Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum
The Regimen of Health from the School of Salerno
Part 4. HUMORS
TextFOUR humors reign within our bodies And these compared to four Elements, The Sanguine, Choler, Phlegm, and Melancholy, The latter two are heavy, dull of sense, Th’ other two are more Jovial, quick and Jolly, And may be likened thus without offense, Like air both warm and moist, is Sanguine clear, Like fire does Choler hot and dry appear. Like water cold and moist is Phlegmatic, The Melancholy cold, dry earth is like. COMPLEXIONS cannot virtue breed or vice, Yet may they unto both give inclination, The Sanguine game-some is, and nothing nice, Love Wine, and Women, and all recreation, Likes pleasant tales, and news, plays, cards & dice, Fit for all company, and every fashion: Though bold, not apt to take offense, not irefull. But bountiful, and kind, and looking cheerful. Inclining to be fat, and prone to laughter, Loves mirth, & Music, cares not what comes after. SHARP Choler is an humor most pernicious, All violent, and fierce, and full of fire, Of quick conceit, and therewithall ambitious, Their thoughts to greater fortunes still aspire, Proud, bountiful enough, yet oft malicious A right bold speaker, and as bold a liar, On little cause to anger great enclined, Much eating still, yet ever looking pined: In younger years they use to grow apace, In Elder hairy on their breast and face. THE Phlegmatic are most of no great growth, Inclining to be rather fat and square: Given much unto their ease, to rest and sloth, Content in knowledge to take little share, To put themselves to any pain most loth. So dead their spirits, so dull their senses are: Still either sitting, like to folk that dream, Or else still spitting, to avoid the phlegm: One quality does yet these harms repair, That for the most part Phlegmatic are fair. THE Melancholy from the doe vary, Both sport and ease, and company refusing, Exceeding studious, ever solitary, Inclining pensive still to be, and musing, A secret hate to others apt to carry: Most constant in his choice, tho long a choosing, Extreme in love sometime, yet seldom lustful, Suspicious in his nature, and mistrustful, A wary wit, a hand much given to sparing, A heavy look, a spirit little daring. NOW though we give these humors several names; Yet all men are of all participant, But all have not in quantity the same, For some (in some) are more predominant, The color shows from whence it lightly came, Or whether they have blood too much or want. The watery Phlegmatic are fair and white, The Sanguine Roses joined to Lillies bright, The Cholleric more red; the Melancholy, Alluding to their name, are swart and colly. IF Sanguine humor doe too much abound, These signs will be thereof appearing cheese, The face will swell, the cheeks grow red and round, With staring eyes, the pulse beat soft and The veins exceed, the belly will be bound, The temples and the fore-head full of grief, Unquiet sleeps, that so strange dreams will make, To cause one blush to tell when he does wake: Besides the moisture of the mouth and spittle, Will taste too sweet, and seem the throat to tickle. IF Choler do exceed, as may sometimes, Your ears will ring, and make you to be wakeful, Your tongue will seem all rough, and often- Cause vomits, unaccustomed and hateful. Great thirst, your excrements are full of slime, The stomach squeamish, sustenance ungrateful: Your appetite will seem in nought delighting, Your heart still grieved with continual biting, The pulse beat hard and swift, all hot extreme, Your spittle sour, of fire-work oft you dream. IF Phlegm abundance have due limits past, These signs are here set down will plainly show, The mouth will seem to you quite out of taste, And apt with moisture still to over-flow: Your sides will seem all sore down to the waste, Your meat wax loathsome, your digestion slow, Your head and stomach both in so ill taking, One seeming ever griping t’other aching: With empty veins the pulse beat slow and soft, In sleep, of Seas and rivers dreaming oft. BUT if that dangerous humor over-raigne, Of Melancholy, sometime making mad, These tokens then will be appearing plain, The pulse beat hard, the color dark and bad: The water thin, a weak fantastic brain, False grounded joy, or else perpetual sad; Affrighted oftentimes with dreams like visions Presenting to the thoughts ill apparitions, Of bitter belches from the stomach coming, His ear (the left especially) ever burning. |
Commentary
Choleric Humor
Phlegmatic Humor
Melancholic Humor
Sanguine Humor |
Part 3. HERBS
Part 5. BLOODLETTING