in Medicine, according to some, comprehends the whole regimen or rule of life with regard to the six non-naturals; air, meats, and drinks, sleep and watching, motion and rest, passions of the mind, retentions and excretions. Others restrain the term of diet to what regards eating and drinking, or solid aliments and drinks. See Food.
The natural constitution of the body of man is such, that it can easily bear some changes and irregularities without much injury. Had it been otherwise, we should be almost constantly put out of order by every flight cause. This advantage arises from those wonderful communications of the inward parts, whereby, when one part is affected, another comes immediately to its relief.
Thus, when the body is too full, nature causes evacuations through some of the outlets; and for this reason it is, that diseases from inanition are generally more dangerous than from repletion; because we can more expeditiously diminish than increase the juices of the body. Upon the same account, also, though temperance be beneficial to all men, the ancient physicians advised persons in good health, and their own masters, to indulge a little now and then, by eating and drinking more plentifully than usual. But, of the two, intemperance in drinking is safer than in eating; and if a person has committed excess in the latter, cold water drank upon a full stomach will help digestion; to which it will be of service to add lemon juice, or elixir of vitriol. If he has eaten highly-seasoned things, rich sauces, &c., then let him sit up for some little time, and afterwards sleep. But if a man happen to be obliged to fast, he ought to avoid all laborious work. From satiety it is not proper to pass directly to sharp hunger, nor from hunger to satiety; neither will it be safe to indulge absolute rest immediately after excessive labour, nor nor suddenly to fall to hard work after long idleness. In a word, therefore, all changes in the way of living should be made by degrees.
The softer and milder kinds of aliment are proper for children, and for youth the stronger. Old people ought to lessen the quantity of their food, and increase that of their drink; but yet some allowance is to be made for custom, especially in the colder climates like ours; for as in these the appetite is keener, so is the digestion better performed. Mead's Monita et Precepts.
Diet Drinks, a form in Physic, including all the medicated wines, ales, and wheys, used in chronic cases. They require a course or continuation to answer any intention of moment.
Diet of Appearance, in Scots Law, the day to which a defender is cited to appear in court; and every other day to which the court shall afterwards adjourn the consideration of the question.
Dyet, in matters of policy, is used for the general assembly of the states or circles of the empire of Germany and of Poland, to deliberate and concert measures proper to be taken for the good of the public.
The general diet of the empire is usually held at Ratibon. It consists of the emperor, the nine electors, and the ecclesiastical princes; viz. the archbishops, bishops, abbots, and abbessees; the secular princes, who are dukes, marquises, counts, vicounts, or barons; and the representatives of the imperial cities.—It meets on the emperor's summons, and any of the princes may send their deputies thither in their stead. The diet makes laws, raises taxes, determines differences between the several princes and states, and can relieve the subjects from the oppressions of their sovereigns.
The diet of Poland, or the assembly of the states, consisted of the senate and deputies, or representative of every palatinate or county and city; and usually met every two years, and oftener upon extraordinary occasions, if summoned by the king, or, in his absence, by the archbishop of Gnefna. The general diet of Poland sat but six weeks, and often broke up in a tumult much sooner; for one dissenting voice prevented their passing any laws, or coming to any resolutions, on what was proposed to them from the throne. Switzerland has also a general diet, which is usually held every year at Baden, and represents the whole Helvetic body; it seldom lasts longer than a month. Besides this general diet, there are diets of the Protestant cantons, and diets of the Catholic ones; the first assembled at Araw, and are convoked by the canton of Zurich; the second at Lucern, convoked by the canton of that name.