11
It is necessary to inquire into the cause why such symptoms come to these men. The one who had grown accustomed to one meal suffered, I think, because he did not wait sufficient time, until his digestive organs had completely digested and assimilated the food taken the day before, and until they had become empty and quiet, but had taken fresh food while the organs were still in a state of hot turmoil and ferment. Such organs digest much more slowly than others, and need longer rest and quiet. The man accustomed to take lunch, since no fresh nourishment was given him as soon as his body needed nourishment, when the previous meal was digested and there was nothing to sustain him, naturally wastes and pines away through want. For I put down to want all the symptoms which I have said such a man shows. And I assert furthermore that all other men besides, who when in good health fast for two or three days, will show the same symptoms as I have said those exhibit who do not take their lunch.
12
Such constitutions, I contend, that rapidly and severely feel the effects of errors, are weaker than the others. A weak man is but one step removed from a sickly man, but a sickly man is weaker still, and is more apt to suffer distress whenever he misses the due season. And, while the art can admit of such nice exactness, it is difficult always to attain perfect accuracy. But many departments of medicine have reached such a pitch of exactness, and I will speak about them later. I declare, however, that we ought not to reject the ancient art as non-existent, or on the ground that its method of inquiry is faulty, just because it has not attained exactness in every detail, but much rather, because it has been able by reasoning to rise from deep ignorance to approximately perfect accuracy, I think we ought to admire the discoveries as the work, not of chance, but of inquiry rightly and correctly conducted.
