on ancient medicine-第3节

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drink　water。　By　using　such　a　diet　I　know　that　he　will　suffer　much
and　severely；　for　he　will　experience　pains；　his　body　will　become　weak；
and　his　bowels　deranged；　and　he　will　not　subsist　long。　What　remedy；
then；　is　to　be　provided　for　one　so　situated？　Hot？　or　cold？　or　moist？
or　dry？　For　it　is　clear　that　it　must　be　one　or　other　of　these。　For；
according　to　this　principle；　if　it　is　one　of　the　which　is　injuring　the
patient；　it　is　to　be　removed　by　its　contrary。　But　the　surest　and
most　obvious　remedy　is　to　change　the　diet　which　the　person　used；　and
instead　of　wheat　to　give　bread；　and　instead　of　raw　flesh；　boiled；
and　to　drink　wine　in　addition　to　these；　for　by　making　these　changes　it
is　impossible　but　that　he　must　get　better；　unless　completely
disorganized　by　time　and　diet。　What；　then；　shall　we　say？　whether　that；
as　he　suffered　from　cold；　these　hot　things　being　applied　were　of　use
to　him；　or　the　contrary？　I　should　think　this　question　must　prove　a
puzzler　to　whomsoever　it　is　put。　For　whether　did　he　who　prepared　bread
out　of　wheat　remove　the　hot；　the　cold；　the　moist；　or　the　dry　principle
in　it？…　for　the　bread　is　consigned　both　to　fire　and　to　water；　and　is
wrought　with　many　things；　each　of　which　has　its　peculiar　property
and　nature；　some　of　which　it　loses；　and　with　others　it　is　diluted
and　mixed。
　　14。　And　this　I　know；　moreover；　that　to　the　human　body　it　makes　a
great　difference　whether　the　bread　be　fine　or　coarse；　of　wheat　with　or
without　the　hull；　whether　mixed　with　much　or　little　water；　strongly
wrought　or　scarcely　at　all；　baked　or　raw…　and　a　multitude　of　similar
differences；　and　so；　in　like　manner；　with　the　cake　（maza）；　the
powers　of　each；　too；　are　great；　and　the　one　nowise　like　the　other。
Whoever　pays　no　attention　to　these　things；　or；　paying　attention；
does　not　comprehend　them；　how　can　he　understand　the　diseases　which
befall　a　man？　For；　by　every　one　of　these　things；　a　man　is　affected　and
changed　this　way　or　that；　and　the　whole　of　his　life　is　subjected　to
them；　whether　in　health；　convalescence；　or　disease。　Nothing　else；
then；　can　be　more　important　or　more　necessary　to　know　than　these
things。　So　that　the　first　inventors；　pursuing　their　investigations
properly；　and　by　a　suitable　train　of　reasoning；　according　to　the
nature　of　man；　made　their　discoveries；　and　thought　the　Art　worthy　of
being　ascribed　to　a　god；　as　is　the　established　belief。　For　they　did
not　suppose　that　the　dry　or　the　moist；　the　hot　or　the　cold；　or　any
of　these　are　either　injurious　to　man；　or　that　man　stands　in　need　of
them；　but　whatever　in　each　was　strong；　and　more　than　a　match　for　a
man's　constitution；　whatever　he　could　not　manage；　that　they　held　to　be
hurtful；　and　sought　to　remove。　Now；　of　the　sweet；　the　strongest　is
that　which　is　intensely　sweet；　of　the　bitter；　that　which　is
intensely　bitter；　of　the　acid；　that　which　is　intensely　acid；　and　of
all　things　that　which　is　extreme；　for　these　things　they　saw　both
existing　in　man；　and　proving　injurious　to　him。　For　there　is　in　man　the
bitter　and　the　salt；　the　sweet　and　the　acid；　the　sour　and　the　insipid；
and　a　multitude　of　other　things　having　all　sorts　of　powers　both　as
regards　quantity　and　strength。　These；　when　all　mixed　and　mingled　up
with　one　another；　are　not　apparent；　neither　do　they　hurt　a　man；　but
when　any　of　them　is　separate；　and　stands　by　itself；　then　it　becomes
perceptible；　and　hurts　a　man。　And　thus；　of　articles　of　food；　those
which　are　unsuitable　and　hurtful　to　man　when　administered；　every　one
is　either　bitter；　or　intensely　so；　or　saltish　or　acid；　or　something
else　intense　and　strong；　and　therefore　we　are　disordered　by　them　in
like　manner　as　we　are　by　the　secretions　in　the　body。　But　all　those
things　which　a　man　eats　and　drinks　are　devoid　of　any　such　intense
and　well…marked　quality；　such　as　bread；　cake；　and　many　other　things　of
a　similar　nature　which　man　is　accustomed　to　use　for　food；　with　the
exception　of　condiments　and　confectioneries；　which　are　made　to　gratify
the　palate　and　for　luxury。　And　from　those　things；　when　received　into
the　body　abundantly；　there　is　no　disorder　nor　dissolution　of　the
powers　belonging　to　the　body；　but　strength；　growth；　and　nourishment
result　from　them；　and　this　for　no　other　reason　than　because　they　are
well　mixed；　have　nothing　in　them　of　an　immoderate　character；　nor
anything　strong；　but　the　whole　forms　one　simple　and　not　strong
substance。
　　15。　I　cannot　think　in　what　manner　they　who　advance　this　doctrine；
and　transfer　Art　from　the　cause　I　have　described　to　hypothesis；　will
cure　men　according　to　the　principle　which　they　have　laid　down。　For；　as
far　as　I　know；　neither　the　hot　nor　the　cold；　nor　the　dry；　nor　the
moist；　has　ever　been　found　unmixed　with　any　other　quality；　but　I
suppose　they　use　the　same　articles　of　meat　and　drink　as　all　we　other
men　do。　But　to　this　substance　they　give　the　attribute　of　being　hot；　to
that　cold；　to　that　dry；　and　to　that　moist。　Since　it　would　be　absurd　to
advise　the　patient　to　take　something　hot；　for　he　would　straightway　ask
what　it　is？　so　that　he　must　either　play　the　fool；　or　have　recourse
to　some　one　of　the　well　known　substances；　and　if　this　hot　thing　happen
to　be　sour；　and　that　hot　thing　insipid；　and　this　hot　thing　has　the
power　of　raising　a　disturbance　in　the　body　（and　there　are　many　other
kinds　of　heat；　possessing　many　opposite　powers）；　he　will　be　obliged　to
administer　some　one　of　them；　either　the　hot　and　the　sour；　or　the　hot
and　the　insipid；　or　that　which；　at　the　same　time；　is　cold　and　sour
（for　there　is　such　a　substance）；　or　the　cold　and　the　insipid。　For；
as　I　think；　the　very　opposite　effects　will　result　from　either　of
these；　not　only　in　man；　but　also　in　a　bladder；　a　vessel　of　wood；　and
in　many　other　things　possessed　of　far　less　sensibility　than　man；　for
it　is　not　the　heat　which　is　possessed　of　great　efficacy；　but　the
sour　and　the　insipid；　and　other　qualities　as　described　by　me；　both
in　man　and　out　of　man；　and　that　whether　eaten　or　drunk；　rubbed　in
externally；　and　otherwise　applied。
　　16。　But　I　think　that　of　all　the　qualities　heat　and　cold　exercise　the
least　operation　in　the　body；　for　these　reasons：　as　long　time　as　hot
and　cold　are　mixed　up　with　one　another　they　do　not　give　trouble；　for
the　cold　is　attempered　and　rendered　more　moderate　by　the　hot；　and
the　hot　by　the　cold；　but　when　the　one　is　wholly　separate　from　the
other；　then　it　gives　pain；　and　at　that　season　when　cold　is　applied
it　creates　some　pain　to　a　man；　but　quickly；　for　that　very　reason；　heat
spontaneously　arises　in　him　without　requiring　any　aid　or
preparation。　And　these　things　operate　thus　both　upon　men　in　health　and
in　disease。　For　example；　if　a　person　in　health　wishes　to　cool　his　body
during　winter；　and　bathes　either　in　cold　water　or　in　any　other　way；
the　more　he　does　this；　unless　his　body　be　fairly　congealed；　when　he
resumes　his　clothes　and　comes　into　a　place　of　shelter；　his　body
becomes　more　heated　than　before。　And　thus；　too；　if　a　person　wish　to　be
warmed　thoroughly　either　by　means　of　a　hot　bath　or　strong　fire；　and
straightway　having　the　same　clothing　on；　takes　up　his　abode　again　in
the　place　he　was　in　when　he　became　congealed；　he　will　appear　much
colder；　and　more　disposed　to　chills　than　before。　And　if　a　person　fan
himself　on　account　of　a　suffocating　heat；　and　having　procured
refrigeration　for　himself　in　this　manner；　cease　doing　so；　the　heat　and
suffocation　will　be　ten　times　greater　in　his　case　than　in　that　of　a
person　who　does　nothing　of　the　kind。　And；　to　give　a　more　striking
example；　persons　travelling　in　the　snow；　or　otherwise　in　rigorous
weather；　and　contracting　great　cold　in　their　feet；　their　hands；　or
their　head；　what　do　they　not　suffer　from　inflammation　and　tingling
when　they　put　on　warm　clothing　and　get　into　a　hot　place？　In　some
instances；　blisters　arise　as　if　from　burning　with　fire；　and　they　do
not　suffer　from　any　of　those　unpleasant　symptoms　until　they　become
heated。　So　readily　does　either　of　these　pass　into　the　other；　and　I
could　mention　many　other　examples。　And　with　regard　to　the　sick；　is
it　not　in　those　who　experience　a　rigor　that　the　most　acute　fever　is
apt　to　break　out？　And　yet　not　so　strongly　neither；　but　that　it
ceases　in　a　short　time；　and；　for　the　most　part；　without　having
occasioned　much　mischief；　and　while　it　remains；　it　is　hot；　and　passing
over　the　whole　body；　ends　for　the　most　part　in　the　feet；　where　the
chills　and　cold　were　most　intense　and　lasted　longest；　and；　when
sweat　supervenes；　and　the　fever　passes　off；　the　patient　is　much　colder
than　if　he　had　not　taken　the　fever　at　all。　Why　then　should　that
which　so　quickly　passes　into　the　opposite　extreme；　and　loses　its　own
powers　spontaneously；　be　reckoned　a　mighty　and　serious　affair？　And
what　necessity　is　there　for　any　great　remedy　for　it？
　　17。　One　might　here　say…　but　persons　in　ardent　fevers；　pneumonia；　and
other　formidable　diseases；　do　not　quickly　get　rid　of　the　heat；　nor
experience　these　rapid　alterations　of　heat　and　cold。　And　I　reckon　this
very　circumstance　the　strongest　proof　that　it　is　not　from　heat
simply　that　men　get　into　the　febrile　state；　neither　is　it　the　sole
cause　of　the　mischief；　but　that　this　species　of　heat　is　bitter；　and
that　acid；　and　the　other　saltish；　and　many　other　varieties；　and
again　the