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Robert Burton

The Anatomy of Melancholy

Name: The Anatomy of Melancholy
Author: Robert Burton

1651 English with a close modern English rendering

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The Anatomy of MelancholyMember 1 Subsection 1 Medical Treatment by Medicines

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1651 English Page · Branch 607 of 1495

Member 1 Subsection 1 Medical Treatment by Medicines

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1651 English

362–363

Memb. 1. Subsect. 1. Of Physick which cureth with Medicines.

After a long and tedious discourse of these six non-naturall things, and their severall rectifications, all which are comprehended in Diet, I am come now at last to Pharmaceutice, or that kinde of Physick which cureth by Medicines, which Apothecaries most part make, mingle, or sell in their shops.

Many cavill at this kinde of Physick, & hold it unnecessary, unprofitable to this or any other disease, because those countries which use it least, live longest, and are best in health, as Hector Boethius relates of the Isles of Orcades, the people are still sound of Body and minde, without any use of Physick, they live commonly 120 yeers, and Ortelius in his Itinerary of the inhabitants of the Forrest of Arden, they are very painfull, long-lived, sound, &c.

Martianus Capella, speaking of the Indians of his time, saith, they were (much like our western Indians now) bigger then ordinary men, bred coursly, very long-lived, in so much, that he that died at an hundred yeers of age, went before his time, &c.

Damianus A-Goes, Saxo Grammaticus, Aubanus Bohemus, say the like of them that live in Norway, Lapland, Finmark, Biarmia, Corelia, all over Scandia, and those Northern Countries, they are most healthfull, and very long-lived, in which places there is no use at all of Physick, the name of it is not once heard.

Dithmarus Bleskenius in his accurate description of Island 1607, makes mention amongst other matters, of the Inhabitants, and their manner of living, which is dried fish in stead of bread, butter, cheese, and salt meats, most part they drink water and whey, and yet without Physick or Physitian, they live many of them 250 yeers. I finde the same relation by Lerius, and some other Writers of Indians in America.

Paulus Jovius in his description of Brittain, and Levinus Lemnius, observe as much of this our Island, that there was of old no use of Physick amongst us, and but little at this day, except it be for a few nice idle citizens, surfetting Courtiers, and stall-fed Gentlemen lubbers. The country people use kitchin Physick, and common experience tells us, that they live freest from all manner of infirmities, that make least use of Apothecaries Physick.

Many are overthrown by preposterous use of it, and thereby get their bane, that might otherwise have escaped; some think Physitians kill as many as they save, and who can tell,

Quot Themison ægros autumno occiderit uno?

7414.BurtonPrinted page 362, g: “Lib. Hist.” Book of history; attached to Hector Boece.

7415.BurtonPrinted page 362, dagger: “Parvo viventes laboriosi, longævi, suo contenti, ad centum annos vivunt.” Living on little, hardworking, long-lived and content with what they have, they live to a hundred years.

7417.BurtonPrinted page 362, asterisk: “Lib. 6. de Nup. Philol. Ultra humanam fragilitatem prolixi, ut immaturè pereat qui centenarius moriatur, &c.” Book 6 of The Marriage of Philology. Their lives extend beyond human frailty, so that one who dies at a hundred dies prematurely, and so on. The body uses a dagger at this citation.

7420.BurtonPrinted page 362, h: “Victus eorum caseo & lacte consistit, potus aqua & serum; pisces loco panis habent; ita multos annos sæpe 250 absq; medico & medicinâ vivunt.” Their food consists of cheese and milk; their drink is water and whey. They have fish instead of bread, and thus live many years, often 250, without a physician or medicine.

7422.BurtonPrinted page 362, i: “Lib. de 4. complex.” Book on the four complexions; Levinus Lemnius.

7424.BurtonPrinted page 363, asterisk: “Per mortes agunt experimenta & animas nostras negotiantur; & quod aliis exitiale hominem occidere, iis impunitas summa. Plinius.” They conduct experiments through deaths and trade in our lives; while killing a person is fatal to others, they enjoy complete impunity. Pliny.

7426.BurtonPrinted page 363, k: “Juven.” Juvenal.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Member 1 Subsection 1 Medical Treatment by Medicines

p. 607

Member 1 Subsection 1 Medical treatment by medicines

After a long and tedious discussion of these six non-natural things and their several adjustments, all of which come under regimen, I have now at last reached pharmaceutics: the branch of medicine that cures through remedies, which apothecaries generally prepare, compound or sell in their shops.

Many find fault with this kind of medicine and consider it unnecessary and useless for this or any other illness, because the countries that use it least enjoy the longest lives and the best health. Hector Boece reports that the people of the Orkney Islands remain sound in body and mind without using medicine, and commonly live for 120 years. Ortelius likewise says in his Itinerary that the inhabitants of the Forest of Arden “are very hardworking, long-lived and healthy,” and so on.

Martianus Capella, speaking of the Indians of his time, says that they were, much like the Indians of the West in our own day, “larger than ordinary men, roughly brought up and very long-lived, so that anyone who died at a hundred died before his time,” and so on.

Damião de Góis, Saxo Grammaticus and Johannes Boemus say the same of those who live in Norway, Lapland, Finnmark, Biarmia, Karelia, throughout Scandinavia and in those northern countries: they are exceptionally healthy and long-lived, although medicine is never used there and its very name is unheard of.

Dithmar Blefken, in his accurate description of Iceland published in 1607, mentions, among other things, the inhabitants and their way of life: “They eat dried fish instead of bread, butter, cheese and salted meat, and chiefly drink water and whey; yet without medicine or physician many of them live for 250 years.” I find the same account in Léry and some other writers on the Indians of America.

Paolo Giovio, in his description of Britain, and Levinus Lemnius make the same observation about our own island: in former times medicine was not used among us, and it is little used even now, except by a few fastidious, idle townsmen, overfed courtiers and stall-fed, loutish gentlemen. Country people use kitchen remedies, and common experience tells us that those who use apothecaries’ medicines least live most free of every kind of infirmity.

Many are ruined by its improper use, and meet their death through it when they might otherwise have escaped. Some think physicians kill as many as they save; and who can tell—

How many patients Themison killed in a single autumn?

7413.The six “non-naturals” are the traditional external or regulative factors: air; food and drink; exercise and rest; sleeping and waking; evacuation and retention; and the passions. “Diet” encompasses the whole regimen. Pharmaceutice names treatment through medicines, as distinguished from the regulation just discussed.

7416.Hector Boethius is Hector Boece, the Scottish historian, not the author of the Consolation. Orcades is Orkney. “Painfull” means hardworking; the Forest of Arden here is the continental Ardennes. The extraordinary ages are reported claims; Burton’s Boece and Ortelius references remain to be collated.

7418.Capella’s Indians are inhabitants of India; Burton compares them with Indigenous peoples of the Americas, his “western Indians.” “Bred coursly” means brought up roughly or on coarse fare. The shortened Capella citation is preserved, with its precise passage still unverified.

7419.The names are modernized as Damião de Góis and Johannes Boemus. Scandia is the northern Scandinavian region; Biarmia is a historical northern geographical name, and Corelia is Karelia. Burton’s broad claim that medicine was unknown throughout these regions is left as an attributed report, not endorsed as fact.

7421.Island means Iceland; Lerius is Jean de Léry. The claim of 250-year lives is transcribed without correction. Burton’s description of Blefken as “accurate” is retained, but neither that assessment nor the longevity claim has been independently established here. His English list of foods differs from the shorter Latin marginal list; both are preserved.

7423.“Nice” means fastidious or delicate. “Stall-fed” likens pampered gentlemen to fattened livestock; “lubbers” are clumsy or idle fellows. “Kitchin Physick” means domestic remedies. This opens an argument against professional medicine which Burton develops in the following discussion; it is historical polemic, not an instruction to avoid treatment.

7425.“Preposterous” means ill-ordered or improper; “bane” is ruin or death. Burton continues the prosecution of medicine begun in the preceding discussion. He explicitly reverses this rhetorical position later in this discussion, distinguishing medical practice from its abuses.

7427.Juvenal, Satire 10.221. Themison is the physician named in the satirical catalogue. Autumno means “in autumn”; Burton’s following English expands this to “in a year.” The fresh translation and his separate gloss are both retained.

About This Reading Edition

Robert Burton’s Anatomy ranges across medicine, philosophy, poetry, religion, and everyday life in its inquiry into melancholy. This complete parallel edition pairs the 1651 English text with a close modern English rendering, preserving the three Partitions, Democritus Junior’s address to the reader, verse, and the historical index.

Historical Text and Translation

The historical text follows the sixth edition, printed at Oxford for Henry Cripps in 1651, using the McGill University Library copy. The supplied edition documents missing printed pages 98–99 supplied from another 1651 copy at the Bavarian State Library. Historical folio labels and their irregularities remain visible; web reader numbers identify reflowed passages and do not claim to reproduce PDF pagination.

About Diotimos Editions

Diotimos Editions prepared the close modern English rendering and editorial matter. All 8,755 original and modern passage pairs remain aligned, with verse breaks, italics, continuations, and linked annotations preserved. Burton’s 6,781 historical notes retain their attribution; 6,895 editorial notes remain distinct. The introduction, Note on the Text, contextual lexicon, indexes, source documentation, and bibliography are included. The engraved frontispiece remains available in the original downloads.

Rights

Burton’s historical text is in the public domain. The modern English rendering, introduction, notes, and editorial matter are © 2026 Diotimos Editions and appear with the site owner’s permission. The complete supplied PDF, EPUB, Word, and Markdown files remain available unchanged. The PDF and Word edition preserve the original parallel page layout.