Volume 1

Sylva sylvarum: or a naturall historie. In ten centuries / Written by the right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam viscount St. Alban. Published after the author's death, by William Rawley. Hereunto is now added an alphabeticall table of the principall things contained in the whole work.

  • Francis Bacon
Date:
1639
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sylva sylvarum: or a naturall historie. In ten centuries / Written by the right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam viscount St. Alban. Published after the author's death, by William Rawley. Hereunto is now added an alphabeticall table of the principall things contained in the whole work. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    SE a a ET saa purge better, and 5inde the Body leffe after the purging , than if it ftood twenty foure houres; This is tryed : But I conceive likewife, that by Re- peating the lnfufion of Rubarb, feverall times, (as was faid of Violets: ) let- dicine,as Scammony, And it isnot a{mall thing wonne in Phyfick if you can make Rvbarb, and other Medicines that are BenediG , as ftrong Purcers as thofe that are not without fome Malignity. caine bi Purging Medicines, for the moft part, havetheir Purgative Vertue, in a fine Spirit ; As appeareth by that they endure not boyling, without much lofle ofvertue. And therefore it is of good ufe in Phyfick, ifyou can retaine the Purging Vertuc,and take away the Unpleafant tafte of the Purger, which it is like you may doe, by this Courfe of Jnfufing oft, with little ftay.For it is probable, that the Horrible and Odious Tafte, isinthe Groffer part, Generally, the working by Infuftons, is grofle and blinde, except you firft trie the Iffuing of the fevera!] Parts ofthe Bodie, which of them I flue more fpeedily, and which more flowly ; And fo by apportioning the time, can take and leave that Quality, which youdefire. This to know, there be two wayes ; The one totrie what long ftay,and what fhort ftay worketh,as hath beene faid: The other totrie in Order, the fucceeding Ifufiozs,of one and the fame Bodie, {ucceffively, in feverall Lzgvours.. As for examples Take Orenge-Pils, or Rofe-ALary, or Cinnamon, or what you will; And letthem /z- fufehalfe an houre in Water : Thentake them out, and Infufe them againe in other Wacer; And fo thethirdtime: And then tafteand confider the fi7/t water, the Second,and the Th:rd: And you will find them differing,not only in Strength and Weaknefle, but otherwife in Tafte, or Odour ; For it may be the Frft water will have more ofthe Sent, as more Fragrant; And the Se- cond more ofthe Tafte,as more bitter or Biting, &c. Infufions in Are, (for fowe may well call Odours) have the fame diver- fities with Jafufiozs in Water 3 Inthat the feverall Odours (which are in one Flower , or other Body) iffue at feverall times ; Some earlier , fome later : So wee finde that /iolets, Wooddines, Sirawberries,yeelda pleafing Sent, that commeth forth firft; But foone after an ill Sent quite differing from the Former. Which is caufed, not fomuch by Mellowing, as by the late Iffuing of the Groffer Spirit. As we may defire to extract the fineft Spirits in fome Cafes, Sowe may defire alfo to difcharge them (as hurtful!) in fome other. So wine burmby reafon of the Evaporating of the finer Spirit,enflameth leffe, and is beft in Agues: Opiwm leeleth fome of his poy fonous Qualitie,ifit be vapouted out, mingled with Spirit of Wine, or the like: Sean leefeth fomewhat of his win- dinefle by Decocting ; And (generally) fubtile or windy Spirits are taken off by Incenfion, or Evaporation. Andeven in Jfufions in things that are of too higha Spirit, you were better powre off the firtt Zxfufion, after a {mall time, and ufe the latter. riblesare inthe forme ofan Hemifphere, Aire within, anda little Skin ofwuer without: And it feemeth fomewhat ftrange, that the 4zre fhould rife-fo fwiftly, while itis inthe ater; And when it commeth to the top, thould be ftayed by fo weake a Coveras that of the Bubble is; Butas for the fwift Afcent of the Ave, while itis under the water, that is a Afo- tion Of Pere (Sion from the water; which it felfe defcending, driveth up the Aire, and no 4Zorion of L-vity in the Arve. And this Democritus B 3 29 aI 23 33
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