The Anatomy of Melancholy

Member 6. Passions and disturbances of the mind regulated: By the patient himself: Subsection 1. Using every good means of help, confiding in a friend, etc. Avoiding everything that occasions his illness. Refusing to give way to his passions, and resisting them with all his strength. Or by his friends: 2. By gentle and harsh means, advice, comfort, sound persuasion, ingenious devices and invented stories; and, if possible, by satisfying his mind. 3. Music of every kind, appropriately used. 4. Merriment and cheerful company.

Sections: 2.2.6.1; 2.2.6.2; 2.2.6.3; 2.2.6.4.

Section 3. A consolatory digression, containing remedies for all discontents and passions of the mind. Members: 1. General discontents and grievances answered. 2. Particular discontents, such as bodily deformity, sickness, low birth, etc. 3. Poverty and want, and similar calamities and misfortunes. 4. Against servitude, loss of liberty, imprisonment, exile, etc.

Sections: 2.3.1.1; 2.3.2; 2.3.3; 2.3.4.

5. Against groundless fears and sorrow over the death of friends or other losses. 6. Against envy, spite, hatred, malice, rivalry, ambition and self-love, etc. 7. Against rebuffs, mistreatment, wrongs, contempt, disgrace, insults, slanders and mockery, etc. 8. Against all the other distressing and usual symptoms of this disease of melancholy.

Sections: 2.3.5; 2.3.6; 2.3.7; 2.3.8.

Section 4. Pharmaceutical treatment, or medicine that cures with drugs, with a digression on this kind of medicine. Member 1, Subsection 1. It is either: General to all forms: Alterative treatment: Simple substances that alter melancholy, with a digression on foreign simples. Subsection 2.

Sections: 2.4.1.1; 2.4.1.2.

Subsection 3. Herbs. For the heart: borage, bugloss, scorzonera, etc. For the head: balm, hops, water lily, etc. Liver: eupatory, mugwort, etc. Stomach: wormwood, centaury, pennyroyal. Spleen: ceterach, ash, tamarisk. To purify the blood: endive, chicory, etc. Against wind: oregano, fennel, aniseed, etc. 4. Precious stones, such as emeralds, chelidonies, etc.; minerals, such as gold, etc.

Sections: 2.4.1.3; 2.4.1.4.

Or compound medicines that alter melancholy, with a digression on compounds. Subsection 5. Taken internally: Liquid: Fluid: wines of hellebore, bugloss, tamarisk, etc. Syrups of borage, bugloss, hops, epithyme, endive, chicory, etc. Or thick: conserves of violets, maidenhair, borage, bugloss, roses, etc. Confections: theriac, mithridate, and medicines taken by licking, or linctuses.

Sections: 2.4.1.5.

Or solid, such as the aromatic confections: Warming: Diambra; dianthos. Diamargaritum calidum. Diamoscum dulce. The electuary of gems. The cheering preparations of Galen and Rhazes. Or cooling: Diamargaritum frigidum. Diarrhodon Abbatis. Diacorolli; diacodium; and their tablets. Preserves of every kind, etc.

Sections: 2.4.1.5.