Spadacrene Anglica Part 7

_CHAP_. 14.

_=Of the manner of drinking this water, and the quant.i.tie thereof.=_

Those who desire the benefit of this Fountaine, ought to goe to it somewhat early in the morning, &, if they be able and strong of body, they may doe very well to walke to it on foot, or at least wise some part of the way. Such, as have weake and feeble leggs may ride on horsebacke, or be caryed in coaches, or borne in chaires. As for those, whose infirmities cause them to keepe their beds, or chambers, they may drinke the water in their lodgings, it being speedily brought to them in a vessell or gla.s.se well stopt.

It is not my meaning or purpose to describe here particularly, what quant.i.tie of it is fit and meet for every one to drinke; for this is part of the taske and office, which belongeth to the Physitian, who shall be of counsell with the Patient in preparing and well ordering of him; who is to consider all the severall circ.u.mstances, as well of the maladie or disease it selfe, as of his habite and const.i.tution, &c.

Neverthelesse I may advise, that at the first it be moderately taken, increasing the quant.i.tie daily by degrees, untill they shall come at last to the full height of the proportion appointed, and thought to be meet and necessary. There they are then to stay, and so to continue at that quant.i.tie, so long as it shall be needfull. For example, the first morning may happely be 16 or 18 ounces, and so on by degrees to 20. 30.

40. 50. 60. or moe, in people, who are of good and strong const.i.tutions.

Towards the ending, the abatement ought likewise to be made by degrees, as the increment was formerly made by little and little.

Here by the way every one must be admonished to take notice, that it is not alwayes best to drinke most, lest they chance to oppresse and overcharge Nature, that would rather be content with lesse. It will therefore be more safe, to take it rather somewhat sparingly, though for a longer time, then liberally and for a short time. But, indeed the truest and justest proportion of it, is ever to be made and esteemed, by the good and laudable concoction of it, and by the due and orderly voiding of it againe.

It will not be here amisse to adde this one observation further; That it is better to drinke this water once a day, then twice, and that in the mornings, after that the Sunne hath dryed up & consumed the vapors retained through the coldnesse of the night, &c. as is formerly declared. After drinking it, it will be needfull to abstaine from meat & other drinke for the s.p.a.ce of three or foure dayes. [hours?]

But if any one, who hath a good stomacke, shall be desirous to take it twice a day; or if any shall bee necessarily compelled so to doe for some urgent cause, by the approbation of his Physitian, let him dine somewhat sparingly, and drinke it not againe, untill five houres after dinner be past, or not untill the concoction of meat and drinke in the stomacke be perfected: Observing likewise, that hee content himselfe in the afternoones with almost halfe the quant.i.ty he useth to take in the mornings.

_CHAP_. 15.

_=Of the manner of dyet to be observed by those who shall use this water.=_

The regiment of life in meats and drinks, ought chiefly to consist in the right and moderate use of those, which are of light and easie digestion, and of good and wholesome nourishment, breeding laudable juice. Therefore all those are to be avoyded, which beget crude and ill humours. There ought furthermore speciall notice to be taken, that great diversity of meats and dishes at one meale is very hurtfull, as also much condiments, sauces, spice, fat, &c. in their dressing and cookery.

I commend hens, capons, pullets, chickens, partridge, phesants, turkies, and generally all such small birds, as live in woods, hedges, and mountaines. Likewise I doe approve of veale, mutton, kid, lambe, rabbets, young hare or leverits, &c. All which (for the most part) are rather to be roasted then boyled. Neverthelesse those, who are affected with any dry distemper, or those, who otherwise are so accustomed to feed, may have their meats sodden; but the plainer dressing, the better.

I discommend all salt meats, beefe, bacon, porke, larde, and larded meats, hare, venison, tripes, and the entrailes of beasts, puddings made with blood, pig, goose, swan, teale, mallard, and such like; and in generall all water-fowle, as being of hard digestion and ill nutriment.

Amongst the severall kinds of fishes, trouts, pearches, loaches, and for most part, all scaly fish of brookes, and fresh rivers may well bee permitted. Moreover smelts, soales, dabs, whitings, sturbuts, gurnets, and all such other, as are well knowne not to be ill, or unwholesome to feed on. All which may be altered with mint, hyssope, anise, &c. Also cre-fishes, crab-fish, lobsters, and the like, may bee permitted.

Cunger, salmon, eeles, lampries, herrings, salt-ling, all salt-fish, sturgion, anchovies, oysters, c.o.c.kles, muscles, and the like sh.e.l.l-fish are to be disallowed.

White-meats, as milke, cruds, creame, old cheese, custards, white-pots, pudding-pyes, and other like milke-meats, (except sweet b.u.t.ter and new creame cheese) are to be forbidden. Soft and reer egges we doe not prohibit.

Raisons with almonds, bisket-bread, marchpane-stuffe, suckets, and the like, are not here forbidden to be eaten.

Let their bread be made of wheat, very well wrought, fermented or leavened; and let their drinke be beere well boyled and brewed: and let it bee stale, or old enough, but in no wise tart, sharp, or sower: And above all let them forbeare to mixe the water of the fountaine with their drinke at meales: for that may cause many inconveniences to follow, and ensue.

Let me advise them to eschew apples, peares, plumbs, codlings, gooseberries, and all such like sommer fruits, either raw, in tarts, or other wise: Also pease, and all other pulse; all cold sallets, and raw hearbs; onions, leekes, chives, cabbage or coleworts, pompons, cuc.u.mbers, and the like.

In stead of cheese at the end of meales, it will not bee amisse to eate citron, or lemon pils condited, or else fenell, anise, coriander comfits, or biskets and carawayes, as well for to discusse and expell wind, as to shut and close the stomacke, for the better furthering the digestion of meats and drinkes. And for that purpose, it would bee much better, if the Physitian, who is of counsell, should appoint and ordaine some fit and proper Tragea in grosse powder mixed with sugar, or else made into little cakes or morsels. Likewise marmalade of quinces, either simple or compound, (such as the Physitians do often prescribe to their patients) may be used very commodiously.

After dinner they ought to use no violent exercise, neither ought they to sit still, sadly, heavy, and musing, nor to slumber, and sleepe; but rather to stirre a little, and to raise up the spirits for an houre or two, by some fit recreation. After supper they may take a walke into the fields, or Castle yard.

_CHAP_. 16.

_=Of the Symtomes or accidents, which may now and then chance to happen to some one or other in the use of this water.=_

Although those who are of good and strong const.i.tutions, observing the aforenamed direction, doe seldome or never receive any harme, or detriment by drinking this water: notwithstanding it may sometime so fall forth, that some of the weaker sort may perhaps observe some little, or small inconvenience thereby, as retention of it in the body: inflation of the bellie: costivenesse, and the like. Wherefore to gratifie those, a word [or] two of every one shall suffice.

First then, for to cause a more ready and speedy pa.s.sage of it by urine, it will not be amisse to counsell the partie after his returne to his lodging to goe to his naked bed for an houre or two, that thereby warmnesse, and naturall heat may be brought into each part of the body, the pa.s.sages more opened, and nature by that meanes made more fit and apt for the expulsion of it. During which time it will be very requisite to apply hot cloathes to the stomack: but not so as to provoke sweat. Or else, to cause it to voyd and evacuate either by urine, stoole, or sweat, exercise will be a good helpe and furtherance: if the party be fit for it. But if neither of these will prevaile, then a sharp glyster ought to be administered.

The inflation or swelling of the belly hapneth princ.i.p.ally to those, who have feeble and weake stomacks; who may do very wel to eate anise, fenell, or coriander comfits at the fountaine betweene every draught, and to walke a little after; or else some carminative Lozenges, made with grosse powders, spices and seeds for breaking of wind: or what other thing the learned Physitian shall deeme to be most fit and proper in his wisdome, and judgment. But if the inflation chance to be very great, then a carminative glyster must be ordained.

Such as shall be very costive may doe well to eat moistning meats, and to use mollifying hearbes, raisons stoned, corants, damascene prunes, b.u.t.ter, or the yolkes of egges, and the like in their broths, or pottage. If these will not be sufficient, then let a day be spared from drinking the water, and let the party take some lenitive medicine, as laxative corants, or some such like thing: whereof the Physitian hath ever great choice and variety, wherewith he can fit directly every one his case; to whom present recourse ever ought to be had, when any of these, or the like accidents doe happen, as likewise in all other cases of waight and moment.

FINISH.