PALLADIUS RUTILIUS

ON

RURAL AFFAIRS

BOOK I.

(Continued from page 21)
The method of agriculture consists of four things: air, water, earth, and industry. Of these, three are natural; one is a matter of skill and volition. It is a matter of nature, which must be considered first, that in the places you intend to cultivate, the air should be healthy and mild, the water wholesome and accessible—whether it originates there, is brought in, or is collected from rain—and the earth fertile and conveniently situated.

III. The healthfulness of the air is indicated by locations free from deep valleys and clear of mists at night. Observe the physical state of the inhabitants: if they have a healthy complexion, a clear head, steady and unimpaired eyesight, pure hearing, and if their throats allow for a steady flow of clear speech. By these signs, the mildness of the air is verified. Conversely, the opposite conditions attest to the harmful spirit of that climate.

IV. The wholesomeness of water is recognized as follows: first, it must not be drawn from stagnant pools or marshes; it must not originate from mines; rather, it should be of a clear color, untainted by any bad taste or odor, free from silt, and it should soothe the heat with its coolness, while tempering the summer's intensity with its chill. But because nature often hides a more subtle harm even when everything appears correct, let us also judge it by the health of the inhabitants. If the throats of those who drink it are clear, if the head is sound, and if there is no—or only rare—ailment in the lungs or chest. For often, these bodily ills descend to the lower parts, specifically from the head down to the lungs or stomach original: "ut vitiato capite ad pulmones vel stomachum morbi causa decurrat". If these are present, the air is found to be more at fault than the water. Furthermore, if the belly, viscera, flanks, or kidneys are not troubled by pain or bloating, and if there are no bladder afflictions. If you see these, and similar signs, consistently among the inhabitants, you need not suspect the air or the springs.