§3#1Εἰ τοίνυν ἤτοι τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῆς τοῦ ἀέρος ἣ ἧστινος οὖν ἐνδείᾳ ποιότητος ἀποθνήσκει τὰ ζῶα πνιγόμενα, δέδεικται θάτερον ἀδύνατον.
If, therefore, suffocated animals die either from a lack of the substance itself of the air or from a lack of some quality, the one of these (the lack of substance) has been shown to be impossible.
ἀπολείπεται θάτερον, ἐνδείᾳ ποιότητός τινος ἐν ταῖς ἐπισχέσεσι τῆς ἀναπνοῆς πνίγεσθαι τὰ ζῶα.
The other alternative remains, that during the holdings of breath, animals suffocate from a lack of some quality.
τί γοῦν ἐστιν αὕτη, σκεπτέον.
What, then, this quality is, must be considered.
ἐπεὶ τοίνυν, ὅταν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τὸν θώρακα τόποις ἀθροισθῇ θερμασία πλείων τῆς κατὰ φύσιν, ὡς ἐν τοῖς καυσώδεσι πᾶσι συμπίπτει νοσήμασιν, εὐθὺς καὶ πλέον τοῦ συνήθους ἀναπνεῖν ὀρεγόμεθα, δόξειεν ἂν ἐμψύξεως ἕνεκα ἡ ἀναπνοὴ γενέσθαι.
Since, therefore, whenever a heat greater than natural accumulates in the regions around the heart and the thorax, as happens in all burning fevers, we immediately desire to breathe more than usual, it would seem that respiration occurs for the sake of cooling.
ἀλλὰ πάλιν εἰ κατεψυγμένων τῶν αὐτῶν τούτων ὀργάνων, ὡς ἔν τε τοῖς βουλίμοις καλουμένοις, κᾀπειδάν τις ἰσχυρῷ ὁμιλήσῃ κρύει, μὴ ὅτι ψύχει τὴν ἐν ἡμῖν θερμασίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ θερμαίνει, δι’ ὀλίγου δεῖν ἅπασαν ἐψυγμένην, ὅμως εἰσπνέειν ὀρεγόμεθα, δόξει ἐναντιοῦσθαι, τὴν ἀναπνοὴν ἐμψύξεως ἕνεκα γίνεσθαι.
But on the other hand, if, when these same organs are chilled, as in the so-called bulimy and whenever someone encounters severe cold—where respiration, far from cooling the heat within us, actually warms it when it is almost entirely chilled—we nevertheless desire to inhale, this will seem to oppose the view that respiration occurs for the sake of cooling.
καί τοί τινες ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι δεῖσθαι ἀεί φασιν ἐμψύξεως τὴν ἐν τοῖς ζώοις θερμασίαν, ἀλλ’, ὅταν μὲν αὐξηθῇ, πλείονος, ἐλάττονος δὲ, ὅταν ἀῤῥωστοτέρα γένηται.
And yet some in reply say that the heat in animals always requires cooling, but requires more when it has increased, and less when it has become weaker.
καὶ τὰς τοιαύτας διαθέσεις, οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἐναντιοῦσθαι τῷ δόγματί φασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μαρτυρεῖν οἴονται.
And they think that such conditions do not oppose the doctrine in this way, but actually bear witness to it.
χαλεπὸν τοίνυν αὐτὸ τοῦτο πρότερον γίγνεται καὶ δυσδιαίτητον, ὅταν ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν φαινομένων ὑπεναντίας ἐνδείξεις ἔχωνται.
Therefore, this very thing first becomes difficult and hard to resolve, whenever contrary indications are drawn from the same phenomena.
μεταστῆναι γὰρ οὐδετέρους οἴονται, τοὺς μὲν, ὡς ἔμψυξίς ἐστιν ἡ χρεία τῆς ἀναπνοῆς, εἰ, θερμαινομένων τῶν ἀναπνευστικῶν ὀργάνων, ἔλαττον ἀναπνέομεν· τοῖς δ’ οὐδαμῶς, ὅσον ἐπὶ τούτοις, ἐμψύχεσθαι δεόμεθα.
For they think that neither side will retreat, the ones arguing that the purpose of respiration is cooling, if, when the respiratory organs are warmed, we breathe less [when they are chilled]; while to the others, we in no way need to be cooled, as far as these cases are concerned.
λέγοντος γοῦν, φασὶν, Ἱπποκράτους ἐν προγνωστικῷ, Ψυχρὸν δ’ ἐκπνεόμενον ἔκ τε τῶν ῥινῶν καὶ τοῦ στόματος ὀλέθριον κάρτα ἤδη γίγνεται, τὴν τοιαύτην τις ἐννοησάτω διάθεσιν, οἵα τίς ποτέ ἐστιν· εὑρήσει γὰρ, οἶμαι, κατεψυγμένων ἱκανῶς τῶν ἀναπνευστικῶν ὀργάνων, γινομένην αὐτήν.
For instance, they say, when Hippocrates says in the *Prognostic*, "But cold breath exhaled from both the nostrils and the mouth becomes extremely fatal already," let someone consider what kind of condition that is; for he will find, I think, that it occurs when the respiratory organs are sufficiently chilled.
ἐχρῆν οὖν, φασὶ, μηδ’ ὅλως ἀναπνεῖν τοὺς οὕτω διακειμένους, ὡς ἂν τὸ τῆς ἐμψύξεως δεόμενον οὐκ ἔχοντας.
Therefore, they say, those in such a condition ought not to breathe at all, as they do not have that which requires cooling.
ὡς γὰρ, εἰ μηδὲν ὅλως εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγένετό τι τὸ δεόμενον ἐμψύξεως, οὐκ ἂν ἦν οὐδεμία χρεία τῆς ἀναπνοῆς, οὕτως, εἰ πρόσθεν ἦν, οἴχεται δὲ νῦν, οὐ δεησόμεθα.
For just as, if from the very beginning there were nothing at all that required cooling, there would be no need for respiration, so, if it existed before but is now gone, we will not need it.
πρὸς δὴ ταῦτα, φασὶν, ἡ διὰ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς κίνησις ἐξάπτει ῥιπίζουσα.
In response to this, they say, the movement through respiration kindles by fanning.
τὸ δὲ ὅτι μὴ ταὐτόν ἐστι τῷ πρόσθεν, οὐ μακροῦ μοι δοκεῖ δεῖσθαι λόγου.
But that this is not the same as the former does not seem to me to need a long argument.
πρόσθεν μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγον ἐμψύχεσθαι, νῦν δὲ ἐξάπτεσθαι.
For previously they said it was cooled, but now they say it is kindled.
ἐναντίον δὲ δήπου τὸ ἐμψύχεσθαι τῷ ἐξάπτεσθαι.
And cooling is surely the opposite of kindling.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ σβέννυσι, τὸ δὲ ἐξάπτει τὴν θερμότητα, καὶ τὸ μὲν, ἵνα μὴ καυθῇ τὸ δεχόμενον αὐτὴν σῶμα, τὸ δὲ, ἵνα μὴ καταψυχθῇ, γίνεται, πλὴν εἰ κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς καὶ τὸ ψυχρὸν ἐξάπτειν λέγοιεν.
For the one extinguishes heat, while the other kindles it, and the former occurs so that the body receiving it may not be burned, while the latter occurs so that it may not be chilled; unless they should say that even the cold kindles accidentally.
οὕτως δ’ οὐ τὴν χρείαν τῆς ἀναπνοῆς, ἀλλὰ τὴν ποιητικὴν αἰτίαν εἴρηκεν.
But in that case, he has spoken not of the purpose of respiration, but of the efficient cause.
ἔστι γοῦν ἄμεινον, ἐπὶ τὸ κοινὸν τῶν τοιούτων αἱρέσεων μεταβάντας ἐκεῖνο πρότερον διασκέψασθαι.
It is therefore better, passing to what is common to such schools of thought, to examine that first.
κινδυνεύουσι γὰρ ἅπαντες, ὅσοι περὶ τῆς ἐμφύτου θερμασίας παρηκασί τι, τὴν μὲν σωτηρίαν αὐτῆς ὀνειρώττειν, οὐ δύνασθαι δὲ ἀκριβῶς καὶ διηρθρωμένως ἐξηγήσασθαι τὸ σφέτερον νόημα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, οἶμαι, οἱ μὲν ἔμψυξιν, οἱ δὲ ῥίπισιν, οἱ δὲ ῥῶσιν γράφουσι.
For they all run the risk, as many as have treated innate heat, of dreaming of its preservation, but of not being able to explain their own concept accurately and articulately; and because of this, I think, some write of cooling, others of fanning, and others of strengthening.
μάλιστα δὲ αὐτοὺς οἶμαι προτρέπειν τὰ περὶ τὰς φλόγας φαινόμενα.
And it is especially the phenomena concerning flames that I think urge them on.
ταύτας γὰρ ἐναργῶς ὁρῶμεν οὕτως ταχέως ἀπολλυμένας, ὅταν ἀποστερηθῶσιν ἀέρος, ὥσπερ τὰ ζῶα, καθάπερ δηλοῦσιν αἱ τῶν ἰατρῶν σικύαι, καὶ πάνθ’ ὅσα στενὰ καὶ κοῖλα περιτιθέμενα, τῆς διαπνοῆς αὐτὰ εἴρξαντα, ῥᾳδίως κατασβεννύουσιν.
For we clearly see these (flames) perish so quickly when they are deprived of air, just like animals, as is shown by the cupping-glasses of physicians, and all such things as are narrow and hollow which, when placed around them and blocking their ventilation, easily extinguish them.
ἂν τοίνυν εὑρεθῇ, τί ποτε φλόγες ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις διαθέσεσι πάσχουσαι σβέννυνται, τάχα ἂν εὑρεθείη, τί ποτέ ἐστιν, ὃ παρὰ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς ἀπολαύει χρηστὸν ἡ ἐν τοῖς ζώοις θερμασία.
If, therefore, it should be found what it is that flames undergo and so are extinguished in such conditions, perhaps there might be found what it is that the heat in animals derives of benefit from respiration.
πρὸς δὴ τὴν εὕρεσιν αὐτῶν πάντας ἐπέλθωμεν τοὺς τρόπους, καθ’ οὓς αἱ φλόγες ὁρῶνται σβεννύμεναί τε καὶ αὐξανόμεναι.
For the discovery of these, let us go through all the ways in which flames are seen to be extinguished and increased.
οὐ γὰρ μόνον εἰ περιθείη τις τίτανον αὐταῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς βαλανείοις τε καὶ τοῖς ἡλίοις τοῖς διακαέσι, καὶ τοῖς ψύχεσι τοῖς ὑπερβάλλουσι, καὶ σφοδρῶς ῥιπιζόμεναι, καὶ πλήθεσιν ὕλης ἐπ’ αὐτῶν σωρευθείσης, καὶ τοὐναντίον ἐνδείᾳ τροφῆς ὁρῶνται σβεννύμεναι, ῥωννύμεναι δὲ καὶ αὐξανόμεναι πρός τε τοῦ μετρίου ψυχροῦ, κᾂν εἰ μετρίως ῥιπίσῃς, καὶ τροφῆς εὐποροῦσαι συμμέτρου.
For they are seen to be extinguished not only if one should place lime around them, but also by baths, by burning suns, by excessive colds, by being violently fanned, by a quantity of fuel piled upon them, and on the contrary, by lack of nourishment; but they are strengthened and increased by moderate cold, even if you should fan moderately, and when they are well supplied with commensurate nourishment.
ἐπὶ τοίνυν τούτοις ἔτι κᾀκεῖνο προσκείσθω, τὸ φαίνεσθαι πάσας τὰς φλόγας διττὴν κίνησιν κινουμένας, ἑτέραν μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ὕλης, ὅθεν ἐξάπτονται, μάλιστα μὲν ἄνω φερομένας ἤδη καὶ πάντη σκιδναμένας, ἑτέραν δὲ ἐναντίαν ταύτῃ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἑαυτῶν καὶ οἷον ῥίζας συστελλομένας τε καὶ συνιζούσας.
Therefore, let this further point be added to these: that all flames appear to move with a twofold movement, one away from the fuel whence they are kindled, being carried chiefly upward already and dispersing in all directions, and the other opposite to this, toward their own origin, contracting and settling down like roots.
καὶ γὰρ, εἰ λαμπάδος μεγίστης τὸ ἄνω πέρας ἐξάψαις, ἐπὶ τὸ κάτω ταχέως ἀφίξεται τὸ πῦρ· κᾂν εἰ τὴν λυχνιαίαν φλόγα σβέσας τῷ πέρατι τῆς ἄνω φερομένης αἰθαλώδους λιγνύος προσενέγκαις ἕτερον πῦρ, εἶτ’ αὖ καιομένην ὄψει τοῦ λύχνου τὴν θρυαλλίδα, οὐδενὸς τῶν τοιούτων γίγνεσθαι δυναμένου, εἰ μόνον τὸ πῦρ ἔσχε τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω κίνησιν.
For indeed, if you should kindle the upper end of a very large torch, the fire will quickly arrive at the lower part; and if, having extinguished a lamp-flame, you should bring another fire to the end of the soot-laden smoke that is carried upward, you will then see the wick of the lamp burning again, none of which things could happen if fire had only its upward movement.