CANON XX.

Juices of the body hard and roscid are good for long life.

THE EXPLICATION.

The reason is plain, seeing we showed before, that hard things, and oily or roscid, are hardly dissipated; notwithstanding there is difference (as we also noted in the tenth operation), that juice somewhat hard is indeed less dissipable, but then it is withal less reparable; therefore a convenience is interlaced with an inconvenience, and for this cause no wonderful matter will be achieved by this. But roscid juice will admit both operations; therefore this would be principally endeavoured.

CANON XXI.

Whatsoever is of thin parts to penetrate, and yet hath no acrimony to bite, begetteth roscid juices.

THE EXPLICATION.

This canon is more hard to practise than to understand. For it is manifest, whatsoever penetrateth well, but yet with a sting or tooth (as do all sharp and sour things), it leaveth behind it, wheresoever it goeth, some mark or print of dryness and cleaving, so that it hardeneth the juices, and chappeth the parts; contrarily, whatsoever things penetrate through their thinness merely, as it were by stealth, and by way of insinuation without violence, they bedew and water in their passage. Of which sort we have recounted many in the fourth and seventh operations.

CANON XXII.

Assimilation is best done when all local motion is expended.

THE EXPLICATION.

This canon we have sufficiently explained in our discourse upon the eighth operation.

CANON XXIII.

Alimentation from without, at least some other way than by the stomach, is most profitable for long life, if it can be done.

THE EXPLICATION.

We see that all things which are done by nutrition ask a long time, but those which are done by embracing of the like (as it is in infusions) require no long time. And therefore alimentation from without would be of principal use; and so much the more, because the faculties of concoction decay in old age; so that if there could be some auxiliary

nutritions by bathing, unctions, or else by clysters, these things in conjunction might do much, which single are less available.

CANON XXIV.

Where the concoction is weak to thrust forth the aliment, there the outward parts should be strengthened to call forth the aliment.

THE EXPLICATION.

That which is propounded in this canon, is not the same thing with the former, for it is one thing for the outward aliment to be attracted inward, another for the inward aliment to be attracted outward; yet herein they concur, that they both help the weakness of the inward concoctions, though by divers ways.

CANON XXV.

All sudden renovation of the body is wrought either by the spirit, or by malacissations.

THE EXPLICATION.

There are two things in the body, spirits and parts; to both these the way by nutrition is long and about; but it is a short way to the spirits by vapours, and by the affections, and to the parts by malacissations. But this is diligently to be noted, that by no means we confound alimentation from without with malacissation; for the intention of malacissation is not to nourish the parts, but only to make them more fit to be nourished.

CANON XXVI.

Malacissation is wrought by consubstantials, by imprinters, and by closers up.

THE EXPLICATION.

The reason is manifest, for that consubstantials do properly supple the body, imprinters do carry in, closers up do retain and bridle the perspiration, which is a motion opposite to malacissation. And therefore (as we described in the ninth operation) malacissation cannot well be done at once, but in a course or order. First, by excluding the liquor by thickness; for an outward and gross infusion doth not well compact the body; that which entereth must be subtile, and a kind of vapour. Secondly, by intenerating by the consent of consubstantials: for bodies upon the touch of those things which have good agreement with them, open themselves, and relax their pores. Thirdly, imprinters are convoys, and insinuate into the parts the consubstantials, and the mixture of gentle astringents doth somewhat re

strain the perspiration. But then, in the fourth place, follows that great astriction and closure up of the body by emplasteration, and then afterwards by inunction, until the supple be turned into solid, as we said in the proper place.

CANON XXVII.

Frequent renovation of the parts reparable, watereth and reneweth the less reparable also.

THE EXPLICATION.

We said in the preface to this history, that the way of death was this, that the parts reparable died in the fellowship of the parts less reparable; so that in the reparation of these same less reparable parts, all our forces would be employed. And, therefore, being admonished by Aristotle's observation touching plants, namely, that the putting forth of new shoots and branches refresheth the body of the tree in the passage; we conceive the like reason might be, if the flesh and blood in the body of man were often renewed, that thereby the bones themselves, and membranes, and other parts, which in their own nature are less reparable, partly by the cheerful passage of the juices, partly by that new clothing of the young flesh and blood, might be watered and renewed.

CANON XXVIII.

Refrigeration, or cooling of the body, which passeth some other ways than by the stomach, is useful for long life.

THE EXPLICATION.

The reason is at hand; for seeing a refrigeration not temperate, but powerful (especially of the blood), is above all things necessary to long life; this can by no means be effected from within as much as is requisite, without the destruction of the stomach and bowels.

CANON XXIX.

That intermixing, or intangling, that as well consumption as reparation are the works of heat, is the greatest obstacle to long life.

THE EXPLICATION.

Almost all great works are destroyed by the natures of things intermixed, when as that which helpeth in one respect, hurteth in another; therefore men must proceed herein by a sound judgment, and a discreet practice. For our part, we have done so far as the matter will bear, and our memory serveth us, by separating benign heats from hurtful, and the remedies which tend to both.

CANON XXX.

Curing of diseases is effected by temporary medicines ; but lengthening of life requireth observation of diets.

THE EXPLICATION.

Those things which come by accident, as soon as the causes are removed, cease again; but the continual course of nature, like a running river, requires a continual rowing and sailing against the stream, therefore we must work regularly by diets. Now diets are of two kinds; set diets, which are to be observed at certain times, and familiar diet, which is to be admitted into our daily repast. But the set diets are the more potent, that is, a course of medicines for a time; for those things which are of so great virtue that they are able to turn nature back again, are, for the most part, more strong, and more speedily altering, than those which may without danger be received into a continual use. Now in the remedies set down in our intentions, you shall find only three set diets, the opiate diet, the diet malacissant or suppling, and the diet emaciant and renewing. But amongst those which we prescribed for familiar diet, and to be used daily, the most efficacious are these that follow, which also come not far short of the virtue of set diets. Nitre, and the subordinates to nitre; the regiment of the affections, and course of our life; refrigerators which pass not by the stomach; drinks roscidating, or engendering oily juices; besprinkling of the blood with some firmer matter, as pearls, certain woods, competent unctions to keep out the air and to keep in the spirit. Heaters from without, during the assimilation after sleep; avoiding of those things which inflame the spirit, and put it into an eager heat, as wine and spices. Lastly, a moderate and seasonable use of those things which endue the spirits with a robust heat, as saffron, crosses, garlick, elecampane, and compound opiates.

CANON XXXI.

The living spirit is instantly extinguished, if it be deprived either of motion, or of refrigeration, or of aliment.

THE EXPLICATION.

Namely, these are those three which before we called the porches of death, and they are the proper and immediate passions of the spirit. For all the organs of the principal parts serve hereunto, that these three offices be performed ;

and again, all destruction of the organs which is deadly brings the matter to this point, that one or more of these three fail. Therefore all other things are the divers ways to death, but they end in these three. Now the whole fabric of the parts is the organ of the spirit, as the spirit is the organ of the reasonable soul, which is incorporeous and divine.

CANON XXXII.

Flame is a momentary substance, air a fixed; the living spirit in creatures is of a middle nature.

THE EXPLICATION.

This matter stands in need both of a higher indagation, and of a longer explication than is pertinent to the present inquisition. Meanwhile we must know this, that flame is almost every moment generated and extinguished; so that it is continued only by succession; but air is a fixed body, and is not dissolved; for though air begets new air out of watery moisture, yet notwithstanding the old air still remains; whence cometh that superoneration of the air whereof we have spoken in the title De Ventis. But spirit is participant of both natures, both of flame and air, even as the nourishments thereof are, as well oil, which is homogeneous to flame, as water, which is homogeneous to air; for the spirit is not nourished either of oily alone, or of watery alone, but of both together; and though air doth not agree well with flame, nor oil with water, yet in a mixed body they agree well enough. Also the spirit hath from the air his easy and delicate impressions and yieldings, and from the flame his noble and potent motions and activities. In like manner the duration of spirit is a mixed thing, being neither so momentary as that of flame, nor so fixed as that of air. And so much the rather it followeth not the condition of flame, for that flame itself is extinguished by accident, namely, by contraries, and enemies environing it; but spirit is not subject to the like conditions and necessities. Now the spirit is repaired from the lively and florid blood of the small arteries which are inserted into the brain; but this reparation is done by a peculiar manner, of which we speak not now.

END OF THIRD PART OF THE INSTAURATIO.