Is this a misprint or old form of dietetic?

From Flatland again:

The art of healing also has achieved some of its most glorious triumphs in the compressions, extensions, trepannings, colligations, and other surgical or diaetetic operations by which Irregularity has been partly or wholly cured.

http://www.alcyone.com/max/lit/flatland/7.html

Bingley

I don't know of such a spelling or of the term even, Bingley. I skimmed through the link and 'dietetic' seems to fit into that sentence. If it is a spelling variant, like aetiology, aether and the like, the answer must be in the root. What is the root for diet/ dietetics? Or, could the word be, dieretic? That also might(?) fit into the context. Am curious to hear more.

Just what is meant by Irregularity? ?

if its a condition (real or imagined) of the bowels, then i suppose diaetetic could mean diatetic.

but I have never heard of trepanning used for this.

(and goodness knows, americans seem to have a fascination with clean, regular bowels, that has gone excess many times in our history, witness, Dr Kellogg's Spa, and the still current "high colonics" fad.)