O Sanitas beata. O Sanitas amanda, Reliquum agitare vita Every Body, fays Dr. Etmuller, defires to enjoy a good Health; but few People take Care to preferve it. Hence it is that Diogenes the Cynick expreffed his Indignation against thofe, who offered Sacrifices to the Gods for the Prefervation of their Health, and at the fame time fpoiled it by feafting upon their Sacrifices. The Learned Editor owns, that every Body is his own best Physician, and that his own Obfervations may very much contribute to prevent Difeafes; but he adds, That the Help of those who profefs the Art of Phyfick, is of great Ufe for that End, and alledges feveral Reasons for it. Dr. Etmuller obferves, That among thofe Phyficians, who made no great account of a good Regimen, Paracel is the most remarkable. He drank Night and Day, and being feldom fober gave his Patients full Li berty to eat and drink what they pleased. In the next Place the Editor mentions fome fickly Perfons, who recovered their Health, and lived to a great Age with the Help of a good Regimen. It does not appear (fays he) that this Part of Phyfick, which concerns the Preservation of Health, was much cultivated before the Time of Hippocrates, who writ Three Books de Diata. Galen followed his Steps, and treated the fame Subject. Dr. Etmuller, in the laft Part of his Preface, takes Notice, not only of thofe Authors who have prescribed general Rules to enjoy a long Health, but also of thofe, who writ particularly for the Ufe of Children, Old People, Travellers, Sailors, and Soldiers. Laftly, he obferves, That Dr. Ramazzini is the firft, who published a Book of that Nature for the Ufe of Princes, and concludes with an Encomium upon that Work and the Author. III Befides, fo many Sorts of Meats and Ragoos cannot be equally diffolved by one and the fame Ferment; and the Blood, confifting of so many different Particles, can never attain to a perfect Mixture withour difordering the Body; and therefore will not be proper for the Nourishment of the Parts, and enable them to perform their Functions. This gives the Author Occafion to take Notice of a Paffage in Galen relating to the Emperor Commodus. That Prince felt a violent Pain in his Stomach after Supper: He had a frequent and flow Pulfe, which was looked upon as a Sign of a Fever. Galen being fent for in the Night, declared that the Emperor had no Fever. Commodus asked him, What was to be done? Where upon that Phyfician gave him this Answer: "If any Body elfe was taken with the fame Illness, I would give him, as I ufe to do, fome Wine mixed with 26 Pepper; but because you are King, it will be fuf"ficient to lay upon the Orifice of the Stomach a "Handful of Wool dipped in a hot Pigment of i 66 Nard." The Emperor being well pleased with the ingenuous Freedom of Galen, drank fome Sabine Wine mixed with Pepper, and recovered his Health. Dr. Ramazzini does not approve Drinking feveral Sorts of Wine, and fhews the ill Confequences of it. He recommends Sobriety, as being the only Way of enjoying a good Health, and attaining to old-Age; as it appears from thofe ancient Hermits, who lived upon Roots and Dates, and from the famous Lewis Cornaro, a Noble Venetian, whofe excellent Book (lays the Author) concerning the Advantages of a Sober Life deferves to be illuftrated with a Commentary. That Learned Phyfician informs us, that he will perhaps undertake fuch a Work. He adds, That a Man's Stomach is the best Judge of the Quantity and Goodness of Food neceffary to him; that those Aliments that are easily digested, and afford a quick Nourishment, ought to be accounted the beft, and that, as Lucretius fays; Nec Nec multum refert, quo victu corpus alatur, Dummodo, quod capias, concoctum didere poffis Artubus, & ftomachi humectum fervare tenorem. FATHER Martianay has published the Life of Sifter Magdalen of the Holy Sacrament, a Carmelite Nun. La Vie de Soeur Madeleine du S. Sacrement, Religieufe Carmalite du Voile blanc, avec des reflexions fur excellence de fes vertus. Paris 1711. in 12mo. pagg. 235. 66 That Nun was born at St. Sever, a Town of Gaf cogne, in the Year 1617. and died at Bourdeaux at Fourfcore Years of Age. We are told that her Death was attended with feveral Wonders. Sifter Magdalen had many extraordinary Favours beftowed upon her by Heaven. Being fill in the World, fhe felt 66 a wonderful Sweetness as often as fhe came near "the Holy Table, to receive the Eucharift. That "Sweetness (faid fhe) was like a Fountain of Sweet “ Oyl, which rendred the Ufe of the Holy Sacrament very delicious to her. Whenever the confulted the Child Jefus, he gave her a plain anfwer, which he heard inwardly. Here follows an Inftance of it. "A Mendicant Fryar, being "accused of maitaining a new and dangerous Do"ctrine, was like to prove a very unhappy Man; for his Brethren and Superiors, moved with a "falfe Mr. Maittaire observes, That the Art of Grammar is the Key to all Learning; "The Neceffity of *which (fays he) was never called in Question but by the Ignorant; which none ever neglected, but "who fome time or other paid very dear for't "by betraying the Want of that found Bottom ei ther in Writing or common Discourse.". The Author adds, That" it is now-a-Days the miferable Fate of Grammar to be more whipped "than taught," and appears very much concerned for it. He complains of another Hardship." The Youths (fays he) are forced to learn what they "can't understand, being hurried into Latin, bẻ. "fore they are well able to read English: As if this laft was fo defpicable, that it needed not, or fo bar"barous, that it could not be digefted into a Gram"matical Method. The Ignorance of English (con"tinues the Author) can never be a good Founda❝tion or Ingredient towards difpofing of Youth for "the Learned Languages. The Knowledge of it "must serve as an Introduction to them; else 'twill "be in vain to expect they'l ever be an Improv26 ment to that. What is not known can't be improved; and 'tis by the Help of what we know, "that we learn what we know not." Mr. Maittaire declares, that he cannot find any tolerable Reason why the Fair Sex fhould be excluded from the Benefit of the Ancient Languages. "As for that tender Sex, (fays he) which to fet off we take fo much Pains and ufe fuch variety of "Breeding, fome for the Feet, fome for the Hands, "others for the Voice; what fhall I call it, Cruelty 66 or Ignorance, to debar them from the Accom plifhment of Speech and Understanding? As if "that Sex was (as certainly we by Experience find "it is not) weak and defective in its Head and "Brains. This Grammar contains many useful Obfervations. The Author exemplifies in Englifh the Rules of that Art, and draws a Parallel between that Language and the Learned ones; that the English may be an Introduction Introduction to them, if the young Beginner is defigned for them, and if he is not, that he may be able to fpell and read English diftinctly, and speak truly and fenfibly upon any Subject whatsoever." A SECOND EXTRACT of Dr. RAMAZZINI'S Treatife, fhewing how the Health of Princes may be preferved. (See above, ART. XVIII.) R. Ramazzini complains, that Princes eat little Bread, and fometimes none at all, being contented to wipe their Fingers with the Crum. Good Bread (fays he) is a most wholfome Food, and affords the beft Nourifhment. It does not fo eafily putrify as Flesh, Fish, and Fruit, and keeps a long time without lofing its Nutritive Virtue; and therefore it ought to be preferred to any other Food, and mixed with all other Aliments, in a certain Proportion. But there is no need of fixing the Quantity of it, as Marfilius Ficinus did.. The Author adds, That good Bread contains a great many fpirituous Particles. It affords by a Chymical Operation Acid and Volatile Spirits, which are an excellent Balfam to revive the Ferment of the Stomach. No one that enjoys a good Health, grows weary of Bread; and when a fick Perfon comes to relifh Bread, 'tis look'd upon as a fign of his being on the mending hand. Tis obfervable, that fome Vol. IV. People + H Panis efto duplus ad potum, triplus ad carnes, quan druplus ad pifces. Marfil. Ficinus, De Stadioforum Sanitate tuenda. Lib. II. |