Galen ſaith, That Ipocras meaneth, that times of the yeare bréed not ſicknes, but chaungings of complection of the ſelfe time. When the complection of ye ayre, which ought to be according to ye time, is turned into the contrary: as when the complection of Spring time, that ſhould be hot and moyſt, turneth, and is made colde and drye, as it were in Harueſt time, and ſo of other. For if the aire of Spring time be generallye colde & drye, and in the Winter afore, the aire was as it were in Spring time hot & moyſt, then it muſt néedes followe, that manye men ſhall be ſicke in Spring time. And alſo women that goe with childe, ſhall be deliuered afore their time by little occaſion. And Galen telleth this reaſon: For by the moyſture and heate of the Winter that was aroſe, much moyſtnes is bred in bodyes, & knitting of fleame. If the aire in Spring time be colde and drye in the beginning: it cloſeth ſmall holes, and ſuffereth not the fumoſitie to paſſe out, and the heate holden in, diſſolueth the ſuperfluitie of moyſture, that was bred in the Winter. And for yt the heate is féeble, and maye not diſſolue it, neither make therein perfect digeſtion, nor waſt it at the full: it ſendeth that moyſture vndiſſolued, now to the ouer lymmes, and now to the neather: where being mired, it is cauſe of diuers euills: as if it goe vp to the head, it maye bée cauſe of rume and of hoarceneſſe: if it go into the bowells, & the fleame be ſalt, it bréedeth Diſſenteriam, a fluxe, that hideth the guts, and ſo of other. The ſame reaſon may be in women, yt be deliuered afore their time: for that moyſture fléeteth to the place that is called, the Mother, and grieueth it, and ſofteneth & ſlaketh that that ſhould hold the childe, and ſo the childe is borne afore the time. And Auicen aſſigneth another cauſe, And thus muſt we vnderſtande of other paſſions of the aire, and of the time: that the qualitie of that aire is chaunged by too great heate, that diſolueth either waſteth too ſpéedely: either by too lyttle heate that putteth not off the ſuperfluitie at full. And ſo we ſhould vnderſtand of too great colde, that cloſeth poores, & holdeth the humours, and draweth them to ſoone togethers. But of hotte ayre and colde, this that is ſayde ſhall ſuffice at this time.
¶Of meate and drinke. Cap. 5.
Of meate and drinke it appeareth, For that by withdrawing of féeding of meate and drinke moyſture is withdrawen, and drineſſe commeth in, and thereby the heat is the ſtronger, and finding not wherein it ſhould worke, tourneth it ſelfe to the ſubſtancial moyſture and working therein, maketh it hollow and waſteth it, and returneth.[1] If meate or drinke paſſeth meaſure, moyſture paſſeth too ſwifte, and kinde heat féebleth, for it is not ſufficient to worke digeſtion, but yet heate doth what it may: For it diſſolueth ſomewhat of the ſuperfluitie of the meate yt is taken. That that is reſolued, when it is great ſmoake and vndefied, it commeth vp to the brayne, and ſmiting Miringas,[2] the ſmal Curtels thereof, hurteth and grieueth them ſore, And bréedeth ſometimes the Migram, An aking in the forepart of the head,[3]where through the abundaunce of the moyſt humour, the eyes waxe bleare and dimme: and other euill paſſions of the head. And ſometime that malitious ſmoke ſmiteth to the rootes of yt ſinews of féelying, and paſſeth into yt innermoſt partes of the ſinewes in his ſharpneſſe and force, and letteth the ſpirite of feelyng that is therein and grieueth him: and ſo it diſtempereth the ſubſtance and the vſe of reaſon, and taketh awaye the kindlye mouing of the tongue, that telleth what reaſon meaneth, and maketh the tongue ſtammer and fayle, as it is ſéene in drunken men. Alſo oftentimes, it letteth and deſtroyeth altogether kindly mouing: as appeareth in them that ſhake and quake, and haue the palſie. And no wonder: For the powers that ſhould rule in the ſinewes and all the members and lymmes be ouerſet, as ouerflowed with a vapor infecting kindly iuyce in the bodye, but that ſharpe ſmoake having maſterie, and coueting to ſubdue yt kindly vertue, purpoſeth and
