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But because such medicines as conduceto the cure of the phthisics (which is anulceration of the lungs, and the diseaseusually called, the consumption of thelungs,) are also reckoned in amongst pec-toral, s it is not amiss to speak a word ortwo of them.
In the cure of this disease are threethings to be regarded.
1. - To cut and bring away the concretedblood.
2. To cherish and strengthen the lungs.
3. To conglutinate the ulcer.
And indeed some particular simples willperform all these, and physicians confessit; which shews the wonderful mystery theall-wise God hath made in the creation,that one and the same simple should per-form two contrary operations on the samepart of the body ; for the more a medicinecleanses, the more it conglutinates.
To conclude then, Pectoral Medicinesare such as either cut and cleanse out thecompacted humours from the arteries of thelungs, or make thin delluxions thick, ortemper those that are sharp, help the rough-ness of the wind-pipe, or are generallylenitive and softening, being outwardly ap-plied to the breast.
will easily grant me, that it is the propertyof cordials to administer to the heart in theseparticulars.
Of Cordials, some cheer the mind, somestrengthen the heart, and refresh the spiritsthereof, being decayed.
Those which cheer the mind, are not oneand the same ; for as the heart is variouslydisturbed, either by anger, love, fear, hatred,sadness, See. So such things as flatterlovers or appease the angry, or comfort thefearful, or please the hateful, may well becalled cordials ; for the heart, seeing it isplaced in the middle between the brainand the liver, is wrought upon by reason, aswell as by digestion, yet these, becausethey are not medicines, are beside my pre-sent scope.
And although it is true, that mirth, love,&c. are actions, or motions of the mind,not of the body; yet many have beeninduced to think such affections may bewrought in the body by medicines.
The heart is chiefly afflicted by too muchheat, by poison, and by stinking vapours,and these are remedied by the second sortof cordials, and indeed chiefly belong toour present scope.
According to these three afflictions, viz.
1. Excessive heat.
CHAPTER III.
Of Medicines appropriated to the heart.
These are they which are generally givenunder the notion of Cordials; take themunder that name here.
The heart is the seat of the vital spirit, thefountain of life, the original of infused heat,and of the natural affections of man.
So then these two things are proper to theheart.
1. By its heat to cherish life throughoutthe body.
2. To add vigour to the affections.
And if these be proper to the heart, you
(39, 40.)
2. Poison.
3. Melancholy vapours.
Are three kinds of remedies which suc-cour the afflicted heart.
Such as
1. By their cooling nature mitigate the heatof fevers.
2. Resist poison.
3. Cherish the vital spirits when they tan -guish.
All these are called Cordials.
1. Such as cool the .heart in fevers, yetis not every thing that cooleth cordial, forlead is colder than gold, yet is not leadcordial as gold is, some hold it cordial bya hidden quality, others by reason,y, 5 f