Articella

of poison, which is born from excessive burning, which has its own color, and its own virtue and malice. ¶ On black bile. Black bile consists in two modes. In one way it is natural, in the manner of the dregs of blood and its disturbance: and it is known to be black when it flows out from below or above: and this mode is truly cold and dry. There is another mode outside the natural course, whose origin is from the burning of a choleric mixture: and this is truly called black: and it is hotter and lighter than the previous mode, having in itself an infectious force, and a pernicious quality.

On the modes of the members.

The modes of the members are four. For of these, some are principal: and they are as if the matter and foundations, namely: the brain, the heart, the liver, and the testicles. ¶ And there are others that serve the aforementioned principals: such as the nerves which minister to the brain. The arteries which serve the heart. The veins which serve the liver. And the spermatic vessels which serve the testicles, ministering sperm to them. ¶ Indeed, there are other members having their own proper virtue, from which those same members are governed and their quality is established: such as the bones, and cartilages, and membranes, which are between the skin and the flesh, and muscles, and fat, and flesh. ¶ Others exist that have their own proper virtue, yet they have their beginning and vigor from the principal foundations: such as the stomach, kidneys, intestines, and all the muscles: for these, by their own proper virtue, seek food, and change it, and perform their acts according to nature: they also have other proper virtues flowing from the principal foundations, from which principals consists sense and life with voluntary motion.

On the number of virtues

and their division.

The division of virtue is therefore threefold. There is animal virtue. And spiritual. And natural.
¶ On natural virtue. Indeed, natural virtue is one that ministers, another to which it is ministered. But the natural virtue to which it is ministered sometimes generates, sometimes nourishes, sometimes feeds. But the virtue that ministers and is not ministered to, sometimes desires, and retains, and digests, and expels, which serve the feeding virtue, just as the feeding virtue serves the nourishing. And two others serve the generating virtue. One that changes the food, another that informs, which differ in themselves. For the former virtue changes the food and ministers to the generating virtue without information. But the second changes and ministers to the generating virtue with information. But the operations of the informing virtue are five: Assimilative, concave, perforable, rough, and smooth. ¶ On spiritual virtue. From spiritual virtue two things proceed. One operative, another operated by it. The operative virtue is that which dilates the heart and constricts the arteries. From the operated these are born: anger, indignation, power...