1. To cut and bring away the concreted blood.

2. To cherish and strengthen the lungs.

3. To conglutinate the ulcer.

And indeed some particular simples will perform all these, and physicians confess it; which shews the wonderful mystery the allwise God hath made in the creation, that one and the same simple should perform two contrary operations on the same part of the body; for the more a medicine cleanses, the more it conglutinates.

To conclude then, Pectoral Medicines are such as either cut and cleanse out the compacted humours from the arteries of the lungs, or make thin defluxions thick, or temper those that are sharp, help the roughness of the wind-pipe, or are generally lenitive and softening, being outwardly applied to the breast.

CHAPTER III

Of Medicines appropriated to the heart

These are they which are generally given under the notion of Cordials; take them under that name here.

The heart is the seat of the vital spirit, the fountain of life, the original of infused heat, and of the natural affections of man.

So then these two things are proper to the heart.

1. By its heat to cherish life throughout the body.

2. To add vigour to the affections.

And if these be proper to the heart, you will easily grant me, that it is the property of cordials to administer to the heart in these particulars.

Of Cordials, some cheer the mind, some strengthen the heart, and refresh the spirits thereof, being decayed.

Those which cheer the mind, are not one and the same; for as the heart is variously disturbed, either by anger, love, fear, hatred, sadness, &c., so such things as flatter lovers or appease the angry, or comfort the fearful, or please the hateful, may well be called cordials; for the heart, seeing it is placed in the middle between the brain and the liver, is wrought upon by reason, as well as by digestion, yet these, because they are not medicines, are beside my present scope.

And although it is true, that mirth, love, &c. are actions, or motions of the mind, not of the body; yet many have been induced to think such affections may be wrought in the body by medicines.

The heart is chiefly afflicted by too much heat, by poison, and by stinking vapours, and these are remedied by the second sort of cordials, and indeed chiefly belong to our present scope.

According to these three afflictions, viz.

1. Excessive heat.

2. Poison.

3. Melancholy vapours.

are three kinds of remedies which succour the afflicted heart.