Lib. L ^f Cures Phyfical, 



Touching the Virtue and Operation of the Air, you fhall underftand, 

 that by the moiftnefs thereof it maketh the matter apt to receive a Shape, 

 either natural or accidental, and by the Help and Ailiftance of the Fire, 

 bringeth the Powers and Influences oi' the Heaven and Stars into infe- 

 riour Bodies, making the mixt Bodies not only fubtle and penetrable^ 

 but alfo light and mounting, to the end they may neither be too grofs, 

 nor too heavy. Secondly, TThe Air through his moiftnefs cooleth ^e 

 burning heat of the Heart, Liver, and hitraiis as we daily fee by the 

 Office of the Lights and Lungs, which like a pair of BeWows draweth 

 unceffantly frefh Air unto the Heart and inward Members. And altho' 

 the Air doth not feem to the fenfe of the outward Eyes, to be any 

 thing near fo moift as the Water, yet according to the Opinions both of 

 our Books and beil Phyiicians, it is by much the moifter, which is well 

 proved (fay they) by the abundant Flux it containeth, which Flux fpread- 

 eth it felf fo far abroad in the Body, that it fiUeth every empty Part 

 and Corner thereof v/ith the fpecial Properties aijd Charafters of moift- 

 nefs, and by that Reafon, is much harder to be kept within his own 

 Bounds than the Water is. L,aftly, as the Water was altered by God 

 from his iirft natural Place, for the better profit both of Man andBeaft •, 

 even (b the Air, according to School-men's Opinions, was not left altoge- 

 ther in his /irft natural Difpofition, left being over-moift it fliould fo con- 

 found and fuffocate all Senfe, that neither Man nor Beaft ihould be able 

 to breath or live. 



Now for the Virtue and Operation of the W^ater, it is to be noted, 

 that through the coldnefs thereof, it conglutinateth and bindeth in mixt 

 Bodies, both Parts and Members together, which be of divers kinds ^ as 

 Bones with Fleih and Sinews, Fleih with Sinews and Bones, and Si- 

 news with Bones and Flelli. Even as for a familiar Example, we fee in 

 the time of any great Froft, the ftrength of the cold how it bindeth 

 things of divers kinds together, bringing into one Mafs or Subftance, both 

 Water, Dirt, Stones, Straws, Sticks and Leaves: The Water alfo with 

 its Coldnefs, doth temper and cool the Inflammation and Heat of the 

 Fire, gathering together thofe things, which otherwife the violent Heat 

 would difperfe and fcatter abroad. 



Laftly, For the Virtue and Operation of the Earth, it is through his 

 drinefs in mixt Bodies, foto harden and fix them together, that they 

 may retain their Shapes, which otherwife by the Power of the Air and 

 Water, would be fo Soluble and Loofe, that they could not hold toge- 

 ther •, as we may fee in Pafte, Wax, and fuch like, which whilft it is 

 moift, will receive no Print, but being once hardned, it retaineth any 

 Form that is preft into it. And here is to be noted, that according to 

 the Opinion of HypocrateSj when any fenfible Body dieth not only every 

 quality, but every fubftance, and part makes its return to the Element 



B 2 from 



