How to Improve Your Memory, 1562

Margarita Philosophica Nova (1508), Wellcome Library

"To sleepe hosed and shoed especially with foule sockes, doth hinder the Memorie, because of the reflection of the vapours: feebleth the syght, and causeth the body to waxe whote and burne... Feare doth oppresse the Memorie, or endurynge sadnes: also a pensive care of housholde busynesse is hurtfull. Also immoderate sleepe and violent vomiting." 

Guglielmo Gratarolo, The Castel of Memorie 

Frankly, if your sock vapors are foul enough to cause blindness and burning, a poor memory is the least of your problems.

How to Improve Your Memory, 1563

Edward Topsell, The History of Four-Footed Beasts, 1607

"To make one have a good memorie. Take a Tooth or the lefte legge of a Badgre... and binde it aboute youre riggt arme nexte unto the flesh. Take also the gall of a Partrich, and rubbe your temples with it that it maie soke into the skin and fleshe, ones in a moneth, and it will make you have a good memorie." 

The Second Part of the Secretes of Maister Alexis of Piemont (1563)

This is a bit of a Faustian bargain, isn't it? Your improved memory comes at the cost of having to adorn yourself with badger parts and partridge goo. Well, at least others will definitely remember you. 

How to Improve Memory, 1630

"Late Suppers, the too much use of Tobacco, meates that ingender grosse humors, too much woman, too much surfetting and costly fulnesse; all bad for Memory, ill for the purse, and worse for the health..." 

 William Basse, A Helpe to Memory and Discourse (1630) 

You heard it from William Basse: the grosse humors will really mess with your memory parts (for the record, that would be "in the backe part of the Braine").