Aristotle's works:: Containing the Master-piece, Directions for Midwives, and Counsel and Advice to Child-bearing Women with Various Useful Remedies
Aristotle · en
Q. Why do men incline to sleep after labour? A. Because, through
continual moving, the heat is dispersed to the external parts of the
body, which, after labour, is gathered together to the internal parts,
there to digest; and from digestion vapours arise from the heart to the
brain, which stop the passage by which the natural heat should be
dispersed to the external parts: and then, the external parts being cold
and thick, by reason of the coldness of the brain, sleep is easily
procured. By this it appeareth, that such as eat and drink too much, do
sleep much and long, because there are great store of humours and
vapours bred in such persons, which cannot be digested and consumed by
the natural heat.
Q. Why are such as sleep much evil disposed and ill-coloured? A. Because
in too much sleep moisture is gathered together which cannot be
consumed, and so it doth covet to go out through the superficial parts
of the body, and especially it resorts to the face, and therefore is the
cause of bad colour, as appeareth in such as are phlegmatic, and who
desire more sleep than others.
Q. Why do some imagine in their sleep that they eat and drink sweet
things? A. Because the phlegm drawn up by the jaws doth distil and drop
to the throat; and this phlegm is sweet after a sore sweat, and that
seemeth so to them.
Q. Why do some dream in their sleep that they are in the water and
drowned, and some that they are in the water and not drowned; especially
such as are phlegmatic? A. Because when the phlegmatic substance doth
turn to the high parts of the body, then they think they are in the
water and drowned; but when that substance draweth into the internal
parts, then they think they escape. Another reason may be, overmuch
repletion and drunkenness; and therefore, when men are overmuch filled
with meat, the fumes and vapours ascend and gather together, and they
are drowned and strangled; but if they cannot ascend so high, then they
seem to escape.
Q. May a man procure a dream, by an external cause? A. It may be done.
If a man speak softly at another’s ear and awake him not, then of this
stirring of the spirits there are thunderings and buzzings in the head,
which cause dreaming.
Q. How many humours are there in a man’s body? A. Four; whereof every
one hath its proper place. The first is choler, called by physicians
_stava bilis_, which is placed in the liver. The second is melancholy,
called _atra bilis_, whose seat is in the spleen. The third is phlegm,
whose place is in the head. The fourth is blood, whose place is in the
heart.
Q. What condition and quality hath a man of a sanguine complexion? A. He
is fair and beautiful; hath his hair for the most part smooth; is bold;
retaineth that which he hath conceived; is shame-faced, given to music,
a lover of sciences, liberal, courteous, and not desirous of revenge.