Century L 



II 



Surfets many times turn to Purges, both upwards, and downwards. There-; 

 fore we fee generally, that the working of Purging M:dicwes cometh two 

 or three houres after the Medicines taken j For that the Stomack rirft maketh 

 a proof,whether it can concod them. And the like happen eth tixziSurfets 

 Or Milkm too great quantity. 



A fecond Caufe is Mordication of the Orifices of th? Farts ^ Efpecially of 

 the Mefentery <vemes As it is feen,that Salt^ or any fuch thing that. is fharp 

 and biting, pat into the Fundament, doth provoke the part to expell And 

 Mufl.xrd provoketh Sneezing : And any (harp Thing to the Eyes provoketh 

 Tears. And therefore we fee that almoft all Purgers have a kind of T voicthing 

 $eA*vellic4iicn-, befides the griping which cometh of wind. And if this 

 mordication be in ah over-high Degree, it is little better than the corrofion of 

 poyfon; And it cometh to pafs lometimes in Antimony, Efpecially if it 

 be given to bodies not repleat with Humours for where Humours abound, 

 the Humours fave the Parts. 



The third Caufe is Attraction : For I do not deny but that purging Me- 

 dicines have in them a direct Force of Attraction » As Drawing Plafiers have 

 in Surgery ■ And we fee Sage, or Bctonj bruifed, fneezing-powder, and other 

 fowdtrsot Liquors (which the Phyfitians call Errhines) put into the Nofe, 

 draw Flegme, and water from the Head And lb it is in Apophlegmatifmes, 

 mdGargarifmes, that draw the Rheume down by the Palat. And by this 

 Vertue,no doubt, fome Purgers draw more one Humour, and fome another, 

 according to the opinion received : As Rvbarb draweth Choler - 7 Sean Me- 

 lancholy- Agarick Flegme, &c. But yet, fmore or lefs)they draw promif- 

 cuouiiy . And note alfo,that befides Sympathy ,between the Purger and the 

 Humour, there is alfo another Caufe, why forne Medicines draw fome Hu- 

 mour more than another. Arid it is^ for that fome Medicines work quicker 

 than others : And they that draw quick, draw only the Lighter, and more 

 fluide Humours they that draw How, work upon the more Tough, and 

 Vifcous Humours. And therefore Men mult beware,how they take Rubarb, 

 and the like, alone, familiarly $ For it taketh only the Lighteft part of the 

 Humour away, and leaveth the Mafs of Humours more obftinate. And 

 the like may be faid of Worme-xvood:\\\\ic\\ is lb much magnified. 



The fourth Caufe is Flatuofity ■' For wind ftirred moveth to expell : And 

 we find that (in erred) all Purgers have in them a raw Spirit, or Wind 

 which is the principall Caufe of T ortion in the Stomached Belly. And there- 

 fore Purgers leefe (moft of them) the vertue, by Decodion upon the Fire , 

 And for that Caufe are chiefly given in Infulion Juyce,or Powder. 



The fifth Caufe is Compreffion,ov Crafting : As when Water is Crumed out 

 of zfpunge ■• So we fee that T aking Cold moveth loofenefs by Contradion 

 of the skin,and outward Parts And fo doth Cold likewife caufe Rheumes, 

 and Defluxions from the Head-, And. fome Afiringent Plafiers crufli out 

 purulent Matter. This kind of Operation is not found in many Medicines : 

 Mirabolanes have it -, And it may be the Barkes of Peaches For this Vertue 

 requireth an Afiriclio-n -, but fuch an Aflriction, as is not gratefull to the 

 Body (For a pleafing Afirittion doth rather Bind in the Humours, than 

 Expell them.^ And therefore fuch Aflnffion is found in Things of an Har 

 rim Taft. 



The Sixth Caufe is Lubref action, and Relaxation : As we fee in Mtdicints 

 Emollient Such as are Milk,Boney,Maliowes^Lettuce,Mercuriall x Pellitory of 

 the Wall,nnd others. There is alfo a fecret vertue of Relaxation in Co/^.-For 

 the he at of the Body bindeth the Parts and Humours together, which 



Gold, 



