All these are called Cordials.
1. Such as cool the heart in fevers, yet is not every thing that cooleth cordial, for lead is colder than gold, yet is not lead cordial as gold is, some hold it cordial by a hidden quality, others by reason.
2. Such as resist poison; there is a two-fold resisting of poison.
1. By an antipathy between the medicine and poison.
2. By a sympathy between the medicine and the heart.
Of the first we shall speak anon, in a chapter by itself. The latter belongs to this chapter, and they are such medicines, whose nature is to strengthen the heart, and fortify it against the poison, as Rue, Angelica, &c. For as the operation of the former is upon the poison, which afflicteth the heart, so the operation of the latter is upon the heart afflicted by the poison.
To this class may be referred all such medicines as strengthen the heart either by astral influence, or by likeness of substance, if there be such a likeness in medicines, for a Bullock’s heart is of like substance to man’s, yet I question whether it be cordial or not.
3. And lastly, Such as refresh the spirits, and make them lively and active, both because they are appropriated to the office, and also because they drive stinking and melancholy vapours from the heart, for as the animal spirit be refreshed by fragrant smells, and the natural spirits by spices, so are the vital spirits refreshed by all such medicines as keep back melancholy vapours from the heart, as Borrage, Bugloss, Rosemary, Citron Pills, the compositions of them, and many others, which this treatise will amply furnish you with.
