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discovered and elaborated during a long period of
time. For many and terrible were the sufferings
of men from strong and brutish living when they
partook of crude foods, uncompounded and possessing
great powers --the same in fact as men
would
suffer at the present day, falling into violent pains and
diseases quickly followed by death. Formerly indeed
they probably suffered less, because they were used to
it, but they suffered severely even then. The majority
naturally perished, having too weak a constitution,
while the stronger resisted longer, just as at the
present time some men easily deal with strong foods,
while others do so only with many severe pains.
For this reason the ancients too seem to me to
have sought for nourishment that harmonised with
their constitution, and to have discovered that which
we use now. So from wheat, after steeping it,
winnowing, grinding and sifting, kneading, baking,
they produced bread, and from barley they produced
cake. Experimenting with food they boiled or
baked, after mixing, many other things, combining
the strong and uncompounded with the weaker
components so as to adapt all to the constitution and
power of man, thinking that from foods which, being
too strong, the human constitution cannot assimilate
when eaten, will come pain, disease, and death,
while from such as can be assimilated will come
nourishment, growth and health. To this discovery
and research what juster or more appropriate name
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