Thomas Tryon

“ Also, do not all Houses and Places grow musty, and contract too great store of Moisture, if the Air be any way prevented, by Window-shutters, or the like, that it cannot have its free egress and regress? Therefore moderate Clothing, hard Beds, Houses that stand so as that the pleasant Briezes of Wind may air and refresh them, and also Houses that are full of Windows, are to be preferr'd: For where the Air hath not its free Influences, the Spirit becomes dull and heavy, this being the true Life of the Spirit in every thing. ”

“ What is more pleasant and healthful than good Air? It chears and comforts the Spirits, it opens the Passages of the Joynts and Nerves, it purifies the Blood, creates an Appetite, increasing Strength and Vigour: But, on the contrary, hot, thick, sulphurous Airs do not only obstruct the Passages of the Spirits, but suffocate them, loading the Joynts and Nerves with evil Juices, whereby the Limbs and Members become full of pain, causing a general Tenderness to possess the whole Body, and destroying the Appetite, and the Power of the Digestive Faculty in the Stomach. ”

“ For in Man is contained the true Nature and Property of all things, both of Good and Evil; therefore he is both liable and also apt to receive all Impressions, and to be wrought on by all things he shall either communicate with or joyn himself to, whether it be Cleanness, or the contrary. Also by Meats, Drinks, and Communication, all things have power, by a Sympathetical Operation, to work on Man, because he is like unto all, bearing a proportionable Nature unto all things. If People did understand this, they would prefer Sobriety and Temperance, with Cleanness, far beyond what they do ”

“ Mens Time and Study is chiefly taken up about getting a Livelihood, and providing things necessary for themselves and Families; so that there is not one among a thousand that understands any thing what belongs to the Preservation of his Health: Whatever the Women do and say touching the Preparation of Food, and other ordering of Families for Health, most Men believe, not making the least scruple or question of the truth thereof. ”

“ Their Women do always drink Water, their Food being for the most part of a mean and simple Quality; and for this Reason neither they nor their Children are subject to several Diseases which our Women and Children are. Wine and strong Drink should be sparingly drunk by Women, till they are past Child-bearing; because the frequent and common drinking of strong Drinks, does generate various Distempers in the Female Sex, such as are not fit to be discoursed of in this Place, which their Children often bring with them into the World. ”

“ Now this sort of Uncleanness, which does proceed from old Beds, is not only the greatest, but also the most injurious to the Health and Preservation of Mankind, and the least care is taken to prevent it: Every one that can, will have plentiful Changes both of Linen and Woollen Garments; for if they have not, Experience does shew, that the Excrements and Breathings of the Body will generate Vermin. ”

“ Whatsoever are the Disorders in the Body, the Mouth does always partake of them; besides the Evils that the variety of Food, and the improper mixtures of Flesh and Fish, and many other things, which do foul and hurt both the Teeth and Gums. When any Person is disordered with inward Diseases, does not the Mouth quickly complain of the Evils thereof? ”

“ Therefore it is not to be thought a General Rule, That all old Beds should breed Bugs, as some (who are ignorant of the Operations of Nature) will be apt to say, If one Bed do breed them, why not all? ”

“ In this Season the Sun, which is the true Life and Power of all things, declines; and all sorts of Herbage, which is the Food of all Beasts that are generally eaten, doth the same: The Grass all this Season is fraught with a gross phlegmatick Matter; besides, it is a fainty hot time; the Air, which is the Cherishing Life of all things, is more gross, and full of Humidity, than all other times of the Year; the Spirits of all sorts of Creatures are also weak, and on any Accidents are quickly wounded, or evaporated, more especially those Beasts that come from remote Parts to great Cities. ”

“ Besides, our Beds take up near half the time of our Lives, which time the Body is not only without motion, but the Bed and Coverings do keep it much hotter than the Day-garments, especially of those that draw the Curtains of their Windows and Beds so close, that the pure Spirits and thin refreshing Vapours of the Air are hindred of having their free egress and regress, which does dull and flatten the Action of the Stomach ”

“ There are many various things, of divers Natures, prescribed by Physicians, and others, as Washes to preserve the Teeth and Gums; but most of them, if not all, to little or no purpose, as daily Experience teaches: For, all high, sharp Salts, and things of a sour or keen nature, do rather cause the Teeth to perish, than the contrary; as do all hot Spirits, be they what they will: Many have destroyed their Teeth by the frequent use of such things, and it hath hardly ever been known that any such things have ever cured or prevented the aking Pains of the Teeth, but Water only. ”

“ Few there be that understand or consider the excellent Vertues of Water, it being an Element of a mild and cleansing Nature and Operation, friendly unto all things, and of universal Use: But because it is so common, and so easily procured, I am afraid that many People will be like Naaman the Syrian, when the Prophet Elisha advised him to wash seven times in the River of Jordan to cure his Leprosie; it being the Ignorance and Folly of most People, to admire those things they do not know, and, on the other side, to despise and trample under foot those Things and Mysteries they do know ”

“ If Women did understand but the hundredth part of the Evils and Diseases those indulging and intemperate Ways do bring both to themselves and Children, they would quickly be of my mind; which I never expect; They are too wise. ”

“ Also, as it is before-mentioned, if Flesh be kept too long after it be killed, such Flesh will not receive Salt into it, as other will, which is salted as soon as it is cold: For by keeping it does certainly lose its pure Spirituous Quality, so that the Body becomes heavy, gross, and dull. Does not the Life and Spirits of most sorts of Food waste and evaporate by keeping, if there be not a proper way of Preservation used? ”

“ But when People come to them, they must give them something for their Money; for Interest and Ignorance have more affinity with this sort of People, than Vertue, and the true Knowledge of the Nature of Things. Most certain it is, That the Shepherd and Husbandman do know far better how to prepare the Meat for their Cattel, and also how to preserve them from Disorders, 20than many Physicians do their Food or Physick: and a Man shall understand more by conversing with some of this sort of People, than with the Learned: For the Shepherd and Husbandman understand something of Nature ”

“ For no kind of Hair ever breeds any Living Creature, except it be put into Water or Mud when the Sun is powerful, and then this Creature, thus generated, retains its first Species, viz. a Hair, with a live Head, which was its Element whence it proceeded: but if you take it out of the Water, it presently dies: So also it doth when the Sun declines in Heat, as most sorts of Vermin that are bred through Heat and Moisture do. ”

“ If Temperance and Sobriety be observed in Meats, Drinks, and Exercises, with other Circumstances belonging to Health, then Stoppages, Coughs, Colds, and other Obstructions, would not be so frequent on every small occasion: For Temperance has an inward Power and Operation, and does as it were cut off Diseases in the very Bud, preventing the Generation of Matter whence Distempers do proceed, increasing the Radical Moisture, and making the Spirits lively, brisk, and powerful, able to withstand all outward Colds, and other Casualties of the like nature. ”

“ It is a general Custom, when Men go abroad or travel, to desire clean Sheets, imagining them to be a sufficient Bulwark to defend them from the pernicious Fumes and Vapours of old stale Beds; but it is too short. For, it is certain, that most or all Beds do perfectly stink, not only those in Inns and Houses of Entertainment, but others: Not but that every ones Bed does smell indifferent well to himself; but when he lies in a strange Bed, let a Man but put his Nose into the Bed when he is thorowly hot, and hardly any Common Vault is like it. ”

“ A great part of the Children that die, especially in Towns and Cities, is occasioned either by the Intemperance of their Mothers, during the time they go with Child, or afterwards by their unnatural and badly-prepared Food, and suffering them to eat to excess; also by their keeping of them too warm, and too close from the Air, and lapping of them up in several Double Clothes and Swathes, so tight, that a Man may write on them, and then putting them into warm Beds, and covering them up close. If a strong Man was so bound 14up, he could not endure it, without great injury unto his Health. ”

“ All sorts of Beds, especially Feather-beds, ought to be changed, driven, or washed, at the least three or four times in a Year; or else it is impossible to keep them sweet and clean, and to prevent the Generation of Vermin, or the other Inconveniencies before-mentioned. Would not every one condemn a Man, if he should wear a Shirt a Year, and lie in Sheets seven Years? Which if any should do, it would not either endanger his Health, or bring half the Inconveniencies on his Body, as old stinking Feather-beds do ”

“ And as Bread hath deservedly the first Place, together with Herbs, and various sorts of excellent Fruits; so the next is Milk, which of it self is a brave, mild, and most friendly Food to Nature, very fit and profitable for all Ages and Complexions; and if it do not agree with some People, it is because their Stomachs are made sharp and soured by superfluity of dainty Food, and the continual use of strong Drink. ”

“ For, River-water hath the advantage of running through various sorts of Earth, by which it sucks into it self a fat, oylie, and saline Quality, which the Surface of the Earth does plentifully afford; which also is the cause of all Vegitation, and the lovely Green Colour which all Vegitables are cloth'd with, does arise from this Saline Quality. For these Reasons, River-water will Brew, Boil, and Wash, and it is more profitable in all Uses in Houswifery, than Spring or Pump-water, and far wholesomer for Men and Beasts to drink. ”

“ For Salt cannot preserve the Body from Corruption, but by vertue of the pure subtile Spirits, which are a pleasant Habitation for the Salt to incorporate it self with: For Salt will not preserve Flesh from Putrifaction, any longer than the Vertue and Power of the Spirit does continue, as it does appear by all salted Flesh and Fish: For through length of time the Spirits become either suffocated, or evaporated, and then it presently falls into Putrifaction: And yet this same Flesh does still continue Salt ”

“ All Housewifes do know, that no sort of Liquor, be it what it will, will cleanse and sweeten their Vessels, but only Water; all other Liquors leaving a sour stinking Quality behind them, which will quickly cause Putrifaction: But Water in its own nature is clean and pure, not only for all Uses in Housewifery, and the Preservation of Health ”

“ Therefore they have the greater power not only to attract and suck in to themselves the fulsom Excrements that are breathed forth of the Body by Sweatings, and the like; but they have also power to retain such evil Vapours: and when others come to lie on them, and are thoroughly hot, it awakens those pernicious Steams, which often bring many Inconveniencies on the Body. Besides, it is very unpleasant to lie in such Beds; a Man must always be forced to keep his Nose above-board. Indeed each Mans own Bed does not stink or smell strong to himself, because he is accustomed to it ”

“ And if the above-mentioned Order be not observed, then the Food is not so pleasant to the Pallate, nor so easie of Concoction; it lies heavy in the Stomach, dulling and stupifying the Senses; it generates a gross Nourishment, and bad Blood, whence does proceed many Diseases: Whereas if the above-mentioned Rules be observed, and your Fire quick, that your Food do not stand still, or cease from boyling, till it be sufficiently done, the Effects are contrary. ”

“ Also do not most People take care that their Furnitures are daily brushed and rubbed, and their very Floors washed, as though they were to eat their Food on them? But all this while they lie on Beds that have not been changed, or hardly aired, in several Years. Let any indifferent Person judge, which is most pleasurable and healthful, to have a clean Floor to tread on, which costs many hard days Labour to keep so, and is dirtied in a Moments time ”