First therefore in the election or choice of aire , observe this , that it be pure and void of infection : for pure aire is to the heart , as balm to the sinews , yea it is both meat , drink , exercise , and Physick to the whole body . Meat , whilst it is easily converted into spirits : Drink , whilst it allayeth the thirst of the lungs and heart , which no drink can so well quench ; exercise , whilst it moveth humors immoveable otherwise of their own nature ; medicine or Physick , whilst it helpeth to thrust forth excrements , which would else harden or putrifie within our bodies , the vapors whereof would so shake the bulwark of life , and defile the rivers of blood issuing from the liver , that we should not live long in health , if happily we lived at all .

Next to purity of aire , we must chuse that also which is temperate . For natural heat is not preserved , saith Galen , but of aire moderately cold : And Aristotle saith , That Lib. de resp. ●su . ex Hipp. l. de loc. aer . & aq l. 7 polit. Countries and Cities , and houses , which by interposition of hils on the North side be seldom cooled , are subject to mortality , and many diseases . Yet must it not be so hot as to dissolve spirits , procure thirst , and abundant sweat , to the hindring of urine , and decaying of strength and appetite : But ( as I said before ) of a middle temper , because as nature Gal. 1. dr ▪ tu ▪ san is the mother , so mediocrity is the preserver of every thing . Who sees not a dry Summer peeleth , and a dry winter riveleth the skin ? and that contrariwise , an over-moist aire puffeth it up with humors , and engendreth rheumes in the whole body ?

Thirdly , That aire is best which is most seasonable : Namely , warm and moist in the Spring , hot and dry in Summer , cooling and dry in Autumn , cold and moist in Winter : Hip de aer . loc. & aq. which seasons falling out contrarily , as sometimes they doe ( especially in Islands ) infinite and unavoidable diseases ensue thereupon . For if the spring-aire be cold and dry through abundance of Northeast winds , dry inflammations of the eys , hot urines , fluxes of bloud by nose and bowels , and most dangerous catarrhs to old persons , follow upon it . If Summer be cold and dry through the like winds , look for all kinds of agues , headaches , coughs , and consumptions : Contrariwise if it be too hot and dry , suppression of urine , and womens courses , together with exceeding bleeding at the nose is to be feared . If Autumn be full of Southern and warm blasts , the next Winter attend all rheumatick and moist diseases . If Winter on the contrary be cold and dry , which naturally should be cold and moist , long agues , humoral aches , coughs and plurisies are to be expected , unless the next Spring be of a moist disposition .

Again , consider also , how any house or City is situated , for the aire is qualified accordingly . Namely , if they be placed Southeast , South , and Southwest , and be hindred from all Northern blasts by opposition of hils , they have neither Hippoc. de loc. aer ▪ & aq. sweet water , nor wholsome aire ; but there women are subject to fluxes and miscarriages , children to convulsions and shortness of breath , men to bloudy fluxes , scourings , and Hemorrhoids , and such like . But Cities , Countries , or houses situated clean contrary , towards the North-west , North , and North-East , and defended from all Southern gusts and blasts , albeit the people there are commonly more strong and dry , yet are they subject through suppression of excrements , unto headaches , sharp plurisies , coughs , exulceration of the lungs , phlegmatick collections , rupture of inward veins , and red eyes . Likewise in those Countries , young boyes are subject to swelling of the codds , young girls to the navel-rupture ; men to the diseases above named : Women to want and scarcity of their natural terms , to hard labours , ruptures and convulsions , and to consumptions after childbearth ▪ Easterly Towns ( especially inclining to the south ) and houses are more wholesome then the westerly for many causes : first because the aire is there more temperately hot and cold . Secondly because all waters and springs running that way , are most clear fragrant pleasant and wholesome , resembling as it were a dainty spring ; and verily women there conceive quickly and Hippoc. loco citato . bring forth easily : children prove large , well coloured and lively : men healthful strong and able to any exercise , But Western cities and houses , barren , clean , of Eastern gusts , have ever both troubled waters and unwholesome winds , which mingled with the waters obscure their clearness , and maketh the inhabitants weak , heavy , and ill coloured , hoarce-voiced , dull witted , and wanting ( as if they were entring the house of death ) quickness and vigour . But Avicen of all others declares this most at large , who shewing the boldness and goodness of aire by the situation , Lib. 1. Fen. 2. d●st. 11. describes them in these words . Houses having their chief or full seat Eastward , are very wholsome for three causes . First , because the Sun rising upon them , purgeth the aire very timely , Secondly , because it stayes not there long to dissolve spirits , but turneth westward after noon , Thirdly , because cold winds are commonly as ushers to the Sun rising , by which all corruption is killed , that either was in the aire or lay on the ground . Westerne places are worst situated : First , because the Sun bestowes not his maiden head and kingly heat upon them , but a hot and scorching flame , neither attenuating nor drying their aire , but filling it full of fogs and mists Whereupon it falls out , that the inhabitants are much troubled with hoarseness , rheumes , measils , pocks , and pestilence . Southern seats are commonly subject to catarhs , fluxes of the belly , heaviness , want of appetite , haemoroids , inflamation of eyes ; and their women conceive hardly and miscarry easily , abounding in menstrual and mighty pollutions , their old men are subject to palsies , trembling apoplexies and all humoral diseases , their children to cramps and the falling evil : their young men to continual putrified agues , and all kind of rebellious fevours . In Nothren countryes through the driness , coldness , and sharpness of the wind ; women do hardly conceive , and dangerously bring forth : or if they be well delivered , yet commonly through want of milk they are not able to nurse their children . Their young men die of consumptions , their old men and children of cruel cramps . They which dwell upon the tops of hills ( where every wind blows from under the Sun ) are for the most part sound , strong , nimble , long-lived and fit for labour . Contrariwise the valley people ( so seated that no wind blows upon them ) are ever heavy spirited , dull and sickly : for as a fire of green wood dieth unles the flame be scattered with continual blowing ; and as a standing water corrupteth in a little space : so an idle aire rouled about with no winds soon putrifieth ; because his dissimilar parts be not separated by winowing , as the chaffe is from the wheat . The best Aire But the best situation of a house or city , is upon the slaunt of a southwest hill ( like to this of Ludlow , wherein we sojourne for a time ) neither fully barred of the East , North , and Southern winds , clear , and free from the mists of bogs and fens , purified from the stinck of common Sinks , Vaults and Lestals , as also from the unwholesome breathings of Caves , Colepits , & Copper , or Brimstone-mines : not so cold as to stupifie members , not so hot as to burn the skin , not so moist as to swell us with rheumes , nor so dry as to parch up our natural moisture : not to much nor to variable ( as upon the top of hills ) not so little , nor too standing , as in low Vallies : neither smelling of nothing , as in barren Countries , nor smelling of bad things , as in the Fens : but fragrant without a discerning of smell , and sweetest of all in an unknown sweetness For howsoever some men dream , that the smell of the spice-trees in Arabia felix make the neighbour inhabitants both healthfull of body and sound of mind ( which I will not deny , if you compare them with the borderers of the Palestine lake . ) Nevertheless as Tully saith of women , They smell best which smell of nothing ; so verily the aire that smells of nothing is best to nourish us in health , though otherwise in some sickness a perfumed aire is best , and also to expel a loathsome stinck , or ( like to the neighing of Apolloes horses ) to rouse up dull and sleepy senses . In which respect I am of Aristotles opinion , that sweet smels were appointed to be in flowers , fruits , barks , roots , fields , and meddowes , not onely for delight , but also for medicin . Nevertheless as the tastles water makes the best broath , so the smelling aire gives the purest ( I will not say the strongest ) nourishment to our spirits . In Plutarchs time men were grown to this wantoness , that every morning and night they perfumed not only their apparrel and gloves , but also their bodies with sweet ointments , made of most costly spices : buying with great charges , what shall I say ? an idle , a needless , a womanly pleasure ? nay verily an unnatural and more then bruitish . For every beast loveth his own mate only for her own smel ( whatsoever it be ) but some men love not their meat , nor drink , nor the aire , nor their wifes , nor themselves , unless they smel , or rather stinck of sweet costly and forreine fumes : which being taken without cause , do the head more hurt then being taken upon cause they do it good . Wherefore if thy brain be temperate , and not too moist , cold , or dull , eschew a strong smelling aire ( such as comes from walflowers , stock-gillyflowers , pincks , roses , Hiacynths , mead sweet , hony suckles , jasimin , Narcissus , musk , amber civet , and such like ) contenting thy self with the simplest aire , which for sound complexions is simply best . Or if for recreation and pleasuresake thou desirest it some time , let it not be of a full or strong sent : but mingled with sweet and soure ( as violets with Time ) and breathing rather a sharpe then a fulsome sweetness . And thus much of the choice of aires ; now come we to the preparation and use of them .