WHereby every one may know their Constitution from thence, to order their Dyet and Customes suitable to the same, for the prolongation and continuance of health: or reducing them from a distempered state, and Morbisic in­clination, to their Primitive Constitution and good tem­perament.

The diversity of Complexions or temperaments may be com­prised under these four.

Sanguine, Flegmatic, Cholerick, and Melancholy.

THe Sanguine person is moderately hot and moist, hath a lively pulse, vigorous actions, the veines full and large, of colour fresh and Rosy, for habit of body soft, fleshy and mo­derately fat, of a pleasant minde and good disposition.

The Sanguine person being of the best Constitution is to be preserved in that state and purity, from degeneration and de­praved alteration; which is done by a due observance and re­gular course, in dyet, ayre, exercise and rest, sleeping and watch­ing, voiding and retaining of Excrements, passions of the minde.

In Dyet observe the quallity, that it afford good Nu­triment, and not hard of Digestion: Avoid Onions, Leeks, Garlick, Mustard, very salt meats either Fish or flesh, or what else hath a manifest quallity in extreame. Beware of strong Liquors, Spirits and Spices (except a little moderately for the stomacks sake) which inflame the blood and alter the purity of it, making it adust and cholerick.

In quantity be sparing, feed not high to a bestial satietety and fulness, intemperance vitiates and ruines the best tempered body, but rise with an appetite, the spirits being alleviated not dulled or oppressed.

For times and manner of eating; observe you charge not the stomack again untill the former be concocted; nor with variety or divers kinds at once, both which are the pa­rents of crudity.

Chuse an Aire temperate, serene and pure free from putrid vapours, arising from marrish grounds, Lakes and stinking Ditches, Dung-hills, or Carrions.

Use exercise, not violently, nor so on after meat, sleep mode­rately and seasonably, by going to bed soon and rising early.

Let no excrement of the first or second concoction be retain­ed beyond its due time for evacuation, whether by stool, urine, womens monethly purgations; and use Venus moderate­ly, and seasonably.

Let no passion disturb thy mind, but endeavour a sedate tran­quility and cheerfulness, which is of great moment for preset­vation of health. Sine animo Corpus, nec sine corpore animus, bene valere potest.

THe flegmatic person is cold and moist, to action more dull and heavy, not so witty, sharp, and accute, for habit of bo­dy, more grosse and fat, not hairy, the veines small and hid, the haire white or flaxen, a soft, weak, and slow pulse; not so prompt to Venus, prone to sleep and ease; by cold things pre­judiced, by hot things benifitted, incident to cold, and flegma­tic distempers, the appetite greater then the digestion.

Let the flegmaticks dyet be warm meats, oftner roste then boiled.

Sugar and Hony, mustard, salt and spices are lawful: Butter and Oyl is good Physick.

Olives, Capers, Broom-buds, Sampier, are good sauce.

Abstain from raw fruits, Apples, Pears, Plumbs, Cucumbers, Melons, &c. as hurtfull.

Refrain green herbs and sallets, as Lettuce, Purslane, Sorrel, except Sage, Rosemary, Time, Marjerom, and some hot herbs.

Refuse Fish, milk, and milk meats, they increase flegme and beget obstructions.

Let thy drink be moderately strong; a cup of Sack sometimes is for thy health, to concock crude and sl [...]gmatick humours.

Drink no Sider▪ Perry, Butter-milk or Whey, they are too cold and moist for a crude raw stomack.

Indulge not thy self to sleep much, it is an enemy by increa­sing moisture and dulling the spirits.

Seasonable exercise and moderate abstinence is physick, and great preservatives of health.

Chuse a warm aire, and dry soile, remote from waters, the best place for thy abode.

Hot baths are profitable, and Venus a friend. The former cherisheth the spirits, opens obstructions, and dryes up superflu­ous moisture. The latter suscitates and stirs up the spirits, al­leviates▪ and helps concoction.

THe Choleric person is hot and dry, eager and precipitate in his actions, contentious, hasty and angry; of body lean, slender, and hairy: the Veines big, a hard pulse and quick: of colour pale or yellowish the haire crisp or curled. Pro­pense t [...] waking, and short sleeps: subject to tertian feavers, choleric pushes and breakings out upon the skin.

Let this Constitution have a coole and moistning diet: most frequently boiled meats, rather then Rost or Baked, and fryed meats never.

Use Brothes with cooling herbs: or Barly brothes with fruite.

Milk and milk meats are pleasant and not hurtful: Fresh fish is good diet.

Mustard, salt and spices exasperates Choler and makes it more fierce and biting: Vinegar checks it.

Refuse the fat and brown of meat, also the crust of bread.

Butter and Oyle is fuell to the fire; Sugar and Hony is like them, being soon assimilated and converted into choler.

Stewed Prunes with Tamarinds are good to cool, humect, and keepe the body soluble; to restraine and bridle this active humor.

Prunella's have the like effect, but not solutive.

Eat Sallets of Lettuce, Purslane, Sorrel, Spinage and Violet-leaves; th [...]y are medicamental aliment.

Delight thy self with Oranges, Lemmons, Citrons, Pomegra­nates, Apples, Quince Peaches▪ Apricocks, Damasens, Respas, Currants, Barberies, Strawberries, they are profitable to con­temperate choler, cool and quench thirst, and very much re­fresh the parched spirits.

Avoid Wine and strong Liquors; they agitate choler, and rowzeth up thy sleeping enemy to disturb thee.

Buttermilk, Whey and Sider are good physick to extinguish and allay preternatural heate, to check the eff [...]enation of raging choler, and are like water to fire.

Fast not but satisfie thy stomack when it calls for it: biting choler must have something to feed on, or it will prey upon thy body.

Cherish and indulge sleep, it cools and moistens.

Use little and moderate exercise: be not laborious but take thy ease.

Avoid violent motion, it fires thy spirits, and enrageth choler,

Fly Venus as a pernicious foe.

Gold Bathes is profitable and refresheth much, by cool­ing the blood, allaying the Spirits and concentring them.

Banish anger, immoderate care, peevishnesse and fretting which discomposeth the spirits, heats and wastes them, augments choler, dryes the body, and hastens old age.

Refraine Tobacco as an injurious custome, it exaspe­rates Choler, by heating, drying, and evacuating flegme which contemperates, bridles, and checks the fury of acrid, sharp bilious humors.

THe Melancholy person, naturally so from the first prin­ciples, is colde and dry: but a Melancholy tempera­ment, acquired by Education, Customes and Accidents, by degeneration and admixture of other Humors adust, is hot and dry. Which makes the signes and symptomes of Me­lancholy to be different and various, and a difference is to be made in dyet and customes.

If Flegme be admixed and adust, they are stupid, dull and heavy: if from blood adust, they are commonly of a high Ruddy Complexion, and incline to la [...]ghter, wit, and mirth: if from Choler they are bold, fierce and angry: if from Melancholy adust, they are sad, fearful, and soli­tary.

The common Symptomes are a Pale, Black, or high Sanguine colour, leane body, and hairy, a little Head, large Veines, given to be watchfull, sad, solitary, suddaine laughter; a slow weake Pulse, t [...]oublesome sleepes and dreames.

Colde Melancholy hath milde Symptomes: if hot and adust, the effects are more churlish and furious.

For colde Melancholy, let the Dyet be hot and moist; for the hot Melancholy Person, let dyet be cooling and moist: in both let their meates be of light Digestion, affording good Nutriment; and not windy. As Mut­ton, Lambe, [...]eale, Capon, Chicken, Hen, Patridge, Phesant, &c.

Abstain from Venison, Hare, Goats flesh, Pigeon, Eeles, Salt Beef, salt fish, Geese, Ducks; dryed meats, fryed or broyled; old Cheese, Beans, Pease, Rye-bread.

Refuse Cabbage and Coleworts.

Potatoes and Parsnips good; Carrots and Turneps not hurtful, if the person be consumptive, hot and dry.

Capers, Broom buds, and Sampier are good sauce, they open obstructions of the Liver and Spleen.

Mustard and Vinegar bad, and all soure sauces, they make me­lancholly more contumacious and fixed.

Spices not good, if the person be hot, they cause adustion.

Use Borrage, Buglosse, Endive, Succory, Baume, Fumiterry, Lettuce, Marygold-flowers, Violets, Clove-gillyflowers, Saf­fron, they alter and quallifie the humour, and cheere the spirits.

Use Barly Brothes with Prunes, Raisons and Currants.

If melancholly be adust, and your body hot and costive; eat ap­ples, Cherries, Plums, Strawberries, and such like fruits, to coole and moisten.

Drink W [...]ey, Sider and small white wines.

Refuse black wines and stale Beer.

Keep the body soluble, your head will be more free from fumes, paine, and heavin [...]sse.

Cherish sleep it refresheth the spirits, pacifieth a troubled mind, and banisheth cares.

Fly idleness, the nurse of melancholly: Exercise often, and follow business.

Walk in the green Fields, Orchards, Gardens, Parks, by Ri­vers, and variety of plac [...]s.

Change of Aire is very good.

Avoid solitarinesse and keep merry company.

Frequent Musick, sports and games.

Recreate the spirits with sweet, fragrant, and delightfull smells.

Moderate Venus good.

Banish all p [...]ssio [...]s as much as in you lies, fear Grief, Despaire, Revenge, desire, je [...]lousie, emulation, and such like. Opus est te animo valere, ut corpore possis. Cicer.

Tobacco naught (especially if melancholly be adust and a hot body) it heats, and exhausts humidity, makes melancholy more contumacious,

Give not your self to much study, nor night watchings, they both dry the body, and make humours adust, two great enemies to a melancholy person.

IN the disquisition and diligent observation to know and finde out your own constitution by certain Characters, you must not expect all be signes before mentioned in the particular complexions to meet in [...]e single person demonstrating this or that temperament: For there [...] not to be found a person so flegmatick, without the admixture of [...]holer; nor so cholerick without some flegme; nor singley melancholy, [...]ithout both; nor purely sanguine, but participating of all. From [...]hence it is, the signes in this or that person are not all ho­ [...]genious declaring one humour in particular, but mixed, as the hu­ [...]urs also are different and mixed: but by comparing them together, [...] may easily discern, which do exceed in number and which are [...]ongest in signification; from thence conclude such a humour to be [...]edominate▪ and that to denominate the constitution; to which you [...]ust have a constant eye, that it grow not too luxuriant and abound­ [...]g, from whence diseases will arise according to the nature of that [...]umour, if not rightly moderated, qualified, and kept [...]der.

Your temperament being thus rightly examined and found out; will be no small advantage for the regulating all your actions and cu­ [...]mes sutable thereto, either to preserve it in that state, if tempe­ [...]te; or reduce it from a distempered condition and sickly inclination; [Page 14] which duely and rationally may be performed if you follow the rules and presciptions in each particular Constitution appointed in the preceding pages.

If your Constitution be Flegmatic, do what the choleric person is forbidden; but if Choleric▪ cleave to that the Phlegmatic person must avoid; if Sanguine, keep a mediocrity between both; if Melancholy; observe its proper remedies.

Change your dyet according to the seasons of the year, the variati­on of your temperament, and inclination to such or such a distemper. In Winter more meate, and lesse drink: In Summer lesse meate, and more liquids: In hot weather a cooling dyet, in cold weather, that which is warme and heating.

Temperate bodies are preserved by temperate things, and their like; distempered bodyes are rectified and reduced by their contraries and dissimilar: a hot and dry body, must have a cooling and moist dyet; a colde and moist body, a hot and dry dyet.

The variety of humors in mans body, impugning one another with their contrary quallities, are not easily kept in subjection, but by a di­ligent watch and strict observance, in your daily customes and pra­ctice: for by a carelesse and irregular course the equallity of opposition is broken, and some particular humor growes predominate, which pro­duceth distempers according to its nature, power, and heighth arri­ved at, and the condition of the subject or parts it chiefly in­fests.

As the external colour of the body is various and divers, such are the humors internal abounding.

The purity of the humors in mans body, render the minde mor [...] active, light, cheerful and airy.

The grosnesse, feculency and impurity, makes a heavy indispose [...] and depraved minde, clogging the soul as with fetters.

Who so priseth the integrity and perfections of the minde▪ must hav [...] an especiall care for the preservation of the body; being bettered o [...] made worse by each others changes and affects; for the Actions and Passions of the minde doe very much follow and ar [...] subj [...]ct [...]d, to the temperament, nature, and quallity of th [...] body.

Exceed not in any thing, but keepe to a Mediocrity which is most Durable, and agreeable to Natu [...] for its preser­vation.

Alter no custome suddainly, but by degrees, although from bad to better; suddaine changes are Dangerous and Inju­rious to Nature, which acts Gradually, and by fit Me­diums.

Think not your selfe secure in any ill Course or Custome (con­trary to the Rationall Lawes and Rule of Phisick) because you are not immediately Chastised with the Consequents and ill Effects thereof, concluding from thence all is Well; but know though the Errors be but small in one single Act, yet often repeated, Accu­mulate and Swell into great Distempers which manifest them­selves in that Season of the yeare, most suitable to their own [...] Inclinations and Disposition for such Productions. The Heates and Coldes taken in Summer▪ and the Luxuriant feeding on the Fruits of that season, produce dangerous Diseases in Autume following. The intemperate, Erroneous practice of Winter disco­vers it selfe, and Rebukes your Folly, by a sickly Spring. The change of the Ayre and Constitution of the Seasons, makes Impression upon the Humors of the Body, inclining to this or that Distemper, as they are predisposed and vitiated by your own irregular Customes and Practice.

Contemne not small Changes and Alterations in the Body, they are the Praeludiums, or warnings of greater to follow, but oppose them by a Rationall Practice and due Ordering of your self, in Eating and Drinking, Exercise and Rest, Ayre, Sleep­ing, and Watching, Venus, and Possions of the minde; refrain­ing what may promote and aggravate your Morbific inclination, and Accustoming to that which Suppresseth and Checks it: be­ing perswaded of this truth; the beginning of most Diseases are better cured by Regular Dyet, and due Order, then Physick.

A Thick or muddy Urine, pale and thin, red and ill sa­voured, or often changing.

Lassitude and indisposition for motion or action.

Prickings or pain [...] in the skin or flesh, erratic or fixed.

The complexion altered: dulnes [...] and unwonted heaviness: restless watchings: disturbed and troublesome sleepe: sweat­ings in the night: fulnesse or distention of the belly and hypo­chonders: shortness of breath.

A looseness or flux of humors stimulating to expulsion: gripings in the belly.

Heaviness, pain, or weakness (without m [...]nifest cause) about the loynes, thighes, or knees.

These signes declare the body wants purging,

IF your body be Costive, of a hot and dry constitution, pre­pare it some dayes before purging, with cool and moistning Brothes, stewed Prunes, Whey, or the like. Your physick will operate much better, with less gripings, and more effectual. For a hot and dry body sucks in the Physick so strongly, that it cannot work freely and kindly, as otherwise it would doe. If the weather be cold, correct i [...] with a warm Chamber, and good fire: if very hot; take your physick e [...]ly at 5. of the clock, and keep little or no fire: in so doing, you may take physick at any time of the year safely, and with successe, if occasion require.

Draw the Curtaines before your Windowes, and darken the Chamber, untill your Physick have done working.

If your stomack be very weak and nauseating; and not [Page 17] from repletion: or if you be in a high and accute Feaver, then use clysters.

In all violent paines, and inflamations of what part soever; in all contumacious obstructions of the Guts, take no purging physick but by Clyster, untill the body be open, and th [...] spirits allayed.

Retain no purging Clyster above an houre, but part with it.

Esteem not the goodnesse of your purge by the quantity and number of stools; but by the quallity of them, and the effects afterwards.

Covet not strong purges, to have many stooles in a day (a common Error) which offers violence to nature, and forcibly sweeping down both good & bad together: but rather endeavor to attract the offending cause gently, by degree [...], intermitting a day or two, giving nature time for separation of humors, you will finde it much more beneficiall, nature more kindly as­sisting, and lesse weakned.

On the intermitting dayes, keep a good dyet, with opening Broth and spoon-meat, to keep your body fluid, and ready for the next dayes operation: beware of cold that you obstruct not your body and occlude the passages & ductures before laid open, which will cause your Physick to work with torsions and gripings, and less effectual.

If the Morbific Cause lye in the stomack or bowels being in the passage, ready and near the place of Evacuation: you will not need so strong physick, nor so often purging, as when it is seated in parts more remote and at distance.

Delude not your self with one dayes purge, expecting great matters from it; you must know, the first Dose stirres up more humors then it can evacuate, and untill they be carried away, you cannot expect your desired effect, which will be after 3. or 4 dayes purging (time little enough to cleanse a foul body) but let it be with intermission of a day or two.

Take your purging Pills, or Electuary, early in bed, lye an hour, after that hour you may sleep, but not longer: when it begins to operate Sleep not, nor lye down untill your Phy­sick [Page] have done working; except you be weake, and your physick worke, strongly; then towards the latter end, you may lye down to refresh you, but not sleep except there be occasion to stay the working.

Drink a little thin Broth between your stools, made with a bit of Veale or Mutton, a Crust of bread, a Fennel and Parcely Root: if you be opposite to Broth, drink Posset drink of small Ale or Beer. But if you have a ho [...] Costive body, drink plain Whey, it is better then either, and your Physick will work more freely and easily.

Eat your Dinner 5 or 6 hours after your Physick taken, ab­staine no longer.

All Pills are most easily swallowed with a little Beer or pos­set drink in a spoon.

FUlness or oppression at the Stomack nauseating, loathing or vomiting. Losse of appetite and digestion, through soule­nesse of the stomack.

Perturbation and trouble about the stomack and parts adja­cent, by Humours floating upwards, having a tendency that way for Evacuation.

Bitter, or Acide belchings into the mouth.

Heat, and breakings out in the mouth and lips.

TAke your Vomit early in the morning, your stomack will sooner nauseate and discharge it self, and your Vomit work more freely and easily, when humors are floating and active.

If you be strong take it fasting; if weak or hard to vomit, eat a Messe of VVater-gruell with Butter in it, a little b [...] ­fore.

Be very loose about your Stomack and Belly, that the Muscles may distend and contract, without Compression and interruption of their motion.

Drink small Beer Posset-drink, or warm water between your Vomits; and the more you d [...]ink the easier will you vomit, and sooner finish the operation.

Lye not down untill your Vomit have done working, except you intend to check the Operation: but if you be weake, and not well able to endure up longer; you may safely, it will refresh you, but sleep not.

When it hath done working, take two or three spoonfulls of Claret Wine boiled with a little Mint and Cinnamon, and lye to sleep.

Where there is Youth, or fit Age, strength of Nature, Custome or Facility and aptnesse for Vomiting; they may boldly and profitably use this way of evacuation, and dis­charge Natures burthen and oppression in the Spring, Summer, or Autume, when some of the foregoing signes doe prompt and indicate the s [...]me.

But if there be decay in Natu [...]e, and great weaknesse, debility of stomack by long sicknesse, or old Age; if with Childe, or subject to fits of the Mother, or Swooning; If the Head be weake and infirme, the Neck Long, Sl [...]n­der, and straight-brested; the Lungs and Vitall parts weak, or consumptive, or difficult and hard to vomit, or have a Rupture: let such persons avoid vomiting as dangerous and hurtfull, but rather chuse to draw the offending Cause downwards by Clyster, Pills, &c.

CHoleric and dry bodies, neither sweat easily, nor well en­dure it.

For Phlegmatic serous and Sanguine constitutions, sweating is more facile and beneficiall, and nature more prompt.

In cold, and moist Diseases, sweating profits much: as Pal­sies, Rheumes, Gouts, Dropsie, &c.

For Swarthy and muddy Complexions, discolourations and spots upon the skin, that arise from a foule Cachectic body; after due purgation, sweating depurates, thinns and cleeres the skinne.

In cold Constitutions, and where the blood is grosse, thick and impure, causing obstructions in the smaller vessels, or slow of motion; moderate breathing sweats clarifies the blood, at­tenuates, rarefies, and helps circulation.

All inflations by winde, or serous and watery humors that tumefie the skin, sweating transpires, evaporates and breathes out.

In all Malignant, Contagious and Pestilentiall Feavers; as Plague, small Pox, Measels, spotted Feaver, and the like; sweat­ing Cordials is your chiefest help.

In all Contusions and Bruises, tumors and collection of Hu­mors; after Phlebotomy and convenient purgation, by Glyster or otherwise, to retract the confluence of humors resorting thither; sweating and Diaphoritick Medicines, resolves, dissi­pates and scatters them, and relieves the part affected.

Winde and flatulent vapours in any Concave part engirt and kept in, by inveterate obstructions of the Ductures and passa­ges, sweating opens the Pores, discusseth and by insensible transpiration sends them forth.

In all Defluxions and destillations to the Eyes, Lungs, Joynts or other parts; sweating moderates and abates the Antecedent Cause, diverts the course and current of the humor, and is very profitable.

In degenerations of the blood, Crudity, Acidity, Coagula­tion, [Page 21] putrefaction, &c. gentle breathing sweats procures fer­mentation, concoction, rarefaction, depuration, and conduceth much to its restitution.

Bodies subject to sweating in the night, either want purg­ing, or else feed too plentifully.

Take no sweating Medicine untill you have first purged, un­lesse the emergency and present necessity of the occasion, does not permit such a delay; as in Diseases of a Malignant, conta­gious, and venenate quallity.

First purge to cleanse and carry away the fi [...]th and grosser matter in the stomack and bowels, the fittest for that way of evacuation (that you drive it not into the habite of the body) then sweat to purifie the blood and external parts.

In the Venereal Disease, when the blood and spi [...]its is taint [...]d and vitiated with a peculiar virulency and Malignity; to use proper and Specific Diaphoretics and sweating Medicines, is the safest, and best way for cure. Praemissis praemittenda.

IF your veines be full and distended, breath a veine, or be very temperate, you are then subj [...]ct to many distempers from plenitud [...].

If you feell a heaviness or oppression of Spirits, a quick pulse and shortnesse of breath; open a Veine for Ventilation, and you will finde alleviation and refreshment.

In peracute and burning Feavers, and all dangerous infla­mations, as Plurifies, Quinsies, Phrensies, &c. open a Veine speedily, by day or night, notwithstanding any contrary in­dication to forbid it.

In all violent and suddain pains contusions, and hot tumors collecting, open a Veine to prevent a Feaver, and to retract the Current of humors reso [...]ting to the part affected.

In all Diseases from plenitude, or conjunct with it, threat­ning suffocation and suddain death; as Lethargies, Convulsi­on, [Page 22] Epilipsie, Suffocating Catarrhs, Hysteriacll passions, Pal­pitations of the Heart, rising of the Lungs, and such like, Blood-letting is very necessary, and beneficiall.

In all Evacuations of blood imoderate, and hurtfull, whe­ther at the Nose, by Stoole, Urine, Vomiting, Spitting, Hae­morrhoides, or monethly Purgations, arising from Plenitude. Heat, Acrimony, or attenuation of the blood; open a veine for revulsion to turn the course and current, take blood a little at once, by a discreet Chirurgion; it is proper, safe and beneficiall.

In all Malignant and contagious Feavers, whether Plague, Small Pox, Spotted Feaver or the like: in the beginning, and before there be any appearance outwardly upon the skin, if the Feaver be intense and high, open a veine to mitigate and abate vehement Symptomes: but afterwards when Na­ture hath separated, protruded and brought forth the Ma­lignity to the skin, opening a veine, retracts and draws back again; weakens and discourageth Nature, and is very dan­gerous and mortal.

To prevent Abortion in Women with childe, subject to miscarry by reason of plenitude and fulnesse of blood; breathing a veine at the Arme is very necessary for her safety.

In all Fevers requiring Phlebotomy, let it be done in the beginning when Nature is strong, and the Distemper lesse prevalent.

After long and wasting sicknesse, take heed of blood letting.

In Women and fatt bodies take blood sparingly; in men and lean bodies, and those who have large veines, take more freely.

If the Masse of blood be wholly vitiated and naught, be sparing in Blood letting; but purifie it by gentle Purgation, Sweating, Medicamentall Aliment and pro­per dyet.

Before ten, and after sixty years age, let no Veine be open­ed but upon urgent occasion.

If the Disease be great and urgent, requiring large Evacu­ation, and Nature imbecile and weake; take blood at twice or thrice, itermitting 6 or 12 hours distance, as the skilful Chi­rurgeon shall see cause.

When Phlebotomy and Purgation are both required, and the Dis [...]ase seated in the Veines and habite of the body; first bleed then purge: but if otherwise, and chi [...]fly in the stomack, bowells, and parts adjacent; first purge, then bleed.

If there be suppression of a wonted Evacuation, and Detri­mentall, or obstruction contrary to the Law of Nature; open a Veine to exonerate and alleviate for the present, Nature will be betteer able to relieve it self for the future.

In Symptomaticall translations of a turgid humour, aestua­tions and ebullitions of the blood; causing a general perturba­tion, or erratic paines, restl [...]ssenesse and unquiet watchings in the night; Breathing a Veine Refrigerates, Allayes, and checks the effrenation of humours.

For Anniversary and imminent Diseases, arising from Pleni­tude, and Luxuriant blood: opening a Veine anticipates and prevents them.

In vehement Distempers requiring Phlebotomy, look not upon the quallity of the blood, but make detraction accord­ing to the quantity, having respect to the strength of the Pa­tient.

After Phlebotomy use a spare and good Diet, that you fill not your Veines with crudities, and ill humours.

A Dose is the just and due quantity of a Medicine to be taken, or used at once.

The full Dose is for men and women of strength, but if they be weak and tender bodies, or by experience have found, that lesse will operate with them then other bodies require, let such take the Doses for the age 14 prescribed, I meane chiefly in vo­miting, or purging Medicines.

Observe the quantities prescribed for the several Ages, and rather offend under then over, the next Dose you may amend by taking a little more, if the first be too weake, there is no harm in that.

After the first Dose of any Medicine taken, your own rea­son and ability of body, will easily direct you in the next, whether to keep to the same, to augment, or diminish: for you must know the difference of bodies is such in operation, that they require oftentimes a different quantity for their pro­portion to produce the like effect, which cannot exactly be de­termined and appointed, by the prescience of the most skilfull Physitian, untill the first Experiment and tryall of their bodies.

Therefore slight not any Medicine if it answers not your expectation at the first, but prove it farther, and alter the quantity, more or lesse, as you find it requisite for your purpose and condition of body.

But let me Caution you this: In Chronic Diseases that are slow of Motion, and gives you sufficient time for Cure, never desire strong Physick, but imitate Nature which acts Gradually and gently, does nothing Hastily and Violently. Physick can doe nothing of it selfe, but as an Auxiliary and help to Nature; and if Nature does not Cooperate, you must expect no benefit: therefore if you go [Page 28] natures pace, you will have Nature assisting with the meanes: but if you be hasty and put all your hopes in the strength of your Physick, and strive to doe as much in one day as is fit for three dayes work, you precipitate Nature, defame good Medicines, and wrong your own body.

But when the Disease is vehement and accute, threatning sud­dain death, as Apoplexy, Lethargie and the like; then use sharp and quick Medicines, because the time for cure is but short, and will admit of no delay. Vehementi malo, forti omnino auxilio opus est.

What Medicines you would keep for a long time, to serve for accidental occasions; set them in dry places, not near the ground, or damp walls, nor in the open ayre, and they will remain in their vertue and goodnesse according to their several times prefixed, in the preceding Table of Medicines.