Quartan Agues, a common ague sometimes stumbles them all, they cannot so much as ease, they know not how to judge of it. If by Pulses, that doctrine some hold, is wholly superstitious, and I dare boldly say with Andrew Dudeth, that variety of pulses described by Galen, is neither observed nor understood of any. And for urine, that is meretrix medicorum, the most deceitfull thing of all, as Forestus & some other Physicians have proved at large.

I say nothing of Critick dayes, errours in Indications, &c. The most rationall of them, and skilfull, are so often deceived, that as Tholosanus infers, I had rather beleeve and commit my selfe to a meer Emperick, then to a meer Doctor, and I cannot sufficiently commend that custome of the Babylonians, that have no professed Physicians, but bring all their patients to the market to be cured: which Herodotus relates of the Ægyptians: Strabo, Sardus, and Aubanus Bohemus of many other nations.

And those that prescribed Physick amongst them did not so arrogantly take upon them to cure all diseases, as our professours do, but some one, some another, as their skill and experience did serve; One cured the eyes, a second the teeth, a third the head, another the lower parts, &c. not for gain, but in charity, to do good, they made neither art, profession, nor trade of it, which in other places was accustomed:

and therefore Cambises in Xenophon told Cyrus, that to his thinking, Physicians were like Taylers and Coblers, the one mended our sick bodies, as the other did our cloaths. But I will urge these cavelling and contumelious arguments no farther, lest some Physician should mistake me, and deny me Physick when I am sick: for my part, I am well perswaded of Physick: I can distinguish the abuse from the use, in this and many other Arts, and Sciences: Aliud vinum, aliud ebrietas, wine and drunkennesse are two distinct things.

I acknowledge it a most noble and divine science, in so much that Apollo, Æsculapius, and the first founders of it, meritò pro diis habiti, were worthily counted Gods by succeeding ages, for the excellency of their invention. And whereas Apollo at Delos, Venus at Cyprus, Diana at Ephesus, and those other Gods were confined and adored alone in some peculiar places: Æsculapius had his Temples, and Altars everywhere, in Corinth, Lacedæmon, Athens, Thebes, Epidaure, &c. Pausanias records, for the latitude of his art, diety, worth, and necessity.

With all vertuous and wise men therefore I honour the name, and calling, as I am enjoyned to honour the Physician for necessities sake. The knowledge of the Physician lifteth up his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be admired. The Lord hath created medicines of the earth, and he that is wise will not abhorre them, Eccles. 58.1. But of this noble subject how many panegyricks are worthily written? For my part, as Salust said of Carthage, præstat silere, quam pauca dicere; I have said,

yet One thing I will adde, that this kinde of Physick is very moderately and advisedly to be used, upon good occasion, when the former of diet will not take place. And ’tis no other which I say, then that which Arnoldus prescribes in his 8. Aphorism. A discreet and godly Physician doth first endeavour to expell a disease by medicinall diet, then by pure medicine: and in his ninth, he that may be cured by diet, must not meddle with Physick.

So in 11. Aphorism. A modest and wise Physician, will never hasten to use medicines, but upon urgent necessity, and that sparingly too: because (as he addes in his 13. Aphorism.) Whosoever takes much Physick in his youth, shall soon bewail it in his old age: Purgative Physick especially, which doth much debilitate nature.

For which causes some Physicians refrain from the use of Purgatives, or else sparingly use them. Henricus Ayrerus in a consultation for a melancholy person, would have him take as few purges as he could, because there be no such medicines, which do not steal away some of our strength, and rob the parts of our body, weaken Nature, and cause that Cacochymia, which Celsus and others observe, or ill digestion, and bad juyce through all the parts of it.

Galen himself confesseth, that purgative Physick is contrary to nature, takes away some of our best spirits, and consumes the very substance of our bodies: But this without question, is to be understood of such purges as are unseasonably or immoderately taken; they have their excellent use in this, as well as most other infirmities. Of Alteratives and Cordials no man doubts, be they simples or compounds. I will amongst that infinite variety of medicines, which I finde in every Pharmacopœia, every Physitian, Herbalist, &c. single out some of the chiefest.