SUBSECT. 5. Compound Alteratives, censure of Compounds, and mixt Physick.

Pliny lib. 24. c. 1. bitterly taxeth all compound medicines. Mens knavery, imposture, and captious wits have invented these shops, in which every mans life is set to sale: and by and by came in those compositions and inexplicable mixtures, far fetcht out of India and Arabia; a medicine for a botch must be had as farre as the red sea, &c.

And ’tis not without cause which he saith; for out of question they are much to blame in their compositions, whilst they make infinite variety of mixtures,

as Fuchsius notes. They think they get themselves great credit, excel others, and to be more learned then the rest, because they make many variations; but he accounts them fools, and whilst they brag of their skill, and think to get themselves a name, they become ridiculous, bewray their ignorance and error.

A few simples well prepared and understood, are better then such an heap of nonsense confused compounds, which are in Apothecaries shops ordinarily sold. In which many vain, superfluous, corrupt, exolete things out of date are to be had (saith *Cornarius) a company of barbarous names given to Syrrops, Julips, an unnecessary company of mixt medicines: rudis indigestaque moles.

Many times (as Agrippa taxeth) there is by this means more danger from the medicine then from the disease; when they put together they know not what, or leave it to an illiterate Apothecary to be made, they cause death and horror for health. Those old Physitians had no such mixtures; a simple potion of Hellebor in Hippocrates time, was the ordinary purge;

and at this day, saith Mat. Riccius, in that flourishing Commonwealth of China, Their Physitians give precepts quite opposite to ours, not unhappy in their Physick: they use altogether roots, hearbs, and simples in their medicines, and all their Physick in a manner is comprehended in an herbal: no science, no schoole, no art, no degree, but like a trade, every man in private is instructed of his Master. Cardan cracks that he can cure all diseases with water alone, as Hippocrates of old did most infirmities with one medicine.

Let the best of our rational Physitians demonstrate and give a sufficient reason for those intricate mixtures; why just so many simples in Mithridate or Treacle, why such and such quantity; may they not be reduced to half or a quarter? Frustra fit per plura (as the saying is) quod fieri potest per pauciora; 300 simples in a julip, potion, or a little pill, to what end or purpose?

I know not what Alkindus, Capivaccius, Montagna, and Simon Eitover, the best of them all and most rational have said in this kind; but neither he, they, nor any one of them, gives his reader, to my judgement, that satisfaction which he ought; why such, so many simples? Rog. Bacon hath taxed many errors in his tract de graduationibus, explained some things, but not cleared.

Mercurialis in his book de composit. medicin. gives instance in Hamech, and Philonium Romanum, which Hamech an Arabian, and Philonius a Roman long since composed, but crasie as the rest. If they be so exact, as by him it seems they were, and those mixtures so perfect, why doth Fernelius alter the one, and why is the other obsolete? Cardan taxeth Galen for presuming out of his ambition to correct Theriachum Andromachi, and we as justly may carp at all the rest.

Galens medicines are now exploded and rejected; what Nicholas Meripsa, Mesue, Celsus, Scribanius, Actuarius, &c. writ of old, are most part contemned. Mellichius, Cordus, Wecker, Quercetan, Rhenodeus, the Venetian, Florentine states have their several receipts, and Magistrals: They of Noremberge have theirs, and Augustana Pharmacopœa, peculiar medicines to the meridian of the City:

London hers, every city, town, almost every private man hath his own mixtures, compositions, receipts, magistrals, precepts, as if he scorned antiquity, and all others in respect of himself. But each man must correct and alter to shew his skill, every opinionative fellow must maintain his own paradox, be it what it will; Delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi: they dote, and in the mean time the poor patients pay for their new experiments, the Commonalty rue it.

Thus others object, thus I may conceive out of the weaknesse of my apprehension; but to say truth, there is no such fault, no such ambition, no novelty, or ostentation, as some suppose, but as one answers, this of compound medicines, is a most noble and profitable invention found out, and brought into Physick with great judgement, wisdome, counsel and discretion.

Mixt diseases must have mixt remedies, and such simples are commonly mixt as have reference to the part affected, some to qualify, the rest to comfort, some one part, some another. Cardan and Brassavola both hold that Nullum simplex medicamentum sine noxa, no simple medicine is without hurt or offence; and although Hippocrates, Erasistratus, Diocles of old, in the infancy of this art, were content with ordinary simples;

yet now, saith Ætius, necessity compelleth to seek for new remedies, and to make compounds of simples, as well to correct their harms if cold, dry, hot, thick, thin, insipid, noysome to smell, to make them savory to the palat, pleasant to taste and take, and to preserve them for continuance, by admixtion of sugar, hony, to make them last moneths, and years for several uses.