on regimen in acute diseases-第3节

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weak；　have　heaviness　over　their　whole　body；　and　become　feeble　and
languid；　and　if；　in　addition；　they　take　supper；　they　will　have　acid
eructations；　and　some　will　have　diarrhoea　whose　bowels　were　previously
dry；　and　not　having　been　accustomed　to　be　twice　swelled　out　with
food　and　to　digest　it　twice　a　day；　have　been　loaded　beyond　their　wont。
It　is　beneficial；　in　such　cases；　to　counterbalance　this　change；　for
one　should　sleep　after　dinner；　as　if　passing　the　night；　and　guard
against　cold　in　winter　and　heat　in　summer；　or；　if　the　person　cannot
sleep；　he　may　stroll　about　slowly；　but　without　making　stops；　for　a
good　while；　take　no　supper；　or；　at　all　events；　eat　little；　and　only
things　that　are　not　unwholesome；　and　still　more　avoid　drink；　and
especially　water。　Such　a　person　will　suffer　still　more　if　he　take
three　full　meals　in　the　day；　and　more　still　if　he　take　more　meals；　and
yet　there　are　many　persons　who　readily　bear　to　take　three　full　meals
in　the　day；　provided　they　are　so　accustomed。　And；　moreover；　those
who　have　been　in　the　habit　of　eating　twice　a　day；　if　they　omit　dinner；
become　feeble　and　powerless；　averse　to　all　work；　and　have　heartburn；
their　bowels　seem；　as　it　were；　to　hang　loose；　their　urine　is　hot　and
green；　and　the　excrement　is　parched；　in　some　the　mouth　is　bitter；
the　eyes　are　hollow；　the　temples　throb；　and　the　extremities　are
cold；　and　the　most　of　those　who　have　thus　missed　their　dinner　cannot
eat　supper；　or；　if　they　do　sup；　they　load　their　stomach；　and　pass　a
much　worse　night　than　if　they　had　previously　taken　dinner。　Since；
then；　an　unwonted　change　of　diet　for　half　a　day　produces　such
effects　upon　persons　in　health；　it　appears　not　to　be　a　good　thing
either　to　add　or　take　from。　If；　then；　he　who　was　restricted　to　a
single　meal；　contrary　to　usage；　having　his　veins　thus　left　empty
during　a　whole　day；　when　he　supped　according　to　custom　felt　heavy；
it　is　probable　that　if；　because　he　was　uneasy　and　weak　from　the　want
of　dinner；　he　took　a　larger　supper　than　wont；　he　would　be　still　more
oppressed；　or　if；　wanting　food　for　a　still　greater　interval；　he
suddenly　took　a　meal　after　supper；　he　will　feel　still　greater
oppression。　He；　then；　who；　contrary　to　usage；　has　had　his　veins　kept
empty　by　want　of　food；　will　find　it　beneficial　to　counteract　the　bad
effects　during　that　day　as　follows：　let　him　avoid　cold；　heat；　and
exertion；　for　he　could　bear　all　these　ill；　let　him　make　his　supper
considerably　less　than　usual；　and　not　of　dry　food；　but　rather
liquid；　and　let　him　take　some　drink；　not　of　a　watery　character；　nor　in
smaller　quantity　than　is　proportionate　to　the　food；　and　on　the　next
day　he　should　take　a　small　dinner；　so　that；　by　degrees；　he　may
return　to　his　former　practice。　Persons　who　are　bilious　in　the
stomach　bear　these　changes　worst；　while　those　who　are　pituitous；
upon　the　whole；　bear　the　want　of　food　best；　so　that　they　suffer　the
least　from　being　restricted　to　one　meal　in　the　day；　contrary　to　usage。
This；　then；　is　a　sufficient　proof　that　the　greatest　changes　as　to
those　things　which　regard　our　constitutions　and　habits　are　most
especially　concerned　in　the　production　of　diseases；　for　it　is
impossible　to　produce　unseasonably　a　great　emptying　of　the　vessels
by　abstinence；　or　to　administer　food　while　diseases　are　at　their　acme；
or　when　inflammation　prevails；　nor；　on　the　on　the　whole；　to　make　a
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
two；　three；　or　more　days；　nor　do　those　using　the　juice　know　that
they　are　injured　in　swallowing　them；　when　they　do　not　commence　with
the　draught　seasonably。　But　this　they　guard　against；　and　know　that
it　does　much　mischief；　if；　before　the　disease　be　concocted；　the
patient　swallow　unstrained　ptisan；　when　accustomed　to　use　strained。
All　these　things　are　strong　proofs　that　physicians　do　not　conduct
the　regimen　of　patients　properly；　but　that　in　those　diseases　in
which　total　abstinence　from　food　should　not　be　enforced　on　patients
that　will　be　put　on　the　use　of　ptisans；　they　do　enforce　total
abstinence；　that　in　those　cases　in　which　there　should　be　no　change
made　from　total　abstinence　to　ptisans；　they　do　make　the　change；　and
that；　for　the　most　part；　they　change　from　abstinence　to　ptisans；
exactly　at　the　time　when　it　is　often　beneficial　to　proceed　from
ptisans　almost　to　total　abstinence；　if　the　disease　happen　to　be　in　the
state　of　exacerbation。　And　sometimes　crude　matters　are　attracted
from　the　head；　and　bilious　from　the　region　near　the　chest；　and　the
patients　are　attacked　with　insomnolency；　so　that　the　disease　is　not
concocted；　they　become　sorrowful；　peevish；　and　delirious；　there　are
flashes　of　light　in　their　eyes；　and　noises　in　their　ears；　their
extremities　are　cold；　their　urine　unconcocted；　the　sputa　thin；
saltish；　tinged　with　an　intense　color　and　smell；　sweats　about　the
neck；　and　anxiety；　respiration；　interrupted　in　the　expulsion　of　the
air；　frequent　and　very　large；　expression　of　the　eyelids　dreadful；
dangerous　deliquia；　tossing　of　the　bed…clothes　from　the　breast；　the
hands　trembling；　and　sometimes　the　lower　lip　agita