great change either one way or another with impunity.
10. One might mention many things akin to these respecting the
stomach and bowels, to show how people readily bear such food as
they are accustomed to, even if it is not naturally good, and drink in
like manner, and how they bear unpleasantly such food as they are
not accustomed to, even although not bad, and so in like manner with
drink; and as to the effects of eating much flesh, contrary to
usage, or garlic, or asafoetida, or the stem of the plant which
produces it, or things of a similar kind possessed of strong
properties, one would be less surprised if such things produce pains
in the bowels, but rather when one learned what trouble, swelling,
flatulence, and tormina the cake (maza) will raise in the belly when
eaten by a person not accustomed to it; and how much weight and
distention of the bowels bread will create to a person accustomed to
live upon the maza; and what thirst and sudden fullness will be
occasioned by eating hot bread, owing to its desiccant and
indigestible properties; and what different effects are produced by
fine and coarse bread when eaten contrary to usage, or by the cake
when usually dry, moist, or viscid; and what different effects polenta
produces upon those who are accustomed and those who are
unaccustomed to the use of it; or drinking of wine or drinking of
water, when either custom is suddenly exchanged for the other; or
when, contrary to usage, diluted wine or undiluted has been suddenly
drunk, for the one will create water-brash in the upper part of the
intestinal canal and flatulence in the lower, while the other will
give rise to throbbing of the arteries, heaviness of the head, and
thirst; and white and dark-colored wine, although both strong wines,
if exchanged contrary to usage, will produce very different effects
upon the body, so that one need the less wonder that a sweet and
strong wine, if suddenly exchanged, should have by no means the same
effect.
11. Let us here briefly advert to what may be said on the opposite
side; namely, that a change of diet has occurred in these cases,
without any change in their body, either as to strength, so as to
require an increase of food, or as to weakness, so as to require a
diminution. But the strength of the patient is to be taken into
consideration, and the manner of the disease, and of the
constitution of the man, and the habitual regimen of the patient,
not only as regards food but also drink. Yet one must much less resort
to augmentation, since it is often beneficial to have recourse to
abstraction, when the patient can bear it, until the disease having
reached its acme and has become concocted. But in what cases this must
be done will be afterwards described. One might write many other
things akin to those which have been now said, but there is a better
proof, for it is not akin to the matter on which my discourse has
principally turned, but the subject-matter itself is a most seasonable
proof. For some at the commencement of acute diseases have taken
food on the same day, some on the next day; some have swallowed
whatever has come in their way, and some have taken cyceon. Now all
these things are worse than if one had observed a different regimen;
and yet these mistakes, committed at that time, do much less injury
than if one were to abstain entirely from food for the first two or
three days, and on the fourth or fifth day were to take such food; and
it would be still worse, if one were to observe total abstinence for
all these days, and on the following days were to take such a diet,
before the disease is concocted; for in this way death would be the
consequence to most people, unless the disease were of a very mild
nature. But the mistakes committed at first were not so irremediable
as these, but could be much more easily repaired. This, therefore, I
think a strong proof that such or such a draught need not be
prescribed on the first days to those who will use the same draughts
afterwards. At the bottom, therefore, they do not know, neither
those using unstrained ptisans, that they are hurt by them, when
they begin to swallow them, if they abstain entirely from food for