ALL Phyſicians whom we ought moſt to confide in, do conclude and have determined it as a moſt undoubted Truth, to cure with contraries, and preſerve with Cordials, according to that confirm'd Aphoriſm of contraria contrariis curantur: Similia ſimilibus, conſervantur.

Paracelſus, Theophraſtus, Bombastus, Van-Helmont, and ſome of their late conceited Diſciples, without taking any notice of this diſtinction, do morbum morbo curare: and venture to attempt the putting out of fire with fire: Or, curing hot Diſeaſes with hot Medicines, and conſequently cold Diſeaſes with cold. Hippocrates, Galen, and their more aged Off-ſpring; on the other hand judge it more reaſonable and practicable to put out fire with water; and to ſubdue the cold effects of water, by heat or fire: and to this end, if the Diſeaſe be hot and dry, as a Fever, they adviſe ſuch Food and Phyſick, as is cold and moiſt; and hot and dry Meats and Medicines to ſubdue a diſeaſe that is moiſt and cold; never neglecting (as is ſuppoſed by the Chymiſt) to ſupply Nature, though not the Diſeaſe, with convenient, delightful, and proper Cordials, always remembring, not to nouriſh, but to oppoſe a Diſeaſe, with things that remove, or alter it by their qualities.

We are much beholden to the temperament and qualities of things, for the preſervation of our health, and curing Diſeaſes, nor is there, through the benignity and bounty of God, any accident or diſtemper, but hath its remedy aſſigned it, by the matter, form, temperament or qualities of Medicines, knew we but certainly how, and when to apply them: and therefore it is, that Phyſiology, and all the five parts of Phyſick, are more abſolutely neceſſary, than the moſt exalted, and accurate Medicines of the Chymiſt: and though by ſome (who know the vulgar neither do, nor will know any thing but what is vulgar) the Galeniſt and Chymiſt are repreſented, as two diſtinct, different and inconſiſtent things, yet 'tis certain, they both ſerve but to make up one intire Artiſt: And I could tell you Eugenius not only of ſome Phyſicians, but ſome alſo of your own profeſſion, that can compare, if not out-do the greateſt Don and Heroes (as they think themſelves) of the Chymical and Hermetick Sect: And becauſe you may depend upon it for a Truth, that all Diſeaſes and Remedies, may as well and better be comprehended under ſome of the ſimple or compound Qualities, than any other invented Idea, Name or Notion whatever of the conceited Chymiſt, to this very end, the foregoing Chapters in the firſt Part, have given you a practical account of ſuch things, as do preſerve by their agreement with Nature, and cure by their contrariety to the Diſeaſe; and not to adviſe people to a Diet, that is anſwerable to their Diſeaſe and Phyſick they are preſcribed, is to ruine them: nor are they by any but conceited Practitioners and Humoriſts, to be left at large, to feed as they think ſit on old Cheeſe, Red-herring, or to inflame themſelves with the more ſubtil and penetrating Spirits of Brandy, Punch and Aqua Vitae, which, though at firſt they ſeem to content Nature, and exalt the Archeus, or vital and natural heat of our bodies, yet they ſo alter alſo the natural tone, temper and ferments of the pancreas, blood and ſtomach, that (in a little time) they leave them languid, faint and vappid: By theſe things the Chymiſt may for a while, ſeemingly make his Archeus or Nature blaze the better; but (like a Torch with often beating) it will certainly burn out the ſooner: and 'tis rare to find any accuſtomed Brandy, or Aqua vitae Bubber, when once ſick ever to recover, becauſe the frequent uſe of ſuch things, make all other Cordials uſeleſs and invalid in time of ſickneſs, and when Nature ſhould ſtand moſt in need of them. Beſides, they either at firſt ſo inflame the vital Spirits, as to produce ſuch acute, ſharp, and ſudden Diſeaſes, as Fevers, Apoplexies, and the like, or elſe in time (as one fire puts out another) they extinguiſh the vital heat and moiſture, and thereby occaſion ſuch chronick and fatal Diſeaſes, as Gouts, Dropſies, Palſies, Hecticks, Scorbuts, Conſumptions, and death it ſelf.

In ſhort, our blood and ſpirits may as well be too much agita • ed as idle, and the volatil Salts may ſtand in as much need of fixing, as the fixed Salts of volatizing, nor is their leſs danger in one than the other: and how the Chymiſt, only with his hot fiery Cordial Spirits at one and the ſame time, can ſerve two ſuch different Maſters, I underſtand not, and muſt herein ſubmit to better judgements than my own, and ſurely, ſuch a modeſt and mannerly condeſcention, as this would have better become Mempſis, than an unmanly diſdaining others to magnifie himſelf; nothing being more intolerable and baſe, than inurbanity: Nor can I but wonder with what confidence he can pretend (as he does, page 187) to ſubdue the irregular paſſions, and reform the ſinful inclinations of others by his Medicines, when, after ſo many thouſand Doſes, as he ſays he has taken himſelf, (only to animate others) as yet he has not conquer'd his own: his prevaricating in this is enough on all occaſions, to call in queſtion his integrity, and to make him ſuſpected a—Chymiſt: Nor are we ſo much to confide in the loud Hyperbolies of his Medicines, and great brags that are daily made of Pantamagogons, Alexi-ſtomachons, &c. As to ſome few well digeſted inſtitutions, that may practically relate to the ſix non-Naturals, and a Directory for Diet.

Like Food, like Fleſh, like Meat, like Medicine, was once almoſt grown proverbial: and ſome old Philoſophers, by the continual ſucceſſion of new matter by Aliments; have not only affirmed; that from ſick men we may become ſound men: but of late the Chymiſts have ſo improv'd, and advanced the Notion in behalf of their Aetherial, and ſupernatural Spirits, that we may (ſay they) alſo become new men; and one of the beſt and moſt accompliſh'd of the Chymical Cabal (meaning Mempſis) has undertaken (on condition his Majeſty will be gracious to that profeſſion) not only to cure his Subjects of Incontinency, Atheiſm, Profaneneſs, and all manner of Sin and Debauchery: But will make them alſo Juſt, Devout, Loyal and Religious, only by cokeſing, tameing, and tickling the Archeus with his Hermetick and Chymical preparations: and to gratifie farther, his ſacred royal Master for ſo great a kindneſs he engages (to uſe his own words, pag. 187. of his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) by the powerful operation of his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (i. e. in plain Engliſh his profound skill in Phyſick) to convert Quakers, Catabaptists, Independents, Separatiſts, Schiſmaticks & the multitude of Phanaticks to the Church of England. Do this, & thou ſhalt have my conſent, not only to be honeſt George, Doctor George, and George the Doctor: But Sir George, St. George, and George the Saint.

But in good earneſt I wiſh, dear Doctor, thou hadſt conceil'd the Divine and Moral operations of thy Medicines, upon the hearts and conſciences of poor Mortals, becauſe in theſe his Majeſties Dominions thou canſt now never more hope for any practice and employ as a Medicaſter: for ſurely the profane Cavalier he'l not meddle with thee, for fear of being made a Schiſmatick, a religious Rebel or Round-head: Nor will I'm ſure the devout Phanatick, for fear of being damn'd for an Atheiſt, a debauch'd and honeſt Royaliſt: now then or never recant, and own the Doctrine of Contrarieties: now, now or never is the time to make it appear and convince the ignorant Heretical, Reprobate, and unconverted Galenist, that thy Chymical and Hermetick Phyſick, can at one and the ſame time work ſuch contrary effects, as to make the Serpent (thy ſelf dear Doctor) a Saint; a Royaliſt, a Roundhead, and a Rebel a Royaliſt; Now I ſay is the time, the very time for thee, O Mempſis, to work theſe wonders; or elſe, (with pity and compaſſion I ſpeak it) thou muſt, I, thou muſt pack up, and be gone into ſome of thoſe horrid regions, where people are neither for God nor the King; for King nor Parliment, no, nor for my Lord Mayor, nor Common-council.

I wiſh alſo, that the Doctor had not intimated, and ſuggeſted to his Majeſty that in good conſcience (for the good ſervice he has done himſelf, and Royal Father of bleſſed Memory) he ought, or can do no leſs than overthrow, or at leaſt new Model, and purge with his reforming Phyſick, his College of Phyſicians, and two famous Univerties, Cambridge and Oxford.

But above all things, after all thy glorious boaſts and brags of Loyalty, thou wert bewitch'd to petition the Parliament for no leſs (in effect) than his Majeſties; there own, and the peoples lives and liberties: for what difference is there betwixt their being ruin'd, and their erecting a College for Mempſis, with immunities for him, his Heirs and Aſſigns to diſpenſe all the Medicines, that muſt be made uſe of in his Majeſties Dominions.

This George, however reaſonable, and neceſſary it ſeems to thy ſelf; yet, after thou haſt fluttered a little longer like a Feather in the wind, thou wilt find that the Parliament will let thee drop, and take no more notice of thy Phanatick Freeks and frisking Seminalities of thy brain, than if a Tom-tit-mous, an Owl, or a Jack-daw had flown over Weſtminſter. Let Wiſdom baul, and utter her voice never ſo loud: let her ſcream and tear her throat in pieces; 'tis (as thou ſayſt George) all one, as if thou ſhouldſt vociferate Neptune to forbear ſwallowing up Ships, ſince 'tis his Nature to do ſuch dirty and miſchievous tricks: All which the Lord Mayor, and Court of Aldermen taking into their conſideration, and that there's no hope, that either the King or Parliament will accommodate thee with a College; our Senators and City Heroes are at this time preparing one for thee at Moor-gate.

And now, ſeeing he is ſo hardly dealt with; let his Majeſty, his two Houſes, his Nobility and Gentry; the Biſhops and Clergy; the Lawyers and Laity; the whole City, Town and Country look to it as they will, 'tis to be feared, that whatever Chymick and Hermetick Phyſick can do, ſhall be done to have the ſame effects on them as on himſelf: and (if Heaven helps not) convert them all to non conformity, faction and ſedition.

This zealous Mempſis in another place of his Evangelium Chymicum (for all he ſays is Goſpel) has a hymn to his Creator (and by the way let me ſolemnly tell him, I wonder how he dare concern ſo great a God! in his little deſigns) for putting it into the hearts of rusticks and Mariners, with their Punch, Brandy, and Aqua vitae bottles, to teach ſottiſh Galenists, the uſe and excellencies of his well diſtilled Spirits, and the foolery of their dull Julips, fulſom and fruitleſs Apozems, Bochets, Cullices and Gellies, as you may read at large in ſeveral Paragraphs and Pages of his Book.

But to leave theſe extravagancies, and flurts of the Hypocondres: Lets hear what Galen upon Hippocrates ſays concerning this affair of Aliments: This grave Philoſopher in his Book De Elementis, tells us, that by a diſſent of the firſt qualities (not from the Punctum latens, the little Atoms in the Archeus, and Seminal Idaeas in the Materia primâ, as our inſpired Mempſis will have it) but from the diſſent of theſe firſt Qualities, ſays our Author, which proceeds immediately from the Elements themſelves, and the Aliments; man is born for the Phyſician, and were it not for the defects proceeding from theſe two, man could never dye.

From the four Elements, come the four Qualities of heat, cold, drineſs and moiſture: from theſe ariſe the temperaments of Aliments; and from our Aliments, come the four humours, call'd Choler, Phlegm, Blood and Melancholy; and out of theſe humours the parts; and from thoſe parts the whole, or what we call a humane body: and when any of theſe four temperaments or humours are extinct, deprav'd or hurt in Quantity, Quality, or Motion, then follows Sickneſs and Death: So that in effect, Life and Death, and every mans temper and conſtitution, depends more or leſs upon the Aliments he feeds on; and the humours themſelves are nothing more than the effect of food, v. .g Choler is the fomes of blood made of Aliments over digeſted and concocted, and ſerves to ferment, agitate, or brisk up the conſtipated Ideas of the Archeus. Flegm is made of Food, (for want of natural heat) not enough concocted, and bridles choler, and keeps the blood and humours from burninig, tames, and fixes the Spirits, and makes the body, cool, fat, moiſt and ſoluble. Blood is made of Food, perfectly elaborated to augment and nouriſh the parts: good Food makes good Blood; and good Blood makes good Fleſh: So that in effect, Fleſh and Blood is only good Food. Melancholy is the Terra damnata: The Devil, the thick and droſſie part of Food and Blood; and was intended by Nature to bridle the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the fomes or froth of ſperm and ſpirits; to temper rage and luſt, to compoſe the thoughts and imaginations: but being deprav'd, it works contrary effects, as we ſee in our friend Mempſis.

From this little repreſentation of man, an intelligent, and conſidering perſon may find out as eaſily, as by the Idaeas, Atomes, or Magots in the Archeus, how we come by Diſeaſes, our diſſolution and death; and alſo how neceſſary, a direct and due diet, ſuch a diet as may anſwer to the four temperaments, and humours of our bodies, choler, phlegm, blood, and Melancholy: how neceſſary this (I ſay) is for the preventing, and curing Diſeaſes; as might be farther amplified, but that I muſt avoid prolixity, that the Book may not be too chargeable for the poor: Or elſe it might be made evident, that a diet may be collected, not only to heat, cool, dry and moisten, but alſo to Bind Thicken Lenifie Relax Thin Revel Reſtore Deobſtruate Reſiſt Poyſon

And all things elſe, that Pharmacy it ſelf can neceſſarily lay claim to, towards the conſervation of man. But this will not conſiſt with a ſhort eſſay, and therefore as conciſely, as the ſubject will permit, I ſhall only add a deſcription of the Nature, Uſe and Vertues of an Artificial Bath, and ſtove hereunto annex'd; with which, our Ambroſiopaeas, and a proper Diet may be performed as much as can reaſonably be expected from the means.

What a help it is to Nature, to throw off by ſweat thoſe ſaline, acid, ſulphureous, and corroſive particles of blood, which are the root of all Diſeaſes, is manifeſted by the daily experience of ſuch as are daily relieved by it, in Gouts, Scorbuts, Hecticks, the Evil, Palſies, and the like: as it helps thus to diſcharge the Serum Salſum, the ſalt, ſharp and watery parts of blood by the skin; how far this, I ſay, may extend it ſelf, both for the preventing and curing many potent Diſeaſes, when Diet and other Remedies are deficient, and cannot do it, I leave to the bounty of a prudent and liberal conception.

It is ſo contriv'd that 'tis impoſſible for the patient to take cold, to faint or ſweat beyond their ſtrength, and own inclinations; nor is there any nuiſſance in it, that is incident to Stoving, or ſweating in other Baths.

Place here the Figure.