384

THE COMPLETE HERBAL

1. Appetite lost.

2. Digestion weakened.

3. The retentive faculty corrupted.When the appetite is lost, the man feels

2. Such as resist poison; there is a two-ifold resisting of poison. \

1. By an antipathy between the medicine \

and poison. \

2. By a sympathy between the medicine and ? no hunger when his body needs nourish

the heart. ' J merit.

Of the first we shall speak anon, in a| When digestion is weakened it is notchapter by itself. ' The latter belongs to! able to concoct the meat received into thethis chapter, and they are such medicines, j stomach, but it putrifies there,whose nature is to strengthen the heart, and \ When the retentive faculty is spoiled thefortify it against the poison, as Rue, Ange -1 stomach is not able to retain the food till itlica, &c. Eor as the operation of the for- j be digested, but either vomits it up again,mer is upon the poison, which afflicteth the; or causes fluxes.

heart, so the operation of the latter is upon i Such medicines then as remedy all these,the heart afflicted by the poison. j are called stomachicals. And of them in

To this class may be referred all such | order,medicines as strengthen the heart either by \ 1. Such as provoke appetite are usually

astral influence, or by likeness of substance,; of a sharp or sourish taste, and yet withalif there be such a likeness in medicines,| of a grateful taste to the palate, for althoughfor a Bullock’s heart is of like substance1 loss of appetite may proceed from diversto man’s, yet I question whether it be cor- j causes, as from eholer in the stomach, or

dial or not. ; putrefied humours or the like, yet sucti

3. And lastly, Such as refresh the spirits, \ things as purge this eholer or humours, arelively and active, both \ properly called Orecticks, not stomachicals

and make them

because they are appropriated to the office, \ the former strengthen appetite after theseand also because they drive stinking and ; are expelled.

melancholy vapours from the heart, for as j 2. Such medicines help digestion asthe animal spirit be refreshed by fragrant; strengthen the stomach, either by conve-smells, and the natural spirits by spices, j nient heat, or aromatic (viz. spicy) faculty,so are the vital spirits refreshed by all such \ by hidden property, or congruity of nature,medicines as keep back melancholy vapours j 3. The retentive faculty of the stomachfrom the heart, as Borrage, Bugloss, Rose-j is corrected by binding medicines, yet notmary, Citron Pills, the compositions of them, j by all binding medicines neither, for somemany others, which this treatise will;of them

and

amply furnish you with.

are adverse to the stomach, but| by such binding medicines as are apprO-1 priated to the stomach.

; Eor the use of these.

| Use 1. Use not such medicines as pro-I voke appetite before you have cleansed the

CHAPTER IV.

Of Medicines appropriated to the stomach.

By stomach, -contains

chyle. ‘give them a good time before meat that so

Medicines appropriated to the stomach |they may pass to the bottom of the stomach,hre usually called stomachicals. |(for the digestive faculty lies there,) before

The infirmities usually incident to the j-the food come into it

I mean that ventricle which j stomach of what hinders it.the food till it be concocted into; Use 2. Such medicines as help digestion,

stomach are three.

Use 3. Such as strengthen the retentive