362 HISTORY OF 



use to carry in their mouths, and to champ it, and by that 

 champing they are wonderfully enabled both to endure 

 labours, and to overcome sicknesses, and to the act of carnal 

 copulation : it seems to be a kind of stupefactive, because 

 it exceedingly blacks the teeth. 



27. Tobacco in our age is immoderately grown into use, 

 and it affects men with a secret kind of delight, insomuch 

 that they who have once inured themselves unto it, can 

 hardly afterwards leave it ; and no doubt it hath power to 

 lighten the body, and to shake off weariness. Now the 

 virtue of it is commonly thought to be, because it opens the 

 passages, and voids humours ; but it may more rightly be 

 referred to the condensation of the spirits, for it is a kind 

 of henbane, and manifestly troubles the head as opiates do. 



28. There are sometimes humours ingendered in the body, 

 which are as it were opiate themselves ; as it is in some 

 kind of melancholies, with which if a man be affected it is 

 a sign of very long life. 



29. The simple opiates (which are also called stupefac- 

 tives) are these; opium itself, which is the juice of poppy, 

 both the poppies as well in the herb as in the seed, hen 

 bane, mandrake, hemlock, tobacco, nightshade. 



30. The compound opiates are, treacle, mithridate,trifera, 

 laudanum, paracelsi, diaconium, diascordium, philonium, 

 pills of houndstongue. 



31. From this which hath been said, certain designa 

 tions or counsels may be deduced for the prolongation of 

 life, according to the present intention, namely, of condens 

 ing the spirits by opiates. 



32. Let there be therefore every year, from adult years 

 of youth, an opiate diet ; let it be taken about the end of 

 May, because the spirits in the summer are more loose and 

 attenuated, and there are less dangers from cold humours ; 

 let it be some magistral opiate, weaker than those that are 

 commonly in use, both in respect of a smaller quantity of 

 opium, and of a more sparing mixture of extreme hot things ; 

 let it be taken in the morning betwixt sleeps. The fare for 

 that time would be more simple and sparing than ordinary, 

 without wine, or spices, or vapourous things. This medi 

 cine to be taken only each other day, and to be continued 

 for a fortnight. This designation in our judgment comes 

 home to the intention. 



33. Opiates also may be taken not only by the mouth, 

 but also by fumes ; but the fumes must be such as may not 

 move the expulsive faculty too strongly, nor force down 



