Discourses on a Sober and Temperate Life: Wherein Is Demonstrated, by His Own Example, the Method of Preserving Health to Extreme Old AgeCornaro, Luigi
Philosophy
Discourses on a Sober and Temperate Life: Wherein Is Demonstrated, by His Own Example, the Method of Preserving Health to Extreme Old Age
Cornaro, Luigi
Cornaro, Luigi, 1475-1566; Health -- Early works to 1800; Longevity -- Early works to 1800
Here it may be objected, and some actually object, that he,
who leads a regular life, having constantly, when well, made
use of food fit for the sick, and in small quantities, has no
resource left in case of illness. To this I might, in the
first place, answer, that nature, desirous to preserve man
in good health as long as possible, informs him, herself, how
he is to act in time of illness; for she immediately deprives
him, when sick, of his appetite, in order that he may eat but
little; because nature (as I have said already) is satisfied
with little; wherefore, it is requisite, that a man, when
sick, whether he has been a regular or irregular liver, should
use no meats, but such as are suited to his disorder; and of
these even in a much smaller quantity than he was wont to do,
when in health. For were he to eat as much as he used to do, he
would die by it; because it would be only adding to the burden,
with which nature was already oppressed, by giving her a greater
quantity of food, than she can in such circumstances support; and
this, I imagine, would be a sufficient caution to any sick
person. But, independent of all this, I might answer some others,
and still better, that whoever leads a regular life, cannot be
sick; or, at least, but seldom, and for a short time; because,
by living regularly, he extirpates every seed of sickness; and
thus, by removing the cause, prevents the effect; so that he,
who pursues a regular course of life, need not be apprehensive
of illness, as he need not be afraid of the effect, who has
guarded against the cause.
Since it therefore appears that a regular life is so
profitable and virtuous, so lovely and so holy, it ought to be
universally followed and embraced; and more so, as it does not
clash with the means or duties of any station, but is easy to
all; because, to lead it, a man need not tie himself down to
eat so little as I do, or not to eat fruit, fish, and other
things of that kind, from which I abstain, who eat little,
because it is sufficient for my puny and weak stomach; and fruit,
fish, and other things of that kind, disagree with me, which is
my reason for not touching them. Those, however, with whom such
things agree, may, and ought to eat of them; since they are not by
any means forbid the use use of such sustinance. But, then, both
they, and all others, are forbid to eat a greater quantity of any
kind of food, even of that which agrees with them, than what their
stomachs can easily digest; the same is to be understood of drink.
Hence it is that those, with whom nothing disagrees, are not
bound to observe any rule but that relating to the quantity, and
not to the quality, of their food; a rule which they may, without
the least difficulty in the world, comply with.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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