Q. Why is a dog’s tongue good for medicine, and a horse’s tongue pestiferous? A. By reason of some secret property, or that the tongue of a dog is full of pores, and so doth draw and take the viscosity of a wound. It is observed that a dog hath some humour in his tongue, with which, by licking, he doth heal; but the contrary effect is in a horse’s tongue.
Q. Why is spittle white? A. By reason of the continual movement of the tongue, whereof heat is engendered, which doth make this superfluity white; that is seen on the froth of water.
Q. Why is spittle unsavoury and without taste? A. If it had a certain determinate taste, then the tongue would not taste at all, but only give the taste of spittle, and could not distinguish others.
Q. Why does the spittle of one that is fasting heal an imposthume? A. Because it is well digested, and made subtle.
Q. Why do some abound in spittle more than others? A. This doth proceed of a phlegmatic complexion, which doth predominate in them; and such are liable to a quotidian ague, which ariseth from the predominance of phlegm: the contrary, in those that spit little, because heat abounds in them, which consumes the humidity of the spittle; and so the defect of spittle is the sign of fever.
Q. Why is the spittle of a man who is fasting more subtle than of one who is full? A. Because the spittle is without the viscosity of meat, which is wont to make the spittle of one who is full, gross and thick.
Q. From whence proceedeth the spittle of man? A. From the froth of the lungs, which, according to the physicians, is the seat of the phlegm.
Q. Why have not birds spittle? A. Because they have very dry lungs.
Q. Why doth the tongue sometimes lose the use of speaking? A. It is occasioned by a palsy or apoplexy, which is a sudden effusion of blood, and by gross humours; and sometimes also by infection of spiritus animalis in the middle cell of the brain, which hinders the spirits from being carried to the tongue.