Commentary on Hippocrates' Regimen for Health

’But for all those who do not vomit up their food, or who have loose bellies, it is beneficial to do the opposite of this method.’ [q.1] Vomiting up food is suitable for those who wish either to wash out the belly or to make a moderate evacuation of the whole body. And he expects these people to eat often and various things, and to drink more wine. Conversely, [he expects] those who do not wish to vomit, and who have bellies looser than proper so as to need checking, neither to eat often, nor to take in manifold foods and wines. For eating a single uniform thing once and drinking a single wine contributes to the stomach retaining and digesting them, whereas the opposite things are more difficult to digest and to remain in the stomach. But according to the quality of the things taken in and the order of their administration, it happens either that they float to the top or overflow downward. ‘And infant children should be bathed in warm water for a long time, and given to drink wine very much diluted and not cold at all. And one should give this [wine] which least inflates the stomach and causes wind. And these things should be done so that convulsions may seize them less, and that they may become larger and healthier in complexion.’ [q.2] He himself stated the aims of the mentioned regimen: ‘so that convulsions may seize them less, and they may become larger and healthier in complexion.’ For children who are bathed in warm water for a longer time remain soft, and this contributes to their not suffering convulsions. For Hippocrates himself says that convulsions occur more in tense bodies than in relaxed and slack ones, and soft bodies grow more easily, since they also have easier expansion in every direction. And that those which are neither seized by convulsions and grow well have their whole habit healthy is obvious to everyone. Therefore, this has been made clear by him through a single, not small sign, that of a healthy complexion. But he also commands them to drink the wine diluted, not wishing them to be overheated, and especially because they often suffer convulsions, which again happens to them because of the weakness of their nerves and their gluttony. For this reason indeed, he also commands them not to drink it cold. But that the wine should be of such a kind as is least flatulent is beneficial to all human beings in common, not only to infants. ‘And women should lead their lives in this way, in a drier manner. For dry foods are more suitable to the softness of female flesh, and more unmixed drinks are better for the womb and childbearing.’ [q.3] Having expected women to live in a drier manner, he himself sketched out of what sort this is. But the opinion of the man contains a contradiction. For if it were contrary to nature for women to be moist, as is the case with ill-tempered constitutions and those suffering from a moist disease, he would have been right to dry them; but since this is according to nature for them, we must preserve it, unless it should ever exceed healthy proportion. But we consider this indeed in the case of men too. For indeed for them too, to be drier than women is according to nature. But whenever they advance further than the appropriate dryness, then we correct their ill-temperament by means of opposites. ‘Those who exercise should in winter both run and wrestle, and in summer wrestle a little, but not run, and walk much in the cool.’ [q.4] He teaches the differences of exercises appropriate to the seasons, as those of winter are able to warm and dry, while those of summer are the opposite. ‘Those who are fatigued from running should wrestle; and those who are fatigued from wrestling should run. For in this way, the one who is laboring with the fatigued part of the body would be warmed through, toned, and especially rested.’ [q.5] If everything had been written in this way by the dogmatic physicians, the commentators would not have had an occasion for much talking. And I say ‘in this way’ in the sense of adding the cause for which he commanded us to act in this manner, which is exactly what Polybus has now done. ‘For those who exercise and are especially seized by diarrhea and whose stools are meal-like and undigested, one should subtract from their exercises not less than a third part, and they should use half of their food. For it is indeed clear that the belly cannot warm them through so as to digest the abundance of food coming in. And let their food be bread baked as thoroughly as possible, crumbled in wine, and their drinks as few as possible and as unmixed as possible, and let them not walk after the meal. And they should eat once a day during this time, for in this way the belly would be warmed through most and would master the things coming in. And this kind of diarrhea occurs especially in those with dense flesh, whenever the person is forced to eat meat when their nature is of such a kind. For the veins, having become dense, do not take up the food coming in.’ [q.6]