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THE SECOND BOOKE 589
attended, and lesse confusedly governed, and for so
much as they regarded but the same especially. Our
physitians never remember that he who will provide
for all provideth for nothing; and that the totall and
summarie policy of this little world is unto them undigestible.
Whilst they feared to stop the course of a
bloody flux, because he should not fal into an ague, they
killed me a friend of mine who was more worth then
all the rabble of them, yea, were they as many more.
They ballance their divinations of future things with
present evils, and because they will not cure the braine
in prejudice of the stomacke, they offend the stomacke
and empaire the braine, and all by their seditious and
tumultuary drugs. Concerning the variety and weaknes
of the reasons of this Art, it is more apparent then in
any other Art. Aperitive things are good for a man
that's troubled with the collike, because that opening
and dilating the passages, they addresse this slimy
matter whereof the gravel and stone is engendred,
and so convay downeward whatsoever beginneth to
harden and petnfie in the reines : aperitive things are
dangerous for a man thats troubled with the collick,
because that opening and dilating the passages, they
addresse towards the reines the matter engendring
gravell, which by reason of the propensions they have
with it, easily seizing on the same, must by consequence
stay great store of that which is convaied unto
them. Moreover, if by chance it fortune to meet with
a body somewhat more grosse then it ought to be,
to passe all those strait turnings, which to expel the
same they must glide thorow ; that body being moved
by those soluble things, and cast in those strait
chanels, and comming to stop them, it will doubtlesse
hasten a certain and most dolorous death. They have
a like constancy about the counsels they give us, touching
the regiment of our life. It is good to make water
often; for by experience we see that permitting the
same idlelv to ly still, we give it leisure to discharge
it selfe of her lees and excrements, which may serve to
breed the stone in the bladder. It is good to make