A Counter-Blaste to TobaccoJames I, King of England
History
A Counter-Blaste to Tobacco
James I, King of England
Tobacco
First, it is thought by you a sure Aphorisme in the Physickes, That the
braines of all men, being naturally colde and wet, all dry and hote
things should be good for them; of which nature this stinking
suffumigation is, and therefore of good vse to them. Of this Argument,
both the Proposition and Assumption are false, and so the Conclusion
cannot but be voyd of it selfe. For as to the Proposition, That because
the braines are colde and moist, therefore things that are hote and drie
are best for them, it is an inept consequence: For man beeing compounded
of the foure Complexions (whose fathers are the foure Elements) although
there be a mixture of them all in all the parts of his body, yet must
the diuers parts of our _Microcosme_ or little world within ourselves,
be diuersly more inclined, some to one, some to another complexion,
according to the diuersitie of their vses, that of these discords a
perfect harmonie may bee made vp for the maintenance of the whole body.
The application then of a thing of a contrary nature, to any of these
parts is to interrupt them of their due function, and by consequence
hurtfull to the health of the whole body. As if a man, because the Liuer
is hote (as the fountaine of blood) and as it were an ouen to the
stomache, would therefore apply and weare close vpon his Liuer and
stomache a cake of lead; he might within a very short time (I hope) be
susteined very good cheape at an Ordinairie, beside the cleering of his
conscience from that deadly sinne of gluttonie. And as if, because the
Heart is full of vitall spirits, and in perpetuall motion, a man would
therefore lay a heauy pound stone on his breast, for staying and holding
downe that wanton palpitation, I doubt not but his breast would bee more
bruised with the weight thereof, then the heart would be comforted with
such a disagreeable and contrarious cure. And euen so is it with the
Braines. For if a man, because the Braines are colde and humide, would
therefore vse inwardly by smells, or ontwardly by application, things of
hot and drie qualitie, all the gaine that he could make thereof would
onely be to put himselfe in a great forwardnesse for running mad, by
ouer-watching himselfe, the coldnesse and moistnesse of our braine
beeing the onely ordinarie meanes that procure our sleepe and rest.
Indeed I do not denie, but when it falls out that any of these, or any
part of our bodie growes to be distempered, and to tend to an
extremetie, beyond the compasse of Natures temperate mixture, that in
that case cures of contrary qualities, to the intemperate inclination of
that part, being wisely prepared and discreetely ministered, may be both
necessarie and helpefull for strengthning and assisting Nature in the
expulsion of her enemies: for this is the true definition of all
profitable Physicke.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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