16. 16 Now Abstinence is of two kinds, in one of which the patient takes nothing at all, in the other only what he must. The beginnings of diseases require at first hunger and thirst, the actual diseases then moderation, so that nothing but what is expedient, and not too much of that, may be consumed; for it is not at all proper to have surfeit at once after a fast. But if this be not good even in healthy bodies, when some necessity has imposed fasting, how much worse it is in a sick body! To a sufferer nothing is more advantageous than a timely abstinence. Among us intemperate men with regard to their food themselves... the times are left to the doctors; again others make a present of the times to their medical men, but reserve to themselves as to quantity. They think that they are generous, when they leave them to decide as to all else, and keep free as to the kind of food; as if it were a question of what may be yielded to the doctor, not what may be good for the patient, who suffers grievous harm, as often as he transgresses in what he consumes, whether as to the time of the meal, its quantity or its quality.
16. Abstinentiae uero duo genera sunt, alterum ubi nihil adsumit aeger, alterum ubi non nisi quod oportet. Initia morborum primum famem sitimque desiderant, ipsi deinde morbi moderationem, ut neque aliud quam expedit neque eius ipsius nimium sumatur: neque enim conuenit iuxta inediam protinus satietatem esse. Quod si sanis quoque corporibus inutile est, ubi aliqua necessitas famem fecit, quanto inutilius est etiam in corpore aegro? Neque ulla res magis adiuuat laborantem quam tempestiua abstinentia. Intemperantes homines apud nos ipsi cibi * * * tempora curantibus dantur: rursus alii tempora medicis pro dono remittunt, sibi ipsis modum uindicant. Liberaliter agere se credunt, qui cetera illorum arbitrio relinquant, in genere cibi liberi sunt: quasi quaeratur quid medico liceat, non quid aegro salutare sit, cui uehementer nocet, quotiens in eius, quod adsumitur, uel tempore uel modo uel genere peccatur.
17. 17 Sweating also is elicited in two ways, either by dry heat, or by the bath. The dry is the heat of hot sand, of the Laconian sweating-room, and of the dry oven, and of some natural sweating places, where hot vapour exhaling from the ground is confined within a building, as we have it in the myrtle groves above Baiae. Besides these it is also derived from the sun and through exercise. These treatments are useful whenever humor is doing harm inside, and has to be dispersed. And also some diseases of sinews are best treated thus. But the other treatments may suit the infirm: sun and exercise only the more robust, who must, however, be free from fever, whether only at the com-mencement of a disease, or when actually in the grasp of a grave malady. But care must be taken that none of the above are tried either during fever or with food undigested. Now the bath is of double service; for at one time after fevers have been dissipated, it forms for a convalescent the preliminary to a fuller diet and stronger wine; at another time it actually takes off the fever; and it is generally adopted, when it is expedient to relax the skin and draw out corrupt humor and change the bodily habit. The ancients used it rather timidly, Asclepiades more boldly. There is indeed nothing to be apprehended from its use, if it be timely; before the proper time it does harm. A patient who has become free from fever can safely be bathed, as soon as there has been no paroxysm for one whole day, on the next day after the time for a paroxysm. But where the fever has a regular periodicity so that it recurs every third or fourth day, when there has not been a recurrence, the bath is safe. Even whilst fevers are persisting, if they are slow and mild, and have lasted a long while, this treatment may properly be tried, so long as the parts below the ribs are neither indurated nor swollen, the tongue not furred, there is no pain in the trunk or head, and the fever is not then on the increase. And in those fevers which have a definite periodicity, there are two opportunities for the bath, one before the shivering, the other after the fever has ended: but in the case of those who have been the subjects for a long while of slow and slight fever, the time for the bath is when the paroxysm has wholly remitted, or if that does not occur, at any rate when it has mitigated, and the patient's body has already become as sound as it possibly can in this sort of complaint. A weakly patient who is about to go to the bath should avoid exposing himself to cold beforehand. On arriving at the bath, he should sit for a while to try whether his temples become tightened, and whether any sweat arises: if the former happens without the latter, for that day the bath is unsuitable, and he should be anointed lightly and carried home, and cold is to be avoided in every possible way and abstinence practised. But if the temples are unaffected, and sweating starts there first, and then elsewhere, his face is to be fomented with hot water; then he should go down into the hot bath, where it is to be noted whether there is shrivelling of the skin at the first touch of hot water, which can hardly happen when the indications noted above have been attended to properly: it is, however, a sure sign of the bath being injurious. Whether he should be anointed before entering, or after the hot bath, should be decided from the degree of his convalescence. Generally, however, unless it has been definitely prescribed that it is to be done afterwards, when the sweating begins the body should be slightly anointed, and then he is to get into the hot water. And whilst in it also regard should be had to his strength; he ought not to be kept in the bath until he faints from the heat, but be taken out earlier and carefully wrapped up so that no cold reaches him, and so that he may sweat there also before taking anything. There are hot foments: millet, salt, or sand, any of which is heated, and put into a linen cloth: when less heat is required the linen cloth may be used alone, but if greater heat, firebrands are extinguished, wrapped up in rags, and so put round him. Further, leathern bottles are to be filled with hot oil, or hot water is poured into earthenware vessels, called from their shape "lentils"; and salt is put into a linen bag, and dipped into very hot water, then laid upon the limb to be fomented.... and two broad-ended cautery irons are heated near the fire, and one of them is dipped into that salt, and water is lightly sprinkled upon the iron held over the part. When the iron begins to cool, it is put back into the fire, and the second iron made use of in the same way as the first, turn and turn about: during the procedure a hot brine drips down, which is beneficial for sinews contracted by disease of any kind. The common effect of all these measures is to disperse whatever is oppressing the parts over the heart, or strangling the throat, or harming some limb. It will be stated under particular maladies when use is to be made of each (III, IV).
17. Sudor etiam duobus modis elicitur, aut sicco calore aut balneo. Siccus calor est et harenae calidae et Laconici et clibani et quarundam naturalium sudationum, ubi terra profusus calidus uapor aedificio includitur, sicut super Baias in murtetis habemus. Praeter haec sole quoque et exercitatione mouetur. Vtiliaque haec genera sunt, quotiens umor intus nocet, isque digerendus est. Ac neruorum quoque quaedam uitia sic optime curantur. Sed cetera infirmis possunt conuenire: sol et exercitatio tantum robustioribus, qui tamen sine febre uel inter initia morborum uel etiam grauibus morbis tenentur. Cauendum autem est, ne quid horum uel in febre uel in cruditate temptetur. At balnei duplex usus est: nam modo discussis febribus initium cibi plenioris uinique firmioris [ualetudinis] facit, modo ipsam febrem tollit; fereque adhibetur, ubi summam cutem relaxari euocarique corruptum umorem et habitum corporis mutari expedit. Antiqui timidius eo utebantur, Asclepiades audacius. Neque terrere autem ea res, si tempestiua est, debet: ante tempus nocet. Quisquis febre liberatus est, simulatque ea uno die non accessit, eo, qui proximus est post tempus accessionis, tuto lauari potest. At si circumitum habere ea febris solita est, sic ut tertio quartoue die reuertatur, quandocumque non accessit, balneum tutum est. Manentibus uero adhuc febribus, si eae sunt quae lentae lenesque iam diu male habent, recte medicina ista temptatur, cum eo tamen, ne praecordia dura sint neue ea tumeant, neue lingua aspera sit, neue aut in medio corpore aut in capite dolor ullus sit, neue tum febris increscat. Atque in iis quidem febribus, quae certum circuitum habent, duo balnei tempora sunt, alterum ante horrorem, alterum febre finita: in is uero, qui lentis febriculis diu detinentur, cum aut ex toto recessit accessio, aut si id non solet, certe lenita est, iamque corpus tam integrum est, quam maxime esse in eo genere ualetudinis solet. Inbecillus homo iturus in balneum uitare debet, ne ante frigus aliquod experiatur. Vbi in balneum uenit, paulisper resistere experirique, num tempora adstringantur, et an sudor aliqui oriatur: si illud incidit, hoc non secutum est, inutile est eo die balineum perunguendusque is leniter et auferendus est, uitandumque omni modo frigus, et abstinentia utendum. At si temporibus integris primum ibi, deinde alibi sudor incipit, fouendum os aqua calida; tum in solio descendendum est, atque ibi quoque uidendum est, num sub primo contactu aquae calidae summa cutis inhorrescat, quod uix fieri potest, si priora recte cesserunt: certum autem signum inutilis balinei est. Ante uero an postea quam in aquam calidam se demittat aliquis perungui debeat, ex ratione ualetudinis suae cognoscat. Fere tamen, nisi ubi nominatim ut postea fiat praecipietur, moto sudore leuiter corpus perunguendum, deinde in aquam calidam demittendum est. Atque hic quoque habenda uirium ratio est; neque committendum, ut per aestum anima deficiat; sed maturius is auferendus curioseque uestimentis inuoluendus est, ut neque ad eum frigus adspiret, et ibi quoque, antequam aliquid adsumat, insudet. Fomenta quoque calida sunt milium, sal, harena, quidlibet eorum calfactum et in linteum coniectum: si minore ui opus est, etiam solum linteum, at si maiore, exstincti ti⟨ti⟩ones inuolutique panniculis et sic circumdati. Quin etiam calido oleo replentur utriculi, et in uasa fictilia, [similitudine] quas lenticulas uocant, aqua coicitur; et sal sacco linteo excipitur, demittiturque in aquam bene calidam, tum super id membrum, quod fouendum est, conlocatur * * * iuxtaque ignem ferramenta duo sunt, capitibus paulo latioribus, alterumque ex iis demittitur in eum salem, et super aqua leuiter aspergitur: ubi frigere coepit, ad ignem refertur, et idem in altero fit, deinde inuicem in utroque: inter quae descendit salsus et calidus sucus, qui contractis aliquo morbo neruis opitulatur. His omnibus commune est digerere id, quod uel praecordia onerat, uel fauces strangulat, uel in aliquo membro nocet. Quando autem quoque utendum sit, in ipsis morborum generibus dicetur.
18. 18 After having spoken of those things which benefit by depleting, we come to those which nourish, namely food and drink. Now these are of general assistance not only in diseases of all kinds but in preserving health as well; and an acquaintance with the properties of all is of importance, in the first place that those in health may know how to make use of them, then, as we follow on to the treatment of diseases (III, IV), we can state the species of aliments to be consumed, without the necessity every time of naming them singly. So then it should be known that all pulses, and all bread-stuffs made from grain, form the strongest kind of food (I call strongest that which has most nourishment). To the same class of further belong: all domesticated quadruped animals; all large game such as the wild she-goat, deer, wild boar, wild ass; all large birds, such as the goose and peacock and crane; all sea monsters, among which is the whale and such like; also honey and cheese. Hence it is not wonderful that pastry made of grain, lard, honey and cheese is very strong food. Among food materials of the middle class ought to be reckoned: of pot-herbs, those of which the roots or bulbs are eaten; of quadrupeds, the hare; birds of all kinds from the smallest up to the flamingo; likewise all fish which do not bear salting or are salted whole. The weakest of food materials are: all vegetable stalks and whatever forms on a stalk, such as the gourd and cucumber and caper, all orchard fruits, olives, snails, and likewise shellfish. But although these are so divided, nevertheless even those of the same species admit of great differentiation, one thing being stronger or weaker than another: whilst there is more nutriment in bread than in anything else, wheat is a stronger food than millet, and that again than barley; and of wheat the strongest is siligo, next simila, then the meal from which nothing is extracted, which the Greeks call autopuros; weaker is bread made from pollen, weakest the common grey bread. Among pulses, bean and lentils are stronger food than peas. Of vegetables the turnip and navew and all bulbs, among which I include the onion also and garlic, are stronger than the parsnip, or that which is specially called a root. Also cabbage and beet and leek are stronger than lettuce or gourd or asparagus. But of fruit growing on twigs, grapes, figs, nuts, dates are stronger than orchard fruit properly so‑called; and of these last, the juicy are stronger than the mealy. Likewise of those birds, which belong to the middle class, those which rely more on their feet are stronger food than those which rely more on their wings; and of those birds which depend on flight, the larger birds yield stronger food than the smaller, such as the fig-eater and thrush. And those also which pass their time in the water yield a weaker food than those which have no knowledge of swimming. Among food from domesticated quadrupeds pork is the weakest, beef the strongest. And so also of game, the larger the animal the stronger the food it yields. The fish most in use belong to the middle class; the strongest are, however, those from which salted preparations can be made, such as the mackerel; next come those which, although more tender, are nevertheless firm, such as the gilthead, gurnard, sea bream, eyefish, then the flat fish, and after these still softer, the bass and mullets, and after these all rock fish. Not only is there differentiation in the classes of nutriments, but also as much in the actual species of nutriment; which is due both to age and part of the animal and to soil and to climate and to habit. For every four-footed animal yields less nutriment while it is a suckling, likewise a chicken in a coop, the more tender it is; also a half-grown fish, which has not filled out to its full size. Then likewise in the same pig, trotters, chaps, ears or brain, in a lamb or kid the whole head, also the pettitoes, are somewhat less nutritious than other parts, and so can be placed in the middle class. In birds, the neck and wings are rightly counted as weak nutriment. As regards soil, grain is also more nutritious grown in hilly than in flat districts; fish living among rocks are less nutritious than those in sand, and these again less than those in mud. Hence it is that the same classes of fish from a pond or lake or river are heavier, and those which live in deep water are lighter food than those which live in shallows. Every wild animal is a lighter food than the same species domesticated, and the product of a damp climate is lighter than that of a dry one. Again, all kinds of fat meat have more nutriment than lean, fresh meat than salted, recently killed than stale. Then the same meat is more nourishing stewed than roasted, more so roasted than boiled. A hard-boiled egg is a very substantial material, a soft cooker or raw egg very light. And while all bread-stuffs are among the most solid, yet some kinds of grain after being soaked, such as spelt, rice, pearl barley, or the gruel or porridge made out of these, and also bread soaked in water, can be reckoned among the weakest of food. Of drinks too the strongest class are: whatever can be made from grain, likewise milk, mead, must boiled down, raisin wine, wine either sweet or heady or still fermenting or of great age. But vinegar, and that wine which is a few years old, whether dry or rich, are intermediate in quality; and therefore to weak patients nothing of the other class should be given. Water is of all the weakest; and drink from grain is the more nutritious, according as the grain itself is nutritious; wine coming from a good soil is more nutritious than from a poor one, that from a temperate climate more nutritious than from an extreme one, whether too wet or too dry, whether excessively cold or hot. Mead, the more honey it contains, must the more it is boiled down, raisin wine the drier the grapes - are the stronger. Rain water is the lightest, then spring water, next water from a river, than from a well, after that from snow or ice; heavier still is water from a lake, the heaviest from a marsh. The recognition of water is as easy as it is necessary for those who want to know its nature. For by weighing, the lightness of water becomes evident, and of water of equal weight, that is the better, which most quickly heats or cools, also in which pulse is most quickly cooked. It is generally the case too that the more substantial the material, the less readily it is digested, but once digested it nourishes the more. Thus the quality of the food administered should be in accordance with the patient's strength, and the quantity in accordance with its quality. For weak patients, therefore, there is needed the lightest food; food of the middle class best sustains those moderately strong, and for the robust the strongest is the fittest. Finally, of the lightest foods more can be taken; it is rather with the strongest food that moderation should be observed.
18. Cum de iis dictum sit, quae detrahendo iuuant, ad ea ueniendum est, quae alunt, id est, CIBVM ET POTIONEM. Haec autem non omnium tantum morborum sed etiam secundae ualetudinis communia praesidia sunt; pertinetque ad rem omnium proprietates nosse, primum ut sani sciant, quomodo his utantur, deinde ut exsequentibus nobis morborum curationes liceat species rerum, quae adsumendae erunt, subicere, neque necesse sit subinde singulas eas nominare. Scire igitur oportet omnia legumina, quaeque ex frumentis panificia sunt, generis ualentissimi esse (ualentissimum uoco, in quo plurimum alimenti est); item omne animal quadrupes domi natum; omnem grandem feram, quales sunt caprea, ceruus, aper, onager; omnem grandem auem, quales sunt anser et pauo et grus; omnes beluas marinas, ex quibus cetus est quaeque his pares sunt; item mel et caseum. Quo minus mirum est opus pistorium ualentissimum esse, quod ex frumento, adipe, melle, caseo constat. In media uero materia numerari ex holeribus debere ea, quorum radices uel bulbos adsumimus; ex quadrupedibus leporem; aves omnes a minimis ad phoenicopterum; item pisces omnes, qui salem non patiuntur solidiue saliuntur. Inbecillissimam uero materiam esse omnem caulem holeris et quicquid in caule nascitur, qualis est cucurbita et cucumis et capparis, omnia poma, oleas, cochleas, itemque conculia. Sed quamuis haec ita discreta sunt, tamen etiam quae sub eadem specie sunt, magna discrimina recipiunt, aliaque res alia uel ualentior est uel infirmior: siquidem plus alimenti est in pane quam in ullo alio, firmius est triticum quam milium, id ipsum quam hordeum; et ex tritico firmissima siligo, deinde simila, deinde cui nihil demptum est, qu⟨em⟩ ΑΥΤΟΠΥΡΟΝ Graeci uocant: infirmior est ex polline, infirmissimus cibarius panis. Ex leguminibus uero ualentior faba uel lenticula quam pisum. Ex holeribus ualentior rapa napique et omnes bulbi, in quibus cepam quoque et alium numero, quam pastinaca uel ⟨quae⟩ specialiter radicula appellatur. Item firmior brassica et beta et porrum quam lactuca uel cucurbita uel asparagus. At ex fructibus surculorum ualentiores uuae, ficus, nuces, palmulae quam quae poma proprie nominantur; atque ex his ipsis firmiora quae sucosa quam quae fragilia sunt. Item⟨que⟩ ex is auibus, quae in media specie sunt, ualentior ea, quae pedibus quam quae uolatu magis nititur: et ex is, ⟨quae⟩ uolatu fidunt, firmiores quae grandiores aues quam quae minutae sunt, ut ficedula et turdus. Atque eae quoque, quae in aqua degunt, leuiorem cibum praestant, quam quae natandi scientiam non habent. Inter domesticas uero quadrupedes leuissima suilla est, grauissima bubula. Itemque ex feris, quo maius quodque animal, eo robustior ex eo cibus est. Pisciumque eorum, qui ex media materia sunt, quibus maxime utimur, tamen grauissimi sunt, ex quibus salsamenta quoque fieri possunt, qualis lacertus est; deinde ii qui, quamuis teneriores, tamen duri sunt, ut aurata, coruus, sparus, oculata, tunc plani, post quos etiamnum leuiores lupi mullique, et post hos omnes saxatiles. Neque uero in generibus rerum tantummodo discrimen est, sed etiam in ipsis; quod et aetate fit et membro et solo et caelo et habitu. Nam quadrupes omne animal, si lactens est, minus alimenti praestat, itemque quo tenerior pullus cohortalis est; in piscibus quoque media aetas, quae non summam magnitudinem inpleuit. Deinde ex eodem sue ungulae, rostrum, aures, cerebellum, ex agno haedoue cum petiolis totum caput aliquanto quam cetera membra leuiora sunt, adeo ut in media materia poni possint. Ex auibus colla alaeue recte infirmis adnumerantur. Quod ad solum uero pertinet, frumentum quoque ualentius est collinum quam campestre; leuior piscis inter saxa editus quam in harena, leuior in harena quam in limo. Quo fit, ut e⟨x⟩ stagno uel lacu uel flumine eadem genera grauiora sint, leuiorque qui in alto quam qui in uado uixit. Omne etiam ferum animal domestico leuius, et quodcumque umido caelo quam quod sicco natum est. Deinde etiam omnia pinguia quam macra, recentia quam salsa, noua quam uetusta plus alimenti habent. Tum res eadem magis alit iurulenta quam assa, magis assa quam elixa. Ouum durum ualentissimae materiae est, molle uel sorbile inbecillissimae. Cumque panificia omnia firmissima sint, elota tamen quaedam genera frumenti, ut halica, oryza, tisana, uel ex isdem facta sorbitio aut pulticula, et aqua quoque madens panis inbecillissimis adnumerari potest. Ex potionibus uero quaecumque ex frumento facta est, itemque lac, mulsum, defrutum, passum, uinum aut dulce aut uehemens aut mustum aut magnae uetustatis ualentissimi generis est. ⟨At⟩ acetum et ⟨id⟩ uinum, quod paucorum annorum uel austerum uel pingue est, in media materia est; ideoque infirmis numquam generis alterius dari debet. Aqua omnium inbecillissima est; firmiorque ex frumento potio est, quo firmius est ipsum frumentum; firmior ex eo uino, quod bono solo quam quod tenui, quodque temperato caelo quam quod nimis aut umido aut nimis sicco nimiumque aut frigido aut calido natum est. Mulsum, quo plus mellis habet, defrutum, quo magis incoctum est, passum, ex quo sicciore uua est, eo ualentius est. Aqua leuissima pluuialis est, deinde fontana, tum ex flumine, tum ex puteo, post haec ex niue aut glacie: grauior his ex lacu, grauissima ex palude. Facilis etiam et necessaria cognitio est naturam eius requirentibus. Nam leuis pondere apparet, et ex is, quae pondere pares sunt, eo melior quaeque est, quo celerius et calfit et frigescit, quoque celerius in ea legumina percoquuntur. Fere uero sequitur, ut, quo ualentior quaeque materia est, eo minus facile concoquatur, sed, si concocta est, plus alat. Itaque utendum est materiae genere pro uiribus, modusque omnium pro genere sumendus. Ergo inbecillis hominibus rebus infirmissimis opus est: mediocriter firmos media materia optime sustinet, et robustis apta ualidissima est. Plus deinde aliquis adsumere ex leuioribus potest: magis in iis, quae ualentissima sunt, temperare sibi debet.
19. 19 The foregoing are not the only differentiations; but as well some materials have good juices, others bad, what the Greeks call euchylous and kakochylous; some are bland, others acrid; some render our phlegm thicker, others thinner; some agree with the stomach, others are alien; also some cause flatulence, others are free from that; some warm, others cool; some readily turn sour in the stomach, others do not readily decompose inside; some move the bowels, others check motions; some excite urination, others retard it; some promote sleep, others excite the senses. All these, then, should be known because one suits one body or constitution, one another.
19. Neque haec sola discrimina sunt; sed etiam aliae res boni suci sunt, aliae mali, quas ΕΥΧΥΛΟΥΣ uel ΚΑΚΟΧΥΛΟΥΣ Graeci uocant; aliae lenes, aliae acres; aliae crassiorem pituitam in nobis faciunt, aliae tenuiorem; aliae idoneae stomacho, aliae alienae sunt; itemque aliae inflant, aliae ab hoc absunt; aliae calfaciunt, aliae refrigerant; aliae facile in stomacho acescunt, aliae ⟨non⟩ facile intus corrumpuntur; aliae mouent aluum, aliae supprimunt; aliae citant urinam, aliae tardant; quaedam somnum mouent, quaedam sensum excitant. Quae omnia ideo noscenda sunt, quoniam aliud alii uel corpori uel ualetudini conuenit.
20. 20 Of good juice are: wheat, siligo, spelt, rice, starch, frumenty, pearl barley gruel, milk, soft cheese, all sorts of game, all birds of the middle class, also the larger birds named above; fish intermediate between the soft and hard, such as mullet and bass; spring lettuce, nettle-tops, mallow, gourd, raw egg, purslane, snails, dates; orchard fruit which is neither bitter nor sour; wine sweet or mild, raisin wine, must boiled down; olives preserved either in wine or must; sow's womb, pig's chaps and trotters, all fatty or glutinous meat, and the liver of all animals.
20. Boni suci sunt triticum, siligo, halica, oryza, amulum, tragum, tisana, lac, caseus mollis, omnis uenatio, omnes aues, quae ex media materia sunt, ex maioribus quoque eae, quas supra nominaui; medii inter teneros durosque pisces, ut mullus, ut lupus; uerna lactuca, urtica, malua, [cucumis,] cucurbita, ⟨ouum sorbile,⟩ portulaca, cocleae, palmulae; ex pomis quodcumque neque acerbum neque acidum est; uinum dulce uel lene, passum, defrutum; oleae, quae ex his duobus in altero utro seruatae sunt; uuluae, rostra, trunculique suum, omnis pinguis caro, omnis glutinosa, omne iecur.
21. 21 Of bad juice are: millet, panic, barley, pulse; very lean meat from domesticated animals and all salted meat; all pickled fish, fish sauce, old cheese; skirret, radish, turnip, navew, bulbs; cabbage and even more its sprouts, asparagus, beet, cucumber, leek, rocket, cress, thyme, catmint, savory, hyssop, rue, dill, fennel, cummin, anise, sorrel, mustard, garlic, onion; spleens, kidneys, chitterlings; orchard fruit when sour or bitter; vinegar, everything acrid, sour, bitter, oily; also rock fish, and all fish of the very soft kind, or on the other hand those which are very hard and strong-flavoured, mostly such as live in ponds, lakes and muddy rivers, and which have become excessively large.
21. Mali uero suci sunt milium, panicium, hordeum, legumina; caro domestica permacra omnisque caro salsa, omne salsamentum, garum, uetus caseus; siser, radicula, rapa, napi, bulbi; brassica magisque etiam cyma eius, asparagus, beta, cucumis, porrus, eruca, nasturcium, thymum, nepeta, satureia, hysopum, ruta, anetum, feniculum, cuminum, anesum, lapatium, sinapi, alium, cepe; lienes, renes, intestina; pomum quodcumque acidum uel acerbum est; acetum, omnia acria, acida, acerba, oleum; pisces quoque saxatiles, omnesque, qui ex tenerrimo genere sunt, aut qui rursus nimium duri uir⟨o⟩sique sunt, ut fere quos stagna, lacus limosique riui ferunt, quique in nimiam magnitudinem excesserunt.
22. 22 The following are bland materials: broth, porridge, pancake, starch, pearl barley gruel, fat and glutinous meat, generally all that belong to domesticated animals, particularly, however, the trotters and titbits of pigs, the pettitoes and heads of kids, calves, and lambs, and the brains of all animals; likewise all bulbs properly so‑called, milk, must boiled down, raisin wine and pine kernels. The following are acrid: everything especially harsh, everything sour, everything salt, and even honey, and the better it is the more it is so. Likewise garlic, onion, rocket, rue, cress, cucumber, beet, cabbage, asparagus, mustard, radish, endive, basil, lettuce and most pot-herbs.
22. Lenes autem sunt sorbitio, pulticula, laganus, amilum, tisana, pinguis caro et quaecumque glutinosa est; quod fere quidem in omni domestica fit, praecipue tamen in ungulis trunculisque suum, in pe⟨t⟩iolis capitulisque haedorum et uitulorum et agnorum, omnibusque cerebellis; item qui proprie bulbi nominantur, lac, defrutum, passum, nuclei pinei. Acria sunt omnia nimis austera, omnia acida, omnia salsa, et mel quidem, quo melius est, eo magis. Item alium, cepa, eruca, ruta, nasturcium, cucumis, beta, brassica, asparagus, sinapi, radicula, intubus, ocimum, lactuca, maximaque holerum pars.
23. 23 Now the following make phlegm thicker: raw eggs, spelt, rice, starch, pearl barley gruel, milk, bulbs, and generally all glutinous substances. Phlegm is rendered thinner by: all salted and acrid and acid materials.
23. Crassiorem autem pituitam faciunt oua sorbilia, halica, oriza, amulum, tisana, lac, bulbi, omniaque fere glutinosa. Extenuant eandem omnia salsa, atque acria atque acida.
24. 24 But best suited to the stomach are: whatever is harsh, even what is sour, and that which has been sprinkled moderately with salt; so also unleavened bread, and spelt or rice or pearl barley which has been soaked; birds and game of all kinds, and both of these whether roasted or boiled; among domesticated animals, beef; of other meat the lean rather than the fat; the trotters, chaps, ears, and the sterile womb of a pig; among pot-herbs, endive, lettuce, parsnip, cooked gourd, skirret; among orchard fruit, the cherry, mulberry, service fruit, the mealy pear from Crustumeria, or the Mevian; also keeping-pears, Tarentine or Signian, the round or Scandian apple or that of Ameria or the quince or pomegranate, raisins preserved in jars; soft egg, dates, pine kernels, white olives preserved in strong brine, or the same steeped in vinegar, or black olives which have been well ripened on the tree, or which have been preserved in raisin wine, or in boiled-down must; dry wine is allowable even although it may have become harsh, also that doctored with resin; hard-fibred fish of the intermediate class, oysters, scallops, the shellfish murex and purpura, snails; food and drink either very cold or very hot; wormwood.
24. Stomacho autem aptissima sunt, quaecumque austera sunt; etiam quae acida sunt, quaeque contacta sale modice sunt; item panis sine fermento, et elota halica, uel oriza uel tisana; omnis auis, omnis uenatio; atque utraque uel assa uel elixa: ex domesticis animalibus bubula: si quid ex ceteris sumitur, macrum potius quam pingue; ex sue ungulae, rostra, aures, uoluae sterilesque; ex holeribus intubus, lactuca, pastinaca, cucurbita elixa, siser; ex pomis cerasium, morum, sorbum, pirum fragile, quale Crustuminum uel Meuianum est; item pira, quae reponuntur, Tarentina atque Signina, malum orbiculatum aut Scaudianum uel Amerinum uel Cotoneum uel Punicum, uuae ex olla; molle ouum, palmulae, nuclei pinei, oleae albae ex dura muria, eaedem aceto intinctae, uel nigrae, quae in arbore bene permaturuerunt, uel quae in passo defrutoue seruatae sunt; uinum austerum, licet etiam asperum sit, item resinatum; duri ex media materia pisces, ostrea, pectines, murices, purpurae, cocleae, cibi potionesque uel frigidae uel feruentes, apsinthium.
25. 25 But on the other hand materials alien to the stomach are: all things tepid, all things salted, all things stewed, all things over-sweetened, all things fatty, broth, leavened bread, and likewise that made from either millet or barley, pot-herb roots, and pot-herbs eaten with oil or fish sauce, honey, mead, must boiled down, raisin wine, milk, cheese of all kinds, fresh grapes, figs both green and dry, pulse of all sorts, and whatever causes flatulence; likewise thyme, catmint, savory, hyssop, cress, sorrel, charlock, walnuts. But it can be understood from the above that what has good juice does not necessarily agree with the stomach, and that whatever agrees with the stomach has not necessarily good juice.
25. Aliena uero stomacho sunt omnia tepida, omnia salsa, omnia iurulenta, omnia praedulcia, omnia pinguia, sorbitio, panis fermentatus, itemque uel ex milio uel ex hordeo, radices holerum, et quodcumque holus ex oleo garoue estur, mel, mulsum, defrutum, passum, lac, omnis caseus, uua recens, ficus et uirides et aridae, legumina omnia, quaeque inflare consuerunt; item thymum, nepeta, satureia, hysopum, nasturcium, lapatium, lapsanum, iuglandes. Ex his autem intellegi potest non, quicquid boni suci est, protinus stomacho conuenire, neque, ⟨quic⟩quid stomacho conuenit, protinus boni suci esse.
26. 26 Now flatulence is produced by: almost all food which is leguminous, fatty, sweet, everything stewed, must, and also that wine was has not as yet matured; among pot-herbs, garlic, onion, cabbage, and all roots except skirret and parsnip; bulbs, figs even when dried but especially when green, fresh grapes, all nuts except pine kernels, milk, cheese of all kinds; lastly anything eaten half-cooked. The least flatulence comes from what is got by hunting and birding, from fish, orchard fruit, olives, or shellfish, from eggs whether cooked soft or raw, from old wine. Fennel and anise in particular even relieve flatulence.
26. Inflant autem omnia fere legumina, omnia pinguia, omnia dulcia, omnia iurulenta, mustum, atque etiam id uinum, cui nihil adhuc aetatis accessit; ex holeribus alium, cepa, brassica, omnesque radices, excepto sisere et pastinaca; bulbi, ficus etiam aridae sed magis uirides, uuae recentes, nuces omnes, exceptis nucleis pineis, lac, omnisque caseus; quicquid deinde subcrudum aliquis adsumpsit. Minima inflatio fit ex uenatione, aucupio, piscibus, pomis, oleis, conchyliisue, ouis uel mollibus uel sorbilibus, uino uetere. Feniculum uero et anetum inflationes etiam leuant.
27. 27 Again the heating foods are: pepper, salt, all stewed meat, garlic, onion, dried figs, pickled fish, wine, and the stronger this is, the more heating it is. Cooling foods are: pot-herbs the stalks of which are eaten uncooked, such as endive and lettuce, and also coriander, cucumber, cooked gourds, beet, mulberries, cherries, sour apples, mealy pears, boiled meat, and in particular vinegar, whether taken with food or as a drink.
27. At calfaciunt piper, sal, caro omnis iurulenta, alium, cepa, ficus aridae, salsamentum, uinum, et quo meracius est, eo magis. Refrigerant holera, quorum crudi caules adsumuntur, ut intubus et lactuca, et item coriandrum, cucumis, elixa cucurbita, beta, mora, cerasia, mala austera, pira fragilia, caro elixa, praecipueque acetum, siue cibus ex eo siue potio adsumitur.
28. 28 Foods that readily decompose inside are: leavened bread, and any sort other than that made of wheat, flour, milk, honey, and therefore also all things made with milk and all pastry, soft fish, oysters, vegetables, cheese both new and old, meat fat or tender, sweet wine, mead, must boiled down, raisin wine; finally everything stewed or over-sweetened or over-thin. But the following decompose the least within: unleavened bread, birds, especially those with harder flesh, hard fish, not only for instance the gilthead or the sea bream, but also the squid, lobster and octopus; likewise beef and hard meat of all kinds; and the same is better if lean or salted; all pickled fish, snails, the shellfish, murex purpura; and wine which is harsh or resinated.
28. Facile autem intus corrumpuntur panis fermentatus, et quisquis alius quam ex tritico est, lac, mel; ideoque etiam lactentia atque omne pistorium opus, teneri pisces, ostrea, holera, caseus et recens et uetus, crassa uel tenera caro, uinum dulce, mulsum, defrutum, passum; quicquid deinde uel iurulentum est uel nimis dulce uel nimis tenue. At minime intus uitiantur panis sine fermento, aues et eae potius duriores, duri pisces: neque solum aurata tuta aut sparus sed etiam lolligo, lucusta, polypus; item bubula omnisque dura caro; eademque aptior est, si macra, si salsa est; omniaque salsamenta, cocleae, murices, purpurae; uinum austerum uel resinatum.
29. 29 Again, the bowels are moved by: leavened bread, and especially if it is the grey wheaten or barley bread, cabbage if lightly cooked, lettuce, dill, cress, basil, nettle-tops, purslane, radish, caper, garlic, onion, mallow, sorrel, beet, asparagus, gourds, cherries, mulberries, raisins preserved in jars, all ripe fruit, a fig even dried, but especially a green one, fresh grapes; fat small birds, snails, fish sauce, pickled fish, oysters, giant mussels, sea-urchins, sea-mussels, almost all shellfish, especially the soup made from them, rock fish and all soft fish, cuttlefish ink; any meat eaten when fat, either stewed or boiled, waterfowl, uncooked honey, milk, all things made with milk, mead, wine sweet or salted, soft water; all food sweetened, tepid, fatty, boiled, stewed, salted or watery.
29. At aluum mouent panis fermentatus, magisque si cibarius uel hordiacius est, brassica, si subcruda est, lactuca, anetum, nasturcium, ocimum, urtica, portulaca, radicula, capparis, alium, cepa, malua, lapatium, beta, asparagus, cucurbita, cerasia, mora, uua ⟨ex olla⟩, omnia mitia, ficus etiam arida, sed magis uiridis, uuae recentes; pingues minutae aues, cocleae, garum, salsamentum, ostrea, pelorides, echini, musculi, et omnes fere conchulae, maximeque ius earum, saxatiles et omnes teneri pisces, sepiarum atramentum; si qua caro adsumitur, pinguis, eadem uel iurulenta uel elixa, aues quae natant, mel crudum, lac, lact⟨e⟩ntia omnia, mulsum, uinum dulce uel salsum, aqua tenera; omnia dulcia, tepida, pinguia, elixa, iurulenta, salsa uel diluta.
30. 30 On the contrary the bowels are confined: by bread made from siligo or simila flour, especially when unleavened, and particularly so when toasted, and this property is even increased by baking twice, porridge either from spelt or panic or millet, as well as gruel from the same, and especially if these have been parched beforehand; lentil porridge to which beet or endive or chicory or plantain has been added, and especially when these have been previously toasted, or endive by itself, or roasted with plantain, or chicory, the smaller pot-herbs, cabbage twice boiled; eggs rendered hard, especially by poaching; small birds, the blackbird and wood-pigeons especially when cooked in diluted vinegar, cranes, all birds which run rather than fly; the hare, wild she-goat, the liver of animals which yield suet, particularly the ox, and suet itself; cheese which has become rather strong in taste, either from age or because of that change which we note in cheese from across the sea, or, if it is new, after it has been cooked in honey or mead; also cooked honey, unripe pears, service fruit, especially those called torminalia, quinces and pomegranates, olives either white or over-ripe, myrtleberries, dates, the purpura and murex, wine resinated or harsh, and that undiluted, vinegar, mead which has been heated, also must boiled down, raisin wine, water tepid or very cold, hard water (that is, which decomposes late), hence principally rain water; everything hard, harsh, rough, grilled, and in the case of the same meat the flesh roasted rather than boiled.
30. Contra astringunt panis ex siligine uel ex simila, magis si sine fermento est, magis etiam si ustus est, intenditurque uis eius etiam, si bis coquitur, pulticula uel ex halica uel ex panicio uel ex milio, itemque ex isdem sorbitio, et magis si haec ante fricta sunt; lenticula, cui uel beta uel intubus uel ambubeia uel plantago adiecta est, magisque etiam si illa ante fricta est, per se etiam intubus uel ex plantagine uel ambubeia f⟨ri⟩cta, minuta holera, brassica bis decocta; dura oua, magisque si assa sunt; minutae aues, merula, palumbus, magisque in posca si decoctus est, grues, omnes aues, quae magis currunt quam uolant; lepus, caprea, iecur ex eis, quae sebum habent, maximeque bubulum, ac sebum ipsum; caseus, qui uehementior uetustate fit uel ea mutatione, quam in eo transmarino uidemus, aut si recens est, ex melle mulsoue decoctus; item mel coctum, pira inmatura, sorua, magisque ea, quae torminalia nominantur, mala Cotonea et Punica, oleae uel albae uel permaturae, murta, palmulae, purpurae, murices, uinum resinatum uel asperum, item meracum, acetum, mulsum quod inferuuit, item defrutum, passum, aqua uel tepida uel praefrigida, dura, id est ea, quae tarde put⟨r⟩escit, ideoque pluuia potissimum; omnia dura, macra, austera, aspera, tosta, ⟨et in eadem⟩ carne assa potius quam elixa.
31. 31 The following increase the urine: garden herbs of good odour, as parsley, rue, dill, basil, mint, hyssop, anise, coriander, cress, rocket, fennel; and besides these asparagus, capers, catmint, thyme, savory, charlock, parsnip, especially growing wild, radish, skirret, onion; of game especially the hare; thin wine, pepper both round and long, mustard, wormwood, pine kernels.
31. Vrinam autem mouent quaecumque in horto nascentia boni odoris sunt, ut apium, ruta, anetum, ocimum, menta, hysopum, anesum, coriandrum, nasturcium, eruca, feniculum; praeter haec asparagus, capparis, nepeta, thymum, satureia, lapsanum, pastinaca, magisque agrestis, radicula, siser, cepa; ex uenatione maxime lepus; uinum tenue, piper et rotundum et longum, sinapi, absinthium, nuclei pinei.
32. 32 For producing sleep the following are good: poppy, lettuce, and mostly the summer kinds in which the stalk is very milky, the mulberry, the leek. For exciting the senses: catmint, thyme, savory, hyssop, and especially pennyroyal, rue and onion.
32. Somno uero aptum est papauer, lactuca, maximeque aestiua, cuius coliculus iam lacte repletus est, morum, porrus. Sensus excitat nepeta, thymum, satureia, hysopum, praecipueque puleium, ruta et cepe.
33. 33 For drawing out the material of the disease certainly many things can be used, but as they are mostly composed of foreign medicaments and are more useful in other affections than in those relieved by the dietetic regimen, I will defer their consideration for the present (V. Proem., 1, 2): but I will mention here those which are at hand, and are suitable to the diseases of which I am about to speak (III, IV), since they blister the body and thus extract from it the material of disease. Now those which have this faculty are the seeds of rocket, cress, radish, and most of all mustard. The same faculty exists in salt and figs. Those which gently both repress and mollify at the same time are greasy wool to which has been added oil with vinegar or wine, crushed dates, bran boiled in salt water or vinegar. But those which simultaneously repress and cool are pellitory, which the Greeks call parthenion or perdeikion, thyme, pennyroyal, basil, the blood-herb which the Greeks call polygonon, purslane, poppy-leaf, vine-tendril, coriander, hyocyamus-leaves, moss, skirret, parsley, solanum, which the Greeks call strychnos, cabbage-leaves, endive, plantain, fennel-seed; crushed pears and apples and especially quinces, lentils; cold water, especially rain water, wine and vinegar, and everything soaked in these, whether bread or meal or sponge or ashes, or greasy wool or even lint; Cimolian chalk, gypsum; oil perfumed with quince, myrtle, rose; unripe olive oil; vervains, the leaves crushed along with their young twigs, of which sort are the olive, cypress, myrtle, mastic, tamarisk, privet, rose, bramble, laurel, ivy, and pomegranate. Those which repress without cooling are cooked quinces, pomegranate rind, hot water in which the vervains enumerated above have been boiled, powdered wine lees or myrtle leaves, bitter almonds. But those which are heating are poultices made of meal, whether of wheat or spelt or barley or bitter vetches or darnel or millet or panic or lentil or bean or lupin or linseed or fenugreek, when one of these has been boiled and applied hot. All forms of meal poultices, however, are rendered more efficacious by cooking in mead instead of in water. Besides there are: cyprus or iris oil, marrow, cat's fat, olive oil, especially if it is old, and there has been added to the oil salt, soda, black cummin, pepper, cinquefoil. Generally those which are powerful to repress inflammation, and cool, harden the tissues; those which are heating, disperse inflammation and soften, and this last property belongs especially to plasters of linseed or fenugreek seeds. But as regards all these medicaments, whether used as simples or in mixtures, their uses by medical men vary, so that it is clear that each man follows his own ideas rather than what he has found to be true by actual fact.
33. EVOCARE uero materiam multa admodum possunt, sed ea cum ex peregrinis medicamentis maxime constent, aliisque magis, quam quibus ratione uictus succurritur, opitulentur, in praesentia differam: ponam uero ea, quae prompta et is morbis, de quibus protinus dicturus sum, apta corpus erodunt, et sic eo quod mali est extrahunt. Habent autem hanc facultatem semen erucae, nasturcii, radiculae, praecipue tamen omnium sinapi. Salis quoque et fici eadem uis est. Leniter uero simul et REPRIMVNT et molliunt lana sucida quo cum aceto uel uino oleum adiectum est, contritae palmulae, furfures in salsa aqua uel aceto decoctae. At simul et reprimunt et refrigerant herba muralis (ΠΑΡΘΕΝΙΟΝ uel ΠΕΡΔΕΙΚΙΟΝ appellant), serpullum, puleium, ocimum, herba sanguinalis, quam Graeci ΠΟΛΥΓΟΝΟΝ uocant, portulaca, papaueris folium, capriolique uitium, coriandrum, folia hyoscyamu, muscus, siser, apium, solanum (quam strychnon Graeci uocant), brassicae folia, intubus, plantago, feniculi semen; contrita pira uel mala, praecipueque Cotonea, lenticula; aqua frigida, maximeque pluuialis, uinum, acetum, et horum aliquo madens uel panis uel farina uel spongia uel cinis uel lana sucida uel etiam linteolum; creta Cimolia, gypsum; melinum, murteum, rosa, acerbum oleum; uerbenarum contusa cum teneris colibus folia; cuius generis sunt olea, cupressus, myrtus, lentiscus, tamarix, ligustrum, rosa, rubus, laurus, hedera, Punicum malum. Sine frigore autem reprimunt cocta mala Cotonea, malicorium, aqua calda, in qua uerbenae coctae sunt, quas supra posui, puluis uel ex faece uini uel ex murti foliis, amarae nuces. CALFACIT uero ex qualibet farina cataplasma siue ex tritici siue farris siue hordei siue erui siue lolii siue milii uel panicii uel lenticulae uel fabae uel lupini ⟨uel lini⟩ uel feni Graeci, ubi ea defer⟨u⟩uit calidaque inposita est. Valentior tamen ad id omnis farina est ex mulso quam ex aqua cocta. Praeterea cyprinum, irinum, medulla, adeps ex fele, oleum, magisque si uetus est, iunctaque oleo sal, nitrum, git, piper, quinquefolium. Fereque quae uehementer reprimunt et refrigerant, durant: quae calfaciunt, digerunt et emolliunt, praecipueque ad emolliendum potest cataplasma ex lini uel feni Graeci semine. His autem omnibus, et simplicibus et permixtis, uarie medici utuntur, ut magis quid quisque persuaserit sibi appareat, quam quid euidenter compererit.