THEENGLISH PHYSICIANAND FAMILY DISPENSATORY.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Culpeper, Nicholas
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.