| [p. 94]previously taken their dinner. Such persons
should take less supper than they are wont, and a pudding of barley-meal
more moist than usual instead of bread, and of potherbs the dock,
or mallow, and ptisan, or beets, and along with the food they should
take wine in moderation, and diluted with water; after supper they
should take a short walk, until the urine descend and be passed; and
they may use boiled fish.
Articles of food have generally such effects as the following: Garlic
occasions flatulence and heat about the chest, heaviness of the head,
and nausea, and any other habitual pain is apt to be exasperated by
it; it is diuretic, which, in so far, is a good property which it
possesses; but to eat it when one means to drink to excess, or when
intoxicated. Cheese produces flatulence and constipation, and heats
the other articles of food; and it gives rise to crudities and indigestion,
but it is worst of all to eat it along with drink after a full meal.
Pulse of all kinds are flatulent, whether raw, boiled, or fried; least
so when macerated in water, or in a green state; they should not be
used except along with food prepared from the cerealia. Each of these
articles, however, has bad effects peculiar to itself. The
vetch, whether raw or boiled, creates flatulence and pain. The lentil
is astringent, and disorders the stomach if taken with its hull. The
lupine has the fewest bad effects of all these things. The stalk and
the juice of silphium (asafoetida), pass through some people's bowels
very readily, but in others, not accustomed to them, they engender
what is called dry cholera; this complaint is more especially produced
by it if mixed with much cheese, or eaten along with beef. Melancholic
diseases are most particularly exacerbated by beef, for it is of an
unmanageable nature, and requires no ordinary powers of stomach to
digest it; it will agree best with those who use it well boiled and
pretty long kept. Goat's flesh has all the bad properties of beef;
it is an indigestible, more flatulent and engenders acid eructations
and cholera; such as has a fragrant smell, is firm, and sweet to the
taste, is the best, when well baked and cooled; but those kinds which
are disagreeable to the taste, have a bad smell, and are hard, such
are particularly bad, and especially if very fresh; it is best in
summer and worst
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