AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 389 



1 as are loosening, and such as are emolient.* Their use is various, viz. 



are both of them hot and moist. , Use 1. That the bowels may be disbur- 



To that, thus : stretching and loosening j dened of corrupt humours, 

 are ascribed to the moveable parts of the j 2. Outwardly used, by them the offend- 

 body, as to the muscles and their tendons, | ing humour ([ should have said the peccant 

 to the ligaments and Membrance ; but soft- 1 humour, had 1 written only to scholars,) h 

 ness and hardness to such parts of the body j called from the internal parts of the body 

 as may be felt with the hand : I shall make i to the superfices. 



clear by a similitude, Wax is softened, being ; 3. By them the crisis of a disease is much 

 hard, but Fiddle-strings are loosened being ; s helped forward. 



stretched. And if you say that the dif- j 4. Theyareexceedingly profitabletodraw 

 ference lying only in the parts of the body \ forth poison out of the body, 

 is no true difference, then take notice, that ! 5. Parts of the body over cooled are 

 such medicines which loosen, are less hot, j cured by these medicines, viz. by applying 

 and more moistening, than such as soften, j them outwardly to the place, not only be- 

 for they operate most by heat, these by j cause they heat, but also because they draw 

 moisture. Uhe spirits by which life and heat are 



The truth is, I am of opinion the dif- 1 cherished, to the part of the body which is 

 ference is not much, nay, scarce sensible, ; destitute of them : you cannot but know- 

 between emolient and loosening medicines ; ' that many times parts of the body fall away 

 only I quoted this in a chapter by itself, | in rlesh, and their strength decays, as in 

 not so much because some authors do, as! some persons arms or legs, or the like, the 

 because it conduceth to the increase of J usual reason is, because the vital spirit 

 knowledge in physic, for want of which, this * decays in those parts, to which use such 

 poor nation is almost spoiled. 5 plaislers or ointments as are attractive (which 



The chief use of loosening medicines isiis the physical term for drawing medicines) 

 in convulsions and cramps, and such like j for they do not only cherish the parts by 

 infirmities which cause distention or stretch- ; their own proper heat, but draw the vital 

 ing. ; and natural spirits thither, whereby they 



They .are known by the very same marks i are both quickened and nourished, 

 and tokens -that emolient medicines are. They are known almost by the same 



- - | tokens that attenuating medicines are, sce- 



_ v |ing heat; and thinness of parts is in them 



11 AJ IV. 5 koth, they differ only in respect of quantity, 



Of drawing Medicines. \ thinness of parts being most proper to at- 



The opinion of physicians is, concerning ! ten ua ting medicines, but attractive medi- 

 these, as it is concerning other medicines, ! cines are hotter, 

 viz. Sonic draw by a manifest quality, some! s=- 



by a hidden, and so (quoth they) they draw j 



to themselves both humours and thorns, or j [IAPTLR V. 



splinters that are gotten into the flesh ; how- j Of disciis.sire Medicines. 



ever this is certain, they are all of them hot, j The nature of discussing (or sweating) 

 and of thin parts; hot because the nature; medicines is almost the same with attractive, 

 of heat is to draw off thin parts that so they ; for there are no discussive medicines but 

 may penetrate lo the humours that are to i are attractive, nor scarce any attractive 



M_ 1 



to be drawn out. : medicine but is in some measure or other 



