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lyfte: for it is more able to lyfte and to beare ſome thing, as ſayth Iſidore. That ſide beareth the ſhield, and the buckler, ſword, the quiuer, the knife and other burthens, that the right hande maye bee ready at lybertie to doe what it ſhall, as ſayth Iſidore. The ſides be ſpeciallye ſtrengthened with the bones of ribbes. And the ribbes be called Coſtae as Iſidore ſaith: becauſe the ribbes kéepe the inner part of the body, and all the ſofteneſſe and tendernes of the belly, is wiſely kept and ſaued by the office of ye ribs. And the ſide ribbes be made and compounded of many bones ioyned & bound to the bones of the ioyntes of the ridge bone, and of diuers griſtles, that ioyne the foreſayd bones together, as ſayeth Conſtantine. And theſe boanes haue the lykeneſſe of halfe a Circle: & when they be ioyned togethers to the ioyntes of the ridge bone and of the breſt boane, they ſéeme to make a full circle, as ſaith Conſtantine. The boanes be fourtéene ſaith he, ſet in the either ſide ſeuen, ſeuen on the one ſide, & ſeuen on the other, the which be bound togethers to the cloſure of the breaſt, with ſeuen tender boanes, that be as it were of griſtly kinde. Of which the endes are tender and griſtlye, ſhapen as the poynt of a ſword, and ſet vnder the mouth of the ſtomacke for defence thereof, and of the heart. And ſo in the making or compoſition of the ribbes and breaſt, in all be two & thirtie bones, of the which fourtéen be in the ſides, & in the compoſition of the breſt, ten. Behind in the ridge be eight griſtle boanes, togethers as ſayth Conſtantine. It happeneth that the ſide is ofte griued, ſomtime by cauſe that is without, as by fallyng, breaking, ſmiting, and other ſuch. And ſometime by cauſe that is within, as by fléeting and concourſe, and comming togethers of the humours to the place and hollowneſſe of the ſmall ribs. And ſomtime a poſtume is bred therin, as it fareth in a pluriſie, that is bred and commeth of a poſtume, that is in ye tenderneſſe of the rybbes. The tokens therof be ache of the ſide, cough, and Febris Acuta, and is ſpeciallye knowen by bloudie ſpittle: if it come of bloud, by citrineſſe or yeolow: if it come of Cholera, by white ſpittle: if it come of fleme, by bloo ſpittle: if it come of Melancholia, but it bréedeth ſelde of Melancholia, as it is contayned in Practica. Such poſtumes when they be rooted and pight in the ſide, then they be cauſe of ſore ach, ſtiffeling, and burning, and then he that hath that euill, may not reſt vpon the ſide that the poſtume is on. Therefore it is ſaid in Pronoſticis, that it is a good ſigne that a ſicke man in Febribus acutis, lye on his ſide, & ſpecially on his right ſide. For that betokeneth, that the nigh places haue no poſtume, and that the ſpirituall members be frée, and haue large place to open and to ſpred, and ſo a man breatheth the better: for neither the ſtomacke, nor other members grieueth, neither thirſteth the ſpirituall members. Alſo it happeneth, that vnder the ſmall ribs in a voyde place, winde is gathered and cloſed within the ſmall ſkinnes of the ribs, and by the ſtretching thereof is bred ſore pricking and ache. And ſometime it happeneth that the place is ſtopped and made hard by gathering of great humours. And ſo the ſide places be haled and rent, eyther made too harde, either ſhrunke, eyther too much heaued vp. And therefore it is ſayde in Pronoſticis Hippocratis, In the ſmall ribs if they are without ache and ſore, and if they be ſofte, and well compounded in euery ſide, it is good. And if they ake, or haue the Crampe, and be drawen togethers, as it fareth in the Crampe: If there be onely great quaking and leaping in anye of them, it betokeneth woe and ſorrowe, either rauing, &c.

¶And that is a ſpeciall token in Febribus Acutis, and ſpecially if the ſight of the eyen bée horrible ſtaring and inordinate, as ſayeth the ſame Commentatour. And if the mouing of the Eyen bée ordynate, it is not ſo great dreade of rauing in Acutis, Vt dicit Idem.

THe ridge is called Dorſum in latine,^[1] and hath that name of hardeneſſe,

1. ↑ Dorſum.