CENTURY IX. 437 



appetite. And the disease which they call appetitus 

 caninilSj consisteth in the matter of an acid and glassy 

 phlegm in the mouth of the stomach. Appetite is also 

 moved by sour things ; for that sour things induce a 

 contraction in the nerves placed in the mouth of the 

 stomach, which is a great cause of appetite. As for 

 the cause why onions, and salt, and pepper, in baked 

 meats, move appetite, it is by .vellication of those 

 nerves ; for motion whetteth. As for wormwood, 

 olives, capers, and others of that kind, which partici 

 pate of bitterness, they move appetite by abstersion. 

 So as there be four principal causes of appetite ; the 

 refrigeration of the stomach joined with some dryness, 

 contraction, vellication, and abstersion ; besides 

 hunger ; which is an emptiness ; and yet over-fast 

 ing doth, many times, cause the appetite to cease ; 

 for that want of meat maketh the stomach draw 

 humours, and such humours as are light and choleric, 

 which quench appetite most. 



Experiment solitary touching sweetness of odour from 

 the rainbow. 



832. It hath been observed by the ancients, that 

 where a rainbow seemeth to hang over, or to touch, 

 there breatheth forth a sweet smell. The cause is, 

 for that this happeneth but in certain matters, which 

 have in themselves some sweetness ; which the gentle 

 dew of the rainbow doth draw forth : and the like 

 do soft showers ; for they also make the ground 

 sweet : but none are so delicate as the dew of the 

 rainbow where it falleth, It may be also that the 



