of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie; 303 
A thatwasfcraped and rubbed from the bodies of wreftlers, Sec. ferved to mollifiesto heale,refolve; 
and incarnat;a medicine confifting of fweat & oile tempered togither : with itthey vfed to cure’ 
the inflammations ,contractions,diftottions,and rifings of the matrice,by application outward- 
Jy: therewith they would draw downe thé monthly fleurs of womens lenifiethe intemperat heat; 
and diffolve piles and {welling bigs in the feat or fundement : they ufe the fame alfo for to affuage 
the griefe of the finews,to rectifie diflocations and fet the bones in joynt, and to difcuffe the no- 
dofities of the joynts. Howbeit, the {crapings that conte of {weating in banes and hote-houfes; 
becounted of greater validitiein all thefe infirmities, and therefore no marveile if they encer 
into the compofition of maturative emplaftres, and which bring an impofturme to fippuration, 
As for the forefaid medicines which ftood upon {weat, oile wherewith wreftlers were anointed, 
B andfome urine mingled among, they be good only to mollifie the nodofities of the joynts: for 
as they heatand refolve more effectually,fo in the other refpects nothing fo forcible they are as 
‘thofe that be gathered our of ftouves and bains. V erely aman would not beleeve to what thame- 
leffe and impudent curiofitie fome authors are growne unto (andeventhefe of all others who be 
moft renowmed) who baihnotwith open mouth to commend unto us that,for a fingular reme- 
die againft the pricke of fcorpions, which Lam not willing toname, even the filthie {perme that 
pafleth from a man by his privities, Neither could zhey ftay there, butto caufe barraine women 
forto teeme and beare children, they havefound outa proper peffarie to bee put up into their 
fecret parts, made forfooth of the ordure that commeth away from infants fo foon as they be out. 
of their mothers wombe:and this medicine they havea prettie name for, and call it Meconion. 
€ Moreover,the Greeks havegone fo neare,thatthey have fcraped the very filth from the walls of 
their publicke halls and places of wreftling,and fuch likeexercifes 3 and the fame (fay they) hath: 
_afpeciallexcalfatorie vertue, whereby it difeufleth and refolveth thebiles and impoftumes cal- 
Jed Pani; and ferveth as a foveraigne linimentto heale the ulcers in the bodies of children and 
eld folke ,yeaandto'skin any place thatis galled ,raw,& bliftred with burning. Lowhatremedies 
have ben found in thebodie of man! And furely fince 1 have taken the pains to put them down,! 
may not omirthofe voluntarie medicines which depend upon his mind, & proceed trom his will 
and underftanding. In the firftplace, you fhall have fome that will faft and forbeareall kinds of 
meat; others drinke not atall ; one while chey abftaine from wine onely, another whilefrom all 
ficth meats: and you fhall fee divers men never come unto bath or baine, everie one according 
D as their fickneffe doth require. And this kind of abitinence or regiment of themfelves,they hold 
to be the readiefi and fureft means to recover their health. Inthe ranke of thefe remedies, are 
reckoned bodily exercife, {treining of the voice, unction, fcratching, and rubbing, as need and 
6ccafion requireth: for hardand vehement friGtion doth conftipat and bind the bodies contra= 
Fiwife, gentle and fot frictions doe mollifieand open the pores :and; as muchrubbing taketh 
éowne the dodieand cauifech leannefie, forhar which is mederatfetteth it up and encreateth fat- 
nefle : butnothing isthere more holefome thanwalking and geftation ;which is an exercife per: 
formed many-waies. lithe ftomacke be weake, and the legs feeble, riding on horfebacke isan ex- 
cellent exercife:for the phthyficke or confumption, nothing fo goodas to faile or be rowed up- . 
6n the * water :but in cafe there bealong difeafe hanging upon a man, whatberterthing in che: ¥ Specially 
E world thanto change the aire,and remove from place to place?In like manner to procure fleepe, "romthe ica. - 
by lying in fome pretie bed that may be rocked too & fro, is oftentimes good for amans health: 
as alfo'to vomirnow and then,butin no wifeto ufe it ordinarily, Lying in bed upon the backe, is 
cominended forthe infirmitiesof the eies;but upon the bellie, fox the cough. Tolie upon the 
fides thifting -frem oneto the other,is held to be fingularagainft rheums and catarthes. 4riffo- 
tleand Fabsanus doe fay, Thatwe be given to dreame atthe Spring and Fall, more than in the 
Otherfeafons ofthe yeere:alfoamoft whenawe lie with our face upwardjbutnever groveling. And 
Theopbroftusafarmeth, That fleeping upon the right fide, helpeth forward the concoétion of 
meatin theftomacke: whereas they thatlieupon their backe fhall not have {fo quicke digeftion. 
The manner of bathing alfo and ufing the baine and hote-houfe (which isone of the chiefe and 
F  principall meansof our health) is inamans power to order as hee lift himfelfe: like as hee may 
chufe what kind of friction hee will in the ftouph or hote-houfe, either to be rubbed with Jinnen 
cloxtis, or welleurried and fcraped with kombs. J‘em, itis knowne.to beeverie good and hole- 
_ fotse,to wathrvones head witlrhote water, before hee enter into the baine or hote-houfe; and af 
ter that heeis‘out of it;to doe the like with cold water:as alfo to takea draughtofcold water 
93 3 Dd jj immedi- 
