LEECH BOOK. II. 255 



greater leechdom, for the want of might in the man, Book II. 



or for want of digestion, or for old age, or for youth, 



or for bad weather, or for diarrhoea, then wait till that 



thou may so do* or dare. If heat, or his capacity to 



bear it, forbid it not, let him blood from the left arm 



from the upper vein ; if thou canst not find that, let 



hiTTh blood from the midmost vein ; if thou canst not 



find that, let him blood from the head vein. Further, 



if that cannot be found, let Jdm blood from the left 



hand, near the little finger, from a vein. If the blood 



be very red or livid, then must it be let flow more 



plentifully ; if it be clean or clear, let it flow so much 



the less. Blood however is so to be taken from the 



man as that his vital power may not be unsettled". 



xliii. 



Thus shall the sick mens diet be administered in 

 that disease ; juicy peas, and bread in hot water, and 

 oxymel, of which we wrote before, when speahiAig of 

 Ijladder disease, the southern acid drink ; marche also 

 sodden in water, and such worts and dim-etic drinks, 

 and thin wine must be given them, and sheer or clear; 

 that will better the power of the milt ; and shell 

 fishes are to be taken, and fowls, those, Tiamely, which 

 are not dwellers in fens. This that folloiveth is to 

 be foregone ; let them not partake of fen fishes, nor 

 sea fishes which have hard flesh, and let them take 

 the before named meats, oysters and periwinkles, not 

 the meats which puff" up a mans strength, nor let 

 them take flesh of bullock, nor of swine, nor of 

 sheep, nor of goat, nor of kid, nor let them 

 drink thick wine, nor food either too extremely hot 



