BOOK II. (continued 2)

CHAP. XVIII. OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD AND DRINK.

Since we have treated of those things, which relieve by evacuation, we must now proceed to those, which nourish us, that is, our food and drink. Now these are not only the common supports in all distempers, but even of health too. And it is of importance to be acquainted with the properties of them all: first, that the healthy may know, in what manner they are to make use of them: secondly, that in treating of the method of curing diseases, it may suffice to mention in general the species of what is to be taken, without being under the necessity of naming each particular upon every occasion.

It is fit to know then, that all leguminous vegetables, and those grains, which are made into bread, are of the strongest kind of food (I call that the strongest, in which there is the most nourishment) also every quadruped, that is tame, all large wild beasts, such as the wild goat, deer, wild boar, wild ass; every great bird, such as the goose, peacock, and crane; all large fishes, the cetus(32), and others of a like size; also honey, and cheese. So that it is no wonder that particular kind of bread(33) should be very strong, which is made of corn, fat, honey, and cheese. Of a middle nature ought to be reckoned those pot-herbs, whose roots or bulbusses we use for food; amongst quadrupeds the hare; all birds, from the least upwards to the phœnicopter(34); also all fish, that will not bear salt, or such, as are salted whole. Of the weakest kind are all potherbs, and whatever grows on a stalk, such as the gourd, and cucumber, and caper, and all the apple kind, olives, snails(35), and also conchylia(36).

But although these are thus distinguished, yet there are great differences between things even of the same class; and one is either more substantial, or weaker than another. For instance, there is more nourishment in bread, than in any thing else. Wheat is more firm than millet: and that again than barley: and the strongest kind of wheat is the siligo(37); after that the finest flour; next, that which has nothing taken from it, which the Greeks call autopyron[ AX ]: still weaker than these is the second flour: the weakest is grey bread. Amongst the leguminous vegetables the bean or lentil is more substantial than pease. Amongst the potherbs, turnep and navew gentle, and all the bulbous kind (in which I rank the onion also, and garlick) are more substantial than the parsnip, or that which is particularly called radicula (garden radish.) Also cabbage, and betes, and leeks, are stronger than lettuce, or gourd, or asparagus. But amongst the fruits of the surculous tribe, grapes, figs, nuts, dates, apples properly so called, are of the firmer kind. And amongst these the juicy are stronger than the mealy(38) fruits. Also of these birds, which are of the middle kind, those are stronger, which make more use of their feet, than their wings: and of those, that trust more to flying, the larger birds are stronger than the small ones, as the beccaficos, and thrush(39). And those also, which live in the water, afford a lighter food than those, which cannot swim. Amongst the tame animals pork is lightest; beef heaviest. Also of the wild, the larger any animal is, so much the stronger food it is. And of those fishes also, which are of the middle kind, the heaviest, though we make most use of them, are first all those, that are made salsamenta(40), such as the lacertus(41); next such, as though more tender than the other, yet are in themselves hard, as the aurata, corvus, sparus, oculata; in the next rank are the plani fish, after which lighter still are lupi and mulli: and then all rock fish.

And there is not only a difference in the classes of things, but also in the things themselves; which arises from their age, the different parts of their body, the soil, air, and the case they are in. For every four footed animal(42), that is sucking, affords less nourishment; also a dunghill fowl, the younger it is. In fish too, the middle age, before they have reached their greatest bulk. For the parts, the heels, cheeks, ears, and brain of a hog; of a lamb or kid, the whole head with the petty toes, are a good deal lighter than the other parts; so that they may be ranked in the middle class. In birds, the necks or wings are properly numbered with the weakest. As to the soil, the corn, that grows upon hilly parts, is stronger than what grows upon a plain. Fish got in the midst of rocks, is lighter than those in the sand; those in the sand, than those in the mud. Whence it happens, that the same kinds either from a pond, or lake, or river, are heavier: and that, which lives in the deep, is lighter than one in shoal water. Every wild animal also is lighter than a tame one: and whatever is produced in a moist air, than another in a dry. In the next place, all the same foods afford more nourishment, fat than lean; fresh more than salt; new than stale. Again, the same thing nourishes more, when it is stewed into broth, than roasted, more roasted than fried. A hard egg is of the strongest kind; soft, or sorbile(43) of the weakest. And though all grains, made into bread, are most firm, yet some kinds washed, as alica(44), rice, ptisan, or gruel made of the same, or pulse(45), and bread moistened with water, may be reckoned with the weakest.

With regard to drinks, whatever is prepared from grain, also milk, mulse, defrutum, passum(46), wine either sweet or strong, or must, or very old wine, are of the strongest kind. But vinegar, and wine a few years old, or austere, or oily, is of the middle kind. And therefore none of these should be given to weak people. Water is weakest of all. And the drink, that is made of grain, is stronger in proportion to the hardness of the grain itself: and that wine, which is produced in a good soil, more so than in a poor soil; or in a temperate air, than one, which is either over moist or too dry, and either over cold or too hot. Mulse, the more honey it contains, defrutum, the more it is evaporated in boiling, and passum, the drier the grape is from which it is prepared, are so much the stronger. Rain water is lightest; next spring water, then river water, then that of a well; after these snow, or ice; water of lakes is heavier than these; and that of fens heaviest of all. The trial is both easy and necessary to those, that want to know its nature. For the lightness appears from weighing it; and amongst those, that are of equal weight, the sooner any of them grows hot or cold, and the more quickly herbs are boiled in it, the better it is.

It is a general rule, that the stronger each kind is, so much the less easily it is concocted; but when once concocted, it nourishes more. Wherefore the nature of the food must be determined by the degree of one’s strength; and the quantity proportioned to the kind. Upon this account weak men must make use of the weakest things; a middle kind best supports those, that are moderately strong; and the most substantial is fittest for the robust. Lastly, A person may take a greater quantity of what is lighter: but in what is most substantial, he ought to moderate his appetite.

CHAP. XIX. GENERAL PROPERTIES OF DIFFERENT FOODS.

And these above-mentioned are not the only distinctions; but some things afford good juices, others bad, which two kinds the Greeks term euchyma and cacochyma[ AY ]; some are mild, others acrid; some generate in us a thicker phlegm, others a more fluid; some agree with the stomach, others not; likewise some produce flatulencies, others have not that property; some heat, others cool; some readily turn sour in the stomach, others are not easily corrupted there; some open the belly, others bind it; some promote urine, others retard it; some are soporiferous, others excite the senses. Now all these must be known for this reason, that different things are proper in different constitutions or states of health.

CHAP. XX. OF THINGS CONTAINING GOOD JUICES.

Good juices are afforded by wheat, siligo, alica, rice, starch(47), tragum(48), milk, soft cheese, all venison, all birds of the middle class; of the larger kind also, those that we mentioned above; the middle kind betwixt tender and hard fishes, as the mullus, and lupus; pot-herbs, lettuce, nettle, mallows, cucumber, gourd, purslane, snails, dates; any of the apple kind, that are neither bitter, nor acid; wine sweet or mild, passum, defrutum, olives, or any of this fruit preserved in either of the two last mentioned liquors; the wombs(49), cheeks, and legs of hogs, all fat flesh, and glutinous, all livers, and a sorbile egg.

CHAP. XXI. OF FOODS CONTAINING BAD JUICES.

Of bad juices are millet, panick, barley, leguminous vegetables, the flesh of tame animals very lean, and all salt meat, all salt fish and garum(50), old cheese, skirret, radish, turneps, navew gentle, bulbusses(51), cabbage, and more especially its sprouts, asparagus, betes, cucumber, leek, rocket, cresses, thyme, catmint, savory, hyssop, rue, dill, fennel, cumin, anise, dock, mustard, garlick, onion, spleens, kidneys, intestines, every kind of apple, that is acid or bitter, vinegar, every thing, that is acrid, acid, or bitter, oil, also rock-fish, and those, that are of the tenderest kind, or those again, which are either too hard and strong tasted, as those found in ponds, lakes, or muddy rivers generally are, or those, that have grown to an excessive bulk.

CHAP. XXII. OF MILD AND ACRID THINGS.

The following are mild; gruel, pulse, pancake(52), starch, ptisan, fat flesh, and all glutinous flesh, such as we have in all tame animals, but especially in the heels, and legs of swine, the petty-toes, and heads of kids, calves, and lambs, and the brains of them all. Also milk, and what are properly called sweets, defrutum, passum, pine-nuts.

Things acrid are, whatever is too austere, all acids, all salt provisions; and even honey, which is the more so, the better it is: likewise garlick, onion, rocket, rue, cresses, cucumber, bete, cabbage, asparagus, mustard, radish, endive, basil, lettuce, and the greatest part of pot-herbs.

CHAP. XXIII. OF THOSE THINGS WHICH GENERATE A THICK AND A FLUID PHLEGM.

A thick phlegm is generated by sorbile eggs, alica, rice, starch, ptisan, milk, bulbous roots, and almost every thing that is glutinous.

The contrary effect is produced by all salted, and acrid, and acid substances.

CHAP. XXIV. OF WHAT AGREES WITH THE STOMACH.

Whatever is austere or acid, or whatever is moderately sprinkled with salt, is agreeable to the stomach: also un-leavened bread, and washed alica, or rice, or ptisan; and all birds, and all venison; and both of these either roasted or boiled: amongst the tame animals, beef; if any of the rest is made use of, rather lean than fat; in a swine the heels, cheeks, ears, and barren wombs; amongst pot-herbs endive, lettuce, parsnip, boiled gourd, skirret; of the apple kind, the cherry, mulberry, service fruit, mealy pears, such as are either those called crustumina(53) or næviana, also those called tarentina, or signina; the round apples, or scandiana, or amerina, or quinces, or pomegranates, wormwood(54), jar raisins, soft eggs, dates, pine-nuts, white olives preserved in strong brine or tinctured with vinegar, or the black kind, which have grown thoroughly ripe upon the tree, or been kept in passum or defrutum; austere wine, although it be grown rough, also resinated(55); hard fish of the middle class, oysters, pectines(56), murex and purpura(57), periwinkles; food and drink either cold or hot.

CHAP. XXV. OF THINGS HURTFUL TO THE STOMACH.

The stomach is offended by every thing tepid, all salt provisions, all meat stewed into broth, every thing too sweet, all fat substances, gruel, leavened bread, and the same made either from millet or barley, oil, roots of pot-herbs, and whatever greens are eaten with oil or garum, honey, mulse, defrutum, passum, milk, all cheese, fresh grapes, figs both green and dry, all leguminous vegetables, and things, that usually prove flatulent; also thyme, catmint, savory, hyssop, cresses, dock, nipplewort, and walnuts. From this account it may be inferred, that it is no rule that what affords a good juice, agrees with the stomach; nor that what agrees with the stomach, is for that reason of good juice.

CHAP. XXVI. OF THOSE THINGS, WHICH OCCASION FLATULENCIES, AND THE CONTRARY.

Flatulencies are generated by almost all the leguminous vegetables, every thing fat, or over sweet, all stewed meat; must, and even any wine, that has not got age: amongst pot-herbs, garlick, onion, cabbage, and all roots (except skirret and parsnip) bulbusses, dry figs too, but more especially the green, fresh grapes, all nuts, except pine-nuts, milk, and all cheese, and lastly, whatever is too crude.

Little or no flatulency is occasioned by venison, wild fowl, fish, apples, olives, conchylia, eggs either soft or sorbile, old wine. But fennel and dill even relieve flatulencies.

CHAP. XXVII. OF THOSE THINGS WHICH HEAT AND COOL.

Heat is excited by pepper, salt, all flesh stewed into soup, garlick, onion, dry figs, salt fish, wine which is the more heating, the stronger it is.

Those greens are cooling, whose stalks are eaten without boiling, as endive, and lettuce: likewise coriander, cucumber, boiled gourd, bete, mulberries, cherries, austere apples, mealy pears, boiled flesh, and especially vinegar mixed either with meat or drink.

CHAP. XXVIII. OF WHAT IS EASILY CORRUPTED IN THE STOMACH, AND THE CONTRARY.

The following kinds easily corrupt in the stomach, leavened bread, and such as is made of any other grain than wheat, and all kinds of the sweet bread mentioned before(58), milk, honey, also sucking animals, and tender fish, oysters, greens, cheese both new and old, coarse or tender flesh, sweet wine, mulse, defrutum passum; lastly, whatever is either juicy, or too sweet, or over thin.

But unleavened bread, birds, especially the harder, hard fish, and not only the aurata for instance, or scarus(59), but even the lolligo, locusta, polypus, do not easily corrupt; also beef and all hard flesh: the same is preferable if it be lean, and salted; and all salt fish; periwinkles, the murex and purpura, austere wine, or resinated.

CHAP. XXIX. OF WHAT OPENS THE BELLY.

The belly is opened by leavened bread, and the more so if it be coarse, or made of barley; cabbage if it be not well boiled, lettuce, dill, cresses, basil, nettle, purslane, radishes, capers, garlick, onion, mallows, dock, bete, asparagus, gourd, cherries, mulberries, all mild apples, figs even dry, but more especially green, fresh grapes, fat small birds, periwinkles, salt fish and garum, oysters, pelorides(60), sea-urchins, muscles, and almost all shell fish, and chiefly the liquor of them, rock fish, and all tender fish, blood of the cuttle fish; and any fat meat, and the same stewed, or boiled; birds that swim; crude honey, milk, all sucking animals, mulse, sweet or salt wine, soft water(61), every thing tepid, sweet, fat, boiled, stewed, salt, or diluted.

CHAP. XXX. OF WHAT BINDS THE BELLY.

On the contrary the belly is bound by bread made of the siligo, or flour of wheat; especially if it be unleavened; and more so if it be also toasted: and this virtue is even increased, if it be twice baked: pulse made either from alica, or panick, or millet; also gruel prepared from the same; and more so, if these have been toasted first. Lentils with the addition of betes, or endive, or cichory, or plantain, and more so, if these have been toasted before: endive also by itself or cichory toasted, with plantain; small greens, cabbage twice boiled; hard eggs, and more so if roasted; small birds, black bird, ring-dove, especially boiled in vinegar and water, crane and all birds that run, more than they fly; hare, wild goat; the liver of those animals, that have suet, especially that of beef, and the suet itself; cheese, which is grown strong by age, or by that change, which we observe in the foreign kind; or if it be new, boiled with honey or mulse; also boiled honey, unripe pears, fruit of the service-tree, more especially those that they call torminalia(62), quinces and pomegranates, olives either white or early ripe, myrtle-berries, dates, the purpura and murex, wine either resinated or rough, and wine undiluted, vinegar, mulse, that has been boiled, also rough defrutum, passum, water either tepid or very cold, and hard, that is, such as keeps long without stinking, therefore particularly rain water, every thing hard, lean, austere, rough, and scorched, and the same flesh rather roasted, than boiled.

CHAP. XXXI. OF DIURETIC MEATS AND DRINKS.

The urine is promoted by whatever grows in the garden of a good smell, as smallage, rue, dill, basil, mint, hyssop, anise, coriander, cresses, rocket, fennel. Besides these, asparagus, caper, catmint, thyme, savory, nipplewort, parsnip, especially the wild kind, radish, skirret, onion; of venison principally the hare; small wine, pepper both round and long, mustard, wormwood, pine-nuts.

CHAP. XXXII. OF SOPORIFEROUS AND EXCITING THINGS.

Sleep is procured by the poppy, lettuce, especially the summer kind, when its stalk is replete with milk, mulberries, and leeks.

The senses are excited by catmint, thyme, savory, hyssop, particularly pennyroyal, rue and onion.

CHAP. XXXIII. OF THOSE THINGS, WHICH DRAW, REPEL, OR COOL, OR HEAT, OR HARDEN, OR SOFTEN.

Many things are powerful in drawing out matter: but as these consist principally of foreign medicines, and not so much adapted to the cases of those who are to be relieved by diet, I shall postpone the mention of them for the present: and shall only name those things, which are commonly at hand, and are fit for corroding, and thus extracting whatever is hurtful in those distempers, concerning which I am presently to treat. This virtue resides in the seeds of rocket, cresses, radish; but most of all mustard. The same power is also found in salt, and figs.

Sordid wool(63) dipt either in vinegar, or wine, with an addition of oil; bruised dates, bran boiled in salt water or vinegar, are all at the same time both restringent and emollient.

But the following things both restringe and cool, the wall herb (which they call parthenium or perdicium, feverfew) serpyllum, pennyroyal, basil, the blood herb (which the Greeks call polygonon[ AZ ],) purslane, poppy-leaves, and clippings of vines, coriander-leaves, henbane, moss, skirret, smallage, nightshade (which the Greeks call struchnos)[ BA ], cabbage-leaves, endive, plantain, fenel-seed, mashed pears or apples, chiefly quinces, lentils; cold water, especially rain water, wine, vinegar; and bread, or meal, or sponge, or pieces of cloth, or sordid wool, or even linen, moistened in any of these liquors; Cimolian chalk(64), tarras(65), oil of quinces(66), or myrtles(67), or of roses(68), bitter oil(69), leaves of vervains bruised with their tender stalks; of this kind are olive, cypress, myrtle, mastich-tree, tamarisk, privet, rose, bramble, laurel, ivy, pomegranate.

Boiled quinces, pomegranate bark, a hot decoction of vervains, which I mentioned before, powder from the lees of wine, or myrtle-leaves, bitter almonds, all restringe without cooling.

A cataplasm made from any meal is heating, whether it be of wheat, or of far(70), or barley, or bitter vetch, or darnel, or millet, or panick, or lentil, or beans, or lupines, or lint, or fenugreek; the meal after being boiled is laid on hot. But every kind of meal boiled in mulse is more effectual for this purpose, than the same prepared with water. Besides these, Cyprine oil(71), or iris(72), marrow, fat of a cat, mixed with oil, especially if it be old, salt, nitre(73), git, pepper, cinquefoil.

And we may observe in general, that those things, which both restringe violently and cool, are hardening: and those which heat and dissipate, are softening: but the most powerful cataplasm for softening is made from the seeds of lint or fenugreek.

Now physicians make use of all these things variously, both by themselves, and mixed; so that we rather see what each of them was strongly persuaded of, than what upon certain trial he found to be useful.

A. CORNELIUS CELSUS

OF

MEDICINE.