the black death and the dancing mania-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　not　be　eaten；　but；　on　the　contrary；　meat　of　a　proper　age；　of　a　warm　and　dry；　but　on　no　account　of　a　heating　and　exciting　nature。　　Broth　should　be　taken；　seasoned　with　ground　pepper；　ginger；　and　cloves；　especially　by　those　who　are　accustomed　to　live　temperately；　and　are　yet　choice　in　their　diet。　　Sleep　in　the　day…time　is　detrimental；　it　should　be　taken　at　night　until　sunrise；　or　somewhat　longer。　　At　breakfast　one　should　drink　little；　supper　should　be　taken　an　hour　before　sunset；　when　more　may　be　drunk　than　in　the　morning。　　Clear　light　wine；　mixed　with　a　fifth　or　six　part　of　water；　should　be　used　as　a　beverage。　　Dried　or　fresh　fruits；　with　wine；　are　not　injurious；　but　highly　so　without　it。　　Beet…root　and　other　vegetables；　whether　eaten　pickled　or　fresh；　are　hurtful；　on　the　contrary；　spicy　pot…herbs；　as　sage　or　rosemary；　are　wholesome。　　Cold；　moist；　watery　food　in　is　general　prejudicial。　　Going　out　at　night；　and　even　until　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　is　dangerous；　on　account　of　dew。　　Only　small　river　fish　should　be　used。　　Too　much　exercise　is　hurtful。　The　body　should　be　kept　warmer　than　usual；　and　thus　protected　from　moisture　and　cold。　　Rain…water　must　not　be　employed　in　cooking；　and　every　one　should　guard　against　exposure　to　wet　weather。　　If　it　rain；　a　little　fine　treacle　should　be　taken　after　dinner。　　Fat　people　should　not　sit　in　the　sunshine。　　Good　clear　wine　should　be　selected　and　drunk　often；　but　in　small　quantities；　by　day。　　Olive　oil　as　an　article　of　food　is　fatal。　　Equally　injurious　are　fasting　and　excessive　abstemiousness；　anxiety　of　mind；　anger；　and　immoderate　drinking。　　Young　people；　in　autumn　especially；　must　abstain　from　all　these　things　if　they　do　not　wish　to　run　a　risk　of　dying　of　dysentery。　　In　order　to　keep　the　body　properly　open；　an　enema；　or　some　other　simple　means；　should　be　employed　when　necessary。　　Bathing　is　injurious。　　Men　must　preserve　chastity　as　they　value　their　lives。　　Every　one　should　impress　this　on　his　recollection；　but　especially　those　who　reside　on　the　coast；　or　upon　an　island　into　which　the　noxious　wind　has　penetrated。〃

On　what　occasion　these　strange　precepts　were　delivered　can　no　longer　be　ascertained；　even　if　it　were　an　object　to　know　it。　　It　must　be　acknowledged；　however；　that　they　do　not　redound　to　the　credit　either　of　the　faculty　of　Paris；　or　of　the　fourteenth　century　in　general。　　This　famous　faculty　found　themselves　under　the　painful　necessity　of　being　wise　at　command；　and　of　firing　a　point…blank　shot　of　erudition　at　an　enemy　who　enveloped　himself　in　a　dark　mist；　of　the　nature　of　which　they　had　no　conception。　　In　concealing　their　ignorance　by　authoritative　assertions；　they　suffered　themselves；　therefore；　to　be　misled；　and　while　endeavouring　to　appear　to　the　world　with　eclat；　only　betrayed　to　the　intelligent　their　lamentable　weakness。　　Now　some　might　suppose　that；　in　the　condition　of　the　sciences　of　the　fourteenth　century；　no　intelligent　physicians　existed；　but　this　is　altogether　at　variance　with　the　laws　of　human　advancement；　and　is　contradicted　by　history。　　The　real　knowledge　of　an　age　is　shown　only　in　the　archives　of　its　literature。　　Here　alone　the　genius　of　truth　speaks　audiblyhere　alone　men　of　talent　deposit　the　results　of　their　experience　and　reflection　without　vanity　or　a　selfish　object。　There　is　no　ground　for　believing　that　in　the　fourteenth　century　men　of　this　kind　were　publicly　questioned　regarding　their　views；　and　it　is；　therefore；　the　more　necessary　that　impartial　history　should　take　up　their　cause；　and　do　justice　to　their　merits。

The　first　notice　on　this　subject　is　due　to　a　very　celebrated　teacher　in　Perugia；　Gentilis　of　Foligno；　who；　on　the　18th　of　June；　1348；　fell　a　sacrifice　to　the　plague；　in　the　faithful　discharge　of　his　duty。　　Attached　to　Arabian　doctrines；　and　to　the　universally　respected　Galen；　he；　in　common　with　all　his　contemporaries；　believed　in　a　putrid　corruption　of　the　blood　in　the　lungs　and　in　the　heart；　which　was　occasioned　by　the　pestilential　atmosphere；　and　was　forthwith　communicated　to　the　whole　body。　　He　thought；　therefore；　that　everything　depended　upon　a　sufficient　purification　of　the　air；　by　means　of　large　blazing　fires　of　odoriferous　wood；　in　the　vicinity　of　the　healthy　as　well　as　of　the　sick；　and　also　upon　an　appropriate　manner　of　living；　so　that　the　putridity　might　not　overpower　the　diseased。　　In　conformity　with　notions　derived　from　the　ancients；　he　depended　upon　bleeding　and　purging；　at　the　commencement　of　the　attack；　for　the　purpose　of　purification；　ordered　the　healthy　to　wash　themselves　frequently　with　vinegar　or　wine；　to　sprinkle　their　dwellings　with　vinegar；　and　to　smell　often　to　camphor；　or　other　volatile　substances。　　Hereupon　he　gave；　after　the　Arabian　fashion；　detailed　rules；　with　an　abundance　of　different　medicines；　of　whose　healing　powers　wonderful　things　were　believed。　　He　had　little　stress　upon　super…lunar　influences；　so　far　as　respected　the　malady　itself；　on　which　account；　he　did　not　enter　into　the　great　controversies　of　the　astrologers；　but　always　kept　in　view；　as　an　object　of　medical　attention；　the　corruption　of　the　blood　in　the　lungs　and　heart。　　He　believed　in　a　progressive　infection　from　country　to　country；　according　to　the　notions　of　the　present　day；　and　the　contagious　power　of　the　disease；　even　in　the　vicinity　of　those　affected　by　plague；　was；　in　his　opinion；　beyond　all　doubt。　　On　this　point　intelligent　contemporaries　were　all　agreed；　and；　in　truth；　it　required　no　great　genius　to　be　convinced　of　so　palpable　a　fact。　　Besides；　correct　notions　of　contagion　have　descended　from　remote　antiquity；　and　were　maintained　unchanged　in　the　fourteenth　century。　　So　far　back　as　the　age　of　Plato　a　knowledge　of　the　contagious　power　of　malignant　inflammations　of　the　eye；　of　which　also　no　physician　of　the　Middle　Ages　entertained　a　doubt；　was　general　among　the　people；　yet　in　modern　times　surgeons　have　filled　volumes　with　partial　controversies　on　this　subject。　　The　whole　language　of　antiquity　has　adapted　itself　to　the　notions　of　the　people　respecting　the　contagion　of　pestilential　diseases；　and　their　terms　were；　beyond　comparison；　more　expressive　than　those　in　use　among　the　moderns。

Arrangements　for　the　protection　of　the　healthy　against　contagious　diseases；　the　necessity　of　which　is　shown　from　these　notions；　were　regarded　by　the　ancients　as　useful；　and　by　man；　whose　circumstances　permitted　it；　were　carried　into　effect　in　their　houses。　　Even　a　total　separation　of　the　sick　from　the　healthy；　that　indispensable　means　of　protection　against　infection　by　contact；　was　proposed　by　physicians　of　the　second　century　after　Christ；　in　order　to　check　the　spreading　of　leprosy。　　But　it　was　decidedly　opposed；　because；　as　it　was　alleged；　the　healing　art　ought　not　to　be　guilty　of　such　harshness。　　This　mildness　of　the　ancients；　in　whose　manner　of　thinking　inhumanity　was　so　often　and　so　undisguisedly　conspicuous；　might　excite　surprise　if　it　were　anything　more　than　apparent。　　The　true　ground　of　the　neglect　of　public　protection　against　pestilential　diseases　lay　in　the　general　notion　and　constitution　of　human　societyit　lay　in　the　disregard　of　human　life；　of　which　the　great　nations　of　antiquity　have　given　proofs　in　every　page　of　their　history。　　Let　it　not　be　supposed　that　they　wanted　knowledge　respecting　the　propagation　of　contagious　diseases。　　On　the　contrary；　they　were　as　well　informed　on　this　subject　as　the　modern；　but　this　was　shown　where　individual　property；　not　where　human　life；　on　the　grand　scale　was　to　be　protected。　　Hence　the　ancients　made　a　general　practice　of　arresting　the　progress　of　murrains　among　cattle　by　a　separation　of　the　diseased　from　the　healthy。　　Their　herds　alone　enjoyed　that　protection　which　they　held　it　impracticable　to　extend　to　human　society；　because　they　had　no　wish　to　do　so。　　That　the　governments　in　the　fourteenth　century　were　not　yet　so　far　advanced　as　to　put　into　practice　general　regulations　for　checking　the　plague　needs　no　especial　proof。　　Physicians　could；　therefore；　only　advise　public　purifications　of　the　air　by　means　of　large　fires；　as　had　often　been　practised　in　ancient　times；　and　they　were　obliged　to　leave　it　to　individual　families　either　to　seek　safety　in　flight；　or　to　shut　themselves　up　in　their　dwellings；　a　method　which　answers　in　common　plag