it be afflicted by heat, sense and reason, it is immoderately moved, if by cold, they languish, and are dulled, to pass by other symptoms which invade the head, if the brain be altered from its proper temper.

Also this is peculiar to the brain, that it is delighted or offended by smells, sights, and sounds, but I shall meddle no further with these here, because they are not medicines.

Cephalical Medicines may be found out from the affections of the brain itself. The brain is usually oppressed with moisture in such afflictions; therefore give such medicines as very gently warm,cleanse, cut, and dry: but withal, let them be such as are appropriated to the head, such as physicians say (by an hidden quality) strengthen the brain.

Again, if you consider the situation of the brain, you shall find it placed in the highest part of the body, therefore it is easily afflicted with hot vapours: this punishes a man with watching and headache, as the former did with sottishness and sleepiness, in such cases use such Cephalecs as gently cool the brain.

To make Cephalecs of Narcoticks, or stupifying medicines, is not my intent, for I am confident they are inimical both to brain and senses. Of these, and such medicines as also purge the brain, I shall speak by and by. To return to my purpose.

Some Cephalics purge the brain, some heat it, some cool it, some strengthen it; but how they perform this office peculiarly to the brain, most physicians confess they could neither comprehend by reason, nor describe by precepts, only thus, they do it by an hidden quality, either by strengthening the brain, thereby descending it from diseases, or by a certain antipathy between them and the diseases incident to the brain.

Lastly, for the use of Cephalics, observe, if the brain be much afflicted, you cannot well strengthen it before you have purged it, neither can you well purge the brain before you have cleansed the rest of the body, it is so subject to receive the vapours up to it; give cooling Cephalics when the brain is too hot, and hot Cephalics when it is too cold.

Beware of using cooling medicines to the brain when the crisis of a disease is near: how that time may be known, I shall (God assisting me) instruct you hereafter; let it suffice now, that according as the disease afflicting your head is, so let your remedy be.

Of Medicines appropriated to the eyes

Take such medicines as are appropriated to the eyes under the name of (Ocular Medicines). I do it partly to avoid multiplicity of words, and partly to instruct my countrymen in the terms of art belonging to physic, (I would have called them [Ophthalmics] had not the word been troublesome to the reading, much more to the understanding of a countryman) as I even now called such medicines [Cephalics] as were appropriated to the brain.

Ocular medicines are two-fold, viz. such as are referred to the visive virtues, and such as are referred to the eyes themselves.

Such as strengthen the visive virtue or the optick nerves which convey it to the eyes (say Doctors) do it by an hidden virtue, into the reason which no man can dive, unless they should fetch it from

the similitude of the substance. And yet they say a Goat's liver conduces much to make one see in the night, and they give this reason, because Goats see as well in the night as in the day. Yet is there no affinity in temperature nor substance between the liver and the eyes. However, Astrologers know well enough that all herbs, plants, &c. that are under the dominion of either sun or moon, and appropriated to the head, be they hot or cold they strengthen the visive virtue, as Eyebright, which is hot Lunaria, or Moonwort which is cold.