THE SCHOOL OF SALERNUM
THE
SCHOOL of SALERNUM
REGIMEN SANITATIS SALERNITANUM
The English Version
BY SIR JOHN HARINGTON
HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL OF SALERNUM BY
FRANCIS R. PACKARD, M.D.
AND A NOTE ON THE PREHISTORY OF THE
REGIMEN SANITATIS BY
FIELDING H. GARRISON/ M. D.
NEW YORK
PAUL B. HOEBER
1920
Copyright, 1920,
BY PAUL B. HOEBER
Published June, 1920
Printed in the United States of America
57037
CONTENTS
PAGE
I. HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL OF SALERNUM
FRANCIS R. PACKARD 7
II. NOTE ON THE PREHISTORY OF THE REGIMEN SANITATIS
FIELDING H. GARRISON S3
III. THE SALERNE SCHOOLE 67
IV. REGIMEN SANITATIS SALERNITANUM IS9
V. NOTES ON THE ENGLISH TEXT igl
VI. NOTES ON THE LATIN TEXT 2°4
VII. INDEX OF SUBJECTS 2I°
2052814
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
SIR JOHN HARINGTON Frontispiece
TAILPIECE, THE PRINTER'S DEVICE APPEARING IN SCOLA
SALERNITANA. VENICE: CARL BROGIOLLUS, 1630 ... 52
TAILPIECE, APPEARING IN MEDICINA SALERNITANA. VENICE:
JOHANN SAVER, 1615 63
VILLA NOVA COMMENTING ON THE SCHOLA SALERNI ... 64
FIRST PAGE OF A MS OF HARINGTON'S TRANSLATION, IN A
SCRIBE'S HAND BUT WITH HARINGTON'S OWN CORREC-
TIONS Opposite 75
REPRODUCTION OF THE TITLE PAGE FROM THE ENGLISH
VERSION BY HARINGTON 67
THE MEDIEVAL PHYSICIAN IN His OFFICE . . . Opposite 76
THE BANQUET 78
THE PUBLIC BATH 83
THE PUBLIC BATH 85
THE MORNING DRAUGHT 89
THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC Opposite 91
ARNOLD OF VILLA NOVA Opposite 99
THE FOUR SEASONS 129
THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS Opposite 130
THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS 133
THE SANGUINE MAN 135
THE CHOLERIC MAN 137
THE PHLEGMATIC MAN 139
THE MELANCHOLY MAN 141
BLEEDING TO CHEER THE PENSIVE 151
HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL OF
SALERNUM
BY FRANCIS R. PACKARD, M.D.
DURING the periods known as the
Dark and Middle Ages, medicine, as
a science, practically ceased to exist.
In the Christian era hospitals and asylums
for the sick were established, but it cannot
be said that the clinical material thus gath-
ered was utilized to much good. Leper hos-
pitals in great numbers were established
throughout Europe and England, necessitated
by the spread of that disease by pilgrims and
crusaders returning from the East.
To their preservation in various monastic
libraries we owe the possession of most of the
literary remains of ancient Greek, Latin, and
Arabian medicine, but no additions were made
during many centuries to the knowledge of
anatomy, physiology, or other fundamental
branches of medicine. The monks who wrote
I 7 )
on medical subjects were either mere copyists
who transcribed ancient manuscripts which
were contained in monastic libraries, or com-
piled formularies of therapeutic measures as
absurd as those of the most primitive races.
The Benedictines were, from the medical
point of view, the most active of all the religious
orders. At the Benedictine Monastery of
Monte Casino, near Naples, in the ninth cen-
tury, medicine, such as it was, was not only
practiced but taught. Unfortunately, the
records which remain of the cases treated
there are chiefly accounts of miraculous cures
wrought by St. Benedict, and though inter-
esting from a historical point of view, possess
absolutely no scientific value. The monastery
had been founded by St. Benedict himself in
the early part of the sixth century, and was
sacked by the Lombards towards its close.
The monks fled to Rome, but returned to
Monte Casino in 720, when they rebuilt the
monastery, only to be destroyed again, this time
by the Saracens in 884. It was restored once
more some seventy years later and became one
of the most famous monasteries of the medie-
val era. It continued its existence as a mon-
astery until 1866, when at the dissolution of
such institutions it was spared because of the
intervention of some English well-wishers of
Italy, and was classed as a national monu-
ment, with its monks as custodians.
One of the chief duties of the Benedictine
order was to care for the sick. Although St.
Benedict had forbidden the monks to act as
teachers, the injunction was from an early
period generally disregarded, and we find Monte
Casino referred to not only as a hospital but as a
medical school at a very early date. Most of
the cures wrought at the shrine, however,
were of a miraculous nature, such as that of
the Emperor Henry II of Germany, in 1022,
who had gone to the monastery to seek relief
from stone in the bladder. He fell into a
deep sleep during which St. Benedict relieved
him of the cause of his sufferings. Several
of its abbots, notably Bertharius, in the ninth
[ 9 1
century, and Desiderius (who became Pope
Victor III), in the eleventh, wrote books on
medicine, including four books on the miracu-
lous cures wrought by St. Benedict.
One of the most famous inmates of the
monastery was Constantinus Africanus, who
was born in northern Africa and travelled
extensively in Egypt and India^ in the pur-
suit of knowledge. When he returned to
Carthage he was accused -of sorcery- and
obliged to fly for his life. He fled to Saler-
num where he was appointed secretary to
Robert Guiscard, who had shortly before
captured the town. He soon, however, gave
up his position and entered the monastery at
Monte Casino where in the silent cloister he
wrote the many medical works which have
preserved his name. These were chiefly trans-
lations of and commentaries on Arabian and
Greek authors, and it is principally to the
labors of Constantine that we owe the in-
jection of Arabic medicine, such as it was,
into the medical learning of Europe. Con-
[ 10 ]
stantine died in 1087. Although undoubtedly
a most learned man, the estimate of his writ-
ings given by Freind in his "History of Physick,"
1750, is pretty generally adhered to by modern
authorities. Freind states that though he
compiled many books, most of what he wrote
was merely a translation of the works of, the
Greeks and Arabians, and in many instances
he was guilty of gross plagiarisms. A col-
lected edition of the works of Constantine
was published at, Basle in 1539. • *'j
On a hill, just above the site of the present
city of Salerno, thirty-five miles to the south-
east of Naples, there was situated the ancient
city of Salernum, which is first known as a
Roman colony in 194 B. C. Because of its
salubrious situation it became famous as a
health resort at an early period in its history.
After the Lombard conquest the city achieved
great importance. In 1075 it was captured
by Robert Guiscard, the Norman, after a
siege lasting eight months. The city con-
tinued to prosper until it was sacked and its
[ ii 1
material prosperity ruined by the Emperor
Henry VI, in 1194.
The monks of Monte Casino early realized
the importance of Salerno as a health resort,
and they lost no time in extending their in-
fluence to that town. They established mon-
asteries in the city and many authorities
consider that the organization of the medical
school of Salerno on a scholastic basis was
chiefly attributable to their activities. That
the teaching of medicine was carried on from
a very early period at Salerno is certain, but
the origin of the school is involved in great
obscurity. The tradition which was formerly
most generally accepted was that the school
was founded by four physicians, a Jew, a
Greek, a Saracen and a Latin, who fore-
gathered at Salerno about the middle of the
seventh century. This cosmopolitan group
was supposed to explain why medicine, as
taught at Salerno, embodied the learning of
all nations. The prevalent view is that the
school had no definite point of origin, but
[ 12 1
simply grew up out of the gathering together
of many sick patients, especially those of
wealth, for, like modern resorts of a similar
nature, the majority of the people at Salerno
were persons of means. Salerno was right in
the path of many of the Crusaders and was
a favorite stopping place for them both on
their way and returning. Thus it was that
Robert of Normandy, to whom I shall refer
later, visited Salerno, and there were thou-
sands of others who did likewise.
The fact that the town was a resort for
those who engaged in the holy wars would
naturally attract the monks of the not far
distant monastery, and, as we have seen,
they hastened to erect monasteries and
churches in its midst. At these shrines were
deposited various holy relics which were re-
puted to possess miraculous healing properties,
and during the tenth century arose a cloud of
testimonials not only to the healing properties
of the air and baths and to the skill of the
physicians of Salerno, but an immense num-
[ 13 1
her of tales of the wonderful cures wrought
at its altars by saintly means. There were
four shrines of especial importance from the
medical point of view. They were those in
which were enclosed the relics of St. Matthew,
St. Archelaus, St. Thecla and St. Susanna.
The literary activity of the School of
Salerno first manifested itself about the mid-
dle of the eleventh century. There exist a
series of treatises which are by different
authors manifesting rather an erudite knowl-
edge of the writings of previous authorities
in Arabic, Greek and Latin than any especial
originality. Among the earliest known au-
thors of Salerno were Gariopontus and Petro-
cellus or Petronius. The former's compila-
tion entitled " Passionarius G^leni" was long
extolled as an authority on therapeutics,
although it is said to be an almost literal copy
of a work by Theodore Priscianus~of Constan-
tinople. Gariopontus wrote about 1040. Pet-
rocellus wrote his practice about 1035. One
of the most traditionally famous authors of
[14]
Salerno was Trotula, who has descended in
the vernacular to quite modern times as
Mother Trot. Trotula was a woman of noble
family who not only wrote but taught at
Salerno. She wrote on obstetrics, hygiene,
and many other medical subjects, about the
year 1059. Malgaigne1 thought that he had
proved that although Trotula existed and was
a distinguished female resident of Salerno,
there was no evidence that she had anything
to do with the authorship of the works attribu-
ted to her. Trotula is stated, by those who
believe in her authorship, to have written
two books, "De Mulierum Passionibus,"
generally known as Trotula Major, and a
work on cosmetic hygiene, known as Trotula
Minor. De Renzi in his history of the school
of Salerno states his belief that Trotula was
the wife of John Platearius, one of the mem-
bers of the family of that name who occupied a
professional chair at Salerno. In looking into
the question of the authorship of books written
1 Introduction, Les (Euvres d'Ambroise Par£.
in the ages before the invention of printing,
it is constantly necessary to bear in mind
that titles, authors' names, and other essential
details of the books were frequently confused
to an astonishing degree, because the suc-
cessive copyists by the necessary frequency
with which errors were made led to a consecu-
tive increase in the obscurity as to many
things of vital import. Very often the copy-
ist would interpolate contemporary matters
without indicating in any way that he de-
flected from the original. Thus Malgaigne
studied the supposed works of Trotula in
different manuscripts of various dates. From
his researches he concluded that there was
no reason to think that Trotula was really
the authoress of the works, as the name
Trotula was only used in the title as " Summa
quae dicitur Trotula," but nowhere in any
of the manuscripts was there any distinct
statement that Trotula or any other woman
was the writer. x In some of the manuscripts
the name Eros is used for Trotula. Most
[16]
authorities hold with de Renzi, however, that
Trotula was a very real person indeed and
worthy of all the posthumous fame she had
achieved. There were other women besides
Trotula who practiced medicine and wrote
on medical subjects at Salerno.
In the fifteenth century Costanza or
Costanzella Calenda, a woman famous alike
for her beauty and intellectual acquirements,
received the degree of doctor of medicine.
Abella was another woman who wrote on
medical topics in the early part of the fifteenth
century. She was the authoress of two
treatises in Latin verse, "De Natura Seminis
Hominis," and the other "De Atrabile."
Rebecca Guarna and a lady who wrote
under the name of Mercuriadis also wrote
medical books. The exact dates at which
these three females flourished are uncertain,
but the thirteenth was the century which
witnessed their activities.
Women were undoubtedly admitted to the
medical course at Salerno and received de-
[ 17]
grees and licenses to practice. There is no
authentic record, however, of a woman having
served as a member of the Faculty.
Other authors of Salerno in the eleventh
century were Johannes Afflacius, Bartholo-
mseus, the two Cophons, and Ferrarius.
Archimathaeus wrote about the year noo,
two works, one a practice of medicine, the
other a guide to the physician on his com-
portment and bearing to his patients. Dar-
emberg1 quotes the following interesting di-
rections given by Archimathasus for the guid-
ance of the physician on his professional
visits :
"When the physician p-oes to visit his pa-
tients he should place himself under the
protection of God and of the angel who
accompanied Tobias. On his way he will try
and learn from the person who came to fetch
him as much as possible of the condition of
the patient in order to put himself au courant
of the affection he will have to treat, so that
1 Introduction to L'Ecole de Salerne par Ch. Meaux Saint-Marc.
[ 18]
if, after having examined the urine and felt
the pulse, he cannot soon learn the nature of
the illness, he can by means of the facts
previously ascertained at least inspire confi-
dence in the patient by proving to him that
he has divined something of the nature of his
sufferings. It is well that the sick man before
the arrival of the physician should confess
himself or undertake to do so, because if his
doctor finds it necessary for him he will
believe his case desperate, and the inquietude
will aggravate his illness, whereas more than
one sick man who provides against the re-
proaches of his conscience recovers because
of his reconciliation with the Great Physician.
"On his entrance the physician makes his
salutations with a grave and modest demeanor,
seats himself to take breath, praises, if oppor-
tunity affords, the beauty of the location, the
elegance of the mansion, the generosity of
the family, in this way gaining the good will
of those present and giving the sick man time
to regain his composure. (Archimathseus then
[ 19 1
gives minute directions as to feeling the pulse
and the examination of the urine.)
"On departing the physician promises the
patient he shall recover; to those who are
about the sickbed, however, he must affirm
that the patient is very ill; if the patient re-
covers the physician's reputation will be
enhanced, should he die the physician can
state that the outcome was as he predicted.
He should not allow his eyes to fix them-
selves upon the wife or daughter, however
beautiful they may be, for that would forfeit
his honor and compromise the welfare of the
patient by drawing upon the household the
anger of God. If he is requested to dine, as
is the custom, he must show himself neither
indiscreet nor greedy. Unless he is forced
he should not take the first place at the table,
although that should be reserved for the priest
or physician. If in the house of a peasant
he should taste everything without finishing
it, remarking on the rusticity of the food;
if, on the contrary, the table is delicate, he
[20]
should not yield to the pleasure of the appetite.
He should ask for information as to the state
of the patient from time to time, who will
be charmed to find that he is not forgotten
amidst the pleasures of the repast. Upon
leaving the table the physician must go to
the bedside of the patient, assure him how
well he has fared, and above all must not
forget to show solicitude as to the regulation
of the diet of the sick man."
It is evident that there was a good bit of
charlatanry mixed with the medicine of the
venerable Archimathseus.
Among these authors should be mentioned
especially Cophon the Younger who wrote
in the twelfth century a book on the anatomy
of the pig, "De Anatomia Porci," which was
probably the standard textbook of anatomy
at the School, and a book on the practice of
medicine, "Ars Medendi."
Daremberg spoke in terms of special com-
mendation of the writings of Cophon the
Younger, stating that he described certain
[21 ]
conditions not referred to by any other of
the Salernian writers, among which may be
mentioned ulceration of the palate, scrofulous
glands in the neck, and condylomata. He
refers to the custom which prevailed with
Cophon, as well as many other of the Saler-
nians, of giving different prescriptions to be
used for rich patients than those to be given
to patients less fortunately situated. This
custom was not the result of any desire on
the physician's part to make invidious dis-
tinction, but because medicines could be given
in a more agreeable form to those who could
afford to pay for the gilding of the pill. Thus
for a purge for a person of noble birth Cophon
recommended rhubarb, very finely powdered,
while for peasants he used mirobolanum
macerated with or without sugar.
Nicholas Prsepositus, who flourished in the
middle of the twelfth century, was, as his
name implies, director of the School. He
wrote an Antidotarium which achieved great
fame as a pharmacopoeia. Nicholas would
[22]
seem to have been an ardent ecclesiastic
to judge from the religious names which he
gave to the various remedies contained in
his books, such as Potio Sancti Pauli or the
drink of St. Paul; Emplastrum Apostolicon
or the apostolic plaster. Most of his remedies
were nauseous mixtures of many ingredients.
He also wrote a little book called "Quid pro
quo," which gave a list of the drugs which
could be substituted for one another in case
of difficulty in procuring any special prepara-
tion.
Matthew Platearius was another twelfth-
century author of Salerno and a member of a
family who supplied the school with several
of its faculty. Much confusion exists among
writers as to individuals of the Platearius
family. Daremberg said that there were
three, two named John and one named
Matthew; all held chairs at Salerno.
Master Bernard, the Provincial, also wrote
on pharmacy at this epoch. To him we owe
the preservation of many curious prescrip-
[2.3 ]
tions in vogue in his time. Bernard had an
especially tender regard for the stomachs of
archbishops. He particularly recommends
wine for them and states that he discovered
from his experience in the case of Archbishop
Alphanus that it was not wise to give arch-
bishops vomitive medicines on an empty
stomach, but only after a meal.
Musandinus who flourished about the middle
of the twelfth century was the author of a
book on the preparation of food and drink
for the sick (De modo prseparandi cibos et
potus infirmorum).
The most famous of the twelfth-century
authors, however, was ^Egidius Corboliensis.
He was a native of Corbeil, near Paris, and
after studying at Salerno, he returned to the
French capital to practice. He was physician
to Philip Augustus and wrote several books
in Latin verse, one on the pulse (De Pulsibus),
one on the urine (De Urinus) and a larger one
on medicaments.
The best known literary product of Salerno
[24!
was the famous poem which survived many
hundreds of years in great esteem as a stand-
ard textbook, and which is the best known
literary survival of medieval medicine.
Before the invention of printing the Schola
Salernitana or Regimen Sanitatis Salerni-
tanum (sometimes called the Flos Medicinse
Salerni and Medicina Salernitana) was spread
over the civilized world in innumerable manu-
script copies. Sir Alexander Croke1 in his
edition of the poem enumerates twenty edi-
tions which ware printed between the years
1480 and 1500, and Baudry de Balzac stated
that to 1846, 240 editions of the poem were
printed, and that there existed more than
loo manuscript copies in European libraries.
The poem was written as a work of medical
advice for the benefit of Robert, Duke of
Normandy, the eldest son of William the
Conqueror.2 Robert had been a rebellious
1 Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum, edited by Sir Alexander Croke,
Oxford, 1830.
2 Daremberg thinks the poem was not especially written for
Duke Robert.
5 7 6 3 7
son and had actually wounded his own father
in a battle in 1079. The Conqueror forgave
him and in 1087, when William died, Robert
became Duke of Normandy, while his younger
brother became King of England. It is un-
necessary to dwell upon the fraternal feuds
in which the sons of William the Conqueror
indulged after their stern father's death. In
1096, Robert was seized with the crusading
ardor and to raise funds for the purpose
mortgaged his dukedom to his brother William
for 10,000 marks. On his way to the Holy
Land he passed a winter at Salerno, which
was the capital of the Duchy of Apulia,
whose reigning duke, Ruggiero, was related to
Robert. The two dukes seemed to have en-
joyed one another's society immensely, and
had a mutually agreeable time.
Before sailing in April, Robert repaired to
Monte Casino and received the benediction
of the monks. Finally he arrived with his
followers in the Holy Land, aided in the cap-
ture of Jerusalem, and the establishment of
[ 26]
Godfrey de Bouillon as king of the conquered
land. In September, 1099, Duke Robert
returned to Salerno where Duke Ruggiero
welcomed him once more to the hospitalities
of his court. Here the returned warrior fell
in love with Sybilla, daughter of the Count
of Conversano, and was married to her. One
reason for Duke Robert's return to Salerno is
said to have been to seek relief in the skill of
its physicians for a poisoned wound of the
arm which he had received in the war. A
romantic tale states that the physicians told
him that there was but one chance for his
recovery. This was to have the poison
sucked from his wound. His affectionate
wife volunteered for this service, but the Duke
sternly refused to consider the proposition.
Sybilla, not to be daunted, waited until he
was sound asleep one night and then pro-
ceeded to suck the wound, with most wonder-
ful results, as it healed as if by magic. As
the result of a year passed in pleasant dalliance
at the court of Duke Ruggiero, Robert lost
[27]
the crown of England, for while he was there
William Rufus died, and although Robert
was acknowledged as his successor by his
companions in Italy, his brother Henry had
secured actual possession of the throne of
England. Robert tried for some years to
dispose of his brother, but was finally, at the
battle of Tenchebrai, in 1106, taken prisoner
by Henry and passed the last twenty-eight
years of his life in captivity.
Attempts have been made to question the
statement that the poem was intended for
Duke Robert, but Sir Alexander Croke in the
edition which he so ably edited advanced
reasons which he thought should settle the
point decisively. He states the poem was
evidently written as early as the end of the
eleventh century (Duke Robert's time), because
it is imitated and referred to by ^Egidius Cor-
boliensis in the middle of the twelfth century,
and because of the early imitations of it at
the universities of Paris and Montpellier.
In the second place, no other king of England
[28]
was connected with Salerno, as was Duke
Robert. Richard Cceur de Lion stopped at
Salerno on his way to Palestine but this was
in 1199, long after the poem was in circulation.
Doubt has been cast on its being Robert be-
cause he never became king of England de
facto. Croke states, however, that in many
ancient writings Robert is distinctly referred
to as King of England. He quotes a passage
from Peter Diaconus in which he is termed
Robertus rex Anglorum. Thirdly, as Croke
says, there is the internal evidence arising from
the recipe for the cure of a fistulous wound,
which was the nature of Duke Robert's com-
plaint, and which would indicate that the
person for whom it was written suffered
from it.1
The authorship of the Regimen is a matter
of some doubt. Daremberg considered it of
composite authorship, but it is generally as-
appended to this brief history will be found a most valuable
introductory note by Dr. Fielding H. Garrison in which he gives a
succinct account of the latest views held by Sudhoff and other Ger-
man investigators on this subject.
cribed to one John of Milan, who is supposed
to have been the head of the faculty of the
School of Salerno at the time it was written.
Some of the earliest manuscript copies of the
poem bear his name, yet as Croke1 says,
Arnold of Villa Nova, the earliest commen-
tator on the poem, who died in 1313, states
that it was published by the doctors of
Salerno. He adds, that although the name,
John of Milan, is not found in any of the lists
of the learned men connected with either the
monastery of Monte Casino or the School of
Salerno, "Yet that it should be so generally
ascribed, in later times, to a person whose
very name is not elsewhere to be found, unless
it were known from undisputed and indevi-
ating tradition, and ancient authorities, it is
difficult to conceive."
The Regimen is really a handbook of do-
mestic medicine. It was not intended for
the medical profession, but for the guidance
of laymen, primarily King Robert, but its
1 Edition of the Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum, Oxford, 1830.
[33]
merits were such that the demand for it led
to its being copied many times and translated
into many tongues. It was quite customary,
in the days before printing, to write in verse
upon any subject, medical, theological, his-
torical, etc., because it was so much easier
to memorize than prose and could thus be-
come more generally diffused and readily
transmitted. Many manuscript copies are
still in existence in the libraries of Europe
and England. The Bodleian Library at Ox-
ford and the British Museum each contain
several. As in all books which went through
numerous copyings, the text varies greatly.
Thus the text commented upon by Arnold of
Villa Nova contains about 363 lines, and some
of the other manuscript editions contain even
less, while in other manuscripts the poem is
swelled to over a thousand lines. The manu-
script as given by Arnold of Villa Nova is
regarded as the most authentic of all the
texts, because he lived (in the thirteenth
century) nearer the date of its composition
than any other known commentator, and was
often in Sicily in the immediate neighborhood
of the place where it was composed.
Arnold of Villa Nova (1235 ?-i3 1 1) was born
near Valencia. He studied medicine at Paris
and Montpellier, and at the latter place taught
for ten years. He was a very learned man,
knowing Hebrew and Arabic as well as Greek
and Latin. He became physician to three popes
and was the physician and intimate coun-
sellor of the Kings of Arragon and of Sicily.
He was a friend of Raymond Lully, the peri-
patetic alchemist, to whom Arnold taught the
art of making brandy from wine. Arnold is
said to have been the first to use brandy
medicinally. He is stated to have composed
a tincture of gold wherewith he cured Pope
Innocent V of the plague. Arnold was a bold
man and an independent thinker; and after
1299 was largely engaged in schemes of ec-
clesiastical and social reformation. He was
accused of practicing alchemy and of holding
heretical opinions. It was for Frederic of
[32]
Sicily that Arnold edited his edition of the
Regimen. In spite of his disfavor with the
Inquisition, Pope Clement V held him in
high esteem, because in 1313 that pontiff
wrote letters to all those whom he thought
might help in his search requesting that they
aid him in recovering a book, "De Praxi
Medica," which Arnold of Villa Nova had
promised to send him. Villa Nova died be-
fore the book was actually sent. Another
pope, Boniface VIII, was accused of heresy
because he approved of the writings of Arnold.
In Croke's edition of the Regimen he gives
the Latin text of Arnold of Villa Nova and
expresses his opinion that the version he
reprints is nearer the original as written at
Salerno than any other known manuscript.
The version of the Regimen Sanitatis
Salernitanum which Sir Alexander Croke used
as the text for his English reprint in 1830 is
reprinted from an English edition published
anonymously in 1607 under the title, "The
Englishmans Doctor or the Schoole of Salerne,
[33 1
or Physicall Observations for the Perfect Pre-
serving of the Body of Man in Continuall
Health."
All the translations into the popular tongues
of other nations bear the same character as
the English version, namely, that of a series of
wise maxims written in plain language on the
care of the health.
In the year 1224, the Emperor Frederick II,
the Hohenstauifen, published a decree which
may be regarded as setting the seal of glory
on Salerno. Already King Roger III had
recognized it by an edict as the source from
which it was necessary to obtain authority to
practice in his kingdom of the two Sicilies.
By the decree of Frederick II, in 1224, it
was ordered that thenceforth no one should be
permitted to practice medicine in the king-
dom of the two Sicilies without having under-
gone an examination before the faculty of
Salerno. In order to be eligible for this
examination it was necessary for the candidate
to prove the legitimacy of his birth, to have
[34]
reached the age of twenty-one years, and to
have studied medicine for at least seven years.
He was examined in the works of Hippoc-
rates, Galen, and Avicenna, and in the
works of Aristotle. If he passed a satisfactory
examination he was given the title of Magister,
the term doctor being used chiefly at that
time to indicate one who taught, or was a
professor. In a decree subsequent to that of
1224, it was ordered that before undertaking
the study of medicine, the candidate should
have studied at least three years in logic.
He was then required to study for five years
in the medical school, after which he under-
went a rigid examination. After his gradu-
ation he was required to practice for a year
as an assistant or a sort of apprentice to an
older practitioner. It is curious to find that
during the five years that the student pursued
his curriculum he was authorized to teach
and expound the writings of Hippocrates and
Galen. Other decrees ordained the charges
which were permitted by physicians for their
[3Sl
services, regulated the apothecaries, requiring
them to pass an examination and make only
certain charges, and also set forth the training
necessary for those who desired to practice
surgery. In order to obtain a license as a
surgeon it was necessary to study anatomy
for a year at the School of Salerno or the
University of Naples and pass a rigid exam-
ination.
Physicians were absolutely forbidden to
accept fees or commissions from apothecaries
or to have any financial interest in apothecary
shops. The fees to be charged by physicians
were fixed and there were rigid ordinances
concerning the sale of poisons and of love
philtres or other charms, and the manage-
ment of contagious diseases.
To Roger of Parma, a graduate of the
School of Salerno in the early part of the
thirteenth century, is generally ascribed the
honor of founding modern surgery. Roger,
after graduating, taught for a time at Salerno
before going to Montpellier where, according
[36]
to Sprengel, he became chancellor of the
University, although Malgaigne believes that
it was not he but another Roger who held
this office. In 1180 he wrote his Chirurgia.
In this work he advocated the application of
wet dressings and ointments to wounds, in
order to favor coction and the formation of
what was subsequently for many generations
known as "laudable pus." This teaching
prevailed for many years and although, as
we shall see, it was originally opposed, its
pernicious influence did untold harm.1 Roger
fractured the bones in order to remedy badly
set fractures. In the treatment of scrofulous
ulcers and broken down glands he used tents
made of sponge, and he used setons as a
means of counterirritation. Roger used the
ligature if cauterization and styptics failed to
check hemorrhage. He also used the suture.
1 For a most authoritative and interesting summary of chis
and other subjects, the address of Dr. Clifford Allbutt on "The
Historical Relations of Medicine and Surgery, " read at the St. Louis
Congress in 1904 and since published in book form, should be read.
Its learned author sums up in a limited space the gist of the entire
subject.
[37]
Roland of Parma, who flourished in the
middle of the thirteenth century, was Roger's
most distinguished disciple. He wrote a
surgery which in reality is merely a com-
mentary on the works of his master, inter-
spersed with some original views of his
own.
About the year 1270, there was written at
Salerno a book, "Glossulse Quatuor Magis-
trorum Super Chirurgium Rogerii et Rolandi,"
which purported to be a commentary by four
of the faculty of Salerno on the surgeries of
Roger and Roland. This commentary of the
Four Masters was widely copied and regarded
as an authoritative work on surgery for many
generations. A number of manuscript copies
are contained in the libraries of Europe and
England.1 The commentary of the Four
Masters naturally advocated wet dressings,
fomentations and ointments. Many bold
surgical procedures are described in it. The
^aremberg Ipublished an edition at Paris in 1854. This is
readily accessible and is accompanied by the most illuminating notes.
[38]
use of the ligature is dwelt upon, and trephin-
ing, operations on aneurisms, and goitre are
described. In reading this or other medieval
works one is struck with the frequent mention
of surgical measures such as the ligature, many
of them known even in much more ancient
times, which were subsequently allowed to
lapse entirely from view. Operations for
vesical calculus and anal fistula are well
described.
The thirteenth century witnessed the birth
of the intellectual movement which was ulti-
mately to burst in the glory of the Renais-
sance. In it the great universities of Europe,
many of which continue to flourish, first
showed signs of real life. Crowds of students
flocked to Paris and Montpellier, or to Bo-
logna and Padua, and the great Emperor
Frederick II founded the universities of
Naples and Messina which under his fos-
tering care showed marvelous growth, and
threw their more ancient rival at Salerno
into the shade.
[39]
As the University of Naples grew in the
importance of its professors and the numbers
of its students, Salerno gradually declined.
No great names illumine the roll of its faculty,
and from the thirteenth century it steadily
lost standing. One of the last tokens of re-
spect which it received was in 1748, when the
Faculty of Medicine of Paris referred to the
Faculty of Salerno the subject of the relative
standing of the physicians and surgeons in
France, a matter over which professional
opinion in that country was so heated that
it was deemed necessary to derive aid from
outside in its settlement, and the traditional
reputation of Salerno led to resort being
made to this authority. In 1811, the School
of Salerno was formally abolished by the
decree of the Emperor Napoleon. In its place
a lycee medicate or secondary school of medicine
was established. Daremberg visited Salerno
in 1848 and tells how he found absolutely no
trace of the medical school which had once
been its glory. "No echo of tradition; not a
[40]
stone of the ancient edifice; not one manu-
script in a library; not even a good edition of
the Regimen Salernitanum in the home of
the only doctor, Santorelli, in whom the old
remembrances were not extinct."
It became the custom for students as well
as teachers to travel from one city to another
in search of learning. In this peripatetic
fashion not only did the seeker of wisdom
derive what he sought, but learning was more
generally diffused and the scope of men's
minds broadened and mellowed. From this
time it is almost impossible to assign a teacher
to one particular school, as they not only
taught as a rule in more than one, but also
went to several to obtain their education.
Unfortunately in almost every centre of learn-
ing the same slavish submission to tradition
prevailed, and scholasticism and superstition
benighted the minds of those who should have
led the fight for intellectual freedom. The
influence of the Arabs had overshadowed the
pure Greek^tradition. Very few of the scholars
[41 1
of France or of Italy had any knowledge of
Greek, and Hippocratic medicine was known
to them solely through the medium of its
Arabic and monkish translators who dis-
figured and corrupted it by the introduction
of their fantastic, superstitious and nauseating
interpolations.
Sir Alexander Croke (1758-1824) was a
distinguished English lawyer and scholar,
who, in addition to publishing many legal
works, attained distinction as a student of
Latin and Greek. In 1830 he published the
little volume in which was contained the
Latin text of the "Regimen Sanitatis Salerni-
tanum," with a translation into English, pub-
lished anonymously, in the year 1607. The
book contains a learned dissertation on the
Latin poetry as used in the composition of
the School of Salerno, with an historical in-
troduction and numerous notes. It has long
been out of print and difficult to obtain.
In the present edition we have reproduced
the Latin text used by Croke, which was
[42]
published in 1491, with the following title:
"Regimen Sanitatis, cum expositione Magistri
Arnaldi de Villa Nova. Incipit Regimen
Sanitatis Salernitanum excellentissimum pro
conservatione sanitatis totius humani generis
perutilissimum: nee non a Magistro Arnoldo
de Villa Nova Cathelano omnium medicorum
viventium gemma, utiliter, ac secundum om-
nium antiquorum medicorum doctrinam vera-
citer expositum: noviter correctum ac emem-
datum per egregissimos ac medicinse artis
peritissimos Doctores Montispessulani re-
gentes, anno MCCCCLXXX, predicto loco
actu moram trahentes." At the end, "Hoc
opus optatur quod flos medicinse vocatur.
Tractatus qui de Regimine Sanitatis nuncu-
patur finit feliciter impressus Argen: (Stras-
burg) : Anno Domini MCCCCXCI, in die
Sancti Thomae Cantuariensis. Apud me."
Croke compared and corrected it with other
editions of the same century. The English
text used by Croke was published anony-
mously in 1607, with the following title:
[43 1
"The Englishmans Doctor or, Schoole of
Salerne. Or, Physicall Observations for the
perfect Preserving of the Body of Man in
continuall Health. London : Printed for John
Helme, and John Busby Junior and are to be
solde at the little shop, next Cliffords Inne-
gate, in Fleet-streete. 1607."
In 1870 Dr. John Ordronaux, professor of
medical jurisprudence in the Law School of
Columbia College, New York, published his
edition: "Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum.
Code of Health of the School of Salernum,
translated into English verse, with an Intro-
duction, Notes and Appendix." Professor
Ordronaux reprinted the Latin text of the
edition published at Rotterdam by Zaccharias
Sylvius in 1657, which he considered the
editio recepta. It was entitled " Schola Saler-
nitana, sive De Conservanda Valetudine Prse-
cepta Metrica. Autore Joanne de Mediolano
(hactenus ignoti) cum luculenta et succinta
Arnoldi Villanovani in singula capita exegesi.
Ex recensione Zacchariae Sylvii. Medici Rot-
[44l
erodamensis. Cum ejusdem Prsefatione.
Nova editio, melior et aliquot Medicis opus-
culis auction Roterodami. Ex: Officina Ar-
noldi Leers, 1657." This text differs in
places from the Latin text of the 1491 edition
given by Croke, particularly in the inclusion
of the additions by way of commentaries of
Arnold of Villa Nova. The variations from
the text of Croke's edition have been placed
in footnotes in the present edition, our object
being to give the reader as nearly a final
Latin text as possible. Professor Ordronaux
also added to his text the additions made to
the text of Arnold of Villa Nova by Darem-
berg in the edition published in Paris in 1861.
As Daremberg derived these from various
Salernian authors other than those who might
be regarded as the authors of the original
"Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum" and there-
fore entirely extraneous to it, they have not
been included in the present reprint.
The English translation made by Professor
Ordronaux is a free one, and though more
[45 1
polished and poetical than the old English
translations is, by consequence, no more
literal.
The most complete of the modern editions of
the "Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum" is that
originally published in 1 860 by Daremberg.
This has been republished with additional
commentaries, in 1880, with the following
title: "L'Ecole de Salerne, traduction en
vers Francais par Ch. Meaux Saint-Marc,
avec le texte Latin. Precedee d'une intro-
duction par le docteur Ch. Daremberg, et
suivie de commentaires avec figures. Paris,
J. B. Bailliere et fils, 1880." In this edition
the Latin text is much longer than that given
.in those of Croke and Ordronaux, and there
are very full notes and commentaries. The
Latin text, however, contains matter of periods
very much later than the date of the original
composition, and written by authors who
lived several centuries after the time at which
it was composed. These additions though
possessing much intrinsic interest cannot,
[46]
therefore, be justly considered as representing
the body corporate of the original.
The English text which is reproduced in
this edition is that of Sir John Harington
which was first published in 1607. Harington
was one of the most characteristically Eliza-
bethan of the courtiers of the Virgin Queen.
He was born in 1561. His father's first wife
was a natural daughter of Henry VIII, who
had been richly endowed by that parent with
the confiscated estates of several religious es-
tablishments. She died without issue, leaving
her property to her husband, who remarried,
this time with one of Queen Elizabeth's gentle-
women, by whom he had John, the translator of
the ''Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum." As the
father had loyally stood by Elizabeth when she
was in the distress which beset her prior to
her ascent to the throne, the latter befriended
him after that event. She acted as godmother
to his son John, and throughout the latter's
eventful life she remained his benefactor
although her patience must have been sorely
[471
tried by some of his innumerable escapades.
Sir John Harington was a man of culture and
esteemed a great wit by his contemporaries.
He wrote a number of books, many of them
showing a ribald vein. He is the inventor of
the modern water-closet which is described in
a work entitled "A New Discourse of a Stale
Subject called the Metamorphosis of Ajax.
London, 1 596." In Elizabeth's time a common
term for privies was the jakes (see Prof. Adams'
article on Harington in the Johns Hopkins
Hospital Bulletin, Oct., 1908). His translation
of Orlando Furioso, published in 1591, is said
to have been brought about as a punishment.
He had written and circulated in manuscript
among the ladies of the court, a translation of
the twenty-eighth book, containing the story
of Gioconda. Queen Elizabeth scolded him
for circulating such an improper piece of
literature among the women of her court, and
as a punishment ordered that he remain in
retirement in the country until he had trans-
lated the entire work, in lieu of only the im-
[48!
proper portion. He got into serious trouble
with his royal mistress in connection with the
Irish expedition, on which he accompanied the
ill-starred favorite, Essex. He wrote many epi-
grams which have been published and at his
death, which occurred in 1612, left several
manuscripts bearing on contemporary history
which were published many years after his
death. Just why Harington undertook the
publication of his English version of the
"Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum" is not
known. He was appointed as one of those to
look after the education of Prince Henry, and
it is possible he thought the book might con-
tain matter of service to his youthful charge.1
I have appended a list of a few of the books
which are most readily accessible bearing upon
the subject of the School of Salerno. A full
bibliography of the subject would require
many pages. The following will cover the
subject as fully as would be necessary for the
Opposite page 75 is reproduced the first page of a MS of
Harington's translation in possession of Professor Osier, in a scribe's
hand, but with Harington's own corrections. ,
[491
general reader, and as the books of both
Daremberg and Croke contain copious bibli-
ographies, I have not thought it necessary to
repeat them.
L'Ecole de Salerne et les medicins Salernitains.
G. Becavin. Paris, 1888.
Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum. A poem on the
preservation of the health in rhyming Latin verse.
Addressed by the Sehool of Salerno to Robert of
Normandy, son of William the Conqueror, with an
ancient translation; and an introduction and notes
by Sir Alexander Croke. Oxford, England, 1830.
Glossulae Quatuor Magistrorum super chirurgiam
Rogerii et Rolandi. Nunc primum ad fidem Codies
Mazarieni edidit. Charles Daremberg. Paris, 1854.
Storia documentata della scuola medica di Salerno, by
S. De Renzi, 2nd edition, Naples, 1857.
Collectio Salernitana; ossia documenti inediti, e trat-
tati di medicina appartenenti alia scuola medica
Salernitana, raccolti e illustrati da G. E. T.
Henschel, C. Daremberg, e S. Renzi premessa la
storia della scuolare publicata a cura di S. e
Renzi. Napoli, 1852-1859.
[Sol
The School of Salernum, by H. E. Handerson. An
address read before the Medical Society of the State
of New York, 1883.
(Euvres completes d'Ambroise Pare revues et cclla-
tionees sur toutes les editions, avec les variantes;
ornees de 217 planches et du portrait de 1'auteur;
accompagnees de notes historiques et critiques; et
precedees d'une introduction sur 1'origine et les
progres de la chirurgie en Occident du sixieme au
seizieme siecle, et sur la vie et les ouvrages d'Am-
broise Pare, par J. F. Malgaigne. Paris, 1840.
Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum. Code of health of
the School of Salernum. Translated into English
verse with an introduction, notes and appendix:
by John Ordronaux, LL.B., M.D. Philadelphia,
1870.
L'Ecole de Salerne, traduction en vers Franfais par
Charles Meaux Saint-Marc, avec le texte Latin,
precedee d'une introduction par le docteur Ch.
Daremberg et suivie de commentaires avec figures.
Paris, J. B. Bailliere et fils, 1880.
The Schola Salernitana; its history and the date of its
introduction into the British Isles, being the Fin-
layson Memorial Lecture, by Norman Moore,
Glasgow M. J., 1908, Ixix, 241-268.
[51 1
2um Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum, by K. Sudhoff.
Arch. f. Gesck. d. Med., Leipz., 1914, vii, 360;
1915, viii, 292, 352.
The illustrations accompanying the text
are drawn chiefly from the old editions of
the "Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum," some
of them being old cuts used in the German
editions of Curio in the sixteenth century,
and utilized by Croke in his edition. The
headpieces and initial appearing in the English
version have been exactly reproduced from
the Harington edition.
NOTE ON THE PREHISTORY
OF THE REGIMEN SANITATIS
BY FIELDING H. GARRISON, M.D.
IN spite of frequent assertions to the con-
trary, it has been fairly well demon-
strated, through the researches of Sud-
hoff and Neuburger, that the influence of
Constantinus Africanus upon the School of
Salerno was only episodic and negligible, al-
though his Latin translations from the Arabic
writers were destined to play a unique part in
the fastening of Saracenic culture upon the
medicine of Western Europe, during the 1 2th
century and later. The Saracen overlords of
Sicily, during their period of domination (829-
1060), made frequent incursions into Southern
Italy, and, in 1016, as Leo Ostiensis relates,1
forty brave Norman pilgrims saved Salerno
from one of their attacks. Islam was therefore
1Leo Ostiensis [Marsicanusl : Chronica, I, II, c. 37. Amatus,
Monachus Cassinensis: L'Ystoire de li Normant fed. J. J. Champol-
lion-Figeac], Paris, 1835, I, §35. Cited by G. La Farina, Storia
d'ltalia, Firenze, 1846, 235.
[53 1
not specially popular with the Salernitans.
During the Norman dominion of Sicily (1060-
90), what little of the Arabic culture went
over to Salerno was quietly absorbed by peace-
ful infiltration, so that Constantine, in Sud-
hoff's phrase, was " a mere symptom of a great
historic process."
It is also clear that the School of Salerno
was of purely laical character, a civitas Hippo-
cratica in the midst of monastic foundations,
and the reasons for this are not far to seek.
The fact that Salerno was ruled by Northern
overlords, by Lombard dukes during the 9th
and loth centuries, and, after the nth cen-
tury, by Norman princes, Hohenstauffen and
Anjou emperors, counted for something. But
the point of greatest importance is that the
far southern location of Salerno, its proximity
to that "Magna Graecia" which formed the
"toe" of the Italian boot, put the little town
in direct touch with the last survivals of a
vanishing Greek culture which from the 6th
century B.C., and long after the Roman con-
[S4l
quest of Greece, had gone on untouched and
undisturbed, in spite of Cicero's " Magna
GrcBcia nunc quidem delenda est" and the
gradual decay of its towns. Up to the loth
century, Sicily, Reggio, and Otranto were still
part of the Byzantine Empire. Greek influ-
ences from Byzantium itself were not wanting
also. Knowledge of Greek was extremely
widespread all over Sicily and Northern Italy.
Medical translations, made directly from the
Greek into Latin, abounded, and, as Sudhoff
has shown, so numerous were the towns and
communities in which Greek was the spoken
language that the Hohenstauffen emperor,
Frederick II (1198-1250), actually had his
legal ordinances printed simultaneously in
Latin and Greek.1
Thus, Salerno at the start stood heir to the
Latinized Greek culture of Brindisi, .Reggio,
Sicily and Beneventum, and the earlier com-
pilations of its School were in no wise different
from the other compilations of the 6th-8th
1 Sudhoff: Milt. z. Gesch. d. Med., Leipz., 1914, XIII, 180-182.
[55 1
centuries. At Salerno was compiled the famous
"Latin Dioscorides," an alphabetical arrange-
ment of extracts from pseudo-Apuleius, Ori-
basius, Gargilius, etc., a work of trimming and
interpolation, which, to distinguish it from the
7th century "Lombard Dioscorides" (a Latin
translation of the first five books) is either
styled "pseudo-Dioscorides" or, given its
original spelling, "Dyascorides" (Sudhoff).1
From this Salernitan "Dyascorides," along
with Gargilius, Constantinus Africanus, and
the Gothic-Lombardic "pseudo-Pliny," after-
wards published at Rome in 1509, was com-
piled the famous herb-book of the nth cen-
tury, "Macer Floridus."2 The tendency of
the period was toward pseudo-authorship, to
pass off a patch-work of choppings and trim-
mings from the early writers, stitched together
with many "insertions," as the bona fide
treatise of some famous name of the past,
such as Dioscorides or Pliny or Apuleius, in
* Pagel-Sudhoff : Geschichte der Medizin. ate Aufl., Berl., 1915,
166.
., 163.
order to make it more widely read and re-
nowned. In the period succeeding the Dark
Ages, in which timid learning, paralyzed by
the constant succession of wars and social up-
heavals, ever pulled its forelock to authority,1
this device naturally suggested itself. The
"Regimen sanitatis," essentially a compilation
passed off as an original production of the
Salernitan School, had a similar origin. In its
original form, it was a short poem of 362
verses, about which Arnold of Villanova wrote
a commentary, and which the zeal of De Renzi
and his predecessors has increased to 3520
verses. According to SudhofF, neither Fred-
erick II nor Gilles de Corbeil ever heard of it.
His later investigations would make it seem
probable that the poem did not become gen-
erally known until about the middle of the
1 3th century.2 The statement of Haeser that
most of the manuscripts begin with the words
1 R. Pepin speaks of the Middle Ages as "une 6poque ou la produc-
tion originate n'existait, pour ainsi dire, pas, les e'crivains se copiant
mutuellement." See J. Brinkmann, Leipzig diss., 1914, p. 36.
2_Sudhoff: Arch.f. Gesch. d. Med., Leipz., 1915-16, IX, 1-9.
[57]
"Anglorum regi" must be accepted with cau-
tion, for Sudhoff, who has devoted his life to
the study of medical manuscripts, finds that
while "Anglorum regi" appears in the printed
editions, many of the So-odd MSS known be-
gin with the dedication "Francorum regi." 1
This disposes of the old story that the poem
was composed for the benefit of Robert, son
of William the Conqueror, who, having sus-
tained a wound in the arm, stopped at Salerno
for treatment. The. date of his visit (noi)
has given wide currency to the belief that the
"Regimen sanitatis" goes back to the nth
century or earlier. Sudhoff traces its origins
to a prose hygienic epistle (De conservatione
corporis humani) supposed to have been writ-
ten by Aristotle for the benefit of his pupil,
Alexander the Great, and translated into
Latin, at the beginning of the I2th century,
by a baptized Jew, John of Toledo (Joannes
Hispanus). In 1860 F. J. Herrgott, a medical
professor of the Strassburg Faculty, had al-
1 Pagel-Sudhoff, op. tit., 173.
[58]
ready found_some indications of an early an-
cestor of the "Regimen" in a parchment MS.
made by the nun Guta in the cloister at Mar-
bach in H54-1 In this, the arrangement of
certain dietetic precepts by months and the
marked resemblance of these to the monthly
series in the "Regimen" is significant and
striking. In the I2th century, during the
primacy of Raimund, Archbishop of Toledo
(1130-50), Toledo was a great storehouse of
Arabic MSS., and its school of medical trans-
lators, of whom Gerard of Cremona was the
earliest (1114-87), had no insignificant influ-
ence upon mediaeval medicine. Among these,
John of Toledo Latinized his hygienic Alexan-
der-epistle from an Arabic MS., the Sirr-el-
asrar, or "Secretum secretorum," attributed
to Aristotle and alleged to have been found in
a remote temple. This supposititious MS. of
pseudo-Aristotle, a compilation from Greek
sources, was frequently translated in the Mid-
dle Ages. The use of the high-sounding names
1 F. J. Herrgott: Gaz. mid. de Paris, 1860, 3.3., XXV, 551-559-
[ 59]
of Aristotle and Alexander was a mere Arabic
business device, to give "go" to the produc-
tion. The temple fiction, like the story of the
epistle which Caesar is said to have found in
an ivory capsule (capsula eburned) in the tomb
of Hippocrates, was also one of the stalest bits
of Arabic supercherie .l The Alexander-epistle
of pseudo-Aristotle enjoyed wide popularity.
Some sixty-five manuscript versions have been
found, including many translations. The origi-
nal translator, John of Toledo, as with pseudo-
Pliny and pseudo-Dioscorides, was destined
later to have many spurious compilations
foisted off under his own name. As in the
later "Regimen," John dedicates his epistle
to royalty, Princess Tharasia, daughter of
Alphonse VI, being in this instance flattered
with the title of "Queen." In the I4th and
1 5th centuries, there was, in fact, a veritable
1 This tendency of the Arabic compilers and translators has been
fairly well established by M. Steinschneider, the leading investigator
of Arabic and Hebrew MS, in his "Alfarabi" (1869) and elsewhere.
The reaction of any hidebound intelligence to some commonplace
statement ascribed to a great name affords an amusing illustration
of the subtlety of this mediaeval device.
[60]
flood of hygienic rules, addressed to great lords
and ladies, some for travel and sea voyages,
some for army campaigns, some for the
regime of pregnancy, and all dealing with
dietetics, the hygiene of the mouth and the
teeth, bathing, care of the hair, sleep, and
other phases of daily life. The striking re-
semblance between the prose epistle of pseudo-
Aristotle and the versified "Regimen sani-
tatis" was first pointed out by SudhofF l and
developed at length by one of his pupils.2
The Alexander-epistle, at least a hundred years
older, was, in all likelihood, the prose model
of the poem. Many wise saws of Salerno,
compressed into verse form in the "Regimen,"
are also found in the epistle, and the fact that
the latter was derived from Greek sources is
evidenced by similar passages in Oribasius.
1 Sudhoff : Mitt. z. Gesch. d. Med., Leipz., 1914, XIII, 308-309.
Arch. f. Gesch. d. Med., Leipz., 1913-14, VII, 360; 1914-15, VIII.
377; 1915-16, IX, i.
2J. Brinkmann: Die apokryphen Gesundheitsregeln des Aristo-
teles fur Alexander der Grosse in der Uebersetzung des Johann von
Toledo. Leipzig dissertation, 1914. This dissertation contains the
facts about the Alexander-epistle given above.
[ 61 ]
Thus, from three different streams of culture,
those emanating from Magna Graecia, Byzan-
tium and Toledo, Salerno became the isolated
outpost of Greek medical tradition in the
Middle Ages. The "Regimen sanitatis," as
far as it goes, confirms the view of Haeser
that the Salernitan period was a "period of
the domination of Greek medicine," and the
opinion of SudhofT that the Greeks were the
originators of a rational system of personal
hygiene, dietetics and gymnastics. But the
Greeks were blind to the fact of contagion,
did not in the least understand that disease
can be transmitted from person to person, and
hence could do nothing for prophylaxis by
segregation of actual and suspected cases of
infection or by incineration of fomites. This
phase of public hygiene, as we know from
Leviticus (XIII-XV), was the actual achieve-
ment of the Hebrews. In the later Middle
Ages, the principle of isolation and segregation
proved to be the main coefficient in the
stamping out of leprosy. "Light from the
[62 ]
East/' says Sudhoff, "was transformed into
pulsating energy by the European peoples,
while, in the Orient, the disease swung its lash
unchecked and unhindered."1
Sudhoff: Deutsche Rev., Stuttg. & Leipz., 1911, IV, 46-48.
Translation of Dr. Frank J. Stockman.
Villa Nova commenting on the Schola Salerni
THE SALERNE SCHOOLE
THE
ENGLISHMANS
DOCTOR.
OR,
The Schoole of Salerno.
OR,
Phyficall obferuations forthepcrfed
Prtferuingofthe My ofCtfan in
y~^£ontinuall health.
London
Printed for John Heltne , and lohn
iBusby Junior an d are to be folae at the little (hop
nextCliflfords Inne-gate,in Fleet-
{lreierc.i6oS,
THE PRINTER TO
the Reader.
EADER, the care that I have of
'thy health, appears in be f towing
thefe Phyficall rules upon thee :
neither needeft thou bee afhamed
'to take leffons out of this Schoole:
for our beft Doctors /come not to reade the in-
ftructions. It is a little Academic, where every
man may be a Graduate, and proceed Doctor in
the ordering of his owne bodie. It is a Garden,
where all things grow that are neceffarie for
thy health. This medicinall Tree grew firft in
Salerne ; from thence it was remoued, and hath
borne fruit and bloffomes a long time in Eng'
land. It is now replanted in a wholefome ground,
and new earth caft about it by the hand of a
cunning
To the Reader.
cunning Gardiner, to \eepe it ftill in flourifh'
ing. Much good husbandry is beftowed upon it:
yet whatfoeuer the coft bee, thou reapeft the
fweetneffe of it for a fmall value. It came to me
by chance, as a Jewell that is found, whereof
notwithstanding I am not couetous, but part the
Treafure amongst my Countrymen. The Author
of the paines, is to me un^nowne, and I put this
Childe of his into the open world without his
confent. Bring it up therefore well, I befeech
thee, and hope (as I doe) that he will not bee
angry, finding this a Traueller abroad,
when by this trauell fo many of
his own Countrey are fo
manifoldly ben-
efited.
Farewell.
Ad
Ad Librum.
GO Booke, and (like a Merchant) new
arriu'd,
Tell in how ftrange a traffick thou haft thriu'd
Vpon the Countrey which the Sea-god faues,
And loues fo deare; he bindes it round with
waues :
Caft Anchor thou, and impoft pay to him
Whofe Swans vpon the breft of I s i s fwim.
But to the people that doe loue to buy,
(It skills not for how much) each nouelty
Proclaime an open Mart, and fell good cheape,
What thou by trauell and much coft doft
reape,
Bid the gay Courtier, and coy Lady come,
The Lawyer, Townfman, and the countrie
groome,
Tis
Ad Librum.
'Tis ware for all: yet thus much let them
know,
There are no drugs heere fetcht from Mexico,
Nor gold from India, nor that {linking fmoake,
Which Englifh gallants buy, themfelues to
choake,
Nor filkes of Turkic, nor of Barbary,
Thofe lufcious Canes, where our rich Sugers lie:
Nor thofe hot drinkes that make our wits to
dance
The wilde Canaries: nor thofe Grapes of France,
Which make vs clip our Englifh nor thofe
wares
Of fertile Belgia, whofe wombe compares
With all the world for fruite, tho now with
fcarres
Her body be all ore defac'd by warres :
Go, tell them what thou bringft exceeds the
wealth
Of al thefe Countries for thou bringft them
health.
In
In Librum.
r, Learning, Order, Elegance of Phrafe,
Health, and the Art to lengthen out our daies,
Philofophie, Phyficke, and Poefie,
And that skill which death loues not, (Surgery)
Walkes to refrefh vs, Ayres moft fweete and cleare,
A thriftie Table, and the wholefom'ft cheare,
All forts of graine, all forts of flefh, of fifh,
Of Fowle, and (laft of all) of fruits a feuerall difh:
Good Breakefafts, Dinners, Suppers, after-meales,
The hearbe for Sallads, and the hearbe that heales,
Phyficions Counfell, Pothecaries pils,
Without the fumming vp of coftly bils,
Wines that the braine hall ne're intoxicate,
Strong Ale and Beere at a more eafier rate,
Then Water from the Fountaine: clothes (not deere)
For the foure feuerall quarters of the yeere,
Meates both for Proteftant and Puritan,
With meanes fufficient to maintaine a man.
If all thefe things thou want'st, no farther looke,
All this, and more than this, lyes in this Booke.
Anonimus.
In Laudem Operis.
rjlHE Gods vpon a time in counfell fitting,
JL To rule the world what creature was moft fitting.
At length from God to God this fentence ran,
To forme a creature like themfelues (call'd Man)
Being made, the world was giuen him built fo rarely,
No workman can come neere it: hung fo fairely,
That the Gods viewing it, were ouer-ioyed:
Yet grieu'd that it fhould one day be deftroyed:
Gardens had Man to walke in, fet with trees
That ftill were bearing: But (neglecting thefe)
He longd for fruits vnlawfull, fell to riots,
Wajted his god-like bodie by ill dyets.
Spent (what was left him) like a prodigall heyre,
And had of earth, of hell, or heauen no care,
For which the earth was curft, and brought forth weeds,
Poyfon euen lurking in our faireft feeds,
Halfe heauen was hid, and did in darkeneffe mourne:
Whilft hell kept fires continuall, that fhould burne
His very joule, if ftill it went awry,
And giue it torments that fhould neuer die,
Yet loe; How bleft is man? the Deities,
Built up the Schoole of Health, to make him wife.
The
ll]P$EJ3a.ttrn. /?fo>k\tp & *£w &..<*%,«»**-
C?£T g*f*£ io £n<fCah£ ^fn^nc >«,tF^4»jp
• /n ^ /%*- 11' IT. «/ "V 1h^°v *~ i^
'ft
.ft ^
^- twff*$rp& ^kf^j"^^'.
[4^.1>^n o> lyvVrnff <xl sffnavTnr&^ti/i*/rtt4nnt:a.ntrf
First page of a MS of Harington's Translation, in a Scribe's Hand
but with Harington's Own Corrections.
THE SALERNE
Schoole.
THE Salerne Schoole doth by thefe lines
impart
All health to Englands King, and doth aduife
From care his head to keepe, from wrath his
heart,
Drinke not much wine, fup light, and foone arife,
When meate is gone, long fitting breedeth
fmart:
And after-noone ftill waking keepe your eyes.
When mou'd you find your felfe to
Natures Needs,
Forbeare them not, for that much dan-
ger breeds,
Vfe three Phyficions ftill; firft Doctor Quiet,
Next Doctor Merry-man, and Doctor Dyet.
[751
RISE earely in the morne, and ftraight
remember,
With water cold to wafh your hands and eyes,
In gentle fafhion retching euery member,
And to refrefh your braine when as you rife,
In heat, in cold, in luly and December.
Both comb your head, and rub your
teeth likewife:
If bled you haue, keep coole, if bath*
keepe warme:
If din'd, to ftand or walke will do no harme
Three things preferue the fight, Graffe,
Glaffe, Stfoutains,
At Eue'n fprings, at morning vifit mountains.
[76]
The Medieval Physician in His Offio
IF R. be in the month, their Judgements erre,
That thinke that fleepe in after-noone
is good:
If R. be not therein, fome men there are
That thinke a little nap breeds no ill bloud:
But if you mail herein exceed too farre,
It hurts your health, it cannot be with ftood:
Long fleepe at after-noones by ftirring fumes,
Breeds Slouth, and Agues, A king heads
and Rheumes:
The moyfture bred in Brest, in lawes and Nofe9
Are caljd Catars, or Tyfiqu:, or the Pofe.
I77l
The Banquet
Ex magna caena stomacho fit maxima paena
REAT harmes haue growne, & maladies
exceeding,
By keeping in a little blaft of wind:
So Cramps & Dropfies, Collickes haue
their breeding,
And Mazed Braines for want of vent behind:
Befides we finde in ftories worth the reading,
A certaine Romane Emperour was fo kind,
Claudius1 by name, he made a Proclamation,
A Scape to be no loffe of reputation.
Great fuppers do the ftomacke much offend,
Sup light if quiet you to fleepe intend.
1 Notes for this and other indicated passages will be found on
page 181 and the pages following.
[79]
f"T"V3 keepe good dyet, you fhould neuer feed
-*• Vntill you finde your ftomacke cleane
and void
Of former eaten meate, for they do breed
Repletion, and will caufe you foone be cloid,
None other rule but appetite fhould need,
When from your mouth a moyfture cleare
doth void.2
All Peares and Apples, Peaches, Milke
and Cheefe,
Salt meates, red Deere, Hare, Beefe and Goat:
all thefe
Are meates that breed ill bloud, and
Melancholy,
If ficke you be, to feede on them were folly.1
[80]
EGGES newly laid, are nutritiue to eate,
And rofted Reare are eafie to digeft.
Frefh Gafcoigne wine is good to drinke
with meat,
Broth ftrengthens nature aboue all the reft.
But broth prepared with floure of fineft wheat,
Well boild, and full of fat for fuch are beft.
The Priefts rule is (a Priefts rule fhould
be true)
Thofe Egges are beft, are long, and white
and new.
Remember eating new laid Egges and foft,
For euery Egge you eate you drinke as oft.
81 1
FINE Manchet* feeds too fat, Milke fils the
veines,
New cheefe doth nourifh, fo doth flefh of Swine:
The Dowcets5 of fome beafts, the marrow,
braines,
And all fweet tafting flefh, and pleafant wine,
Soft Egges (a cleanely difh in houfe of Swaines)
Ripe Figs and Rayfins, late come from
the Vine: [yeere>
Chufe wine you meane fhall ferue you all the
Well-fauor'd tafting well, and coloured cleere.
Fiue qualities there are, wines praife
aduancing, [dancing.
Strong, Beautifull, and Fragrant, coole and
82]
The Public Bath.
WHITE Muskadell, and Candie wine, and
Greeke,
Do make men's wits and bodies groffe and fat;
Red wine doth make the voyce oft-time
to feeke,
And hath a binding qualitie to that;
Canarie, and Madera, both are like
To make one leane indeed : (but wot you what)
Who fay they make one leane, would
make one laffe
They meane, they make one leane vpon
a ftaffe.
Wine, women, Baths, by Art or Nature warme,
Vs'd or abus'd do men much good or harme.
[84]
The Public Bath.
SIXE things, that here in order fhall enfue,
Againft all poyfons haue a fecret power,
Peare, Garlicke, Reddifh-roots, Nuts, Rape,
and Rue,
But Garlicke chief e; for they that it deuoure,
May drinke, & care not who their drinke
do brew:
May walke in aires infected euery houre.
Sith Garlicke then hath powers to faue
from death,
Beare with it though it make vnfauory breath:
And fcorne not Garlicke, like to fome
that thinke [ftinke>
It onely makes men winke, and drinke, and
[86]
THOUGH all ill fauours do not breed
infection,
Yet fure infection commeth moft by fmelling,
Who fmelleth ftill perfumed, his complexion
Is not perfum'd by Poet Martials telling,
Yet for your lodging roomes giue this direction,
In houfes where you mind to make
your dwelling,
That neere the fame there be no euill fents
Of puddle-waters, or of excrements,
Let aire be cleere and light, and free
from faults,
That come of fecret paffages and vaults.
87]
IF wine haue ouer night a furfet brought,
A thing we wifh to you fhould happen
feeld:
Then early in the morning drinke a draught,
And that a kind of remedie fhall yeeld,
But gainft all furfets, vertues fchoole hath
taught
To make the gift of temperance a ihield:
The better wines do breed the better humors,
The worfe, are caufes of vnwholefome tumors.
In meafure drinke, let wine be ripe, not thicke,
But cleere and well alaid, and frelh and quicke.
[881
Si tibi serotina noceat potatio vim
H»ra matutina rebibas et erit medicina
THE like aduice we giue you for your
Beere,
We will it be not fowre, and yet be ftale:
Well boild, of harty graine and old and cleare,
Nor drinke too much nor let it be too ftale:
And as there be foure feafons in the yeere,
In each a feuerall order keepe you lhall.
In Spring your dinner muft not much exceed,
In Summers heate but little meate mail need:
In Autumne ware you eate not too much f ruite :
With Winters cold full meates do fitteft fuite.
[90]
IF in your drinke you mingle Rew with Sage,
All poyfon is expeld by power of thofe,
And if you would withall Lufts heat affwage,
Adde to them two the gentle flowre of Rofe:
Would not be fea-ficke when feas do rage,
Sage-water drinke with wine before he goes.
Sal^ Garlicke, Par fly, Pepper, Sage, and Wine,
Make fawces for all meates both courfe
and fine.
Of warning of your hands much good doth rife,
Tis wholefome, cleanely, and relieues
your eyes.
[91 1
EATE not your bread too ftale, nor eate it
, hot,
A little Leuend, hollow bak't and light:
Not frefh of pureft graine that can be got,
The cruft breeds choller both of browne
& white,
Yet let it be well bak't or eate it not,
How e're your tafte therein may take delight.
Porke without wine is not fo good to eate,1
As Sheepe with wine, it medicine is and meate,
Tho Intrailes of a beaft be not the belt,
Yet are fome intrailes better than the reft.
[92]
SOME loue to drinke new wine not fully fin'd,
But for your health we wifh that you
drinke none,
For fuch to dangerous fluxes are inclined,
Befides, the Lees of wine doe breed the ftone,
Some to drinke onely water are affign'd,
But fuch by our confent fhall drinke alone.
For water and fmall beerewe make no queftion,
Are enemies to health and good digeftion :
And Horace in a verfe of his rehearfes,
That Water-drinkers neuer make good verfes.
[93 1
E choyfe of meate to health doth much
auaile» [bloud
Firft Veale is wholefom meat, & breeds good
So Capon, Hen, and Chicken, Partridge, Quaile,
The Phefant, Woodcock, Larke, & Thrum ,
be good, [railej
The Heath-co^ke wholefome is, the doue, the
And all that doe not much delight in mud.
Faire fwans fuch loue your beauties make
me beare you,
That in the dim I eafily could forbeare you.
Good fport it is to fee a Mallard kil'd,
But with their flefh, your flefh mould not be
fil'd.
[941
S choyce you make of Fowle, fo make of
Filh,
If fo that kinde be foft, the great be beft,
If firme, then fmall, and many in a dim:
I need not name, all kinds are in requeft.
Pike, Trozut, and Pearch, from water
frefh I wifh,
From Sea, Bace, Mullet, Brean, and Souls
are beft:
The Pyke a rauening tyrant is in water,
Yet he on land yeelds good fifh ne're the later,
If Eeles and Cheefe you eate, they make
you hoarfe,
But drinke apace thereto, and then no force.
[95
SOME loue at meals to drink fmal draughts
and oft,
But fancie may herein and cuftome guide,
If Egges you eate, they muft be new and foft.
In Peafe good qualities and bad are tryed,
To take them with the skinne that
growes aloft,
They windie be, but good without their hide.
In great confumptions learn'd Phyficions
thinke,
'Tis good a Goat or Camels milke to drinke,
Cowes-milke and Sheepes doe well, but yet
an Affes
Is be ft of all, and all the other paffes.
[96]
. JlfllLKE is for Agues and for Head-ach
•*• '**• naught,
Yet if from Agues fit you feele you free,
Sweete-butter wholefome is, as fome
haue taught, ^
To cleanfe and purge fome paines that inward
JVhay, though it be contemn'd, yet
it is thought
To fcoure and cleanfe, and purge in due degree:
For healthie men may Cheeje be wholefome
food,
But for the weake and fickly 'tis not good,
Cheeje is an heauie meate, both groffe and cold
And breedeth Coftineffe both new and old.
[971
/CHEESE makes complaint that men on
V^4 wrong fufpitions
Do flander it, and fay it doth fuch harme,
That they conceale his many good conditions,
How oft it helpes a ftomack cold to warme,
How fafting 'tis prefcrib'd by fome Phyficions,
To thofe to whom the flux doth giue alarme:
We fee the better fort thereof doth eate,
To make as 'twere a period of their meate^
The poorer fort, when other meate is fcant,
For hunger eate it to releeue their want.
[98]
Arnold of Villa Nova.
ALTHOUGH you may drinke often while
•I *• you dine,
Yet after dinner touch not once tne cup,
I know that fome Phyficions doe affigne
To take fome liquor ftraight before they fup:
But whether this be meant by broth or wine,
A controuerfie 'tis not yet tane vp:
To clofe your ftomack well, this order futes,
Cheefe after flefh, Nuts after fifh or fruits,
Yet fome haue faid, (beleeue them as you will)
One Nut doth good, two hurt, the third
doth kill.
99
SOME Nut 'gainft poyfon is preferuatiue:
Peares wanting wine, are poyfon from the
tree,
But bak't Peares counted are reftoratiue,
Raw Peares a poyfon, bak't a medicine be
Bak't Peares a weake dead ftomack doe reuiue,
Raw Peares are heauie to digeft we fee,
Drinke after Peares, take after Apples order
To haue a place to purge your felfe of ordure.
Ripe Cherries breed good bloud, and help
the ftone,
If Cherry you doe eate and Cherry- ftone .
[ioo ]
COOLE Damfens are, and good for health,
by reafon
They make your intrailes foluble and flacke,
Let Peaches fteepe in wine of neweft feafon,
Nuts hurt the teeth, that with their teeth they
crack,
With euery Nut 'tis good to eate a Raifon.
For though they hurt the fpleen, they help
the back, [telHng>
A plaifter made of Figges, by fome mens
Is good againft all kernels, boyles and fwelling,
With Poppy ioyn'd, it drawes out bones
are broken,
By Figges are lice ingendred, Luft prouoken.
[101]
EATE Medlers,7 if you haue a loofeneffe
gotten,
They bind, and yet your vrine they augment,
They haue one name more fit to be forgotten,
While hard and found they be, they be
not fpent,
Good Medlers are not ripe, till feeming rotten,
For medling much with Medlers fome are Ihent.
New Renifh-wine ftirres vrine, doth not binde:
But rather loofe the Belly breeding winde,
Ale humors breeds, it addes both flelh
and force;
Tis loofing, coole, and vrin doth enforce.
SHARPE vineger8 doth coole, withall it dries,
And glues to fome ill humor good
correction :
It makes one melancholy, hurts their eyes,
Not making fat,nor mending their complexion:
It leffens fperme, makes appetite to rife,
Both tafte and fcent is good againft infection.
The Turnep hurts the ftomack, winde it
breedeth,
Stirres vrine, hurts his teeth thereon
that feedeth,
Who much thereof will feed, may wifh our
Nation
Would well allow of Claudius proclamation.
[103]
IT followes now what part of euery beaft
Is good to eate: firft know the Heart is ill,
It is both hard and heauy to digeft.
The Tripe with no good iuyce our flefh doth
fill:
The Lites9 are light, yet but in fmall requeft:
But outer parts are beft in Phyficks skill
If any braines be good, (which is a queftion)
Hens braine is beft and lighteft of digeftion:
In Fennel-feed, this vertue you ihall finde,
Foorth of your lower parts to driue the winde.
[104]
OF Fennell10 vertues foure they doe recite,
Firft, it hath power fome poyfons to
expell,
Next, burning Agues it will put to flight,
The ftomack it doth cleanfe, and comfort well :
And fourthly, it doth keepe and cleanfe the
fight,
And thus the feed and hearbe doth both excell.
Yet for the two la ft told, if any feed
With Fennell may compare, 'tis Annis-feed:
Some Annis-feed be fweete, and fome more
bitter,
For pleafure thefe, for medicine thofe are fitter.
[105]
DAME Natures reafon, far furmounts our
reading,
We feele effects the caufes oft vnknowne,
Who knows the caufe why Spodium ftancheth
bleeding?
(Spodium11 but afhes of an Oxes bone)
We learne herein to praife his power exceeding,
That vertue gaue to wood, to hearbs, to ftone;
The Liuer, Spodium; Mace, the heart
delights, [Lites.
The braine likes Muske, and Lycoras1* the
The Spleene is thought much coforted
with Capers™
In ftomack, Gallingale^ alwaies ill vapors.
[106]
SAUCE would be fet with meate vpon the
table,
Salt is good fauce, and had with great facilitie:
Salt makes vnfauourie vyands manducable,
To driue fome poyfons out, Salt hath abilitie,
Yet things too fait are ne're commendable:
They hurt the fight, in nature caufe debilitie,
The fcab and itch on them are euer breeding,
The which on meates too fait are often
feeding:15
Salt mould be firft remou'd, and firft fet downe
At table of the Knight, and of the Clowne.
[107]
A> taftes are diuers, fo Phyficions hold
They haue as fundry qualities and
powre,
Some burning are, fome temperate, fome cold,
Cold are thefe three, the Tart, the Sharpe,
the fozvre,
Salt, bitter, byting, burne as hath beene told,
Sweet, fat and frefh, are temperate euery
houre.
Foure fpeciall vertues hath a fop in wine,
It maketh the teeth white, it cleares the eyne,
It addes vnto an emptie ftomack fulneffe,
And from a ftomack fill'd, it takes the dulneffe.
[108]
IF to an vfe you haue your felfe betaken,
Of any dyet, make no fudden change,
A cuftome is not eafily forfaken,
Yea though it better were, yet feemes
it ftrange,
Long vfe is as a fecond nature taken,
With nature cuftome walkes in equall range.
Good dyet is a perfect way of curing:
And worthy much regard and health affuring.
A King that cannot rule him in his dyet,
Will hardly rule his Realme in peace and quiet.
[109]
THEY that in Phyfick will prefcribe you
food,
Six things muft note we heere in order touch,
Firft what it is, and then for what 'tis good,
And when and where, how often, and how much:
Who note not this, it cannot be with-ftood,
They hurt, not heale, yet are too many fuch.
Coleworls16 broth doth loofe, the fubftance
bind,
Thus play they fa ft and loofe, and all behind:
But yet if at one time you take them both,
The fubftance (hall giue place vnto the broth.
[no]
IN Phyficke Mallowes11 haue much reputa-
tion,
The very name of Mallow feemes to found,
The roote thereof will giue a kind purgation,
By them both men and women good
haue found,
To womens monthly flowers they giue laxation,
They make men foluble that haue beene bound.
And left wee feeme in Mallowes prayfes
Partiall> [Martiall.
Long fince hath Horace praifed them, and
The worms that gnaw the wombe & neuer
ftint> [Mint.1*
Are kil'd, and purg'd, and driuen away with
[in]
BUT who can write thy worth (O foueraigne
Sagel).19
Some aske how man can die, where thou
doft grow,
Oh that there were a medicine curing age,
Death comes at laft, though death comes ne're
fo flow: [fwage,
Sage ftrengths the finewes, feuers heat doth
The Palfy helpes, and rids of mickle woe.
In Lattin (Saluia) takes the name of fafety,
In Englifh (Sage) is rather wife then crafty.
Sith then the name betokens wife and fauing,
We count it natures friend and worth
the hauing.
[112]
TAKE Sage and Primrofe, Lauender and
Creffes,
With Walwort that doth grow twixt lime
and ftone,
For he that of thefe hearbes the iuyce expreffes,
And mix with powder of a Caftor-ftone,
May breed their eafe whom palfy much
oppreffes,
Or if this breed not helpe, then looke for none.
Rezv is a noble hearbe to giue it right,
To chew it fafting, it will purge the fight.
One quality thereof yet blame I muft,
It makes men chafte, and women fils with luft.
FAIRS Ladies, if thefe Phyficke rules be
true,
That Rew™ hath fuch ftrange qualities
as thefe,
Eate little Rew, left your good husbands
(REW) [difeafe)
And breed betweene you both a fhrew'd
Rew whets the wit, and more to pleafure you,
In water boyld, it rids the roome of fleas.
I would not to you Ladies, Onyons praife,
Saue that they make one faire (jEfclapius faies)
Yet taking them requires fome good direction,
They are not good alike for each complexion.
IF vnto Choller men be much inclin'd,
'Tis thought that Onyons are not good
for thofe,
But if a man be flegmatique (by kind)
It does his ftomack good, as fome suppofe:
For Oyntment iuyce of Onyons is affign'd,
To heads whofe haire fals fafter than it growes:
If Onyons cannot helpe in fuch mimap,
A man muft get him a Gregorian cap.
And if your hound by hap mould bite
his mafter,
With Hony, Rezv, and Onyons make a plafter.21
I "Si
THE feed of Muftard is the fmalleft graine,
And yet the force thereof is very great,
It hath a prefent power to purge the braine,
It adds vnto the ftomack force and heat:
All poifon it expels, and it is plaine,
With fuger 'tis a paffing fauce for meate.
She that hath hap a husband bad to bury,
And is therefore in heart not fad, but merry,
Yet if in fhew good manners fhee will keepe,
Onyons and Muftard-feed22 will make her
weepe.
[116]
THOUGH Violets* fmell fweete, Nettles
offenfiue,
Yet each in feuerall kind much good procures,
The firft doth purge the heauy head
and penfiue,
Recouers furfets, falling fickeneffe cures:
Tho Nettles™ ftinke, yet make they
recompence,
If your belly by the Collicke paine endures,
Againft the Collicke Nettle-feed and hony
Is Phyfick: better none is had for money.
It breedeth fleepe, ftaies vomits, fleams
doth foften,
It helpes him of the Gowte that eates it often.
CLEANE Hyfop™ is an hearbe to purge
and clenfe
Raw flegmes, and hurtfull humors from the
breft,
The fame vnto the lungs great comfort lends,
With hony boyl'd : but f arre aboue the reft,
It giues good colour, and complexion mends,
And is therefore with women in requeft:
With Hony mixt, Cinquefoyle™ cures
the Canker,
That eates out inward parts with cruell ranker.
But mixt with wine, it helpes a grieued fide,
And ftaies the vomit, and the laske befide.
I "81
TJ^LLECOMPANE27 ftrengthens each
•*— ' inward part,
A little loofeneffe is thereby prouoken,
It fwageth griefe of minde, it cheeres the heart,
Allaieth wrath, and makes a man faire fpoken:
And drunke with Rew in wine, it doth impart
Great help to thofe that haue their bellies
broken,
Let them that vnto choller much incline,
Drinke Penny-royall fteeped in their wine.
And fome affirm that they haue found
by tryall,
The paine of Gowt is cur'd by Penny-royall?*
TO tell of Creffeszg vertues long it were,
But diuers patients vnto that are
debter:
It helpes the teeth, it giues to bald men haire,
With Hony mixt, it Ring-worms kils and
Tetter:
But let not women that would children beare
Feed much thereof, for they to faft were better.
An hearbe there is takes of the Swallowes
name,
And by the Swallowes gets no little fame,
For Pliny writes (tho fome thereof make
doubt)
It helpes young Swallowes eyes when they
are out.
120]
GREENE Willow™ though in fcorne it oft
is vf'd,
Yet fome are there in it not fcornefull parts,
It killeth wormes, the iuice in eares infuf'd,
With Vineger: the barke deftroyeth warts*
But at one quality I much haue muf'd,
That addes and bates much of his good
deferts.
For writers old and new, both ours and forren,
Affirme the feed make women chaft
and barren.
Take Saffron if your heat make glad you will,
But not too much for that the heart may kill.31
[121]
Leebes** are good, as fome
Phyficians fay,
Yet would I choofe how er'e I them beleeue,
To weare Leekes rather on Saint Dauids day,^
Then eate the Leeke vpon Saint Dauids Eue,
The bleeding at the nofe Leekes iuice will ftay,
And women bearing children much releeue.
Blacke Pepper** beaten groffe you good mail
finde,
If cold your ftomacke be, or full of winder
White Pepper helps the cough, and fleame it
riddeth
And Agues fit to come it oft forbiddeth.
[122]
OUR hearing is a choyce and dainty fenfe,
And hard to men, yet foone it may be
mard,
Thefe are the things that breed it moil
offence,
To fleepe on ftomacke full and drinking hard,
Blowes, fals, and noyfe, and fafting violence,
Great heate and fodaine cooling afterwards;
All thefe, as is by fundry proofes appearing,
Breed tingling in our eares, and hurt our
hearing^
Then thinke it good aduice, not idle talke,
That after Supper bids vs ftand or walke.
I I23]
YOU heard before what is for hearing
naught,
Now fhall you fee what hurtfull is for fight:
Wine, women, Bathes, by art to nature
wrought,
Leekes, Onyons, Garlicke, Muftard-jeed, fire
and light^ [brought,
Smoake, bruifes, dufi, Pepper to powder
Beanes, Lentiles, ftrains, Wind, Tears,
& Phabus bright,
And all fharpe things our eye-fight do moleft:
Yet watching hurts them more then all the reft.
Of Fennells, Veruin, Kellidon, Rofes, Rew^
Is water made, that will the fight renew.
[124]
IF in your teeth you hap to be tormented,
By meane fome little wormes therein do
breed:
Which paine (if heed be tane) may be
preuented,
By keeping cleane your teeth when as you feed,
Burne Frankincenfe (a gum not euill fented)
Put Henbane vnto this, and Onyon feed,
And in a Tunnel to the Tooth that's hollow,
Conuey the fmoake thereof, and eafe
mall follow.35
By Nuts, Oyle, Eeles, and cold in head,
By Apples and raw fruits is hoarfeneffe bred.
^T^O fliew you how to fhun raw running
Rheumes, [fleepe>
Exceed not much in meate, in drinke, and
For all exceffe is caufe of hurtfull fumes,
Eate warme broth warme, ftriue in your
breath to keep,
Vfe exercife that vapours ill confumes:
In Northern winds abroad do neuer peepe
If Fiftula do rife in any part,
And fo procure your danger and your fmart,
Take Arfenicke, Brimftone, mixt with Lime.
and S°P*' [hope.
And make a tent36, and then of cure there's
[126]
IF fo your head doe paine you oft with aking,
Faire water or fmall beere drinke then or
neuer,
So may you fcape the burning fits and fhaking
That wonted are to company the Feuer.
If with much heate your head be ill in aking,
To rub your head and temples ftill perfeuer,
And make a bath of Morrell (boyled warme)
And it mail keepe your head from further
harme.
A Flix dangerous euill is, and common,37
In it fhun cold, much drinke, and ftraine
of women.
[127]
fT^O faft in Summer doth the body dry,
•*• Yet doth it good, if thereto you enure it,
Againft a furfet vomiting to try,
Is remedy but fome cannot endure it.
Yet fome fo much themfelues found helpe
thereby,
They go to fea a purpofe to procure it.
Foure feafons of the yeare there are in all,
The Summer and the Winter, Spring and Fall:
In euery one of thefe, the rule of reafon
Bids keepe good diet, fuiting euery feafon.
[128]
The Four Seasons.
THE fpring is moift, of temper good and
warme,
Then beft it is to bathe, to fweate, and purge,
Then may one ope a veine in either arme,
If boyling bloud or feare of agues vrge:
Then Venus recreation doth no harme,
Yet may too much thereof turne to a fcourge.
In Summers heat (when choller hath
dominion)
Coole meates and moift are beft in fome
opinion :
The Fall is like the Spring, but endeth colder,
With Wines and Spice the Winter may be
bolder.
[130]
The Four Temperaments.
(Daremberg.}
NOW if perhaps fome haue defire to know,
The number of our bones, our teeth,
our veines,
This verfe enfuing plainly doth it fhew,
To him that doth obferue, it taketh paines:
The teeth thrife ten, and two, twife eight arow.
Eleu'nfcore bones faue one in vs remaines:
For veines, that all may vaine in vs appeare,
A veine we haue for each day in the yeare:
All thefe are like in number and connexion.
The difference growes in bigneffe and
complexion.38
[131]
FURE humors raigne within our bodies
wholly,
And thefe compared to foure Elements,
The Sanguine, Choller, Flegme, and Melancholy,
The latter two are heauie, dull of fence,
Th' other two are more louiall, quicke and
lolly,
And may be likened thus without offence,
Like ayre both warme and moift, is Sanguine
cleare,
Like fire doth Choler hot and drie appeare.
Like water cold and moift is Flegmatique,
The Melancholy cold, drie earth is like.
Quatuor humores in humano corpore constant,
Sanguis cum cholera phlegma, melancholia,
COMPLEXIONS cannot vertue breed
or vice,
Yet may they vnto both glue inclination,
The Sanguine game-fome is, and nothing nice,
Loue Wine, and Women, and all recreation,
Likes pleafant tales, and news, playes, cards
& dice,
Fit for all company, and euery fafhion:
Though bold, not apt to take offence,
not irefull, [fuj1:
But bountifull, and kinde, and looking cheere-
Inclining to be fat, and prone to laughter,
Loues mirth, & Mufick, cares not what
comes after.
[i34l
The Sanguine Man.
Hos Venus et Bacchus delectant fercula, risus.
QHARPE Choller is an humour moft
^ pernitious,
All violent, and fierce, and full of fire,
Of quicke conceit, and therewithall ambitious,
Their thoughts to greater fortunes ftill
afpire,
Proud, bountifull ynough, yet oft malicious
A right bold fpeaker, and as bold a lyar,
On little caufe to anger great enclin'd,
Much eating ftill, yet euer looking pin'd:
In yonger yeares they vfe to grow apace,
In Elder hairie on their breft and face.
[136]
The Choleric Man.
Est humor Cholera qui competit impetuosis.
THE Flegmatique are moft of no great
growth,
Inclining to be rather fat and fquare:
Giuen much vnto their eafe, to reft and floth,
Content in knowledge to take little fhare,
To put themfelues to any paine moft loth.
So dead their fpirits, fo dull their fences are:
Still either fitting, like to folke that
dreame,
Or elfe ftill fpitting, to auoid the flegme:
One qualitie doth yet thefe harmes repaire,
That for the moft part Flegmatique are faire.
[138]
The Phlegmatic Man.
Otia non studio tradunt, sed corpora somno.
THE Melancholly from the reft doe vane,
Both fport and eafe, and company
refufing,
Exceeding ftudious, euer folitary,
Inclining penfiue ftill to be, and mufing,
A fecret hate to others apt to carry:
Mo ft conftant in his choife, tho long a chufing,
Extreme in loue fometime, yet feldom
luftfull,
Sufpitious in his nature, and miftruftfull,
A wary wit, a hand much giuen to (paring,
A heauy looke, a fpirit little daring.
[140]
The Melancholy Man.
Restat adhuc tristis Cholerae substantia nigra
Qua? reddit pravos pertristes, pauca loquentes.
NOW though we giue thefe humors feuerall
names;
Yet all men are of all participant,
But all haue not in quantitie the fame,
For fome (in fome) are more predominant,
The colour fhewes from whence it lightly came,
Or whether they haue bloud too much or want.
The watrie Flegmatique are faire and white,
The Sanguine Rofes ioyn'd to Lillies bright,
The Chollerick more red; the Melancholly,
Alluding to their name, are fwart and colly.
[142]
IF Sanguine humor doe too much abound,
Thefe fignes will be thereof appearing
cheefe,
The face will fwell, the cheekes grow red
and round, [breefe,
With ftaring eyes, the pulfe beate foft and
The veines exceed, the belly will be bound,
The temples and the fore-head full of griefe,
Vnquiet fleepes, that fo ftrange dreames
will make,
To caufe one bluih to tell when he doth wake :
Befides the moifture of the mouth and fpittle,
Will tafte too fweet, and feeme the throat to
tickle.
IF Choler doe exceed, as may fometimes,
Your eares will ring, and make you to be
wakefull, [times
Your tongue will feeme all rough, and often-
Caufe vomits, vnaccuftomed and hatefull.
Great thirft, your excrements are full of flime,
The ftomack fqueamifti, fuftenance
vngratef ull :
Your appetite will feeme in nought delighting,
Your heart ftill grieued with continuall byting,
The pulfe beate hard and fwift, all hot extreme,
Your fpittle fowre, of fire-worke oft you
dreame.
[i44l
IF Flegme aboundance haue due limits paft,
Thefe fignes are heere fet downe will
plainely fhew,
The mouth will feeme to you quite out of tait,
And apt with moyfture ftill to ouer-flow:
Your fides will feeme all fore downe to
the waft, [{low:
Your meate wax loathfome, your digeftion
Your head and ftomacke both in fo ill taking,
One feeming euer griping t'other aking:
With empty veines the pulfe beate flow
and foft,
In fleepe, of Seas and riuers dreaming oft.
[i45l
BUT if that dangerous humor ouer-raigne,
Of Melancholy, fometime making mad,
Thefe tokens then will be appearing plaine,
The'pulfe beate hard, the colour darke and bad :
The water thin, a weake fantafticke braine,
Falfe grounded ioy, or elfe perpetuall fad;
Affrighted oftentimes with dreames like
vifions
Prefenting to the thoughts ill apparitions,
Of bitter belches from the ftomacke comming,
His eare (the left efpeciall) euer burning.
[146]
AGAINST thefe feuerall humors
ouerflowing,
As feuerall kinds of Phyficke may be good,
As diet, drinke, hot baths, whence fweat is
growing,
With purging, vomiting, and letting bloud:
Which taken in due time, not ouerflowing,
Each malladies infection is withftood.
The laft of thefe is beft, if skill and reafon,
Refpect age, frength, quantity, and feafon.
Of feuenty from feuenteene, if bloud abound,
The opening of a veine is healthfull found.
[i47l
OF Bleeding39 many profits grow and great,
The fpirits and fenfes are renewed
thereby:
Tho thefe men flowly by the ftrength of meat,
But thefe with wine reftor'd are by and by.
By bleeding, to the marrow commeth heat,
It maketh cleane your briiine, relieues
your eye,
It mends your appetite, reftoreth fleepe,
Correcting humours that do waking keepe:
All inward parts and fenfes alfo clearing,
It mends the voyce, touch, fmell & taft, &
hearing.
[148]
THREE fpeciall Months (September, April,
May)
There are, in which 'tis good to ope a veine;
In thefe 3 Months the Moone beares greateft
fway,
Then old or yong that ftore of bloud containe,
May bleed now, though fome elder wizards fay
Some dayes are ill in thefe, I hold it vaine:
September, April, May, haue dayes a peece,
That bleeding do forbid, and eating Geefe,
And thofe are they forfooth of May the firft,
Of other two, the la ft of each are worft.
[i49l
BUT yet thofe dales I grant, and all the reft,
Haue in fome cafes iuft impediment:"
As firft, if nature be with cold oppreft,
Or if the Region, He, or Continent
Do fcorch or freize, if ftomacke meate
deteft :
If Baths or Venus late you did frequent,
Nor old, nor yong, nor drinkers great are fit,
Not in long fickeneffe, nor in raging fit,
Or in this cafe if you will venture bleeding,
The quantity muft then be moft exceeding.
150]
Sit brevis aut nullus tibi somnus mcridianus.
Exhilarat tristes iratos placat amantes
Ne sint amentes phlebotomia facit.
TT THEN you to bleed intend, you muft
» » prepare
Some needfull things both after and before,
Warme water and fweet oyle, both needfull are,
And wine, the fainting fpirit to reftore:
Fine binding clothes of linnen, and beware,
That all the morning you do fleepe no more :
Some gentle motion helpeth after bleeding,
And on light meates a fpare and temperate
feeding:
To bleed doth cheere the penfiue, and remoue
The raging luries bred by burning loue.
153
MAKE your incifion large and not too
deepe,
That bloud haue fpeedy iffue with the fume,
So that from finewes you all hurt do keepe,
Nor may you (as I toucht before) prefume
In fixe enfuing houres at all to ileepe,
Left fome flight bruife in fleepe caufe an
apoftume:
Eate not of milke, nor ought of milk com-
pounded,
Nor let your braine with much drink be con-
founded
Eate no cold meats, for fuch the ftrength
impaires,
And fhun all mifty and vnwholefome aires.
[iS4]
ESIDES the former rules for fuch as
pleafes,
Of letting bloud to take more obferuation,
Know in beginning of all fharpe difeafes,
'Tis counted beft to make euacuation:
Too old, too yong, both letting bloud dif-
pleafes.
By yeares and fickneffe make your computa-
tion.
Firft in the Spring for quantity you mall
Of bloud take twife as much as in the Fall:
In Spring and Summer let the right arme bloud,
The Fall and Winter for the left are good.
THE Heart and Liuer, Spring & Summers
bleeding,
The Fall and Winter, hand and foot doth
mend,
One veine40 cut in the hand, doth help ex-
ceeding
Vnto the fpleene, voyce, breft, and intrailes
lend,
And fwages griefes that in the heart are
breeding.
But here the Salerne Schoole doth make an end :
And here I ceafe to write, but will not ceafe
To wifh you Hue in health, and die in peace:
And ye our Phyficke rules that friendly read,
God grant that Phyficke you may neuer need.
FINIS.
[156]
REGIMEN SANITATIS
SALERNITANUM
REGIMEN SANITATIS
SALERNITANUM
ANGLORUM Regi scripsit1 schola tota Salerni.
Si vis incolumem, si vis te reddere sanum,
Curas tolle graves, irasci crede profanum,
Parce mero, coenato parum, non sit tibi vanum
Surgere post epulas, somnum fuge meridianum,
Non mictum retine, nee comprime fortiter
anum:
Haec bene si serves, tu longo tempore vives.
Si tibi deficiant medici, medici tibi fiant
Haec tria, mens laeta, requies, moderata diaeta.
Lumina mane manus surgens gelida lavet
aqua,
Hac iliac modicum pergat, modicumque sua
membra
Extendat, crines pectat, dentes fricet. Ista
Confortant cerebrum, confortant csetera membra.
1 Notes for this and other indicated passages will be found on
page 203 and the pages following.
[1591
Lote, cale: sta, pranse, vel i; frigesce, minute.2
Sit brevis aut nullus tibi somnus meridianus.
Febris, pigrities, capitis dolor, atque catarrhus,
Hsec tibi proveniunt ex somno meridiano.
Quatuor ex vento veniunt in ventre retento,
Spasmus, hydrops, colica, vertigo, quatuor ista.3
Ex magna coena stomacho fit maxima poena.
Ut sis nocte levis sit tibi coena brevis.
Tu nunquam comedas stomachum nisi nov-
eris ante
Purgatum, vacuumque cibo quern sumpseris
ante.
Ex desiderio poteris cognoscere certo:
Haec tua sunt signa, subtilis in ore diseta.4
Persica, poma, pyra, lac, caseus, et caro salsa,
Et caro cervina, leporina, caprina, bovina,
Hsec melancholica sunt, infirmis inimica.
Ova recentia, vina rubentia, pinguia jura,
Cum simila pura, naturae sunt valitura.
Nutrit et impinguat triticum, lac, caseus
infans,
Testiculi, porcina caro, cerebella, medullas,
Dulcia vina, cibus gustu jucundior, ova
[160]
Sorbilia, maturse ficus, uvaeque recentes.
Vina probantur odore, sapore, nitore, colore.
Si bona vina cupis, haec quinque probantur in
illis,
Fortia, formosa, fragrantia, frigida, frisca.5
Sunt nutritiva plus dulcia, Candida, vina.
Si vinum rubens nimium quandoque bibatur
Venter stipatur, vox limpida turbificatur.
Allia, nux, ruta, pyra, raphanus, et theriaca,
Haec sunt antidotum contra mortale venenum.6
Aer sit mundus, habitabilis ac luminosus.
Nee sit infectus, nee olens fcetore cloacae.
Si tibi scrotina noceat potatio vini
Hora matutina rebibas, et erit medicina.
Gignit et humores melius vinum meliores.
Si fuerit nigrum, corpus reddet tibi pigrum.
Vinum sit clarumque vetus, subtile, matu-
rum,7
Ac bene lymphatum, saliens, moderamine
sumptum.8
Non sit acetosa cervisia, sed bene clara,
De validis cocta granis, satis ac veterata.
De qua potetur stomachus non inde gravetur.9
[161]
Temporibus veris modicum prandere jube-
ris,
Sed calor aestatis dapibus nocet immoderatis.
Autumni fructus caveas; ne sint tibi luctus.
De mensa sume quantum vis tempore brumae.
Salvia cum ruta faciunt tibi pocula tuta.
Adde rosse florem minuit potenter amorem.
De Absynthio.
Nausea non poterit quemquam vexare ma-
rina,
Antea cum vino mixtam si sumpserit illam.
Salvia, sal, vinum, piper, allia, petroselinum,10
Ex his fit salsa, nisi sit commixtio falsa.
Si fore vis sanus ablue ssepe manus.11
Lotio post mensam tibi confert munera bina,
Mundificat palmas, et lumina reddit acuta.
Panis non calidus, nee sit nimis inveteratus,
Sed fermentatus, oculatus sit, bene coctus,
Modice salitus, frugibus validis sit electus.
Non comedas crustam, choleram quia gignit
adustam.
Panis salsatus, fermentatus, bene coctus,
Purus sit sanus, quia non ita sit tibi vanus.
[162]
Est caro porcina sine vino pejor ovina:
Si tribuis vina, tune est cibus et medicina.
Ilia porcorum bona sunt, mala sunt re-
liquorum.
mpedit urinam mustum, solvit cito ven-
trem,12
Hepatis emphraxim, splenis general, lapi-
demque.
Potus aquae sumptus fit edenti valde noci-
vus,
Infrigidat stomachumque cibum nititur fore
crudum.
Sunt nutritivse multum carnes vitulinse.13
Sunt bona gallina, et capo, turtur, sturna, co-
lumba,
Quiscula, vel merula, phasianus, ethigoneta,14
Perdix, frigellus, orix, tremulus, amarellus,
Si pisces molles sunt magno corpore tolles,15
Si pisces duri, parvi sunt plus valituri:
Lucius, et parca, saxaulis, et albica, tenca,
Sornus, plagitia, cum carpa, galbio, truca.16
Vocibus anguillae pravse sunt si comedantur.
Qui physicam non ignorant haec testificantur.
[163]
Caseus, anguilla, nimis obsunt si comedantur,
Ni tu saepe bibas et rebibendo bibas.17
Si sumas ovum molle sit atque novum.
Pisam laudare decrevimus ac reprobare.
Pellibus ablatis est bona pisa satis18
Est inflativa cum pellibus atque nociva.
Lac ethicis sanum, caprinum post cameli-
num :19
Ac nutritivum plus omnibus est asininum.
Plus nutritivum vaccinum, sic et ovinum.
Si febriat caput et doleat non est bene sanum.
Lenit et humectat, solvit sine febre buty-
rum.
Incidit, atque lavat, penetrat, mundat
quoque, serum.
Caseus est frigidus, stipans, grossus, quoque
durus.
Caseus et panis, bonus est cibus hie bene sanis.20
Si non sunt sani tune hunc non jungito pani.
Ignari medici me dicunt esse novicum,
Sed tamen ignorant cur nocumenta feram.21
Languenti stomacho caseus addit opem,B
Si post sumatur terminat ille dapes.23
fi64]
Qui physicam non ignorant haec testificantur.
Inter prandendum sit saepe parumque biben-
dum.
Ut minus aegrotes non inter fercula potes.
Ut vites poenam de potibus incipe caenam,
Singula post ova pocula sume nova.24
Post pisces nux sit, post carnes caseus adsit
Unica nux prodest, nocet altera, tertia mors
est.
Adde potum pyro, nux est medicina veneno.
Fert pyra nostra pyrus, sine vino sunt pyra
virus.
Si pyra sunt virus sit meledicta pyrus.
Si coquas, antidotum pyra sunt, sed cruda
venenum.25
Cruda gravant stomachum, relevant pyra
cocta gravatum
Post pyra da potum, post pomum vade faeca-
tum.26
Cerasa si comedas tibi confert grandia dona :
Expurgant stomachum, nucleus lapidem tibi
tollit,27
Et de carne sua sanguis eritque bonus.
[165]
Infrigidant, laxant, multum prosunt tibi,
pruna.28
Persica cum musto vobis datur ordine justo.
Sumere sic est mos: nucibus sociando ra-
cemos.
Passula non spleni, tussi valet, est bona reni.
Scrofa, tumor, glandes, ficus cataplasmate
cedit,29
Junge papaver ei confracta foris tenet ossa.
Pediculos, veneremque facit, sed cuilibet ob-
stat.30
Multiplicant mictum, ventrem dant escula
strictum.
Escula dura bona, sed mollia sunt meliora.31
Provocat urinam mustum, cito solvit et in-
flat.
Grossos humores nutrit cerevisia, vires
Prsestat, et augmentat carnem, generatque
cruorem,
Provocat urinam, ventrem quoque mollit et
inflat.
Infrigidat modicum, sed plus desiccat ace-
tum,
[166]
Infrigidat, macerat, melan: dat, sperma min-
orat,
Siccos infestat nervos, et impinguia siccat.
Rapa juvat stomachum, novit producere
ventum,
Provocat urinam, faciet quoque dente ruinam.32
Si male cocta datur hinc torsio tune generatur.
Egeritur tarde cor, digeritur quoque dure.
Similiter stomachus, melior sit in extremitates.
Reddit lingua bonum nutrimentum medicinse.
Digeritur facile pulmo, cito labitur ipse.
Est melius cerebrum gallinarum reliquorum.
Semen fceniculi fugat et spiracula culi.33
Emendat visum, stomachum comfortat ani-
sum.
Copia dulcoris anisi sit melioris.34
Si cruor emanat spodium sumptum cito
sanat.35
Vas condimenti prseponi debet edenti.
Sal virus refugat, et non sapidumque saporat.
Nam sapit esca male quse datur absque sale.
Urunt persalsa visum, spermaque minorant,
Et generant scabiem, pruritum sive rigorem.36
[167]
Hi fervore vigent tres, salsus, amarus, acu-
tus37.
Alget acetosus, sic stipans, ponticus atque.
Unctus, et insipidus, dulcis, dant tempera-
mentum.
Bis duo vippa facit, mundat dentes, dat
acutum
Visum, quod minus est implet, minuit quod
abundat.
Omnibus assuetam jubeo servare disetam.
Approbo sic esse, nisi sit mutare necesse.
Est Hippocras testis, quoniam sequitur mala
pestis.
Fortior est meta medicinae certa diaeta:
Quam si non curas, fatue regis, et male curas.
Quale, quid, et quando, quantum, quoties, ubi,
dando,
Ista notare cibo debet medicus diaetando.38
Jus caulis solvit, cujus substantia stringit:
Utraque quando datur venter laxare paratur.
Dixerunt malvam veteres quia molliat al-
vum.
Malvae radices rasae dedere faeces,39
[168!
Vulvam moverunt, et fluxum ssepe dederunt.
Mentitur mentha si sit depellere lenta
Ventris lumbricos, stomach! vermes que noci-
vos.
Cur moriatur homo cui salvia crescit in
horto ?
Contra vim mortis non est medicamen in hor-
tis.40
Salvia confortat nervos, manuumque tremores41
Tollit, et ejus ope febris acuta fugit.
Salvia, castoreum, lavendula, premula veris,
Nastur : athanasia, sanant paralytica membra.42
Salvia salvatrix, naturae consiliatrix.
Nobilis est ruta quia lumina reddit acuta.
Auxilio rutse, vir, quippe videbis acute.
Ruta viris coitum minuit, mulieribus auget.43
Ruta facit castum, dat lumen, et ingerit astum.
Cocta facit ruta de pulicibus loca tuta.
De cepis medici non consentire videntur.
Cholericis non esse bonas dicit Galienus.
Flegmaticis vero multum docet esse salubres,
Praesertim stomacho, pulcrumque creare col-
orem.
[169]
Contritis cepis loca denudata capillis
Saepe fricans poteris capitis reparare deco-
rem>44and45
Est modicum granum, siccum, calidumque,
sinapi,
Dat lacrimas, purgatque caput, tollitque vene-
num.
Crapula discutitur, capitis dolor, atque gra-
vedo,
Purpuream dicunt violam curare caducos.
De Urtica.
JEgns dat somnum, vomitum quoque tollit
adversum,
Compescit tussim veterem, colicisqus med-
etur,
Pellit pulmonis frigus, ventrisque tumorem,46
Omnibus et morbis subveniet articulorum.
Hyssopus est herba purgans a pectore
phlegma.
Ad pulmonis opus cum melle coquatur hysso-
pus:
Vultibus eximium fertur reparare colorem.
[170]
De Cerifolio.
Suppositum cancris tritum cum melle med-
etur,
Cum vino potum poterit separare dolorem.
Saepe solet vomitum ventremque tenere solu-
tum.47
Enula campana reddit prsecordia sana.
Cum succo rutae si succus sumitur hujus,48
Affirmant ruptis nil esse salubrius istis.
De Pulegio.
Cum vino choleram nigram potata repellit:
Sic dicunt veterem sumptum curare poda-
gram.49
De Nasturtio.
Illius succo crines retinere fluentes
Allitus asseritur, dentisque curare dolorem,60
Et squamas succus sanat cum melle perunctus.
De Celedonia.
Ccecatis pullis hac lumina mater hirundo,
Plinius ut scribit, quamvis sint eruta reddit.
[171]
De Sal-ice.
Auribus infusus vermes succus necat ejus.
Cortex verrucas in aceto cocta resolvit.
Pomorum succus flos partus destruit ejus.
Comfortare crocus dicatur laetificando,
Membraque defecta confortat hepar reparando
De Porro.
Reddit fcecundas permansum saepe puellas.
Isto stillantem poteris retinere cruorem.51
Quod piper est nigrum non est dissolvere
pigrum,
Flegmata purgabit, digestivamque juvabit.52
Leucopiper stomacho prodest, tussique dolori
Utile, prseveniet motum febrisque rigorem.
Et mox post escam dormire nimisque mo-
ver!:
Ista gravare solent auditus, ebrietasque.
Metus, longa fames, vomitus, percussio,
casus,
Ebrietas, frigus, tinnitum causat in aure.
Balnea, vina, Venus, ventus, piper, allia,
fumus,
[172]
Porri, cum cepis, lens, fletus, faba, sinapi,
Sol, coitus, ignis, labor, ictus, acumina, pulvis,
Ista nocent oculis, sed vigilare magis.
Feniculis, verbena, rosa, celidonia, ruta,63
Ex istis fit aqua quse lumina reddit acuta.
Sic dentes serva, porrorum collige grana.
Ne careas jure, (thure?) cum hyoscyamo simul
ure.
Sicque per embotum fumum cape dente re-
motum.64
Nux, oleum, f rigus capitis, anguillaque, potus,
Ac pomum crudum, faciunt hominem fore
raucum.
Jejuna, vigila, caleas dape, valde labora,
Inspira calidum, modicum bibe, comprime
flatum:
Hsec bene tu serva si vis depellere rheuma.
Si fluat ad pectus, dicatur rheuma catarrhus:
Ad fauces bronchus: ad nares esto coryza.
Auripigmentum, sulphur, miscere memento:
His decet apponi calcem: commisce saponi.
Quatuor hsec misce. Commixtis quatuor istis
Fistula curatur, quater ex his si repleatur.55
[i73]
Ossibus ex denis, bis centenisque, novenis,
Constat homo: denis bis dentibus ex duodenis:
Ex tricentenis, decies sex, quinqueque venis.66
Quatuor humores in humano corpore con-
stant:
Sanguis cum cholera, phlegma, melancholia.
Terra melan: aqua fleg: et aer sanguis, cole:
ignis.57
Natura pingues isti sunt atque jocantes,
Semper rumores cupiunt audire frequentes.
Hos Venus et Bacchus delectant, fercula, risus,
Et facit hos hilares, et dulcia verba loquentes.
Omnibus hi studiis habiles sunt, et magis apti.
Qualibet ex causa nee hos leviter movet ira.
Largus, amans, hilaris, ridens, rubeique coloris,
Cantans, carnosus, satis audax, atque benig-
nus.
Est et humor cholerae, qui competit impetu-
osis.
Hoc genus est hominum cupiens praecellere
cunctos.
Hi leviter discunt, multum comedunt, cito
crescunt.
[i74]
Inde magnanimi sunt, largi, summa petentes.
Hirsutus, fallax, irascens, prodigus, audax,
Astutus, gracilis, siccus, croceique colons
Phlegma vires modicas tribuit, latosque,
brevesque.58
Flegma facit pingues, sanguis reddit medi-
ocres.
Otia non studio tradunt, sed corpora somno.69
Sensus hebes, tardus motus, pigritia, somnus.
Hie somnolentus, piger, in sputamine multus.
Est huic sensus hebes, pinguis, facie color al-
bus.
Restat adhuc tristis choleras substantia
nigrae,
Qu93 reddit pravos,pertristes,pauca loquentes.60
Hi vigilant studiis, nee mens est dedita somno,
Servant propositum, sibi nil reputant fore
tutum.
Invidus, et tristis, cupidus, dextraeque tenacis,
Non expers frandis, timidus, luteique colons.
Hi sunt humores qui praestant cuique col-
ores.
Omnibus in rebus ex phlegmate fit color albus.
[i7S]
Sanguine fit rubens: cholera rubea quoque
rufus.61
Si peccet sanguis, facies rubet, extat ocellus,
Inflantur gense, corpus nimiumque gravatur,
Est pulsusque frequens, plenus, mollis, dolor
ingens
Maxime fit frontis, et constipatio ventris,
Siccaque lingua, sitis, et somnia plena rubore,
Dulcor adest sputi, sunt acria, dulcia, quseque.62
Denus septenus vix phlebotomiam oetit
annus.
Spiritus uberior exit per phlebotomiam.
Spiritus ex potu vini mox multiplicatur,
Humorumque cibo damnum lente reparatur.
Lumina clarificat, sincerat phlebotomia
Mentes et cerebrum, calidas facit esse medul-
las,
Viscera purgabit, stomachum ventremque co-
ercet,
Puros dat sensus, dat somnum, tsedia tollit,
Auditus, vocem, vires producit et auget.
Tres insunt istis (Maius, September, April-
is),
[176]
Et sunt hmares sunt velut hydra dies:
Prima dies primi, postremaque posteriorum :
Nee sanguis minui, nee carnibus anseris uti.
In sene vel juvene si venae sanguine plense
Omni mense bene confert incisio venae.
Hi sunt tres menses, Maius, September, April-
is,
In quibus eminaus ut longo tempore vivas,
Frigida natura, frigens regio, dolor ingens,
Post lavacrum, coitum, minor setas atque sen-
ilis,63
Morbus prolixus, repletio potus et escae,64
Si fragilis, vel subtilis sensus stomachi sit,
Et fastiditi, tibi non sunt phlebotomandi.
Quid debes f acere quando vis phlebotomari,65
Vel quando minuis, fueris vel quando minutus ?
Unctio, sive potus, lavacrum, vel fascia, motus,66
Debent non fragili tibi singula mente teneri.
Exhilarat tristes, iratos placat, amantes
Ne sint amentes, phlebotomia facit.
Fac plagam largam mediocriter, ut cito
fumus
Exeat uberius, liberiusque cruor.
[i77]
Sanguine subtracto, sex horis est vigilan-
dum,
Ne somni fumus laedat sensibile corpus.
Ne nervum Isedas, non sit tibi plaga pro-
funda.
Sanguine purgatus non carpas protinus escas.
Omnia de lacte vitabis rite, minute,
Et vitet potum phlebotomatus homo.
Frigida vitabis, quia sunt inimica minutis.
Interdictus erit minutis nubilus aer.
Spiritus exultat minutis luce per auras.
Omnibus apta quies, est motus valde nocivus.
Principio minuas in acutis, peracutis.
^tatis mediae multum de sanguine tolle,
Sed puer atque senex toilet uterque parum.
Ver tollat duplum, reliquum tempus tibi sim-
plum.
^Estas, ver, dextras: autumnus, hiemsque,
sinistras.
Quatuor haec membra, cephe, cor, pes, hepar,
vacuanda.67
Ver cor, hepar sestas, ordo sequens reliquas.
Dat salvatella tibi plurima dona minuta:63
[178]
Purgat hepar, splenem, pectus, praecordia,
vocem,
Innaturalem tollit de corde dolorem.69
Si dolor est capitis ex potu, limpha bibatur,
Ex potu nimio nam febris acuta creatur.
Si vertex capitis, vel frons, aestu tribulentur,
Tempora fronsque simul moderate saepe fri-
centur
Morella cocta, nee non calidaque laventur.
Temporis sestivi jejunia corpora siccant.
Quolibet in mense confert vomitus, quoque
purgat
Humores nocuos stomachi, lavat ambitus
omnes.
Ver, autumnus, hiems, sestas, dominantur in
anno.
Tempore vernal! calidus fit aer, humidusque,
Et nullum tempus melius fit phlebotomise.
Usus tune homini Veneris confert moderatus,
Corporis et motus, ventrisque solutio, sudor,
Balnea, purgentur tune corpora cum medi-
cinis.
JEstas more calet sicca, nascatur in ilia
[i79]
Tune quoque prsecipue choleram rubeam dom-
inari.
Humida, frigida fercula dentur, sit Venus ex-
tra,
Balnea non prosunt, sint rarse phlebotomise,
Utilis est requies, sit cum moderamine potus.
NOTES ON THE ENGLISH TEXT
(1) According to Suetonius in his life of the Emperor
Claudius, the latter had in contemplation the issuance
of a proclamation justifying the emission of flatus
wherever and whenever the need might exist. Mon-
taigne in his Essay on the Force of the Imagination
expresses the wish that the Emperor might at the same
time have granted also the power to do so.
(2) i. e. This is indicated in the common expression
"the mouth waters."
(3) Avicenna thought peaches a wholesome food if
eaten before other heavier articles of diet. The
Ancients lay stress on the difficulty of obtaining
peaches exactly ripe and dwell on the dangers of the
fruit when either unripe or overripe. Pears were re-
garded as in general unwholesome because of the
difficulty with which they undergo digestion, being
very apt to produce colic and flatus. Apples were
regarded as indigestible because "they engender ventu-
osities in the second digestion." Milk was dangerous
for the sick because of its tendency to curdle; but
Hippocrates recommended its use in phthisis. The
command to abstain from salt meat is very much in
line with the modern "salt-free diet." Hare and goat's
flesh were held to "engender melancholly blood."
(4) Manchet. Fine white bread.
(5) Dowcet. Testicle.
(6) Muskadell. Muscatel was a term applied to a
number of different sweet wines made in Italy, Spain,
and France. Candy wine — wine of Candia.
(7) The fruit of the Mesphilus Germanica — very
much like a small apple; it was only eaten when some-
what overripe.
Gerarde (Herbal, ed. 1636) says: "Medlars do stop
the belly, especially when they be greene and hard,
for after they haue been kept awhile, so that they
become soft and tender, they do not binde or stop so
much, but are then more fit to be eaten. The fruit
of the three graine Medlar, is eaten both raw and
boyled, and is more wholesom for the stomacke. These
Medlars be oftentimes preserued with sugar or hony:
and being so prepared they are pleasant and delightful
to the taste. Moreover, they are singular good for
women with childe: for they strengthen the stomacke
and stay the loathsomeness thereof. The stones or
kernals of the Medlars, made into pouder and drunke,
doe breake the stone, expell grauell, and procure urine."
66 "Rosalind. I'll graff it with you, and then shall I
graffit with a medlar; then it will be the earliest fruit
i' the country; for you'll be rotten ere you be half
ripe, and that's the right virtue of the medlar." As
You Like It, Act III, Sc. II.
(8) Vinegar was formerly held in great esteem for
the several reasons mentioned in the text. It was
supposed to reduce obesity, to act as a sexual sedative
and was in great demand as a disinfectant. Matthew
Carey in his account of the epidemic of yellow fever
[182]
in Philadelphia in the year 1793 states that "Those
who ventured abroad, had handkerchiefs or sponges,
impregnated with vinegar or camphor, at their noses,
or smelling bottles full of thieves' vinegar." The latter,
or vinegar of the four thieves, as it was more usually
termed, was a preparation the composition of which
was said to have been discovered by four young men
during the plague at Marseilles in 1720. It was
claimed to have rendered them immune from the disease
and enabled them to rob the sick while pretending to
serve as nurses.
(9) Tripe. The stomach and intestines. Lites.
(Lights) The Lungs.
(10) Gerarde (Herbal, ed. 1636, page 1032) says of
fennel (fceniculum vulgare), "The powder of the seed
of fennell drunke for certaine daies together fasting
preserueth the eye-sight: whereof was written this
Distichon following:
Fceniculum, Rosa Verbena, Chelidonia, Ruta,
Ex his fit aquaqua lumina reddit acuata.
Of Fennell, Roses, Vervain, Rue, and Celandine,
Is made a water good to clere the sight of eine.
The green leaves of Fennel eaten or the seed drunke
made into a Ptisan, do fill womens brests with milke.
The decoction of Fennell drunke easeth the paines
of the kidnies, causeth one to auoid the stone, and
prouketh urine.
The roots are as effectuall, and not onely good for
[183]
the intents aforesaid, but against the dropsie also,
being boiled in wine and drunken.
Fennell seed drunke asswageth the paine ofthestom-
acke, and wambling of the same or desire to vomit,
and breaketh winde.
The herbe, seed, and root of Fennell are very good
for the lungs, the liver, and the kidnies, for it openeth
the obstructions or stoppings of the same, and com-
forteth the inward parts.
The seed and herbe of sweet Fennell is equall in
vertues with Annise seed."
(11) Spodium. Greek (oirodtvp) ashes.
(12) Gerarde (Herbal, ed. 1636, page 1302) says of
licorice:
"The root of Licorice is good against the rough
harshnesse of the throat and brest; it opens the pipes
of the lungs when they be stuffed or stopt, ripeneth
the cough, and bringeth forth flegme. * * * It is
good against hoarseneses, difficulties of breathing, in-
flammation of the lungs, the pleurisie, spitting of bloud
or matter, consumption and rottennesse of the lungs,
all infirmities and ruggednesse of the chest."
(13) The caper bush belongs to the genus Capparis.
(14) Gerarde (Herbal, ed. 1636, page 33) says of
gallingale, the alpinia officinarum, or galanga:
"These roots * * * strengthen the stomach,
and mitigate the pains thereof arising from cold and
flatulencies. The smell * * * comforts the too
cold braine; the substance thereof being chewed
[184!
sweetens the breath. It is good also against the beating
of the heart. They are useful against the collicke
proceeding of flatulencies, and the flatulent affects of
the wombe; they conduce to venery, and heate the too
cold reines. To conclude they are good against all
cold diseases."
(15) Scorbutic disorders of the skin were terribly
prevalent among those who went on long sea voyages
in times when their chief article of food was salted
meats.
(16) Colewort or cabbages were held in much es-
teem for their supposed medicinal properties. Ger-
arde (Herbal, ed. 1636, page 317) gives a lengthy list
of the various uses to which the different parts of the
plant were applied : Thus Dioscorides taught that it was
good when eaten "for them that have dim eies, and
that are troubled with a shaking palsie;" "It is reported,
that colewort beeing eaten before meate, doth preserue
a man from drunkennesse: the reason is yeelded, for
that there is a naturall enmitie betweene it and the
vine, which is such, as if it grow neere vnto it, forth-
with the vine perisheth and withereth away." "Pliny
writeth, that the iuice mixed with wine, and dropped
into the eares is a remedy against deafnesse." * * *
etc., etc.
(17) Gerarde (Herbal, ed. 1636, page 932) says of
the virtues of mallow: "The leaves of Mallowes are
good against the stinging of Scorpions, Bees, Wasps,
and such like: and if a man be first annointed with the
[185]
leaves stamped with a little oile, he shall not be stung
at all, as Dioscorides saith. The decoctions of mal-
lowes with their roots drunken are good against all
venome and poyson, if it be incontinently taken after
the poyson, so that it be vomited up againe.
"The leaves of mallowes boiled till they be soft and
applied, doe mollifie tumors and hard swellings of the
mother, if they so withal sit over the fume thereof
and bathe themselves therewith.
"The decoction used in clysters is good against the
roughness and fretting of the guts, bladder, and funda-
ment. The roots of the Veruaine-m allow do heale the
bloudy flix and inward burstings, being drunke with
wine and water, as Dioscorides and Paulus Aegineta
testifie."
(18) Mint was anciently a very popular remedy in
all disorders associated with the female organs. It
was also used very greatly in digestive disturbances.
(19) The statement in Gerarde's Herbal, ed. 1636,
page 766, fully agrees with the laudation of sage con-
tained in the Regimen: "Agrippa and likewise Aetius
haue called it the Holy-herbe, because women with
childe if they be like to come before their time, and are
troubled with abortments, do eate thereof to their
great good; for it closeth the matrix, and maketh them
fruitfull, it retaineth the birth, and giveth it life, and
if the woman about the fourth day of her going abroad
after her childing, shall drinke nine ounces of the juyce
of sage with a little salt, and then use the company
of her husband, she shall without doubt conceire and
[186]
bring forth store of children, which are the blessing
of God. * * *
Sage is singular good for the head and braine; ic
quickeneth the sences and memory, strengtheneth the
sinewes, restoreth health to those who haue the palsie
vpon a moist cause, takes away shaking or trembling
of the members; and being put up into the nostrils,
it draweth thin flegme out of the head. It is likewise
commended against the spitting of bloud, the cough,
and paines of the sides, and bitings of serpents," etc., etc.
Sage tea is still held in much popular esteem in men-
strual disorders.
Sage has previously been praised in the poem for
its virtues as a prophylactic against seasickness,
vide p. 91.
(20) Rue or herb of grace had a high place in the
pharmacopeia of the ancient physician. It wa? used
both locally and internally. It was especially esteemed
as a carminative and diuretic.
(21) In Gerarde's Herbal, ed. 1636, page 170, we find
that onions "stamped with Salt, Rue, and Honey, and
so applied, they are good against the biting of a mad
Dog."
• (22) Even the ancients found mustard of but little
service in internal medicine, except as a stimulant of
the digestive tract. It was in great vogue, however,
as a counterirritant. Gerarde (Herbal, ed. 1636) says,
"The seed of mustard beaten and put into the nostrils
causeth sneezing, and raiseth women sicke of the Mother
[187]
(hysteria) out of their fits. It is good in the falling sick-
nesse, and such as haue the Lethargic, if it belaid plaister-
wise vpon the head (after haueing been tempered with
figs). It helpeth the Sciatics, or ache in the hip or
hucklebone." * * *
(23) In addition to their usefulness in epilepsy and
as a purgative in surfeits, there were many other
medicinal uses to which they were applied. Gerarde's
Herbal, ed. 1636, page 852, says, "the floures are
good for all inflammations, especially of the sides and
lungs; they take away the hoarseness of the chest,
the ruggedness of the winde-pipe and jawes, allay the
extreme heate of the liver, kidnies, and bladder, miti-
gate the fiery heate of burning agues, temper the sharp-
nesse of choler, and take away thirst." * * *
(24) Gerarde's Herbal, ed. 1636, page 707, contains
a very glowing exordium of the virtues of nettles.
"Being eaten, as Dioscorides saith boiled with
Periwinkles, it maketh the body soluble, doing it by
a kinde of clensing facultie: it also provoketh vrine,
and expelleth stones out of the kidnies: being boiled
with barly cream it is thought to bring up tough
humors that sticke in the chest. Being stamped, and
the juice put up into the nostrils, it stoppeth the
bleeding of the nose: the juice is good against the in-
flammation of the uvula. * * * It concocteth and
draweth out of the chest humors. It is good for them
that cannot breathe vnlesse they hold their necks
vpright, and for those that haue the pleurisie, and for
such as be sick of the inflammation of the lungs, it
[188]
be taken in a looch or licking medicine, and also against
the troublesome cough that children haue, called the
chin-cough. Nicander affirmeth, that is a remedie against
the venemous qualitie of Hemlocke, Mushroms and
Quicksilver. And Apollodorus saith that it is a counter
poison for Henbane, Serpents and Scorpions." * * *
(25) Gerarde, Herbal, ed. 1636, page 580.
"A decoction of Hyssop made with figs, and gargled
in the mouth and throte, ripeneth and breaketh the
tumors and imposthumes of the mouth and throte,
and easeth the difficultie of swallowing, comming by
cold rheumes. The same made with figges, water,
honey, and rue, and drunken, helpeth the inflamma-
tion of the lungs, the old cough, and shortness of
breath, and the obstructions and stoppings of the
breast."
(26) Gerarde, Herbal, ed. 1636, page 991, writes:
"The decoction of the roots of Cinke-foile drunke>
cureth the bloudy flix, and all other fluxes of the belly,
and stancheth all excessiue bleeding. The juyce of
the roots while they be young and tender, is given
to be drunke against the diseases of the liuer and lungs
and all poyson. The same drunke in mede or honied
water, or wine wherein some pepper hath been mingled,
cureth the tertain or quartain feuers: and being drunken
after the same manner for thirty daies together, it
helpeth the falling sicknesse. * * * The juyce of
the leaues drunken doth cure the jaundice, and com-
forteth the stomacke and liuer. The decoction of the
[189]
roots held in the mouth doth mitigate the paine of
the teeth, staieth putrifaction, and all putrified vlcers
of the mouth, helpeth the inflammations of the almonds,
throat and the parts adjoining * * * and helpeth
the bloudy flix. The root boyled in vinegre is good
against the shingles, appeaseth the rage of fretting
sores, and cankerous vlcers."
(27) Gerarde, Herbal, ed. 1636, says: "It is good
for shortnesse of breath, and an old cough, and for
such as cannot breath vnlesse they hold their neckes
vpright. It is of great virtue both giuen in a looch,
which is a medicine to be looked on, and likewise pre-
serued, as also otherwise giuen to purge and void out
thicke, tough, and clammy humors, which sticke in
the chest and lungs. The root preserued is good and
wholesome for the stomacke: being taken after supper
it doth not onely helpe digestion, but also keepeth the
belly soluble. * * * The decoction of Enula (Elle-
compane) drunken prouoketh vrine, and is good for
them that are grieued with inward burstings, or haue
any member out of joynt." * * *
(28) Gerarde, Herbal, ed. 1636, page 672, says:
" Pennie Royall boyled in wine and drunken prouok-
eth the monethly termes, bringeth forth the secondine,
the dead childe and vnnaturall birth: it prouoketh
vrine and breaketh the stone especially of the kidnies.
Pennie Royall taken in honey clenseth the lungs, and
cleareth the breast from all grosse and thicke humours.
The same taken with hony and Aloes, purgeth by stoole
[190]
malancholy humours; helpeth the crampe and draw-
ing together of sinewes. The same taken with water
and vinegre asswageth the inordinate desire to vomit,
and the paines of the stomacke. If you haue when
you are at the sea Penny Royall in great quantitie dry,
and cast it into corrupt water, it helpeth it much,
neither will it hurt them that drinke thereof. A gar-
land of Pennie Royall made and worne about the head
is of great force against the swimming in the head, and
the paines and giddinesse thereof. The decoction of
Penny Royall is very good against ventositie, windines,
or such like, &, against the hardnesse and stopping of
the mother being used in a bath or stew for the woman
to sit ouer."
(29) Gerarde, Herbal, ed. 1636, enumerates a number
of varieties of cresses, such as water cress, winter
cress, bank cress, garden cress, and sciatica cress, and
attributes many virtues to them. Thus of winter cress
he writes: "The seed of Winter Cresse causeth one
to make water, and driveth forth grauell, and helps the
strangurie. The juyce thereof mundfieth corrupt and
filthy vlcers, being made in form of an vnguent with
wax, oile, and turpentine. * * * This herbe helpeth
the scuruy, being boiled among scuruy grasse, called
in Latin Cochlearia, causing it to work the more
effectually."
The garden cress is also highly commended for scurvy,
and "it scoureth away tettas mixed with brine."
Sciatica cress derives its name from its supposed
value in that complaint.
[191]
(30) Gerarde, Herbal, ed. 1636, page 1392, affirms
of the willow: "The leaues and barke of Withy or
Willowes do stay the spitting of bloud, and all other
fluxes of bloud whatsoever in man or woman, if the
said leaues and barke be boyled in wine and drunke.
The greene boughes with the leaues may very well be
brought into chambers and set about the beds of those
that be sicke of feuers, for they doe mightly coole the
heate of the aire, which thing is a wonderfull refreshing
to the sicke patients. The barke hath like vertues:
Dioscorides writeth, that this being burnt to ashes,
and steeped in vineger, takes away cornes and other
like risings in the feet and toes: diuers, saith Galen,
doe slit the barke whilst the withey is in flouring and
gather a certain juyce with which they used to take
away things that hinder the sight, and this is when
they are constrained to use a clensing medicine of thin
and subtill parts."
(31) Gerarde, Herbal, ed. 1696, writes of saffron:
"Avicen affirmeth that it causeth headache and is
hurtful to the braine, which it cannot do by taking
it now and then, but by too much using of it; for the
too much using of it cutteth off sleep, for want whereof
the head and sences are out of frame. But the moderate
use thereof is good for the head and maketh the sences
more quick and liuely, shaketh off heauy and drowsie
sleepe, and maketh a man merry. Also saffron
strengtheneth the heart, concocteth crude and raw
humors of the chest, opens the lungs, and removeth
obstructions. It is also such a special remedie for
[192]
those that haue consumption of the lungs, and are as
wee terme it, at death's doore, and almost past breath-
ing, that it bringeth breath again, and prolongeth life
for certaine dayes, if ten or twenty graines at the most
be given with a new or sweet wine." Saffron was also
much used locally in affections of the eyes and ears.
The use of the meadow saffron, or colchicum, for gout,
dates back to antiquity. The dangers of its too free
use in that complaint were well recognized.
(32) Leeks were recommended as antidotes against
the bites of venomous beasts, being used both internally
and locally. The juice of the leek was considered of
great value when dropped into the external auditory
meatus, in earache and tinnitus aurium.
(33) Gerarde, Herbal, ed. 1636, makes no distinc-
tion as regards the medicinal properties of white or
black pepper. He writes: "Dioscorides and others
agreeing with him affirme, that Pepper resisteth poyson,
and is good to be put into medicaments for eies. All
Pepper heateth, prouoketh vrin, digesteth, draweth,
disperseth, and clenseth the dimness of the sight, as
Dioscorides noteth.
(34) "Fceniculum, Rosa, Verbena, Chelodonia, Ruta
Ex Us fit aqua qua lumina reddit acute.
Of Fennell, Roses, Vervain, Rue and Celandine
Is made a water good to cleere the sight of eine."
(See Gerarde's Herbal, ed. 1636, page 1032.)
(35) Guerini, "History of Dentistry," 1909, ascribes
the origin of the legend that dental caries is due to
[193]
worms in the teeth to the following passage in Scrib-
onius Largus:
"Suitable also against toothache are fumigations
made with the seeds of the hyoscyamus scattered on
burning charcoal; these must be followed by rinsings
of the mouth with hot water; in this way sometimes,
as it were, small worms are expelled."
He adds: "This passage of Scribonius Largus has
given rise to the idea that dental caries depends upon
the presence of small worms, which eat away the
substance of the tooth. Such an explanation must
have well succeeded in satisfying the popular fancy;
and it is for this that such a prejudice, although fought
against by Jacques Houllier in the sixteenth century,
has continued even to our days."
Lastly he tells from his own knowledge the following
story which shows a modern Italian charlatan doing
very much what was taught in the Regimen:
"With regard to this I would like to record the fol-
lowing fact : Not many years ago there lived in Aversa,
a small town near Naples, Italy, a certain Don Angelo
Fontenella, a violin player, who professed himself to
be the possessor of an infallible remedy against tooth-
ache. When summoned by the sufferer, he carried
with him, in a bundle, a tile, a large iron plate, a funnel,
a small curved tube adjustable to the apex of the funnel,
a piece of bees' wax, and a small packet of onion seed.
Having placed the tile on a table, the iron plate was
put upon it, after it had been heated red hot. Then
the operator let a piece of bees' wax fall upon the
[194]
red-hot iron, together with a certain quantity of onion
seed; then, having promptly covered the whole with the
funnel and made the patient approach, he brought the
apex of the said funnel close to the sick tooth, in such
a way as to cause the prodigious, if somewhat stinking,
fumes produced by the combustion of the wax with
the onion seed to act upon it. In the case of a lower
tooth, the above mentioned curved tube was adopted
to the funnel, so that the fumes might easily reach
the tooth. The remedy, for the most part, had a
favorable result, whether because the beneficial effect
was due to the action of the hot vapor on the diseased
tooth, or to the active principles resulting from the
combustion of the wax and onion seed, or to both,
or perhaps also, at least in certain cases, to the sug-
gestion that was thus brought to bear upon the sufferer.
It would not be at all worth while to discuss here such
a point. The interesting point is that when the patient
had declared that he no longer felt pain, Don Angelo,
with a self-satisfied smile, turned the funnel upside
down, and showed on its internal surface a quantity
of what he pretended to be worms, which he affirmed
had come out of the carious tooth. Great was the
astonishment of the patient and of the bystanders,
none of whom raised the least doubt as to the nature
and origin of these small bodies, no one having the
faintest suspicion even that these, instead of coming
from the tooth, might come from the onion seed."
(36) Tents were formerly much used in surgery to
keep wounds open in order that they might heal from
[I95l
the bottom outwards. Many substances were used for
the purpose, especially lint or other fabrics soaked in
balsmic oils.
(37) Flix. Gleet, a chronic discharge from the
urethra.
(38) Gray's Anatomy, ed. 1887, gives the number
of bones in the adult skeleton as follows:
The spine or vertebral column (sacrum
and coccyx included) 26
Cranium 8
Face 14
Os hyoides, sternum, and ribs 26
Upper extremities 64
Lower extremities 62
200
"In this enumeration the patellae are included as
separate bones, but the smaller sesamoid bones and
the ossicula auditus are not reckoned. The teeth
belong to the tegumentary system."
Any attempt at an accurate enumeration of the veins
is impossible. It must be remembered that at the
epoch when the Regimen was composed, injections of
the bloodvessels were not practised.
In ancient East Indian medicine the following
classification of the human body was made. It con-
sists "of six members (the four extremities, the trunk,
and the head), and has 7 membranes, 7 segments, 70
vessels, 500 muscles, 900 sinews, 300 bones, 212 joints,
[196]
but only 24 nerves, and 9 organs of sense, etc. The
vessels contain not only blood, but they carry also
bile, mucus, and air about through the body. Of the
nerves, which take their origin from the navel, 10
ascend, 10 descend, and 4 run transversely, as soon as
the 10 ascending nerves reach the heart, however,
they divide into 30." (Baas, "History of Medicine,"
Handerson's translation, page 49.)
(39) Garrison's "Introduction to the History of
Medicine" contains several figures reproduced by per-
mission of Sudhoff of so-called bloodletting men
(Aderlassman), illustrating the planetary influences
on the human body as regarded the proper times and
places for bloodletting. These figures, printed as
calendars, were among the earliest productions of the
printers' art. The belief in the astrological relation
between bloodletting and the heavenly bodies continued
into the seventeenth century. Bleeding was regarded
as a very solemn function until but a few hundred
years ago. Hippocrates and the ancient Greeks and
Latins employed it frequently. Under the influence
of the Arabian School the so-called "derivative"
method of bloodletting came into vogue. This con-
sisted in drawing blood from the opposite side of the
body from the affected part. Early in the sixteenth
century Pierre Brissot, a physician of Paris, proclaimed
the fallacy of the Arabian view and after a fierce battle
lasting over a period of years the medical profession
finally returned to the standard of Hippocrates, and
bled once more from the diseased side. Pare gives the
[197]
following exposition of the reasons for letting blood.
I take it literally from Johnson's translation of his
works, edition of 1678, page 411:
"Phlebotomy is the opening of a vein, evacuating
the blood with the rest of the humors; thus Arterotomy,
is the opening of an artery. The first scope of Phle-
botomy is the evacuation of the blood offending in
quantity, although oft-times the Physician's intention
is to draw forth the blood which offends in quality, or
other way by opening a vein. Repletion, which is
caused by the quantity, is two-fold; the one ad vires,
that is, to the strength, the veins being otherwise not
very much swelled: This makes men infirm and weak,
Nature not able to bear his humor, of what kind soever
it be. The other is termed ad vasa, that is, to the
vessels, the which is so called comparatively to the
plenty of blood, although the strength may very well
away therewith. The vessels are oft-times broke by
this kind of repletion, so that the Patient casts and
spits up blood, or else evacuates it by the nose, womb,
hemorrhoids, or varices. The repletion which is ad
vires, is known by the heaviness and wearisomeness of
the whole body; but that which is ad vasa, is perceived
by their distension and fulness, both of them stand in
need of evacuation. But blood is only to be let by
opening a vein, for five respects: The first is to lessen
the abundance of blood, as in plethorick bodies, and
those who are troubled with inflammation without
any plenitude. The second is for diversion or revulsion,
as when a vein of the right is opened to stay the bleed-
ing of the left nostril. The third is to allure or draw
[198]
down; as when the saphena is opened in the ankle, to
draw down the courses in women. The fourth is for
alteration or introduction of another quality; as when
in sharp feavers we open a vein to breathe out that blood
which is heated in the vessels, and cooling the residue
which remains behind. The fifth is to prevent immi-
nent diseases; as when in the Spring and Autumn we
draw blood by opening a vein in such as are subject
to spitting of blood, the Squinancy, Plurisie, Falling-
sickness, Apoplexy, Madness, Gout, or in such as are
wounded, for to prevent the inflammation which is to be
feared. Before blood-letting, if there be any old
excrements in the guts, they shall be evacuated by a
gentle Clyster or suppository, lest the mesaraick veins
should thence draw unto them any impurity. Blood
must not be drawn from ancient people, unless some
present necessity require it, lest the native heat,
which is but languid in them, should be brought to
extreme debility, and their substance decay; neither
must any in like sort be taken from children, for fear
of resolving their powers by reason of the tenderness
of their substance, and rareness of their habit. The
quantity of blood which is to be let, must be consid-
ered by the strength of the Patient and greatness of
the disease: Therefore, if the Patient be weak, and
the disease require large evacuation, it will be con-
venient to part the letting of blood, yea by the in-
terposition of some days. The vein of the forehead
being opened is good for the pain of the hind-part of
the head, yet first we foment the part with warm water,
that so the skin may be softer, and the blood drawn
[199]
into the veins in greater plenty. In the Squinancy,
the veins which are under the tongue must be opened
aslant, without putting any ligatures about the neck,
for fear of strangling. Phlebotomy is necessary in all
diseases which stop or hinder breathing, or take away
the voice of speech; as likewise in all constitutions by
a heavy stroke, or fall from high, in an Apoplexy,
Squinancy, and Burning-feaver, though the strength
be not great, nor the blood faulty in quantity or quality,
blood must not be let in the height of a Feaver. Most
judge it fit to draw blood from the veins most remote
from the affected and inflamed part, for that thus the
course of the humors may be diverted, the next veins
on the contrary being opened, the humors may be the
more drawn into the affected part, and so increase
the burthen and pain. But this opinion of theirs is
very erroneous, for an open vein always evacuates and
burthens the next part. For I have sundry times
opened the veins and arteries of the affected part, as
of the hands and feet in the Gout of their parts; of
the temples in the Megrim; whereupon the pain always
was somewhat asswaged, for that together with the
evacuated blood, the malignity of the Gout, and the
hot spirits (the causes of the Head-ach or Megrim)
were evacuated. For thus Galen wisheth to open the
arteries of the temples in a great and contumacious
defluxion falling upon the eyes, or in the Megrim or
Head-ach."
Heister (English translation of his "General System
of Surgery," London, 1757) says, "A good phleboto-
mist should have a steady, nimble and active Hand,
[200]
with a sharp Eye and undaunted Mind; without which
he may be either liable to miss the Vein, or commit
some Accident that may be injurious or fatal to the
Patient and his own Character. For these Reasons
it is that Venesection is less readily practiced by the
Surgeon as he advances in Years: because old Age is
generally accompanied with a weak Eye and a trem-
bling Hand."
Heister gives the following directions for preparation
for the operation:
"Preparatory to Bleeding you should have in Read-
iness, (i) a Linen Fillet, about a Paris Ell in Length,
and two Fingers in Breadth, with or without small
Strings fastened at each End of it. (2) Two small
square Bolsters. (3) Porringers or Vessels to receive
the Blood. (4) A Sponge with warm Water. (5) Some
Vinegar Wine, or Hungary Water, to raise the Patient's
Spirits if he should be inclinable to faint. (6) Two
Assistants, who must be void of Fear, one to hold the
Porringer, the other to reach you anything that you
shall want. (7) A small Wax Candle, when the
Patient is to be blooded at Night, or in a dark Place.
(8) You must place your Patient upon a Couch; or,
if he is very fearful of the Operation, lay him upon
a Bed, lest he should fall into a Swoon. (9) Lastly,
you should take Care that no 1 rair, or the Cloaths of
the Patient lie in your Way. The Patient himself
should take Care that nothing should give him any
Concern: And he should avoid terrifying himself with
recollecting the Mischiefs which have happened by
the unskilful Performance of this Operation. Lastly,
[201]
the Operator should be as expert in bleeding with his
left Hand as with his right. For, as you are readier
at bleeding in the right Arm with your right Hand,
so when you are to open the Veins of the left Arm,
you will find it necessary to use your left Hand: And
there are some Patients who insist upon being blooded
in the left Arm."
1
(40) This was a small vein situated on the back of the
hand, between the ring and little finger, known as the
salvatella vein, a branch of the cubital. In the days
of cheiromancy it was believed to have an intimate
relation on the right side with the liver, the right kid-
ney, and the right lung; on the left side with the
spleen, the left kidney and the left lung.
NOTES ON THE LATIN TEXT
(1) Ordronaux has "scribit" instead of "scripsit."
(2) After "minute" Ordronaux inserts:
"Fons — Speculum — Gramen, haec dant oculis re-
levanem,
Mane igitur montes, sub serum inquirito fontes."
Arnold of Villa Nova.
(3) "Spasmus,hydrops, colica, vertigo, hoc res probat
ipsa." Ordronaux.
(4) "Tu numquam comedas stomachum nisi noveris
esse
Purgatum, vacuumque cibo, quern, sumpseris
ante
Ex desiderio id poteris cognescere corto;
Haec sint signa tibi, subtilis in ore saliva."
Ordronaux.
(5) Ordronaux inserts a line:
"Corpora plus augent tibi dulcia, Candida vina
Alii sic,
(6) "Haec sunt antidotum, contra lethale venenum^
(7) "Vinum sit clarum, vetus, subtile, maturum."
Ordronaux.
(8) "Ac bene dilutum, saliens, moderamine sump-
turn." Ordronaux.
[203]
(9) Between this line and the next Ordronaux has
the following lines:
"Grasses humores nutrit cerevisia, vires
Praestat, augmentat carnem, generatque cruorem
Provocat urinam, ventrem quoque mollit et inflat.
Infrigidat modicum; sed plus desiccat acetum,
Infrigidat, macerat, melancholiam dat, sperma
minorat,
Siccos infestat nervos, et impinguia siccat.'"
(10) "Adde rosa florem, minuitqne potenter amorem
Nausea non poterit haec quemquam vexare,
marinam
Undam cum vino, mixtam qui sumpserit ante
Salvia, sal, vinum, piper, allium, petroselinum."
Ordronaux.
(n) In Ordronaux's version this line is transposed so
that it follows the next two, thus:
"Lotio post mensam tibi confert munera bina
Mundificat palmas et lumina reddit acuta
Si fore vis sanus, ablue saepe manus."
(12) "Ilia bona sunt porcorum, mala sunt reliquorum
Provocat urinam mustum, solvit cito ventrem."
Ordronaux.
(13) Between the foregoing lines the following,
accredited to Arnold of Villa Nova, are given by
Ordronaux:
"Vina bibant homines, animantia coetera fontes
Absit ab hurnano pectore potus aquae."
[204]
(14) "Quiscula, vel merula, phasianus, ortygometra."
Ordronaux.
(15) "Si pisces sunt molles, magno corpora tolles."
Ordronaux.
(16) These lines do not occur in the text given by
Professor Ordronaux.
(17) Between this and the next line the following is
found in the Ordronaux:
"Inter prandendum sit saepe parumque bibendum."
(18) "Pisum laudandum decrivimus ac reprobandum
Est inflativum cum pellibus atque nocivum
Pellibus ablatis sunt bona pisa satis.
(19) "Lac phthisicis sanum caprinum post came-
linum." Ordronaux.
(20) "Caseus est frigidus, stipans, crassus, quoque
durus
Caseus et panis, sunt optima fercula sanis."
Ordronaux.
(21) Between lines 106 and 107 the Ordronaux text
has the following:
"Expertis reor esse rarum, quia commoditate."
(22) Between lines 107 and 108 Ordronaux has:
"Caseus ante cibum confert, si defluat alvus."
(23) "Si constipetur terminat ille dapes."
Ordronaux.
[205]
(24) "Post pisces nux sit, post carnes caseus adsit.
Unica nux prodest, nocet latera, tertia mors est
Singula post ova, pocula sume nova."
Ordronaux.
(25) "Si coquis antidotum pyra sunt sed cruda
venenum." Ordronaux.
(26) "Post pyra da potum, post pomum vade
cacatum." Ordronaux.
(27) "Expurgat stomachum nucleus lapidem tibi
toilet." Ordronaux.
(28) "Infrigidant, laxant, multum prosunt tibi
prunae." Ordronaux.
(29) "Srofa, tumor, glandes, ficus cataplasmati
cedunt." Ordronaux.
(30) "Pediculos, venerem que facit, sed cuilibet
obstat."
Addition by Arnold of Villa Nova, Ordronaux.
(31) "Mespila dura bona, sed mollia sunt meliora."
Ordronaux.
(32) After line 143 Ordronaux has the following lines,
which he states are an addition by Arnold of Villa
Nova:
"Radix rapa bona est, comedenti dat tria dona;
Visum clarificat, ventrem mollit, bene bombit.
Ventum saepe rapis, si tu vis vivere rapis."
(33) "Semen foeniculi pellit spiracula culi."
Ordronaux.
[206]
Immediately following line 149, Ordronaux has the
following two lines, an addition by Arnold of Villa
Nova:
"Bis duo dat marathrum, febres fugat atque ven
enum,
Et purgat stomachum, lumen quoque reddit acutum.',
(34) "Copia dulcoris aniso fit melioris."
Ordronaux.
(35) Immediately between this line and the next
Ordronaux gives the following addition by Arnold of
Villa Nova:
"Guadet hepar spodio, mace cor cerebrum quo que
moscho;
Fulmo liquirita, splen capparis, stomachumque
galanga."
(36) Between lines 157 and 158 Ordronaux's version
has two lines of Arnold of Villa Nova:
"Sal primo poni debet, primoque reponi
Non bene mensa tibi ponitur absque sale."
(37) "Hie fervore viget tres, salsus, amarus, acutus:"
Ordronaux.
(38) In Ordronaux's version there is an additional
line between lines 169 and 170:
"Ne mala conveniens ingrediatur iter."
(39) "Malvae radices rasas deducere faeces."
Ordronaux.
[207]
(40) "Contra vim mortis, non tails medicainen in
hortis." Ordronaux.
Ordronaux states that he has substituted talis in this
line instead of esty as the original has it. He points
out that est plainly contradicts the preceding line, and
has substituted talis, as better illustrating the general
high character of the plant, of whose virtues the sub-
sequent lines serve to give a more detailed exposition.
(41) "Salvia confortat nervos, manumque tremorem"
Ordronaux.
(42) "Nasturtium, athanasia, haec sanant para-
lytica membra." Ordronaux.
(43) "Auxilio rutae, vir lippe videbis acute
Ruta viris minuit Venerem, mulieribus addit."
Ordronaux.
(44) "Saepe fricans, capitis poteris reparare de-
corem." Ordronaux.
(45) Ordronaux inserts the two following lines by
Arnold of Villa Nova:
"Appositas perhibent morsus curare caninos,
Si trita cum melle prius fuerint at aceto."
(46) "Aegris dat somnum, vomitum quoque tollit et
usum,
Illius semen colicis cum melle medetur.
Et tussim veterem curat, si saepe bibatur.
Frigus pulmonis pellit, ventrisque tumorem."
Ordronaux.
[208]
(47) "Oppositum cancris tritum cum melle medetur
Cum vino potum laeteris sedare dolorem
Saepe solet, tritam si nectis desuper herbam."
Ordronaux.
(48) "Cum succo rutae succus si sumitur hujus."
Ordronaux.
(49) "Appositam veterem dicunt sedare podagram."
Ordronaux.
(50) "Illius succus crines retinere flueutes
Illitus asseritur, dentesque levare dolorem."
Ordronaux.
(51) "Hujus flos, sumptus in aqua, frigescere cogit
Instinctus Veneris, cunctos acres stimulantes
Et sic desicat, ut nulla creatio fiat.
Confortare crocum dixerunt exhilarando
Membra defecta confortat hepar reparando.
Reddit fbecundas mansum per saepe puellas;
Ills stillantem poteris retinere cruorem,
Ungis si nares intus medicamine tali."
Ordronaux.
(52) "Phlegmata purgabit, concoctricemque juvabit''
Ordronaux.
(53) After this line (238) Ordronaux has:
"Subveninut oculis dira caligne pressis,
Nam ex istis fit aqua, quae lumina reddit acuta."
(54) "Cum hyoscyamo ure adjunct© simul quoque
thure.
Sic per embotum fumum cape dente remotum.'
Ordronaux.
[209]
(55) Between lines 253 and 254 the Ordronaux con-
tains the following:
"Si capitis dolor est ex potu, lympha bibatur.
Ex potu nimio nam febris acuta creatur
Si vertex capitis vel frons aestu tribulentur
Tempora fronsque simul moderate saepe frieentur;
Morella cocta nee non calidaque laventur;
Istud enim credunt capitis prodesse dolori.
Temporis aestivi jejunia corpora siccant,
Quolibet in mense, et confort vomitus quoque purgat
Humores nocuos, stomachi lavat ambitus omnes.
Ver, Autumnus, Hyems, Aetas, dominatur in anno;
Tempore vernali calidus fit aer, humidusque,
Et nullum tempus melius fit phlebotomise.
Usus tune homini Veneris confert moderatus.
Corporis et motus, ventrisque solutio, sudor,
Balnea, purgentur tune corpora cum medicinis.
Aetas more calet sicca, et noscatur in ilia
Tune quoque praecipue choleram rubram dominare.
Humida, frigida fercula dentur, sit Venus extra,
Balena non prosunt, sint rarae phlebotomise
Utilis est requies, sit cum moderamine potus."
In the Latin version used by Croke these lines form
the concluding stanzas:
(56) "Et ter centenis decies sex quinque venis."
Ordronaux.
(57) "Terra melancholias, aqua confertur pituita.
Aer sanguineis, ignea vis choleras."
Immediately after the above lines Ordronaux has the
following addition by Arnold of Villa Nova:
[210]
"Humidus est sanguis, calet, est vis seris illi —
Alget phlegmia, humetque illi sic copia aquosa est.
Sicca calet cholera, et igni fit similata,
Frigens sicca melancholia est, terras adsimilata."
(58) "Phlegma viros modicos tribuit, latosque'
brevesque." Ordronaux.
(59) "Otio non studio tradunt, sed corpora somno."
Ordronaux.
(60) "Restat adhuc cholera; virtutes dicere nigrae
Qua reddit tristes, pravos, perpauca loquentes."
Ordronaux,
(61) After this line Ordronaux has the following ad-
dition by Arnold of Villa Nova:
"Corporibus fuscum bilis dat nigra colorem;
Esse solent fusci quos bilis possidet atra.
Istorum duo sunt tenues, alii duo pingues,
Hi morbos caveant consumptos, hique repletos."
(62) Following this line Ordronaux's version contains
the following which is interesting as an exposition of
symptoms indicative respectively of excess of bile, of
phlegm, and of black bile:
"Accusat choleram dextrae dolor, aspera lingua,
Tinnitus, vomitusque frequens, vigilantia multa,
Multa sitis, inguisque egestio tormina ventris,
Nausea fit morsus cordis, languescit onexia
Pulsus adest gracilis, durus, veloxque calescens —
Aret, amarescitque, incendia somnia fingit.
Phlegrna supergrediens proprias in corpore leges,
[211]
Os facit msipidum, fastidia crebra, salivas,
Costarum, stomachi, simul occipitisque dolores,
Pulsus adest rarus, tardus, mollis, quoque inanis.
Praecedit fallax phantasmata somnus aquosa.
Humorum pleno dum faex in corpora regnat,
Nigra cutis, durus pulsus, tenuisque urina,
Sollicitudo, timor, tristitia, somnia tetra;
Acesunt ructus, sapor, et sputaminis idem.
Levaque praecipue tinnit vel sibilat auris."
(63) Ordronaux has this:
"Balnea post, coitum, minor aetas atque senilis."
(64) "Morbus prolixus, repletio potus et escae."
Ordronaux.
(65) "Quid debes facere quando vis phlebotomari."
Ordronaux.
(66) "Unctio sive lavacrum, potus, vel fascia, motus."
Ordronaux.
(67) "Ver, aestas, dextras; autumnus, hyemsque
sinistras.
Quatuor haec membra, hepar, pes, cepha, cor,
vacuanda." Ordronaux.
(68) "Ex salvatella tibi plurima dona minuta."
Ordronaux.
(69) In the version of Professor Ordronaux the lines
which follow line 344 in Croke's are to be found follow-
ing line 253.
[212]
INDEX OF SUBJECTS
Ague, 97, 122
Ale, 102
Arsenic, 126
Bathing, 75
Beer, 90
Bleeding
care after, 154
instructions for, 146, 148
rule on, 149, 156
salvatella vein in, 156
Blows and falls, 123
Bones, 131
Bread,
crusty, 92
fine, 82
sops, 108
Bronchus, 77
Broth, 81
Brimstone, 126
Catarrh, 77
Cheerfulness as an aid to cure, 75
Choleric, 115, 132, 136, 144
Claudius, Emperor
proclamation of, 79, 103
Coitus, 130, 150
Colic, 117
Constipation, 75
Consumption, 96
Cramps, 79
Diet, 109
Diseases,
Ague, 97, 122
Colic, 117
Constipation, 75
Consumption, 916
Cramps, 79
Dropsy, 79
Epilepsy, 117
Fever, 127
Diseases,
Fistula, 126
Gout, 117, 119
Headache, 79, 127, 145
Palsy, 112, 113
Phthisis, 77
Rheum, 77, 126
Rheumatism, 77
Seasickness, 91
Scab, 107
Toothache, frankincense for,
125
Drinking
beer, 90
often, at dinner, 99
water, 93
wine, 99
Dropsy, 79
Dwelling, ventilation and sur-
roundings of, 87
Embotum (funnel), 125
Epilepsy, 117
Exercise after dinner, 76
bodily, 126
Falls, blows and, 123
Fasting, 128
Fever, 127
Fecation after apples, too
Fistula, 126
Flatulence, 79, 104
Food, six things to be observed
1 10
From Animals
Brains, 82, 104
Butter, 97
Cheese, 95, 97, 98
Eggs, 8 1
Heart, 104
Honey, 117, 118, 120
[213
Foods,
Lights, 104
Marrow, 82
From Animals
Milk, 97
Oil, 125, 153
Testicles, 82
Tripe, 92, 104
Meat
Beef, 80
Goat, 80
Hare, 80
Mutton, 92
Pork, 82, 92
Salt meats, 80, 107
Veal, 94
Venison, 80
Birds
Capons, 94
Chicken, 94
Dove, 94
Duck, 94
Hens, 94
Lark, 94
Moorhen, 94
Partridge, 94
Pheasant, 94
Plover, 94
Quail, 94
Rail, 94
Swan, 94
Thrush, 94
Woodcock, 94
Fish
Bass, 95
Bream, 95
Eels 95, 125
Mullet, 95
Perch, 95
P,ke, 95
Sole, 95
1 rout, 95
Fruit
Apples, 80, 125
Cherries, 100
Figs, 82
Foods,
rruit
cataplasm of, 107
Medlars, 102
Peaches, 80, 101
Pears, 80, 86, 100
Plums, 101
Raisins, 82, 101
Nuts, 99, 101, 125
Vegetables
Anise, 105
Beans, 124
Cabbage, no
Capers, 106
Cinquefoil, 118
Elecampane, 119
Fennel, 104, 105
Galangal, 106
Garlick, 86, 91
Henbane, 125
Hyssop, 113, n8
Lavender, 113
Leek, 122
Lentils, 124
Licorice, 106
Mace, 106
Mallow, in
Mint, in
Musk, 106
Mustard, 116
Nettle, 117
Onion, 114, 115
Parsley, 91
Pea, 96
Pennyroyal, 119
Pepper, 91, 122
P°ppy> 101
Primrose, 113
Radish, 86
Rape, 86
Rose, 91, 124
Rue, 86,91, 113, 114
Saffron, 121
Sage, 91, 112
Turnip, 103
Vervain, 124
Foods,
Prophylatic Measures,
Vegetables
Avoid repletion, 126
Violet, 117
Avoidance of sleep at midday,
Wallflower, 113
77
Water cress, 120
Bathing, 75
Willow, 121
Bodily cleanliness, 75, 76, 84,
Frankincense for toothache, 125
12$
Elimination of flatulence, 79,
Gout, 117, 119
104
Hair, onion juice for the, 115
Headache, 79, 127, 145
Exercise, after dinner, 76
bodily, 126
Fasting, 128
Hearing, 123
Heart, 156
Hoarseness, 95, 125
Honey, 117, 118, 120
Humors, 132
Fecation after apples, 100
Onion juice for the hair, 115
Purging, 100, 146
Six things to be observed in
foods, no
Lime, 126
Purging, ioo, 146
Liver, 156
Liquors
Repletion, avoid, 126
Rheum, 77, 126
Ale, 102
Rheumatism, 77
Beer, 90
Gascon y, 81
Red wine, 84
White wine, 84
Salt, 91, 107
Sauces, 91, 107
Sanguine man, the, 132, 134, 143
Melancholy, 132, 140, 147
Scab, 107
Seasons of the year,
Oil, 125, 153
Varying food in the, 90, 128,
130
Palsy, 112, 113
Parts or Functions of the]Body
Seasickness, 91
Sight, 124
Hearing, 123
Spleen, 106
Heart, 156
Sleep at Midday, 77
Humors, 132
Sloth, 77
Choleric, 115, 132, 136, 144
Soap, 126
Melancholy, 132, 140, 147
Spodium, 106
Phlegmatic, 132, 138, 145
Sanguine, 132, 134, 143
Liver, 156
Stomach, 144, 147
Supper should be light, 75, 79
exercise after, 123
Stomach, 144, 147
Surfeit, 88
Teeth, 125, 131
Phlegmatic, 132, 138, 145
Phthisis, 77
Tastes, various, 108
Teeth, 125, 131
Poisons, 86, 91
Arsenic, 126
Temperaments
Choleric, 115, 132, 136, 144
[215]
Temperaments Vinegar, 103
Melancholy, 132, 140, 147 Vomiting, 128, 146
Phlegmatic, 132, 138, 145
Sanguine, 132, 134, 143 Warts, 121
Temperance, 88 Water, 93
Wine
Urine, 102, 103, 147 Gascony, 81
Good, 88
Veins, 131 Red, 84
Venereal, 127, 130, 150 Strong, 82
Ventilation and Surroundings of White, 84
dwellings, 87 Sop in, 108
Paul B. Hoeber, 69-71 East spth Street, New York
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY
Los Angeles
This book is DUE on the last date stamped below.
FEB 121974
11 APR"" 135
MAR 13 1974
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