WE say the Appetite is Depraved, if they desire Meat or Drink more immoderately than is na∣tural, or when they desire other things besides meat and drink.
There is immoderate hunger, when more meat than is fit is desired, * 1.1 when they are not satisfied, or desire more before the first is concocted. This is sometimes in sound men, sometimes the symptom of a Disease called Boulimos, or insatiable hunger; with other accidents somtimes, as heaviness of the sto∣mach from great gorging til it is digested. Others take more than they can bear, * 1.2 and vomit it up again as a Dog doth; some∣have a Loosness after gorging which car∣rieth it away. Others faint if they eat not presenly and swound and die: this comes to some from weakness and pain in the Cardialgia, the Appetite being rather a∣bated than increased, and if they have been long so; they have a weak stomach and loathing.
They Thirst immoderately who desire drink much between meals, * 1.3 or when they cannot quench thirst. It is usual with sick and sound, and intollera∣ble, worse than Hunger, because the want of things that quickly satisfie and cause sudden delight doth more af∣flict than the want of those that do it slowly. There∣fore in Feavers they complain most thereof and in o∣ther diseases; They that are thus, spet white and froa∣thy and speak with difficulty and stammer, because their Tongues (as they say) stick to their mouthes, and if they want Drink they faint.
When People desire other things besides meat and drink, * 1.4 it is called a vicious Appe∣tite, or Pica. Men have it seldome, but Women with child often, in the first month sometimes, and then it is called Malacia, * 1.5 and it is sometimes in the Green-Sickness in Maids.
There are divers kinds hereof according to the diver∣sity of things desired, some love raw flesh like Men∣eaters, some have been like beasts and bitten peoples Arms by violence. Others desire and eat Sawces and Sallets, and Spices in abundance without hurt, as one that eat pounds of Ginger, another that drank Vinegar in abundance, and the like. And another that came to me, being an Hostess that eat abundance of Pepper, without any hurt or heat of the stomach. Commonly they love dry things as Meal, Ashes, Chalk, Clay, Shels, old Rags, and Leather; which they eat with great de∣light. And Fernelius mentions one who eat abundance of unslaked Lime without hurt.