on ancient medicine-第3章

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who　had　been　accustomed　to　dinner；　since；　as　soon　as　the　body　required
food；　and　when　the　former　meal　was　consumed；　and　he　wanted
refreshment；　no　new　supply　was　furnished　to　it；　he　wastes　and　is
consumed　from　want　of　food。　For　all　the　symptoms　which　I　describe　as
befalling　to　this　man　I　refer　to　want　of　food。　And　I　also　say　that　all
men　who；　when　in　a　state　of　health；　remain　for　two　or　three　days
without　food；　experience　the　same　unpleasant　symptoms　as　those　which　I
described　in　the　case　of　him　who　had　omitted　to　take　dinner。
　　12。　Wherefore；　I　say；　that　such　constitutions　as　suffer　quickly
and　strongly　from　errors　in　diet；　are　weaker　than　others　that　do
not；　and　that　a　weak　person　is　in　a　state　very　nearly　approaching　to
one　in　disease；　but　a　person　in　disease　is　the　weaker；　and　it　is；
therefore；　more　likely　that　he　should　suffer　if　he　encounters　anything
that　is　unseasonable。　It　is　difficult；　seeing　that　there　is　no　such
accuracy　in　the　Art；　to　hit　always　upon　what　is　most　expedient；　and
yet　many　cases　occur　in　medicine　which　would　require　this　accuracy；　as
we　shall　explain。　But　on　that　account；　I　say；　we　ought　not　to　reject
the　ancient　Art；　as　if　it　were　not；　and　had　not　been　properly　founded；
because　it　did　not　attain　accuracy　in　all　things；　but　rather；　since　it
is　capable　of　reaching　to　the　greatest　exactitude　by　reasoning；　to
receive　it　and　admire　its　discoveries；　made　from　a　state　of　great
ignorance；　and　as　having　been　well　and　properly　made；　and　not　from
chance。
　　13。　But　I　wish　the　discourse　to　revert　to　the　new　method　of　those
who　prosecute　their　inquiries　in　the　Art　by　hypothesis。　For　if　hot；　or
cold；　or　moist；　or　dry；　be　that　which　proves　injurious　to　man；　and
if　the　person　who　would　treat　him　properly　must　apply　cold　to　the　hot；
hot　to　the　cold；　moist　to　the　dry；　and　dry　to　the　moist…　let　me　be
presented　with　a　man；　not　indeed　one　of　a　strong　constitution；　but　one
of　the　weaker；　and　let　him　eat　wheat；　such　as　it　is　supplied　from
the　thrashing…floor；　raw　and　unprepared；　with　raw　meat；　and　let　him
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　on