§6Σκεψώμεθα δ’ ἐφεξῆς, ὅπως οἱ πταρμοὶ τὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἰῶνται βάρη.
Let us next consider how sneezes cure the heaviness of the head.
γίνονται μὲν γὰρ, ἐπὶ προηγησαμέναις μεγίσταις εἰσπνοαῖς ἐκφυσήσεως ἑπομένης τάχιστα.
For they occur when a very rapid blow-out follows after very large inhalations have preceded.
ὀνομάζω δὲ ἐκφύσησιν τὴν ἀθρόαν ἐκπνοήν.
I call a sudden exhalation a 'blow-out'.
εἰ δέ γε μηδὲν ἐξ ἐγκεφάλου δι’ αὐτῶν ἐκενοῦτο, πρὸς τῷ μὴ παύσασθαι τὰ βάρη τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑπὸ τῶν πταρμῶν πολλάκις ἔτι καὶ συνεπληροῦτο ἂν μᾶλλον ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθρόας ἔξω τοῦ πνεύματος φορᾶς καὶ προσέτι τῆς ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ γενομένης πληγῆς.
And if indeed nothing were emptied from the brain through them, in addition to the heaviness of the head not being ceased by sneezes, it would often have been even more filled by the sudden outward rush of the breath and furthermore by the blow caused by it.
οὕτως οὖν φαίνεται καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς μεγάλαις φωναῖς διατιθεμένη.
In this way, therefore, [the head] appears to be affected also during loud shouting.
καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ πάθη τινὰ τῶν κατὰ τὸν ἐγκέφαλον συνισταμένων, οἷα μάλιστά ἐστι τὰ ληθαργικὰ καὶ καρώδη, καὶ διὰ τῶν πταρμικῶν οὐχ ἥκιστα θεραπεύεται φαρμάκων.
And indeed, certain affections of those compiled around the brain, such as especially lethargic and comatose conditions, are not least cured by sneezing-inducing drugs.
ἅμα γε καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον ἀποβλέποντες, ἐρεθιζομένων ἡμῶν πρὸς πταρμὸν, ὡς ἂν, οἶμαι, χεομένων ὑπ’ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀτμοειδῶν κατὰ τὸν ἐγκέφαλον πνευμάτων.
At the same time, when we look towards the sun, we are stimulated to sneeze, as, I think, the vaporous spirits around the brain are dispersed by it.
καθαρίζουσι δὲ καὶ βλέννας ἀθρόας ἐξ ἐγκεφάλου παχείας καὶ γλίσχρας οἱ πταρμοὶ τῇ τοῦ πνεύματος ἔξω φορᾷ συνεκβάλλοντες.
And sneezes, casting out together thick and viscous phlegm from the brain by the outward rush of the breath, cleanse it.
οὐ μὴν εἰκὸς φέρεσθαι μὲν ἔξω τι πνεῦμα κατὰ τοὺς πταρμοὺς ἐξ ἐγκεφάλου, μηδὲν δὲ εἴσω μηδέποτε, καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τῶν πόρων ὑπαρχόντων πολλῶν κατὰ τε τὸ καλούμενον ἠθμοειδὲς ὀστοῦν καὶ τὴν ὑπαλείφουσαν ἐκ τῶν ἄνω μερῶν αὐτοῦ μήνιγγα.
But indeed, it is not likely that some breath is carried outward from the brain during sneezes, but nothing inward at any time, especially since many passages exist both in the so-called ethmoid bone and the membrane under-coating it from its upper parts.
καὶ μὴν καὶ τὸ βλάπτεσθαι παραχρῆμα καὶ πληροῦσθαι καὶ βαρύνεσθαι τὴν κεφαλὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ἰσχυρῶν ὀσμῶν καὶ ἐνίοτε παραφροσύναις ἁλίσκεσθαι σημεῖόν ἐστι τοῦ φέρεσθαί τι τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν ἐγκέφαλον·
Moreover, the fact that the head is immediately harmed, filled, and made heavy by strong odors, and sometimes seized by madness, is a sign of some of their substance being carried into the brain; for indeed, it would not be harmed so suddenly and violently merely through the communication of quality.
οὐ γὰρ δὴ κατὰ γε τὴν τῆς ποιότητος κοινωνίαν μόνην ἀθρόως ἂν οὕτως καὶ σφοδρῶς ἐλυπεῖτο.
In the same way, at any rate, it is likely that the brain troubled by excessive heat is benefited by the odor of roses.
κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν γοῦν τρόπον εἰκός ἐστι καὶ τὸν ὑπ’ ἐκκαύσεως πονούμενον ἐγκέφαλον ὀνίνασθαι πρὸς τῆς τῶν ῥόδων ὀσμῆς. οὐδὲν δὲ αὐτὸν ἧττον ῥόδων ὀνίνησιν τηνικαῦτα καὶ ὁ ψυχρὸς ἀὴρ εἰσπνεόμενος, ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ πάνυ θερμὸς ἱκανὸς φαίνεται βλάπτειν.
And the cold air inhaled benefits it no less than roses at that time, just as the very hot air appears sufficient to harm it.
καὶ μέντοι τῆς ἀναπνοῆς ὅλης ὑπ’ ἐγκεφάλου γινομένης ἕνεκα τοῦ φυλάττεσθαι τῆς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ θερμασίας τὴν συμμετρίαν, εὔλογον δὴ που πρώτην ταύτην πορίζειν αὑτῷ, ἑτοιμότατον βλάπτεσθαι πεφυκότι πρὸς τῶν ἀμετροτέρων, ἤτοι θερμαινόντων, ἢ ψυχόντων.
And indeed, since the whole of respiration is produced by the brain for the sake of preserving the proportion of heat in the heart, it is reasonable surely that it provides this first for itself, being of a nature most ready to be harmed by more immoderate things, whether heating or cooling.
πῶς οὔ τινα πρὸς τοῦτο κίνησιν ἡ φύσις ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ σύμφυτον, ἐν μὲν ταῖς εἰσπνοαῖς ῥιπίζουσάν τε καὶ σφύζουσαν, ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἐκπνοαῖς ἀποχέουσαν μὲν ἐνίοτε τὸ φλεγματῶδες καὶ βλένναν καὶ κόρυζαν;
How could nature not have given it some innate movement for this purpose, fanning and pulsating during inhalations, and during exhalations sometimes discharging phlegmatic matter, mucus, and catarrh?
ἐδείχθη δὲ ἡμῖν κᾀν τοῖς τῶν φυτῶν δυνάμεων ὑπομνήμασιν ἅπαντα τὰ τοῦ σώματος μόρια τήν τε τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐκκριτικὴν ἔχοντα δύναμιν, καὶ τὴν τῶν οἰκείων ἑλκτικήν.
And it was shown by us also in the commentaries on the powers of plants that all parts of the body have both a power of excreting foreign things and a power of attracting their own.
καὶ φαίνεται δ’ ἐναργῶς ἐπί τε γαστρὸς τοῦτο καὶ μητρῶν.
And this appears clearly both in the stomach and the uterus.
ἆρ’ οὖν ἡ φύσις τῇ μὲν γαστρὶ δυνάμεις ἔδωκεν, ἕλκουσαν μὲν ἑτέραν τὸ χρηστὸν, ἐκκρίνουσαν δὲ ἄλλην τὸ μοχθηρὸν, ἐγκέφαλος δὲ μόνος οὐκ ἔχει ταύτας;
Did nature, then, give powers to the stomach, one attracting what is useful and another excreting what is bad, but the brain alone does not have these?
ἀλλὰ μένει τὰ κατὰ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ περιττώματα, τῷ βάρει μόνῳ κάτω φερόμενα, κατὰ βραχὺ δ’ ἐκπίπτει ποτὲ εἰς τὰς ῥῖνας;
But do the residues in its cavities remain, carried downward by weight alone, and occasionally drop little by little into the nose?
οὔκουν οἴεσθαι χρὴ, καὶ μάλισθ’ ὅταν ὕπτιοι τύχωμεν ὅλης νυκτὸς κατακείμενοι.
We must not think so, especially when we happen to lie down on our backs for the whole night.
φθάσει γὰρ ἀποπληξία τις ἢ κάρος ἢ ἐπιληψία συνιστᾶσα, τῶν κοιλιῶν αὐτοῦ πληρωθεισῶν.
For some apoplexy or coma or epilepsy would occur first, once its cavities are filled.
ἀνατιτραμένοις γοῦν πολλάκις παραχρῆμα καρώσεις γίνονται, τῶν ὑπηρετουμένων τοῖς χειρουργοῦσιν ἀμετρότερον ἐνίοτε θλιψάντων τὰς κατὰ τὸν ἐγκέφαλον κοιλίας, καίτοι τί λέγω κοιλίας;
At any rate, in those undergoing trepanation, comatose conditions often occur immediately when the assistants of the surgeons sometimes compress the cavities in the brain too immoderately—and yet, why do I say cavities?