COMMENTARY. This is taken from Oribasius. (Synops. v, 40.) Aëtius uses nearly the same words. (iv, 32.) Celsus recommends the tepid salt-water bath, hard exercise, food of an acid or austere kind, and restricted sleep. (i, 3.) Galen gives an interesting account of the manner in which he cured a person of obesity in a very short space of time. He says, “I first made him take quick exercise, and afterwards wiped off the sweat with a linen cloth. I then rubbed his body with the volatile ointments called acopa, and after this friction I led him to the bath. I did not then give him food at once, but directed him either to rest, or to follow any occupation he was inclined for, and then repeated the bath; after which I gave him as much food, not of a very nourishing description, as he was disposed to take.” (De Sanit. tuendâ, vi, 8.) Avicenna recommends hard exercise and frequent baths, and vinegar to drink. (i, 3, 4.) Rhases recommends fat persons to abstain from animal food, wine, milk, and all sweet things; to live upon pot-herbs, and such things as are saltish and sour; to take purgatives and diuretics, to use much hard exercise, and to remain long in the bath. (Ad Mansor. v, 61.) In another work he treats of this subject at great length. He recommends acids, and especially vinegar. In short, he agrees with Galen, that all things of a bitter, sour, and attenuant nature reduce obesity; and also that saltish things which have the property of opening the bowels do the same. Nothing, he says, tends more to reduce corpulency than frequent baths and hard friction. (Contin. iv.) The directions given by Haly Abbas are to the same effect as those of Rhases, that is to say, he recommends fat persons to take hard exercise, to remain long in the bath, to use friction with oil of dill and the like, to live upon articles of food not too nutritious, not to indulge in protracted sleep, and to have frequent recourse to laxative and purgative medicines. (Pract. i, 16.) Some remarkable cases of obesity are related by Athenæus. (Deipnos, xii, 12.) The practice of the Methodists is described in a very circumstantial manner by Cælius Aurelianus. (Tard. Pass. v, 9.) They very properly condemned bleeding and purging, and depended principally upon strong exercise, hot baths, insolation, the sand-bath, hard friction, and a restricted diet. SECT. LVIII.—HOW TO RECRUIT THOSE WHO ARE EMACIATED.