§4#2εἰ δὲ οὐδὲν λέγειν ἔχετε, τοῦτο ὅμως ἡμῖν εἰπεῖν συγχωρήσετε, τὸ τὴν δύναμιν εἶναι τοῦ ζώου ναρκωτικὴν τῶν ἁψαμένων οὕτως ἰσχυρὰν, ὥστε καὶ διὰ τοῦ πεπηγότος αὐτοῦ τριόδοντος εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τῶν ἁλιέων ῥᾳδίως ἀνατρέχειν τὸ πάθος.
But if you have nothing to say, you will nevertheless grant us to say this: that the numbing power of the animal is so strong for those who touch it, that the affection easily travels up even through the trident fixed in it into the hands of the fishermen.
οὐκοῦν συγχωρήσετε, εἶναί τινας ἰχθύων ποιότητας καὶ δυνάμεις, ὧν αἱ μὲν νάρκην, αἱ δὲ κάρον, αἱ δὲ ψύξιν, αἱ δὲ σῆψιν, αἱ δὲ ἄλλό τι φέρουσι κακὸν, ἀέρος δὲ οὐδεμίαν συγχωρήσετε εἶναι τοιαύτην δύναμιν; ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἔχομεν, φασὶν, ἐναργῶς δεῖξαι, τίς ἡ ποιότης αὕτη, καὶ τίς ἡ δύναμις αὕτη.
Surely, then, you will grant that there are certain qualities and powers of fish, of which some bring numbness, others torpor, others cooling, others putrefaction, and others some other evil; but will you grant that there is no such power in the air? “But,” they say, “we cannot clearly show what this quality is, and what this power is.” What of this, then, in relation to the present matter?
τί οὖν τοῦτο πρὸς τὰ παρόντα; διὰ γὰρ τῶν ἀδήλων οὔτε ἀνατρέπεσθαί τι δίκαιον οὔτε κατασκευάσασθαι.
For it is not right either to overthrow anything or to establish anything by means of non-evident things.
μεταβαίνωμεν οὖν ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων ἐπὶ τὸ κατασκευάζειν ἐναργῶς, ὁποτέραν οὖν τῶν αἱρέσεων ἀνατρέπειν δυνάμεθα.
Let us therefore pass from such things to establishing clearly which of the two sects we are able to overthrow.
τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἀνατρέποντα τὴν Ἐρασιστράτειον δόξαν εὐθὺς κατ’ ἀρχὰς ἡμῖν ἐῤῥήθη.
Now, the arguments that of necessity overthrow the Erasistratean opinion were spoken of by us immediately at the beginning.
τὰ δὲ τὴν ἡμετέραν κατασκευάζοντα, τοιαῦτα μὲν οὖν ὡς οὐχ εὕρομεν, ὡς ἐξ ἀνάγκης περαίνειν, ἁπάντων μέντοι τῶν ἄλλων πιθανώτατον, πρὸς τὸ μηδὲ ἀνατρέπεσθαι πρός τινος τῶν φαινομένων ταύτην τὴν δόξαν.
But as for those that establish our own, we have not found them to be of such a nature as to conclude of necessity, yet they are the most persuasive of all other opinions, in addition to the fact that this opinion is not overthrown by any of the phenomena.
ὥστε τὴν μὲν Ἐρασιστράτου περὶ χρείας ἀναπνοῆς ὑπόληψιν ἤδη καταλιπεῖν δίκαιον, ἐπειδὴ κἀν τοῖς περὶ σφυγμῶν λόγοις ἐξελέγχεται πολυειδῶς σφαλλομένη.
So that it is already right to abandon Erasistratus' conception of the utility of respiration, since in the discourses on pulses as well it is refuted as failing in many ways.
αὐτοὺς δὲ διὰ βραχέων ἐπιδραμεῖν τῶν ἄλλων φαινομένων τὰς αἰτίας, εἰς τὴν προκειμένην ἀναφέροντας ὑπόθεσιν, ὥσπερ κατά γε τὴν γυμνασίαν μεῖζόν τε καὶ πυκνότερον ἡμᾶς ἀναπνεῖν.
And we ourselves must briefly run over the causes of the other phenomena, referring them to the proposed hypothesis, such as our breathing larger and more frequently during exercise.
οὐ γὰρ ἀπεικὸς οὐδὲ τοῦτο γίνεσθαι διὰ τὴν, τοῖς σφοδρῶς κινουμένοις αὐξανομένην θερμασίαν.
For it is not unlikely that this also happens because of the heat increased in those who move violently.
ὅτι γὰρ οὐδ’ ἐνταῦθα διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀρτηριῶν ἐπιπλήρωσιν, ἐναργές ἐστιν ἐκ τοῦ γίνεσθαι μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς εὐθὺς πολλάκις σφοδρῶς, οὐ μὴν ἀλλοιοῦσθαι τὴν ἀναπνοὴν, πρὶν ἱκανῶς θερμανθῆναι· ἐκθερμανθέντων δὲ, κᾂν ἐπαυσάμεθα κινούμενοι, μέχρι πολλοῦ διασωζομένην ὁρᾶσθαι τὴν αὐτὴν ἰδέαν τῆς ἀναπνοῆς.
For that here too it is not because of the filling up of the arteries is clear from the fact that, although a violent motion often occurs immediately from the beginning, the respiration is in no way altered before one is sufficiently warmed; and once they are thoroughly warmed, even if we have ceased moving, the same character of respiration is seen to be preserved for a long time.
ἀλλὰ κᾀν τοῖς καυσώδεσι πυρετοῖς ὁμοίως ἀναπνεῖν ὀρεγόμεθα διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν· ὅπου γὰρ ἂν ᾖ μέγιστον τὸ τῆς χρείας δεόμενον, ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἀπεικὸς ἱκανῶς αὐξάνεσθαι καὶ τὴν χρείαν αὐτήν.
But also in burning fevers we similarly desire to breathe because of the same cause; for wherever that which requires the utility is greatest, there it is not unlikely that the utility itself also increases sufficiently.
ἡ μὲν γὰρ μείζων φλὸξ μείζονος ἀέρος, ἡ δὲ ἐλάττων ἐλάττονος δεῖται· πᾶσα οὖν δεῖται δι’ ἣν ἔμπροσθεν εἴπομεν ἀνάγκην.
For the larger flame needs larger air, and the smaller needs smaller; all of them, therefore, need it because of the necessity we mentioned before.
οὐκ οὖν ἔτι θαυμαστὸν, εἰ κατεψυγμένοι τὰ περὶ τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τὸν πνεύμονα τὸν ἔξωθεν ἀέρα ποθοῦσί τε καὶ δέονται διὰ τῆς εἰσπνοῆς ἐπισπᾶσθαι.
It is therefore no longer a wonder if those whose parts around the heart and lung have been chilled desire and need to draw in the outer air through inhalation.
ἐπισπᾶται μὲν γὰρ, ἀλλ’ ὀλίγον καὶ διὰ καιροῦ πολλοῦ· μεγάλως γὰρ καὶ πυκνῶς οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ ῥιπίζειν τὴν βραχεῖαν θερμασίαν.
For it does draw it in, but only a little and at long intervals; for it is not possible to fan a small heat largely and frequently.
διὰ τί τοίνυν οἱ μὲν παῖδες πλεῖόν τε καὶ πυκνότερον, οἱ δὲ ἀκμάζοντες ἔλαττόν τε καὶ ἀραιότερον ἀναπνέουσιν;
Why then do children breathe more and more frequently, while those in their prime breathe less and less frequently?
ἢ, ὅτι τὰ αὐξανόμενα πλεῖστον ἔχει τὸ ἔμφυτον θερμὸν, ἕπεται ἐξ ἀνάγκης πλήθει θερμασίας μέγεθός τε καὶ πυκνότης ἀναπνοῆς;
Is it because growing things have the most innate heat, and the size and frequency of respiration of necessity follow the quantity of heat?
εἰ δὲ καὶ τρέφεται τὸ ψυχικὸν πνεῦμα πρὸς τῆς ἀναπνοῆς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀναπνέουσι πλεῖστόν τε καὶ πυκνότατον οἱ παῖδες, ἐπεὶ καὶ τροφῆς πλείονος, ὡς ἂν αὐξανόμενοι, δέονται.
And if the psychic pneuma is also nourished by respiration, and for this reason children breathe most and most frequently, since they, as growing things, also need more nourishment.
εἰ δὲ τὸ λιγνυῶδες ἀποχεῖται πλεῖστον ἐν ταῖς ἀναπνοαῖς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀναπνέουσι πλεῖστόν τε καὶ πυκνότατον.
And if the soot-like waste is evacuated most in respirations, for this reason also they breathe most and most frequently.
ἔνθα γὰρ ἡ τῆς τροφῆς ἐργασία πλείων, ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸ περίττωμα πλέον.
For where the processing of food is greater, there the residue is also greater.
οἷς δ’ οἱ νεανίσκοι θερμότεροι τῶν παίδων εἶναι δοκοῦσιν, οὗτοι τὴν μὲν προειρημένην αἰτίαν οὐ προσοίσονται.
But those to whom young men seem to be warmer than children will not accept the aforementioned cause.
περὶ μέντοι τῶν γερόντων οὐδεὶς ἀμφισβητεῖ, τὸ μὴ οὐκ εἶναι πολὺ ψυχροτέρους αὐτοὺς τῶν παίδων καὶ νεανίσκων.
However, concerning old men no one disputes that they are not much colder than children and young men.
ὁμολογεῖ δὲ τῇ ψύξει καὶ ἡ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς ἰδέα, μικροτέρα τε ἅμα καὶ ἀραιοτέρα γιγνομένη.
And the character of respiration also agrees with the cooling, becoming at the same time smaller and less frequent.
παραπλήσια δὲ τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν ἡλικιῶν φαινομένοις ἐν ὥραις καὶ χώραις καὶ φύσεσι συμβέβηκε.
And things very similar to the phenomena seen in ages have happened in seasons, regions, and constitutions.
καὶ ὁμολογεῖ γὰρ ἀεὶ τοῖς μὲν θερμοῖς ἡ μείζων τε καὶ πυκνοτέρα, τοῖς δὲ ψυχροῖς ἡ ἐλάττων τε καὶ ἀραιοτέρα.
For the larger and more frequent respiration always agrees with the warm, and the smaller and less frequent with the cold.
μικρόν τε καὶ πυκνὸν ἀναπνέουσιν οἵ τε ἐδηδοκότες καὶ οἱ πεπωκότες στενοχωρίᾳ τοῦ διαφράγματος.
Those who have eaten and those who have drunk breathe small and frequently because of the confinement of the diaphragm.
οὕτω δὲ καὶ αἱ κύουσαι, κἀν τοῖς ὑδέροις τε καὶ ταῖς φλεγμοναῖς τοῦ ἥπατος καὶ τῆς γαστρὸς καὶ τοῦ σπληνὸς ὁμοίως ἀναπνέουσι διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν.
And in this way pregnant women also, and in dropsies and inflammations of the liver, stomach, and spleen, breathe similarly because of the same cause.
ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τῆς οἰκείας τούτων ἀναπνοῆς ἐν τοῖς περὶ δυσπνοίας εἰρήσεται.
But concerning their proper respiration, it will be spoken of in the books On Dyspnea.
νῦν δὲ ἀρκεῖ καὶ ταῦτα αὖθις ἐνδείξειν τὸ πάνθ’ ὁμολογεῖν τὰ φαινόμενα τῷ προειρημένῳ δόγματι περὶ χρείας ἀναπνοῆς.
For now, even these things are sufficient to show again that all the phenomena agree with the aforementioned doctrine concerning the utility of respiration.