394 HISTORY OF 



And touching the distillations of meats, they are mere toys, 

 for the nutritive part, at least the best of it, doth not ascend 

 in vapours. 



14. The incorporating of meat and drink before they 

 meet in the stomach, is a degree to chylous ; therefore let 

 chickens, or partridges, or pheasants, or the like, be taken 

 and boiled in water, with a little salt, then let them be 

 cleansed and dried, afterward let them be infused in must 

 or ale before it hath done working, with a little sugar. 



15. Also grazies of meat, and the mincings of them small 

 well seasoned, are good for old persons ; and the rather, for 

 that they are destituted of the office of their teeth in chew 

 ing, which is a principal kind of preparation. 



16. And as for the helps of that defect (namely, of the 

 strength of teeth to grind the meat), there are three things 

 which may conduce thereunto. First, that new teeth may 



put forth ; that which seems altogether difficult, and cannot 

 be accomplished without an inward and powerful restaura- 

 tion of the body. Secondly, that the jaws be so confirmed 



by due astringents, that they may in some sort supply the 

 office of the teeth ; which may possibly be effected. Thirdly, 

 that the meat be so prepared, that there shall be no need of 

 chewing, which remedy is at hand. 



17. We have some thought also touching the quantity 

 of the meat and drink, that the same taken in a larger 

 quantity at some times, is good for the irrigation of the 

 body; therefore both great feastings, and free drinkings, 

 are not altogether to be inhibited. And touching the ope 

 ration upon the aliments, and the preparation of them, thus 

 much. 



vni. The Operation upon the last Act of Assimilation. 



Touching the last act of assimilation (unto which the 

 three operations immediately preceding chiefly tend), our 

 advice shall be brief and single, and the thing itself rather 

 needs explication than any various rules. 



1. It is certain, that all bodies are endued with some 

 desire of assimilating those things which are next them. 

 This the rare and pneumatical bodies, as flame, spirit, air, 

 perform generously and with alacrity; on the contrary, 

 those that carry a gross and tangible bulk about them do 

 but weakly, in regard that the desire of assimilating other 

 things is bound in by a stronger desire of rest, and con 

 taining themselves from motion. 



2. Again, it is certain that the desire of assimilating 

 being bound, as we said, in a gross body, and rna de inef- 



