Book 1
3
With regard to the regimen during the whole period of the treatment and afterwards, I hold as follows:—Much sleep is bad, and likewise insomnolency; for truly much sleep stupefies the senses of the head. From a redundance of vapours there is disinclination to every exertion; and these are also the cause of the weight in the head, the noises, and the flashes of light, which are the marks of the disease. Insomnolency induces dyspepsia, atrophy, and wearies out the body; the spirits flag, and the understanding is unsettled; and for these reasons such patients readily pass into mania and melancholy. Moderate sleep is suitable for the proper digestion of the food and refreshment from the labours of the day; care and perseverance in these respects; and particular attention is to be paid to the evacuation of the bowels, for the belly is the greater source of the bodily perspiration. Next, friction of the limbs, by means of rough towels, so as to produce rubefaction; then, of the back and sides; last, of the head. Afterwards, exercise in walking, gentle at first and in the end; carried to running in the middle; rest and tranquillity of the breathing (pneuma) after the walking. They are to practise vociferation, using grave tones, for sharp occasion distension of the head, palpitation of the temples, pulsatory movements of the brain, fulness of the eyes, and noises in the ears. Sounds of medium intensity are beneficial to the head. Then the season of gestation should be regulated so as to promote the expulsion of the weight in the head; it should be prolonged, yet not so as to induce fatigue; neither should gestation be made in tortuous places, nor where there are frequent bendings of the road, for these are provocative of vertigo. But let the walks be straight, long, and smooth. If then the patients have been in the habit of taking lunch, we must only allow of a little bread, so as to be no impediment to the exercises; for digestion should take place previously. The head and the hands, and the frictions thereof, are to be attended to; in the latter it is to be gently performed for the restoration of the heat, for plumpness, and strength. Then the head is to be rubbed while the patient stands erect below a person of higher stature than himself. Gymnastics skilfully performed which tend to distension of the neck, and strong exercise of the hands. It is proper, also, by raising the head, to exercise the eyes at chironomy, or at throwing the quoit, or contending at boxing. The exercise both with the large and the small ball is bad, for the rolling of the head and eyes, and the intense fixing of them, occasion vertigo. Leaping and running are very excellent; for everything that is keen is beneficial to the limbs, and gives tone to the general system.For an account of most of the ancient exercises mentioned by our author, see Paulus Ægineta, t. i. p. 22—27, Syd. Soc. Edit. The cold bath is better than no bath at all; no bath at all is better than the hot bath: the cold bath is very powerful as an astringent, incrassant, and desiccant of the head, which is the condition of health; while the warm bath is most powerful to humectate, relax, and create mistiness; for these are the causes of disease of the head, and such also are south winds, which occasion dulness of hearing. There should be rest after exercises, to allay the perturbation. Pinching of the head, even to the extent of producing excoriation of the skin.
