Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi upon questions of all sorts for the improving of natural knowledg made in the assembly of the Beaux Esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation / render'd into English by G. Havers, Gent. & J. Davies ..., Gent.

CONFERENCE CXXXII. Whether the Dinner or Supper ought to be largest.

DIet, or the Regiment of Living, (which is the first and most general part of Physick, because it concerns both the healthy and the sick) consists in regulating the quantity and quality of Aliments, and the order and time wherein they are to be taken. The Quantity must be proportional to the nature of the Person, so that his strength may be repair'd and not op∣press'd thereby. As for the Quality, they must be of good juice, and as pleasing and agreeable as may be. The Order of taking them is to be this; such as are moist, soft, laxative, and of soonest Digestion or Corruption, must precede such as are dry, hard, astringent, and of more difficult Concoction. The Time, in general, ought to be so regulated that the interval of Meals be sufficient for digesting the nourishment last fore-going. The Custom of most Nations hath made two, Dinner, and Sup∣per; Break-fast, and Afternoon-collations, being but Diminu∣tives, or parts of them two, and the over-plus of notorious ex∣cesses. Now if we compare Dinner and Supper together, it seemes requisite that the latter be more plentiful, because the Time ensuing, it is most proper for Digestion, in regard of the intro-recession of the natural heat during sleep, which becoming by that means more united and vigorous, performes the natu∣ral functions, to wit, Concoction, Distribution, Apposition, and Assimilation, more perfectly then after Dinner, when it is di∣verted otherwise, to the Senses and Operations both of Body and Mind: Besides that, the coldness and darkness of the night, con∣tributes not a little to the same effect upon the account of Anti∣peristasis. Unless we had rather, with some, establish a new power of the Soul, governing and disposing the Spirits accord∣ing to necessity; sometimes giving them the bridle, and causing them to move outwards, as in Anger, Shame, and Indignation; sometimes summoning them inwards, as in Fear, Sadness, and Sleep, which for this reason renders the Countenance pale, and all the extream parts cold; whereas in the time of waking, the external parts being hotter, leave the Internal more cold.

The Second said, That he agreed with the Church, which en∣joynes Fasting in the Evening but allows Dinners; which it doth not without mature consideration, drawn as well from Na∣ture as from Grace. For it thereby designes the eschewing those Illusions and Temptations attending good Cheer taken before going to bed; and conceives, a light Supper fittest for meditation

and serenity of Mind. The reparation of our dissipated Spirits by Food, causeth the same disorder in the Body that happens in a Town or Village upon the entrance of strangers to people it, after its desolation by some accident; and therefore 'tis better that this trouble arrive in the day, when our waking senses are able to secure themselves from the Commotions caused by this change, than in the night, whose darkness helps to multiply the Phantasms which are in the Imagination, pester'd with the va∣pors and gross fumes of Meats, the Digestion whereof is then but begun. Whereas in the day time, such vapors transpire more freely by the Pores which are opened by the heat of the Sun, and by the Exercises which are used in the Afternoon. Besides, Meats being onely to fill emptiness, the time of the greatest inanition is the fittest for repletion; which certainly Noon must be, after the Evacuations of the fore-going Night and Morning.

The Third said, There are four manners of taking Repasts: First, Some eat often, and very much at each time; so did the Athletae of old, and so do those Gourmandizers who are alwayes hungry, and whose Stomacks have been found after their death of unusual capacity: This way is altogether opposite to Health. Secondly, Some eat little and seldom: which course befits acute Diseases; those that are judg'd the fourth day, requiring some∣times a total abstinence, in case the Patient's strength can bear it; those that reach to the seventh or fourteenth, very little Food and seldom. Thirdly, Such as must eat little but often; as little Children and Old people, whose heat being weak and easily dis∣sipated, they must be often nourish'd; but by a little at a time, for fear of overcharging their too weak Stomacks. The last and commonest way, is, to eat plentifully but seldom, which is the man∣ner of middle-ag'd people, who usually eat twice a day, and more at one Meal than at the other: it being hard for a Man to satiate himself both at Dinner and Supper without indammaging his Health. Which made Plato wonder when he heard that the Sicilians fill'd themselves with Meat twice a day, and oblig'd the Romans to make a light repast about Noon, and a splendid Supper; which I am for. Upon this account the Church hath, to macerate us, forbidden Suppers on Fasting dayes; which is an Argument that they are more agreeable and more conducing to Health than Dinners. For such quantity of Food is to be ta∣ken as answers to the natural heat; which being not onely more vigorous, but also of longer duration between Supper and Dinner, than between Dinner and Supper, (the interval whereof is sel∣dom above six or seven hours, whereas that between Supper and Dinner is about seventeen) 'tis more reasonable to sup more largely than dine. For if the Dinner be largest, we shall eat either as much as the heat is able to digest by Supper-time, or more. If we eat more, and go to Supper before the digestion of the Dinner is wholly finish'd, we shall beget crudities, which are the seed

of most diseases. If we eat as much as the heat can digest, and the Supper be less then the Dinner; then the heat which follows the Supper being stronger and more active, will soon concoct the meat taken at Supper; and (because 'tis a natural agent, not acting from a principle of liberty but of necessity, and can∣not remain idle) having no extraventitious matter to work up∣on, it will necessarily consume the laudable juices of the body, drying up the same during sleep. For whereas sleep is said to moisten, whence arose the Proverb, Qui dort mange; He that sleeps, eats; 'tis true, when the stomach and entrals being fill'd with sufficient nourishment, the Heat raises and disperses to all the parts the purest of the juices and vapours like gentle dews; which it cannot do when the Stomach is empty.

The fourth said, Nature having given us an Appetite to ad∣vertise us of the need of all parts, there is no certainer rule of the time of Repast than this Appetite, which for this reason is seated in the upper Orifice of the Stomach, render'd sensible by the Nerves of the sixth Pair terminating therein. For there is a continual dissipation of our substance in all the parts, which being exhausted attract from their neighbours wherewith to fill their own emptiness: these solicit the Liver, for supply; that, the Guts by the Mesaraick Veins: these the Stomack, at the top whereof this suction terminates, the sense or perception whereof is call'd Appetite; which, if of hot and dry, is call'd Hunger; if of cold and moist, Thirst. So that Nutrition being onely to recruit and repair the loss of our Substance, there is no more as∣sured sign of the fitting time to eat, then when the said Appetite is most eager, at what hour soever it be.

The fifth said, That this might have place in well temper'd bodies which desire onely so much as they are able to digest, but not in those whose Appetite is greater than their Digestion, as cold and melancholy Stomacks; or who desire less, as the hot and bilious, whose heat melting the juices, abates the Appe∣tite; as on the contrary, Coldness contracting the membranes of the Stomack, augments it: So that 'tis most expedient for every one to consult his own Temper, Age, Nature, and Custom of living; Old people, little Children, such as are subject to Defluxions, or have weak Stomacks, must sup sparingly; on the other side, the Cholerick, and such as are subject to the Head-ach, must eat a larger Supper than Dinner: But above all, the Custom of every particular person is most considerable herein.