general use in those Eastern countries. The Romanes had their publick baths very sumptuous and stupend, as those of Antoninus and Dioclesian. Plin. 36. saith there were an infinite number of them in Rome and mightily frequented; some bathed seven times a day, as Commodus the Emperour is reported to have done: usually twice a day, and they were after anointed with most costly oyntments: rich women bathed themselves in milke, some in the milke of 500. she asses at once: we have many ruines of such bathes found in this Iland, amongst those parie

n

Balneorum usus dulcium, siquid aliud, ipsis opitulatur. Credo hæc dici cum aliqua jactantia, inquit Montanus consil. 26. i In quibus jejunus diu sedeat eo tempore, ne sudorem excitent aut manifestum teporem, sed quadam refrigeratione humectent. k Aqua non sit calida, sed tepida, ne sudor se Lotiones capitis ex lixivio, in quo herbas capitales coxerint.

quatur.

Cap. 8. de mel "Aut axungia pulli, Piso.

tines and rubbish of old Romane townes. Lipsius de mag. Urb. Rom. 1. 3. c. 8. Rosinus, Scot of Antwerp, and other Antiquaries, tell strange stories of their baths. Gillius l. 4. cap. ult. Topogr. Constant. reckons up 155. publicke Baths in Constantinople, of faire building; they are still frequented in that Citie by the Turkes of all sorts, men and women, and all over Greece and those hot countries; to absterge belike that fulsomeness of sweat, to which they are there subject. Busbequius, in his epistles, is very copious in describing the manner of them, how their women go covered, a maid following with a box of oyntment to rub them. The richer sort have private baths in their houses; the poorer go to the common, and are generally so curious in this behalf, that they will not eate nor drink until they have bathed, before and after meals some, ❝ and will not make water, (but they will wash their hands) or go to stool. Leo Afer. l. 3. makes mention of 100. severall baths at Fez in Africke, most sumptuous, and such as have great revenues belonging to them. Buxtorf. cap. 14, Synagog. Jud. speakes of many ceremonies amongst the Jews in this kind; they are very superstitious in their bathes, especially women.

u

Naturall Bathes are praised by some, discommended by others; but it is in a divers respect. Marcus de Oddis in Hip. affect. consulted about Baths, condemns them for the heat of the liver, because they dry too fast; and yet by and by in another counsell for the same disease, he approves them because they cleanse by reason of the sulphur, and would have their water to be drunk. Areteus, c. 7. commends Allome Baths above the rest; and Mercurialis consil. 88. those of Luca in that Hypocondriacall passion. "He would have his patient tarry there 15. dayes together, and drink the water of them, and to be bucketed, or have the water poured on his head, John Baptista Silvaticus cont. 64. commends all the Baths in Italy, and drinking of their water, whether they be Iron, Allome, Sulphur; so doth Hercules de Saxoniâ. But in that they cause sweat, and dry so much, he confines himself to Hypocondricall melancholy alone, excepting that of the head, and the other. Trincavelius consil. 14. lib. 1. prefers those Porrectan baths before the rest, because of the mixture

Thermæ. Nympheæ.

to the baths at least.

X

P Sandes lib. 1. saith, that women go twice a week Epist. 3. Nec alvum excernunt, quin aquam secum portent quâ partes obscænas lavent. Busbequius ep. S. Leg. Turcia. Hildesheim speciel. 2. de mel. Hypocon. si non adesset jecoris caliditas, Thermas laudarem, & si non nimia humoris exsiccatio esset metuenda. 141. "Thermas Lucenses adeat, ibiq; aquas ejus per 15. dies potet, et calidarum aquarum stillicidiis tum caput tum ventriculum de more subjiciat.

Fol.

panth.

Aqua Porrectanæ.

of

of brasse, iron, allome, and consil. 35. l. 3. for a melancholy Lawyer, and consil. 36. in that hypocondrical passion, the Baths of Aquaria, and 36. consil. the drinking of them. Frisimelica consulted amongst the rest in Trincavelius. consil. 42. lib. 2. preferres the waters of Apona before all artificiall baths whatsoever in this disease, and would have one nine years affected with Hypocondricall passions, flie to them, as to an holy anchor. Of the same mind is Trincavelius himself there, and yet both put a hot liver in the same party for a cause, and send him to the waters of S. Helen, which are much hotter. Montanus consil. 230. magnifies the Chalderinian Baths, and consil. 237. & 239. he exhorteth to the same, but with this caution," that the liver be outwardly anointed with some coolers that it be not overheated." But these baths must be warily frequented by melancholy persons, or if used, to such as are very cold of themselves, for as Gabelius concludes of all Dutch Baths, and especially of those of Baden, “ they are good for all cold diseases, naught for cholerick, hot and dry, and all infirmities proceeding of choler, inflammations of the spleen and liver." Our English Baths, as they are hot, must needs incur the same censure: But D. Turner of old, and D. Jones have written at large of them. Of cold Baths I finde little or no mention in any Physician, some speak against them: *Cardan alone out of Agathimus "commends bathing in fresh rivers, and cold waters, and adviseth all such as mean to live long to use it, for it agrees with all ages and complexions, and is most profitable for hot temperatures." As for sweating, urine, bloud-letting by hæmrods, or otherwise, I shall elsewhere more opportunely speak of them.

с

Immoderate Venus in excess, as it is a cause, or in defect; so moderately used to some parties an only help, a present emedy. Peter Forestus calls it, aptissimum remedium, a most apposite remedy, "fremitting anger, and reason, that was otherwise bound." Avicenna Fen. 3. 20. Oribasius med. collect. lib. 6. cap. 37. contend out of Ruffus and others, "%that many inad-men, melancholy, and labouring of the falling sickness, have been cured by this alone. Montaltus cap. 27. de

Aquæ Aquariæ. Ad aquas Aponenses velut ad sacram anchoram confugiat. Joh. Baubinus li. 3, ca. 14. hist. admir. Fontis Bollenses in ducat. Wittemberg laudat aquas Bollenses ad melancholicos morbos, mærorem, fascinationem, aliaq; animi pathemata. Balnea Chalderina. terne ungatur ne calefiat.

d Hepar ex❤ • Nocent calidis & siccis, cholericis, & omnibus morbis ex cholera, hepatis, splenisq; affectionibus. * Lib. de aqua. Qui breve hoc vitæ curriculum cupiunt sani transigere, frigidis aquis sæpe lavare debent, nulli ætati cum sit incongrua, calidis imprimis utilis. f Solvit Venus rationis vim impeditam, ingentes iras remittit, &c. Multi comitiales, me

ancholici, insani, hujus usu solo sanati.

melan. will have it drive away sorrow, and all illusions of the brain, to purge the heart and brain from ill smoakes and vapours that offend them; "hand if it be omitted," as Valescus supposeth, "it makes the minde sad, the body dull and heavy. Many other inconveniences are reckoned up by Mercatus, and by Rodericus â Castro, in their tracts de melancholia virginum & monialium; ob seminis retentionem sæviunt sæpè moniales & virgines, but as Platerus addes, si nubant sanantur, they rave single, and pine away, much discontent, but marriage mends all. Marcellus Donatus lib. 2. med. hist. cap. 1. tells a storie to confirm this out of Alexander Benedictus, of a maid that was mad, ob menses inhibitos, cum in officinam meritoriam incidisset, à quindecem viris eadem nocte compressa, mensium largo profluvio, quod pluribus annis ante constiterat, non sine magno pudore mane menti restituta discessit. But this must be warily understood, for as Arnoldus objects, lib. 1. breviar. 18. cap. Quid coitus ad melancholicum succum? What affinity have these two? "except it be manifest that superabundance of seed, or fulness of blood be a cause, or that love, or an extraordinary desire of Venus, have gone before," or that as Lod. Mercatus excepts, they be very flatuous, and have been otherwise accustomed unto it. Montaltus cap. 27. will not allow of moderate Venus to such as have the Gout, Palsie, Epilepsie, Melancholy, except they be very lusty, and full of blood. Lodovicus Antonius lib. med. miscel. in his chapter of Venus, forbids it utterly to all Wrestlers, Ditchers, labouring men, &c. 'Ficinus and Marsilius Cognatus put Venus one of the five mortall enemies of a student: "It consumes the spirits, and weakneth the brain." Halyabbas the Arabian, 5. Theor. cap. 36. and Jason Pratensis make it the fountain of most diseases, "" but most pernicious to them who are cold and dry;" a melancholy man must not meddle with it, but in some cases. Plutarch in his book de san. tuend. accounts of it as one of the three principall signs and preservers of health, temperance in this kinde; "To rise with an appetite, to be ready to work, and abstain from venery," tria saluberrima, are three most heathfull things. We see their opposites how pernicious they are to maukinde, as to all other creatures they bring death, and many

Si omittatur coitus, contristat, & plurimum gravat corpus & animum. Nisi certo constet nimium semen aut sanguinem causam esse, aut amor præcesserit, aut, &c. * Athletis, Arthriticis, podagricis nocet, nec opportuna prodest, nisi fortibus & qui multo sanguine abundant. Idem Scaliger exerc. 269. Turcis ideo luctatoribus prohibitum. De sanit. tuend. lib. 1. Lib. Frigidis & siccia Vesci intra satietatem, impigrum esse ad laborem,

1. ca. 7. exhaurit enim spiritus animumq; debilitat. corporibus inimicissima.

pitale semen conservare.

ferall