§8#2εἰ δ’ ἀληθεύειν εἴποιτε, προσίεσθε τὰς ὥρας, καὶ τὰς χώρας, ἃς ἀχρήστους ἀπεφήνασθε.
"But if you should say that he speaks the truth, you accept the seasons and the regions, which you declared to be useless.
νομίζω δὲ ὑμᾶς μηδὲ πόῤῥω που τῆς οἰκείας ἀποδημῆσαι πατρίδος, μήτ’ ἐν πείρᾳ γενέσθαι χωρίων διαφορᾶς.
And I think that you have neither traveled anywhere far from your own homeland, nor have had experience of the difference of localities.
πάντως γὰρ ἂν ἠπίστασθε τοὺς μὲν ὑπὸ ταῖς ἄρκτοις οὐ φέροντας τὰς ἀθρόας τοῦ αἵματος κενώσεις, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ τοὺς κατ’ Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ὅλην τὴν μεσημβρίαν· τοὺς δ’ ἐν μέσῳ τούτων ἐναργῆ πολλάκις ὠφέλειαν ἐπὶ ταῖς φλεβοτομίαις λαμβάνοντας.
For you would certainly have known that those under the Bears do not bear sudden evacuations of blood, just as those in Egypt and the whole south do not, while those in the middle of these often receive clear benefit from bloodlettings.
τὸ δὲ μηδὲ τὰ μέρη τοῦ σώματος ἐπισκοπεῖσθαι πάνυ μοι θαυμαστὸν ἐφ’ ὑμῶν καταφαίνεται, καὶ δεινῶς ἄτοπον, οὐ τοῖς ἀληθέσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ὑφ’ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν πραττομένοις ἐναντίον.
But that you do not even consider the parts of the body appears to me entirely wonderful in you, and terribly absurd, contrary not only to the truth but also to what is practiced by yourselves.
ὢ πρὸς τῶν θεῶν, ἔνθα ἂν φλεγμονὴ γένηται, τῆς αὐτῆς δεῖται θεραπείας, κᾂν ἐν σκέλει, κᾂν ἐν ὠτὶ, κᾂν ἐν στόματι, κᾂν ἐν ὀφθαλμῷ;
Oh, by the gods, does a phlegmon, wherever it occurs, require the same treatment, even if it is in the leg, or in the ear, or in the mouth, or in the eye?
τί δή ποτ’ οὖν πολλάκις ὑμᾶς ἐθεασάμην τὰς μὲν ἐν τοῖς σκέλεσι φλεγμονὰς καὶ ἀποσχίζοντας σμίλῃ, καὶ ἐπιβρέχοντας ἐλαίῳ; τοὺς δὲ ὀφθαλμοὺς οὐδεπώποτε;
Why on earth, then, have I often seen you both cutting open with a scalpel and bathing with oil the phlegmons in the legs, but never those in the eyes?
τί δὲ, τοὺς μὲν ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῖς στύφουσιν ἰᾶσθε φαρμάκοις φλεγμαίνοντας, οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ τὰ σκέλη τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπαλείφετε;
And why do you cure eyes when inflamed with astringent drugs, but do not also anoint legs with the same?
τί δ’ οὐχὶ καὶ τὰ ὦτα φλεγμαίνοντα τοῖς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἰᾶσθε βοηθήμασι;
And why do you not also cure inflamed ears with the remedies for eyes?
τί δ’ οὐχὶ καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῖς τῶν ὤτων;
And why not also eyes with those for ears?
ἀλλ’ ἕτερον μὲν ὤτων φλεγμονῆς, ἕτερον δὲ ὀφθαλμῶν ἐστι φάρμακον.
But there is one drug for inflammation of ears, and another for eyes.
ὄξος μὲν γὰρ μετὰ ῥοδίνου φλεγμονῆς ὤτων ἀγαθὸν φάρμακον. ἀλλ’ οὐκ οἶμαί τινα τολμήσειν ἐγχεῖν αὐτὸ φλεγμαίνουσιν ὀφθαλμοῖς. εἰ δὲ καὶ τολμήσειεν, οὐ μετὰ μικρᾶς εὖ οἶδ’ ὅτι ζημίας πειράσεται τῆς τόλμης.
For vinegar with rose-oil is a good drug for inflammation of ears, but I do not think anyone would dare to pour it into inflamed eyes; and if anyone should dare, I know well that he will experience his daring with no small damage.
καὶ γαργαρεῶνος φλεγμαίνοντος, ἀγαθὸν φάρμακον ἀκάνθης Αἰγυπτίας ὁ καρπὸς, ἀγαθὸν δὲ καὶ ἡ σχιστὴ στυπτηρία.
And when the uvula is inflamed, the fruit of the Egyptian thorn is a good drug, and so is split alum.
ἆρ’ οὖν ταῦτα καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν φλεγμαινόντων, καὶ ὤτων, ἢ πᾶν τοὐναντίον ἐσχάτη βλάβη;
Are these, then, good also when eyes and ears are inflamed, or on the contrary, the ultimate harm?
καὶ ταῦτα πάντα λέγω, συγχωρήσας ὑμῖν τὴν πρώτην ὑπόθεσιν, ὡς χρὴ τὴν μὲν ἐν τοῖς σκέλεσιν ἢ ταῖς χερσὶ φλεγμονὴν χαλᾷν, οὐ μὴν τήν γε τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, ἢ τοῦ γαργαρεῶνος, ἢ τῶν ὤτων.
And I say all these things, having conceded to you your first hypothesis, that one must relax the inflammation in the legs or hands, but not indeed that of the eyes, or the uvula, or the ears.
εἰ δ’, ὅτι καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς σκέλεσι καὶ ταῖς χερσὶν οὐκ ἐξ ἅπαντος τρόπου χαλαστέον, ὑπομνήσαιμι, τάχα ἂν γνοίητε, εἰ σωφρονήσετε, ὅσον ἁμαρτάνετε.
But if I should remind you that even that in the legs and hands must not be relaxed in every way, you might quickly know, if you are wise, how much you err.
ἔσται δὲ καὶ νῦν ὁ λόγος ἀνάμνησις τοῦ φαινομένου.
And now too, the argument will be a reminder of the phenomenon.
τῶν γὰρ ἐπὶ μηδεμιᾷ πληγῇ φλεγμηνάντων ὁτιοῦν μέρος, ἀλλ’ αὐτομάτως ὑπαρξαμένων, τῆς πληθωρικῆς διαθέσεως καλουμένης παρούσης, οὐδεὶς χρῄζει χαλάσεως τοῦ μορίου πρὸ τῆς τοῦ ὅλου σώματος κενώσεως.
For of those who have had any part inflamed from no blow, but starting spontaneously, when the so-called plethoric condition is present, no one requires relaxation of the part before evacuation of the whole body.
οὐ μόνον γὰρ οὐδὲν μειώσεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσαυξήσεις τὴν οὖσαν φλεγμονὴν, εἰ τοῦτο δράσειας· ὅθεν ἐν τούτῳ μὲν τῷ καιρῷ τὰ στύφοντα καὶ ψύχοντα τῷ μέρει προφέρομεν, ἡνίκα δ’ ἂν τὸ ὅλον σῶμα κενώσωμεν, τηνικαῦτα καὶ τὸ φλεγμαῖνον μόριον ἀνέχεται τῶν χαλώντων.
For if you should do this, you will not only not diminish at all but even increase the existing inflammation; hence at this time we apply astringents and coolants to the part, but when we have evacuated the whole body, then indeed the inflamed part also tolerates the relaxing remedies.
εἰ δ’ ὑμᾶς μὴ πείθω ταῦτα λέγων, ὅπερ ἔφην ἀρχόμενος τοῦ λόγου, καιρὸς ἂν εἴη μοι πρὸς τοὺς τιμῶντας τὸ φαινόμενον αὐτὸ ἀπαλλάττεσθαι.
But if I do not persuade you by saying these things, as I said when beginning the argument, it would be time for me to depart to those who honor the phenomenon itself."