Hippocrates "On Ancient Medicine" excerpt on CHEESE
20. Certain sophists and physicians say that it is not possible for any one to know medicine who does not know what
man is [and how he was made and how constructed], and that whoever would cure men properly, must learn this in the
first place. But this saying rather appertains to philosophy, as Empedocles and certain others have described what man
in his origin is, and how he first was made and constructed. But I think whatever such has been said or written by
sophist or physician concerning nature has less connection with the art of medicine than with the art of painting. And
I think that one cannot know anything certain respecting nature from any other quarter than from medicine; and that
this knowledge is to be attained when one comprehends the whole subject of medicine properly, but not until then; and I
say that this history shows what man is, by what causes he was made, and other things accurately. Wherefore it appears
to me necessary to every physician to be skilled in nature, and strive to know, if he would wish to perform his duties,
what man is in relation to the articles of food and drink, and to his other occupations, and what are the effects of
each of them to every one. And it is not enough to know simply that cheese is a bad article of food, as disagreeing
with whoever eats of it to satiety, but what sort of disturbance it creates, and wherefore, and with what principle in
man it disagrees; for there are many other articles of food and drink naturally bad which affect man in a different
manner. Thus, to illustrate my meaning by an example, undiluted wine drunk in large quantity renders a man feeble; and
everybody seeing this knows that such is the power of wine, and the cause thereof; and we know, moreover, on what parts
of a man’s body it principally exerts its action; and I wish the same certainty to appear in other cases. For cheese
(since we used it as an example) does not prove equally injurious to all men, for there are some who can take it to
satiety without being hurt by it in the least, but, on the contrary, it is wonderful what strength it imparts to those
it agrees with; but there are some who do not bear it well, their constitutions are different, and they differ in this
respect, that what in their body is incompatible with cheese, is roused and put in commotion by such a thing; and those
in whose bodies such a humor happens to prevail in greater quantity and intensity, are likely to suffer the more from
it. But if the thing had been pernicious to of man, it would have hurt all. Whoever knows these things will not suffer
from it.
source University of Adelaide
http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/h/hippocrates/medicine/index.html
source University of Adelaide
http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/h/hippocrates/medicine/index.html

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