§4Ἀφ’ ὧν δὲ ἡ ἔνδειξις τοῦ συμφέροντος τοῖς δογματικοῖς, ἀπὸ τούτων ἡ τήρησις τοῖς ἐμπειρικοῖς.
And from those things from which the indication of what is beneficial arises for the Dogmatists, from these same things observation arises for the Empiricists.
τὸ γὰρ προειρημένον ἄθροισμα τῶν συμπτωμάτων ἐπὶ τοῦ πυρέττοντος, ὃ συνδρομὴν καλεῖν εἰσιν εἰθισμένοι, τῷ μὲν δογματικῷ τὴν κένωσιν ὑπαγορεύει, τῷ δὲ ἐμπειρικῷ τὴν ὑπόμνησιν τῆς τηρήσεως.
For the aforementioned collection of symptoms in the feverish patient, which they are accustomed to call a "syndrome", dictates evacuation to the Dogmatist, but to the Empiricist the recollection of observation.
ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν οὕτως ἐχόντων πολλάκις ἑωρακὼς τὴν κένωσιν ὠφελοῦσαν, ἐλπίζει καὶ νῦν χρησάμενος ὀνήσειν.
For having often seen evacuation benefiting in those who are in this state, he expects that by employing it now also he will bring benefit.
ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἀκμάζοντας τῇ ἡλικία τὴν ἱκανὴν κένωσιν ἀλύπως φέροντας οἶδεν, ἐξ ὧν πολλάκις ἑώρακεν.
Moreover, he also knows from what he has often seen that those at the peak of their age bear sufficient evacuation without distress.
οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἦρος μᾶλλον ἢ θέρους, καὶ ἐν χωρίῳ εὐκράτῳ, καὶ εἰ ἔθος δέ τι κενώσεως εἴη τῷ κάμνοντι, οἷον δι’ αἱμοῤῥοΐδος, ἢ διὰ ῥινῶν, ὁ μὲν δογματικὸς ἀφέλοι ἂν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πλέον τοῦ αἵματος ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ πράγματος φύσεως ὁρμώμενος· ὁ δ’ ἐμπειρικὸς, ὅτι οὕτω τετήρηκεν.
And in the same way, in spring rather than in summer, and in a temperate place, and if the patient should have some habit of evacuation, for instance through hemorrhoids or through the nostrils, the Dogmatist would draw off more of the blood for this reason too, proceeding from the nature of the matter; but the Empiricist, because he has observed it so.
καὶ καθόλου φάναι, τὰς αὐτὰς ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν παθῶν ἰάσεις οἵ τε δογματικοὶ καὶ οἱ ἐμπειρικοὶ παραλαμβάνουσι, περὶ τοῦ τρόπου τῆς εὑρέσεως αὐτῶν ἀμφισβητοῦντες.
And to speak generally, both the Dogmatists and the Empiricists adopt the same treatments for the same diseases, though they dispute about the method of their discovery.
ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῖς αὐτοῖς φαινομένοις κατὰ τὸ σῶμα συμπτώμασιν ἔνδειξις μὲν τῆς αἰτίας γίνεται τοῖς δογματικοῖς, ἐξ ἧς τὴν θεραπείαν εὑρίσκουσιν· ὑπόμνησις δὲ τοῖς ἐμπειρικοῖς τῶν πολλάκις ὡσαύτως τετηρημένων.
For on the basis of the same symptoms appearing in the body, an indication of the cause arises for the Dogmatists, from which they discover the treatment; but for the Empiricists, a recollection of what has been observed in the same way many times.
ἐφ’ ὧν δὲ μηδὲν ἔχουσιν οἱ δογματικοὶ φαινόμενον σύμπτωμα τὸ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐνδεικνυμένον, ἐπὶ τούτων ἐρωτᾷν οὐκ ὀκνοῦσι τὸ προκαταρκτικὸν καλούμενον αἴτιον· οἷον, εἰ κύων λυττῶν ἦν ὁ δάκνων, ἢ ἔχιδνα, ἤ τι τοιοῦτον ἄλλο.
But in cases where the Dogmatists have no appearing symptom that indicates the cause, in these they do not hesitate to ask about the so-called antecedent cause; for instance, whether the biting creature was a mad dog, or a viper, or some other such thing.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἕλκος αὐτὸ οὐδὲν ἀλλοιότερον μέχρι παντὸς φαίνεται τῶν ἄλλων ἑλκῶν ἢ πάντως γε κατ’ ἀρχάς.
For the wound itself appears no different from other wounds, either throughout, or at least at the beginning.
ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ λυττῶντος κυνὸς μέχρι παντὸς ὅμοιον φαίνεται τοῖς ὑπ’ ἄλλου τινὸς δηχθεῖσιν.
For in the case of a mad dog, it appears similar throughout to wounds inflicted by the bite of some other creature.
ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἐχιδνῶν, ἐν μὲν ταῖς πρώταις ἡμέραις ὅμοιον τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὕστερον δὲ, ἡνίκα ἤδη μοχθηρῶς ἔχωσι, παθήματά τινα περὶ τὸ σῶμα ὀλέθρια προσγίνεται αὐτοῖς.
But in the case of vipers, in the first days it is similar to others, but later, when they are already in a wretched state, certain fatal conditions in the body supervene on them.
τὰ δὴ τοιαῦτα συμπτώματα πάντα, ὅσα ὑπὸ τῶν ἰοβόλων καλουμένων ζώων γίγνεται, μὴ θεραπευόμενα καλῶς εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ἐσχάτως ὀλέθρια καθίστανται.
Indeed, all such symptoms, as many as are caused by the so-called venomous animals, if not treated well straight from the beginning, become extremely fatal.
τίς οὖν ἡ ὀρθὴ θεραπεία;
What then is the correct treatment?
ἢ δηλονότι κενῶσαι τὸν ἰὸν τὸν ἅμα τῇ δήξει τοῦ σώματος τοῦ δηχθέντος ἐμπεσόντα;
Is it not clearly to empty the venom that has fallen into the body of the bitten person along with the bite?
οὐκ οὖν ἐπ’ οὐλὴν ἄγειν δεῖ καὶ κλείειν τὰ τοιαῦτα σπεύδειν, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἐπιτέμνειν πολλάκις, εἰ μικρὰ παντελῶς· ἤδη δὲ καὶ θερμοῖς καὶ δριμέσι καὶ δυναμένοις ἕλκειν καὶ ξηραίνειν τὸν ἰὸν φαρμάκοις χρῆσθαι, διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν.
Therefore, one must not hasten to bring such wounds to a scar and close them, but on the contrary, one should often make incisions, even if they are entirely small; and indeed to use drugs that are hot, pungent, and capable of drawing out and drying the venom, for the same cause.
τὰ δ’ αὐτὰ φάρμακα καὶ οἱ ἐμπειρικοὶ προσφέρουσιν, οὐχ ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος ποδηγούμενοι πρὸς τὴν εὕρεσιν αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ τῶν διὰ τῆς πείρας φανέντων μεμνημένοι.
And the Empiricists also apply the same remedies, not being guided toward their discovery by the nature of the matter itself, but remembering the things that became apparent through experience.
ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ ταῖς ἡλικίαις, καὶ ταῖς ὥραις, καὶ ταῖς χώραις, ἑκάστου τῶν εἰρημένων ἡ θεραπεία δι’ ἐμπειρίας ἐγινώσκετο αὐτοῖς, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς προκαταρκτικοῖς ὀνομαζομένοις αἰτίοις.
For just as in the case of ages, seasons, and countries, the treatment of each of the aforementioned was known to them through experience, so also in the case of the so-called antecedent causes.
εἰ μὲν δὴ οὖν συνεχώρουν ἀλλήλοις τὰς ὁδοὺς τῆς εὑρέσεως ἀμφοτέρας ἀληθεῖς εἶναι, οὐδὲν ἂν αὐτοῖς ἔδει μακροτέρων λόγων.
If, therefore, they agreed with one another that both paths of discovery are true, they would have no need of longer arguments.