SC - Fw: [TY] Halloween Parade

[deborah minyard]

This discussion has prompted me to dig out a translation I was 
working on a while ago.  It's part of the chapter on water from Luis 
Lobera de Avila's 1530 health manual, _Banquete de Nobles 
Caballeros_.  What follows is the first half of that chapter, which 
discusses medicinal herb teas.  The rest, which is written in a very 
difficult, scholarly Spanish, is mostly quoting Galen, Avicenna, and 
Arnaldus of Villanova on the properties of water.

I know the person who asked was primarily interested in English 
practice, and this of course, is Spanish.  But perhaps it may be of 
interest.  Disclaimer: I don't know what half these herbs are, and 
am not making any statements about their usefulness or safety.


CHAPTER XII

Of the quality and use of water and of the benfits and dangers of it

It is well manifest that water is cold and humid in nature and because of 
this, Galen, in the first tractate, _De simplici medicina_ says that it is 
thickening and congealing.  Thus, the best of the spring waters is that 
which has its origin or birth in the rising of the sun, and when it is 
highest and is most continuous and lightest and does not diminish in its 
heat, it is better.  Even better is if it were from clear stones, without 
notable flavor or odor.   And it is better if this is rainwater, well 
preserved, caught at the times of your choosing.  So Diascorides showed 
in his first chapter, where he says that in all the illnesses for which we 
need to administer water, rainwater is the best of all.  And this is shown 
by its being lighter and pleasanter to the taste, and quicker to digest and 
quicker to receive cold or heat into itself.  And therefore, in various 
illnesses and in various stages of them it is licit for us to administer cold 
water, or according to the diversity of illnesses one should cook the 
water with some of various things, because by itself the heating loses a 
large part of [the water’s] rawness.  Because just as its rawness is often 
dangerous, so its qualities, cold and humid, in various parts and in 
various illnesses are very medicinal.  An example of the first: of cooked 
water in various afflictions, if the tendency is of a melancholic humour, 
cook it with the root of common bugloss and borage leaves, or with each 
of these things.  If one fears a stomach affliction, with cinnamon or 
cloves.  If one fears paralysis, with sage and honey.  If one has great 
heat, with barley.  In an affliction of the liver, with chicory and common 
ceterach.  In obstructions, with tamarisk.  If one fears conjunctive 
arthritic gout,  and golden.*  If one has wind, with anise or cinnamon.  If 
urine is lacking, with licorice.  If vision is failing, with fennel and anise.  
And thus, in the other illnesses they can cook it with some of these 
things, appropriate to the same illness.  And Galen says, in _De regimine 
acutarum_, since it is as though the fever was a burning from an exterior 
heat, its medication should be its contrary, because the fire in its nature 
is hot and dry, and the fever is likewise.  Cold water should be well 
opposed or contrary to the febrile nature, as it not only humidifies but 
even cools the body against the qualities of the fever...


*Possibly this refers to boiling pieces of gold in the water.  



Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
harper at idt.net