One from the state of his health may know, before he go into the warm water, whether it be proper to anoint himself after it. However for the most part (except in cases where it shall be expressly ordered to be done after) upon the beginning of a sweat the body is to be anointed gently, and then to be dipped in the warm water. And in this case also regard must be had to his strength; and he must not be allowed to faint by the heat, but must be speedily removed, and carefully wrapped up in cloaths, lest any cold get to him; and there also he must sweat, before he take any food. Warm fomentations are millet-seed, salt, sand: any of these heated, and put into a linen cloth: even linen alone, if there be less heat required; but if greater, extinguished coals, wrapt up in cloths, and applied round a person. Moreover bottles(30) are filled with hot oil: and water is poured into earthen vessels, which from their resemblance in shape are called lenticulæ(31): and salt is put into a linen bag, and dipt into water well heated, then set upon the limb that is to be fomented. And at the fire are placed two ignited pieces of iron, with pretty broad heads: one of these is put into dry salt, and water is sprinkled lightly upon it; when it begins to grow cold, it is carried back to the fire: the other is made use of in the same manner; so each of them alternately: and in the mean time, the hot and salt liquor drops down through the cloth, which relieves the nerves contracted by any disease. All of them have this property in common of dissipating that, which either loads the præcordia, or suffocates the fauces, or is hurtful in any limb. When each of these sorts of fomentations is to be used, shall be directed under the particular kinds of distempers. CHAP. XVIII. OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD AND DRINK. Since we have treated of those things, which relieve by evacuation, we must now proceed to those, which nourish us, that is, our food and drink. Now these are not only the common supports in all distempers, but even of health too. And it is of importance to be acquainted with the properties of them all: first, that the healthy may know, in what manner they are to make use of them: secondly, that in treating of the method of curing diseases, it may suffice to mention in general the species of what is to be taken, without being under the necessity of naming each particular upon every occasion.