§9#2καὶ εἴ τις ἐπιχειρήσειε διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς, ὅπως διαφέρει ταῦτα ἀλλήλων, καὶ ὡς ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἰδίας δεῖται θεωρίας, οὐχ ὑπομένουσιν ἀκούειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς παλαιοῖς ἐπιπλήττουσιν, ὡς μάτην τὰ τοιαῦτα διοριζομένοις.
And if anyone should attempt to teach them how these differ from one another, and how each of them needs its own theoretical consideration, they do not endure to listen, but even censure the ancients as if they made such distinctions in vain.
οὕτως ἀταλαιπώρως ἔχουσι πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ζήτησιν.
Thus effortlessly do they behave toward the search for truth.
ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ὅτι τῷ μὲν χαλαρῷ τὸ συντεταμένον ἐστὶν ἐναντίον, τῷ δὲ μαλακῷ τὸ σκληρὸν, τῷ δ’ ἀραιῷ τὸ πυκνὸν, ἀκούειν ἀνέχονται· καὶ ὡς παρὰ ταῦτα πάντα ἕτερόν τί ἐστι τὸ ἐπέχεσθαι τὰς φυσικὰς ἐκκρίσεις καὶ τὸ ῥεῖν· καὶ ὡς ὑφ’ Ἱπποκράτους ταῦτα πάντα διώρισται.
But they do not even tolerate to hear that the strained is contrary to the relaxed, and the hard to the soft, and the dense to the rare; and how, besides all these, the retention of natural excretions and flowing are something different; and how all these have been distinguished by Hippocrates.
προπετῶς δὲ περί τε τούτων αὐτῶν ἀποφαίνονται, καὶ τὴν φλεγμονὴν, οὕτω δὲ καλοῦσι τὸν σκληρὸν καὶ ἀντίτυπον καὶ ὀδυνηρὸν καὶ θερμὸν ὄγκον, ἑτοίμως πάνυ καὶ ἀσκέπτως, στεγνὸν εἶναι πάθος φασίν.
Rather, they rashly declare concerning these very things, and they say—quite readily and thoughtlessly—that inflammation (for so they call the hard, resisting, painful, and hot swelling) is a constricted affection.
εἶτ’ αὖθις ἑτέρας φλεγμονὰς ἐπιπεπλεγμένας ὀνομάζουσι, ὥσπερ τὰς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς, ὅταν μετὰ ῥεύματος ὦσι, καὶ τὰς ἐν παρισθμίοις, καὶ γαργαρεῶνι, καὶ οὐρανίσκῳ, καὶ οὔλοις.
Then again, they name other inflammations "complicated," such as those in the eyes when they are accompanied by flux, and those in the tonsils, the uvula, the palate, and the gums.
εἶθ’ ὑποτίθενται πόρους, τοὺς μὲν ἀραιοὺς γεγονέναι, τοὺς δὲ μεμυκέναι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀμφότερα τὰ πάθη πεπονθέναι.
Then they hypothesize that pores have, some become rare, others closed, and that because of this the organ has suffered both affections.
τινὲς δὲ οὖκ ὀκνοῦσι περὶ ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἅμα πόρον συνίστασθαι λέγειν ῥύσιν τε καὶ στέγνωσιν, ὃ μηδ’ ἐπινοῆσαι ῥᾴδιον· οὕτως ἐπίπαν τόλμης ἥκουσιν.
And some do not shrink from saying that flux and constriction are established around one and the same pore at the same time, which is not even easy to conceive; so far, in general, have they come in boldness.
ὀλίγοι δέ τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν, ὑπομεῖναι δυνηθέντες ἐπιπλέον ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων τούτων ἀκοῦσαί τε καὶ διασκέψασθαι, μόλις ποτὲ μεταγνόντες ἐπὶ τὸ ἀληθὲς τρέπονται.
But a certain few of them, having been able to endure listening further and examining thoroughly concerning all these things, having repented at last, turn to the truth.
τούτοις μὲν οὖν, καὶ ὅσοι μετ’ ἀκριβείας τινὸς βούλονται μαθεῖν τι περὶ τῶν πρώτων καὶ γενικῶν παθῶν, ἰδίᾳ γέγραπται.
For these, then, and for all who wish to learn with some accuracy concerning the primary and generic affections, it has been written separately.
τὸ δὲ νῦν εἶναι τοῖς εἰσαγομένοις χρήσιμον, πρὸς αὐτοὺς βραχέα εἰπεῖν δίκαιον.
But for the present, since it is useful for beginners, it is right to speak briefly to them.
ηὐξάμην δ’ ἄν τι κᾀκείνοις ἀπ’ αὐτῶν ὄνασθαι.
And I would wish indeed that they too might derive some benefit from them.
γένοιτο δ’ ἂν τοῦτο, εἰ τοῦ φιλονεικεῖν ἀποστάντες, αὐτὸν τὸν λόγον ἐξετάσαιεν ἐφ’ ἑαυτοῖς.
And this would happen if, having desisted from contentiousness, they should examine the argument itself by themselves.
ἔχει δὲ ὁ λόγος, ὡς ἡ καλουμένη καὶ πρὸς αὐτῶν ἐκείνων φλεγμονὴ παρὰ φύσιν ὄγκος ἐστὶν ὀδυνηρὸς, καὶ ἀντίτυπος, καὶ σκληρὸς, καὶ θερμὸς, οὐδέν τι μᾶλλον ἀραιότερον ἐργαζομένη κατὰ τὸν ἑαυτῆς λόγον, ἢ σκληρότερον, ἢ πυκνότερον ἑαυτοῦ τὸ μέρος, ἀλλὰ μεστὸν ῥεύματος περιττοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τεταμένον.
And the argument goes that inflammation, so called even by those very men, is an unnatural, painful, resisting, hard, and hot swelling, which by its own definition does not make the part any more rare than itself, nor harder, nor denser, but full of excess flux, and because of this, strained.
οὐ μὴν, εἴ τι πάντως τέταται, τοῦτο πυκνότερον γέγονεν, ἢ σκληρότερον ἑαυτοῦ.
Indeed, if something is completely strained, this does not mean it has become denser or harder than itself.
μάθοις δ’ ἂν ἐπί τε βυρσῶν αὐτὸ καὶ ἱμάντων, καὶ πλοκάμων, εἰ πάντη διατείνειν ἐπιχειρήσαις.
You might learn this both in the case of hides, straps, and tufts of hair, if you should attempt to stretch them in every direction.
οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἡ ἴασις τῶν πεπληρωμένων μελῶν κένωσίς ἐστιν· ἐναντίον γὰρ τοῦτο τῇ πληρώσει.
And thus also the cure of filled limbs is evacuation; for this is contrary to filling.
κενουμένοις δὲ αὐτοῖς εὐθὺς ἕπεται τοῖς μορίοις χαλαρωτέροις γίνεσθαι.
And when they are evacuated, it immediately follows that the parts become more relaxed.
τάσις μὲν δὴ τοῖς πεπληρωμένοις ἐξ ἀνάγκης, ὥσπερ τοῖς κενουμένοις ἡ χάλασις ἕπεται.
Tension indeed follows of necessity for filled parts, just as relaxation follows for those being evacuated.
πύκνωσις δὲ, ἢ ἀραίωσις, οὐδέτερον ἐξ ἀνάγκης, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ ῥύσις, ἢ ἐπίσχεσις.
But condensation or rarefaction is neither of necessity, nor is flux or retention.
οὔτε γὰρ, εἰ ἀραιὸν ἤδη τι, καὶ ῥεῖν ἐξ αὐτοῦ πάντως ἀναγκαῖον· τί γὰρ, εἰ παχὺ καὶ ὀλίγον εἴη τὸ περιεχόμενον;
For neither, if something is already rare, is it absolutely necessary for it to flow; for what if that which is contained is thick and small in quantity?
οὔτ’, εἰ πυκνὸν, ἴσχεσθαι.
Nor, if it is dense, is it retained.
τὸ γὰρ πολὺ καὶ λεπτὸν καὶ διὰ πυκνῶν ἐκρεῖ τῶν πόρων.
For the abundant and thin flows out even through dense pores.
βέλτιον οὖν ἦν καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς τῶν παλαιῶν ἀναγνόντας τὰς βίβλους μεμαθηκέναι, κατὰ πόσους τρόπους τὸ πρότερον ἐν τῷ μορίῳ στεγόμενον αὖθις ἐκκρίνεται.
It was better, therefore, for them too, having read the books of the ancients, to have learned in how many ways that which was previously retained in the part is subsequently excreted.
καὶ γὰρ ἀραιουμένου τοῦ περιέχοντος αὐτὸ, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ περιεχομένου τε καὶ πλείονος γενομένου, καὶ σφοδρότερον κινουμένου, καὶ ὑπό τινος τῶν ἐκτὸς ἐφελκομένου, ἢ πρός τινος τῶν ἐντὸς ὠθουμένου, καὶ οἷον ἀναῤῥοιβδουμένου πρός τινων τῶν ἐντός.
For it is excreted both when that which contains it becomes rare, and when the contained itself becomes greater and is moved more violently, and when it is drawn by something from without or pushed by something from within, and as it were sucked in by some of the internal parts.
εἰ δέ τις ταῦτα πάντα παρεὶς, μίαν αἰτίαν κενώσεως ἡγοῖτο εἶναι τὴν ἀραίωσιν τῶν πόρων, δόξει μηδὲ τὰ φαινόμενα γινώσκειν.
But if anyone, passing over all these, should think that the rarefaction of the pores is the single cause of evacuation, he will seem not even to know the phenomena.
ἔριον γοῦν, ἢ σπογγίον, ἤ τι τῶν οὕτως ἀραιῶν ἐναργῶς ὁρῶμεν, εἰ μὲν ὀλίγον ἐντὸς ἑαυτῶν ὑγρὸν ἔχοι, στέγοντα καὶ μὴ μεθιέντα, τὸ πλέον δ’ ἀποχέοντα.
At least we clearly see wool, or a sponge, or any of such rare things, if they have a little liquid within themselves, retaining it and not letting it go, but pouring off the excess.
τί δή ποτ’ οὖν οὐχὶ κἀπὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ τῶν μυκτήρων, καὶ τοῦ στόματος, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν οὕτως ἀραιῶν τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐνενόησαν, ὡς ἐνδέχοιτό ποτε τῷ πλήθει τῆς περιεχομένης ἐν αὐτοῖς ὑγρότητος, οὐκ ἀραιώσει τῶν πόρων, ἐκρεῖν τι;
Why on earth, then, did they not think of this very same thing in the case of the eyes, the nostrils, the mouth, and the other such rare organs, that it is possible sometimes for something to flow out due to the abundance of the liquid contained in them, and not due to the rarefaction of the pores?
καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ κεράμους εἴδομεν πολλάκις ἀραιοὺς οὕτως, ὡς διηθεῖσθαι τὸ ὕδωρ.
Moreover, we have often seen pottery so rare as to strain water.
ἀλλ’ εἰ μέλιτος ἐγχέοις, οὐ διηθεῖται, παχυτέρα γὰρ ἡ τοῦ μέλιτος οὐσία τῶν τοῦ κεράμου πόρων.
But if you should pour in honey, it is not strained, for the substance of honey is thicker than the pores of the pottery.
οὔκουν οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἀπεικὸς ἦν ἐννοῆσαι, ὡς διὰ λεπτότητα πολλάκις ἐκρεῖ τι, κἂν μηδὲ αὐτὸ τὸ περιέχον σῶμα τετρημένον ἐκ τῆς φύσεως ᾖ· ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ὅτι πολλάκις, ἥπερ διοικεῖ τὸ ζῶον, ὁρμῇ σφοδροτέρᾳ χρησαμένη, τὸ περιττὸν ἅπαν ἐκένωσε δι’ αὐτοῦ, καθάπερ ἐκθλίψασά τε καὶ ἀπωσαμένη.
Therefore, it was not unreasonable to think of this too, that because of thinness something often flows out, even if the containing body itself is not perforated by nature; nor indeed that often that which governs the living being, having used a more violent impulse, evacuated all the excess through it, as if squeezing and pushing it away.
τί οὖν χαλεπὸν ἦν ἐννοῆσαι τῷ γε ἀκριβῶς τοῖς τέχνης ἔργοις ὡμιληκότι τὰ πολλά;
What then was difficult to conceive for one who has genuinely and closely associated with the works of the art?