Seneca[ IJ ] has shown us of how great importance the Romans esteemed the baths in the time of the republic, when he observes, ‘What pleasure there would be in going into the baths, which a person knew to be tempered by the hand of Cato in his edileship, or Fabius Maximus, or one of the Cornelii—for, says he, this function the most noble ediles performed, of inspecting those places frequented by the people, and requiring cleanliness and a convenient and salutary temperature; not such as has been lately brought into use, in which the heat is so violent, that one would imagine a slave convicted of some crime were condemned to that punishment.’
These several parts of the baths were variously used, according to the case of the person, and the intention pursued. Where no epithet is added to the bath in the text, it will appear from the connection, generally, that the hot bath is to be understood. For any further particulars relating to the baths, see Mercurial. de Art. Gymnast. lib. i. c. 10.
[18.] Gravedoes.) I have here retained the original word, because we have no one English term which will answer to it. See its symptoms enumerated, lib. iv. c. 4.
[19.] In one that has laboured little.) According to the reading of Almeloveen and Linden, which is, In eo, qui minus laboravit, et bene concoxit, remissior: in eo, qui assuetus est, et minus concoxit, amplior, Celsus gives a precept contrary to what he had directed before, p. 22. l. 2. Qui parum concoxit, quiescere debet. In justice, therefore, to our author, I restore with Morgagni[ IK ] the old reading, In eo, qui minus laboravit, et bene concoxit, amplior: in eo, qui fatigatus est, et minus concoxit, remissior.
[20.] Salt fish, salsamentum.) By this is generally understood fish salted and dried (resembling our dried ling), for in several ancient authors it is ordered to be macerated before boiling; and it is often mentioned as made of fish: but it would appear from Strabo[ IL ], that the same name was also given to flesh cured in like manner; for he mentions a ταρχεία, or salsamentum, made of pork, amongst the Sequani, which was brought to the Roman market.
[21.] Sexes.) Our author here proposes the difference arising from the sexes, as one of the subjects to be treated of, but no notice is taken of it in the subsequent part of the chapter: so that this word must either have been interpolated, or, as Constantine observes, Celsus must have forgot it, (which is not probable,) or his observations upon that article may be lost, by the carelessness of transcribers.
[22.] Frequent yawning.) As this whole paragraph relates to people that are fatigued, it renders the old reading more probable, fatigatio, instead of oscitatio, especially as it follows, that a change of labour relieves from fatigue; unless we reckon yawning as one of the symptoms of lassitude; Morgagni[ IM ] prefers fatigatio: but as the difference is of small importance, I have not departed from Almeloveen.
[23.] Warm water.) It appears a little doubtful, why our author should mention this, as he adds the bath immediately after: unless by balneum he means all the processes at the bath; and by the other, bathing in warm water alone.
[24.] Mulse was made of two parts of wine, and one of honey. Dios. lib. v. cap. 790. But from Celsus, it would appear that the proportions were arbitrary: for he says, Mulse is more nourishing the more honey it contains. Lib. ii. cap. 18.
[25.] Hyssop.) Hippocrates thus prescribes it for a vomit to corpulent men; let about a gill of powdered hyssop be given to drink in a gallon of water, adding a little vinegar and salt, to make it as pleasant as possible; and let this be drunk at first gradually, and afterwards more quickly. Lib. de Salub. Vict. Rat. p. 338. Edit. Gen. 1657.