I can translate this, to the best of my ability, as:
“Diocles of Carystus says the cucumber, taken with grains (in bread?) at first troubles [the stomach], for it is carried upwards (vomited?) just like the cabbage, but the latter is taken more painlessly and more digestible; and boiled first moderately diuretic.”
Could someone please fix my translation, and if possible direct me towards a translation of Diocles Medicus’ fragments?
I believe the contrast is between ἐν πρώτοις λαμβανόμενον and τελευταῖον δὲ λαμβανόμενον: cucumber taken at the beginning (of a meal?) and taken at the end.
I would translate: “Diocles of Carystus says that cucumber taken at the beginning (of a meal?) with grains is troublesome, for it is carried up like cabbage, but taken at the end it’s more painless and more digestible; [and that] boiled, it’s also a mild diuretic.”
Perseus has a translation of this by C. D. Yonge, B.A., 1854:
And Diocles of Carystos says that cucumber, if it is eaten with the sium in the first course, makes the eater uncomfortable; for that it gets into the head as the radish does; but that if it is eaten at the end of supper it causes no uncomfortable feelings, and is more digestible; and that when it is boiled it is moderately diuretic.
LSJ says that ῥάφανος = “cabbage,” but also = ῥαφανίς, “radish.” Radish would seem more likely to provoke acid reflux (which I think CSB rightly identifies as what Diocles is talking about).