XX 
I N T R O D 
CHAP. XI. 
Of the Virtues of Medicines. 
1. 'T' H AT fome A hints Hear, fomc Cool, and 
I fome Dry , and fomcMo'tftcn, is mamfcjl ; 
and ibis is from their Firft Qualities, which arc 
found out , firft by their Titjle. Secondly , by their 
Smell. Thirdly , by their Operations , or Effclis. 
fourthly , by Experience. 
II. THAT fome Tlants open ObftruHions , and 
fome Hop, as in Catarrhs and fluxes of Blood ; 
fome Bind, and fome Relax ; fome Attract, and 
fome Repercufs ; fomc Maturate, and fome Ab- 
ftcrge, ittc. Thefe Virtues, which arc their Se- 
cond Qualities, they draw from their Firft Qua- 
lities, but are more perfetl/y known and found 
out by Experience, and a continued Series of Ob- 
fervations. 
III. THAT the Appropriation of Medicaments to 
the feveral principal Parts of the Body, has been 
found out partly by their Signatures, and partly 
by Experience , and fometime by both of them to- 
gether : And Jo this Appropriation of them to the 
Head and Brain, Nerves, Stomach, Lungs, Pleu- 
ra, Heart, Liver, Spleen, Mefentcry, Reins, 
Womb, and Joints, is ■ called their Third Qualities. 
IV. NOIV IF a Plant is hot and dry, it natu- 
rally follows, that it muft refill and be helpful 
again ft DiJ cafes, proceeding from cold and moi- 
Jiurc : So a/fo if a Plant is cold and moift, it 
muff refift and be helpful againft Difeafes pro- 
ceeding from heat and drine/s : The fame may be 
f aid of Plants hot and mot ft, or cold and dry, 
which doubt lefs refift , and are helpful againft 
Difeafes proceeding from the oppofite Qualities. 
V. THIS being [aid, if we confider what Dif- 
eafes afthfl thofe • principal Parts of the Body, and 
from what Caufes they proceed ; it follows that 
thofe Plants, which are endowed with thoie Firft 
Qualities, and witball are in the predicament of 
the Third Qualities, muft generally refift and be 
auxiliaries in the Curing thofe Diftempers, afflilhng 
thofe particular Parts ; and therefore in giving 
you the Virtues oft the Medicament , lhd’ there are 
in almoft every Plant, and in the Variety of their 
Preparations , a great number of Difeafes enume- 
rated, againft which they be Good or fdelpful, yet 
vie do not intend thereby, that they are Specificks , 
and abfolute Cures for all the Difeafes there na- 
med, but chiefly helpful againft the fame ; and in 
Compcftlions framed againft fuel) Maladies, may 
as a Vis duplicata, add to their Force and EffeUs. 
VI. AS FOR Example, take Angelica, Lavender, 
or any other Plants, which are hot and dry in the 
fecond, third, or fourth degrees, as to their Firft 
Qualities; and witball arc appropriated to the 
Head, Brain, and Nerves •• We fay that thofe 
Plants, and their Preparations, are good for and 
helpjul againft all the Difeafes of thofe Parts, 
proceeding from cold and moifture, and accord- 
ingly we enumerate them, as Catarrhs, or Defluxi- 
ons, Megrims, Vertigo's , Appoplextes, Epilepfies, 
Lethargies, Carus, Coma, Pa/fies, Cramps , De- 
U C T I O N. 
fluxions into the Eyes end No/e , beavinefs of the 
Head , wcaknefs of the extream Putts, thro 5 the 
hurts of the Nerves , Stc. more effect ally if the 
Habit of the Body be cold and moifl too. Thefe 
and other like Difeafes of thofe Parts , proceeding 
from a cold and moifl Caufe , we fay , thefe and the 
like Plants are proper for , and helpful in their 
Cure , tb(? we do not fay they will alfolutely do 
the Work: And yet a great deal is to be faid , if 
Alteratives be given in a full Dole, afliduoufly 
ufed, not by firs and girds, and continued for -a 
good length of time j for fo Nature alls in con - 
junction with the Medicine , and the Cure is per- 
formed and per/ died at length , which otherwife 
could not be either expelled or hoped for. 
VII. AGAINyhofe Plant's which are in the Fourth 
Qualities of Medicines, are Abftra&ives, which 
ablh'ad or take hway all Superfluous Humours , 
Recrements , and Excrements out of the Body , its 
Ventricles , or principal Vifcera, and Vejjcls , which 
are Emericks, Catharticks, Salivaticks, Ptarmicks, 
Emmenagogicks, Diureticks, Lithontripticks, and 
Sudorificks, and thefe are faid to be Curative , at 
leafl helpful in Curing all Difeafes of Repletion. 
VIII. THE KIND of the AbftraUive is to be cho- 
fen , according to the fite of the Part, or Parts af- 
fiifiled $ and nature of the Difeafes affli&ing. 
So if it be the Head, fluft with pit uitous,* cold and 
moifl Humours , Ptarmicks are to be chofcn : If 
the Stomach, by Surfeits , Fulncfs , Obflruflions , 
J. harp Humours , &c. then Emeticks. If the En- 
trails, with Jharp Humours , Colicks , IVorms , &c. 
then Catharticks. If all the Juices of the 
Body are contaminated, as in the French Difeafe , 
Leprofle , Leuce, Elephantiafis, Efc. then Saliva- 
ticks. If the Womb be obflrufted , or the Cour- 
fes flopt , then Emmenagogicks. If there be a 
repletion of Urine , thro 5 an Obflrulfion of the 
Reins, and Urinary Veffels, then Diureticks. If 
Gravel, Stones, Etc. in Reins or Bladder , then Li- 
thontripticks. If Univerfil Obftru&ions over the 
whole Body, with a repletion of Watery Humours , 
as in Dropfles , then Catharticks firfl \ afid Sudo- 
rificks afterwards. 
IX. AND SO the Difeafes proceeding from Re- 
pletion, are enumerated according to ' the Part or 
Parts afflided and accordingly the proper Abftra- 
Uives are applied , which taking away the Super- 
fluous Humours , or Recrements , cauflng , or form 
ways conJributing to thofe Difeafes -, thofe particu- 
lar Medicaments according to their Kind , are faid to 
cure , or be helpful , or contributory to the removal. \ 
or cure of thofe Difeafes. 
X. THOSE HERBS, or Plants, which add Some- 
thing to the Body, or its principal Parts, are in 
the Fifth Qualities of Medicines , and are 
AdduUives, and faid to cure, or be helpful in cu- 
ring, all Difeafes of Ablation, viz. fuel: Diflem' 
pers as arc c a ufed from the want of fome Nou- 
rishment, Juices, or Humours, in order to the 
conferva! ion of the whole Body, or of fome parti- 
cular and ref pelt ive Parts : And fo they are faid 
to be Chylificks, Analepticks, Gala&ogeneticks, 
Spermatogeneticks, and Alexipharmicks •, that is 
to fay, to cure, or to be helpful in curing , all 
Difeafes and Weakncffes, caufed by a deficiency of 
what Nature requires, for prefervation of the 
Body and its Principal. 
XI. A KD THEREFORE theKind of the Add u£Hve 
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