«The craft of medicine.» [El oficio de la medicina.]. Muqaddimah. «The incidence of such illnesses is more frequent among the inhabitants of sedentary areas and cities (...), because they live a life of plenty. They eat a great deal and rarely restrict themselves to one particular kind of food. They lack caution in taking food, and they prepare their food, when they cook it, with the admixture of a good many things, such as spices, herbs, and fruits, (both) fresh and dry. They do not restrict themselves in this respect to one or even a few kinds. We have on occasion counted forty different kinds of vegetables and meats in a single cooked dish. (...) the inhabitants of cities lack exercise. (...) the inhabitants of the desert, as a rule; eat little. Hunger prevails among them, because they have little grain. (Hunger) eventually becomes a custom of theirs which is often thought to be something natural to them because it is so lasting. Of seasonings they have few or none, The preparation of food boiled with spices and fruits is caused by the luxury of sedentary culture with which they have nothing to do. Thus, they take their nourishment plain and without admixtures, and its temper comes close to being agreeable to the body. (...) Too, they take exercise, and there is a lot of movement when they race horses, or go hunting, or search for things they need, or occupy themselves with their needs. For all these reasons, their digestion is very good.(...) As a result, their need for medicine is small. Therefore, physicians are nowhere to be found in the desert.»
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Los nueve libros de la Historia. «Pero cuando llegó a la prueba del vino, informado antes cómo se preparaba aquella bebida, y relamiéndose con ella los labios, continuó preguntando cuál era la comida ordinaria del rey de Persia y cuánto solía vivir el persa que más vivía. Respondiéronle a lo primero que el sustento común era el pan, explicándole juntamente qué cosa era el trigo de que se hacía; y a lo segundo, que el término más largo de la vida de un persa era de ordinario 80 años. A lo cual repuso el etíope que nada extrañaba que hombres alimentados con el estiércol que llamaban pan vivieran tan poco, y que ni aun duraran el corto tiempo que vivían, a no mezclar aquel barro con su tan preciosa bebida, con lo cual indicaba a los Ictiófagos el vino, confesando que en ello les hacían ventaja los persas. Tomando de aquí ocasión los Ictiófagos de preguntarle también cuál era la comida y cuán larga la vida de los etíopes, respondióles el rey, que acerca de la vida, muchos entre ellos había que llegaban a los 120 años, no faltando algunos que alcanzaban a más; en cuanto al alimento, la carne cocida era su comida y la leche fresca su bebida ordinaria.»
