Book 1
2
The diet in both kinds of the complaint should be light; little drink, water for drink, especially before giving any medicine; complete abstinence from acrid things, such as onions, garlic, the juice of silphium, but not altogether from mustard, for its acrimony, in addition to its being stomachic, is not unpleasant to the head, dissolving phlegm, and exhaling or discharging downwards. Of pulse, the worst is the common bean and its species, the common peas, and the species called ochrys,The pisum ochrys. and the common kidney-beans; next to them are the lentils, which have indeed certain good properties for promoting digestion and secretion, but induce fulness of the head and occasion pain; only when boiled with pepper they are not to be rejected. Granulated spelt (alica) when washed, is pleasant along with wine and honey, so as to sweeten, and, in like manner, their soups, and with plain broths. The seeds of carui, coriander, anise, and parsley, in the Lydian sauceSee Hesychius, under κηρυκεία and — κη, Athen. Deip. p. 516, Ed. Casaub. are excellent. But, of these articles, the best are the herbs mint and penny-royal, with the fragrant things which have some diuretic and carminative properties. Of fleshes, all such as are old are bad; of the recently killed, that of the hen is good; of birds, the wood pigeon, the common pigeon, and such others as are not very fat; the extremities of the swine; the roasted hare; that of the ox and of the sheep is incrassant and fills the head; the kid is not altogether bad. Milk and cheese occasion headache. Of fishes, those found among rocks, and those things that are best in each particular country. Of potherbs, such as promote the urinary and alvine discharges, the mallow, the blite, the beet, and asparagus; but the kale is also acrid. Among raw articles, the lettuce is the best of all. Roots are bad, even when boiled, such as radishes, navews, and parsnips, which are diuretic, but occasion repletion; the garden parsnip indeed is flatulent and swells up the stomach. Wine which is white, thin, and sweet, is to be admitted, if it have some astringency, so as not to bind the bowels. All articles of the dessert occasion headache, except dates of every species. In autumn the fig and grape are wholesome, and whatever other fruit is very good at any particular season. Repletion of all things, even of such as are proper, is bad; and so, also, indigestion is bad. Lassitude is less injurious than indigestion, but still it is hurtful. The morning walk after evacuation of the bowels, but so as not to affect the breathing nor induce weariness; and it is also very good after supper. Prolonged gestation, not exposed to wind or sun, is good for the head; but the dog-star is bad for it. Sexual intercourse is a self-inflicted evil to the head and nerves. A journey from a cold to a warmer climate, or from a humid to a drier, is proper; also a sea-voyage, and passing one’s life at sea; and if one lives by the sea-side it is a good thing to bathe in the sea-water, to tumble on the sands, and to reside close by the sea.
