Chap. 26.] ARTIFICIAL WINES. 477 



CHAP. 25. NINETY- ONE OBSERVATIONS WITH REFERENCE TO 



WINE. 



It is a well- ascertained fact, that in the cardiac 9 disease the 

 only resource is wine. According to some authorities, how- 

 ever, wine should only be given when the attacks come on, 

 while others, again, are of opinion, that it must only he ad- 

 ministered between the attacks ; it being the object with the 

 former to arrest the profuse perspirations, while the latter base 

 their practice on an impression that it maybe given with more 

 safety at a moment when the malady has diminished in inten- 

 sity ; and this I find is the opinion entertained by most people. 

 In all cases, wine must only be administered just after taking 

 food, never after sleep, and under no circumstances after any 

 other kind of drink, or in other words, only when the patient 

 is thirsty ; in no case whatever should it be given, except at the 

 very last extremity. Wine is better suited to males than to 

 females, to aged people than to youths, to youths than to chil- 

 dren, and to persons who are used to it than to those who are 

 not in the habit of taking it ; winter, too, is a better time for 

 using it than summer. As to the quantity to be prescribed, 

 and the proportion of water to be mixed with it, that depends 

 entirely upon the strength of the wine ; it is generally thought, 

 however, that the best proportions are one cyathus of wine and 

 two of water. If, however, there is a derangement of the 

 stomach, and if the food does not pass downward, the wine must 

 be given in a larger proportion. 



CHAP. 26. ARTIFICIAL WINES. 



Among the artificial wines, the preparation of which we 

 have 10 described, [there are some which], 11 I think, are no 

 longer made ; in addition to which, it would be a mere loss of 

 time to enlarge upon their medicinal effects, having expa- 

 tiated elsewhere upon the properties of the various elements of 

 which they are composed. And then, besides, the conceits of 

 the medical men in relation to these wines have really passed 

 all bounds ; they pretend, for instance, that a wine extracted 



9 See B. xi. c. 71. There is little doubt that generous wine promotes 

 the rapid circulation of the blood. 



10 In B. xiv. cc. 18, 19, 20. 



11 In accordance with the suggestion of Sillig, we insert " sunt qua," 

 otherwise the passage is defective. 



