§5#2τὸ μὲν γὰρ ψυχρότερον οὐχ ὁμοίως εὔπορον ἅπαντι.
For that which is colder is not equally easy of passage for everything.
χρὴ δ’ ἑτοίμως ἰέναι διὰ πάντων τῶν ὀργάνων τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς πνεῦμα.
But the pneuma of the soul must go readily through all the organs.
τὸ δ’ αὖ θερμότερον ἅπαντι μὲν πόριμον, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν κατακαίει τε καὶ συντήκει τὸ σῶμα, τελευταῖον δὲ καὶ αὐτὸ συναπόλλυται καὶ ἀποσβέννυται.
But, on the other hand, that which is hotter is passable for everything, but first it burns up and melts the body, and finally it is also destroyed and extinguished along with it.
καὶ ἐν μὲν ταῖς ἀποπληξίαις ψυχρότερον, ἐν δὲ τοῖς πυρετοῖς θερμότερον τοῦ μέτρου γιγνόμενον, ἐν μὲν ταῖς ἀποπληξίαις ἴσχεται τοῦ πάντη ῥᾳδίως εἰσιέναι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἰς ἀκινησίαν τελευτᾷ τὸ πάθος· ἐν δὲ τοῖς πυρετοῖς εὔπορον μέν τοι πάντη, κατακαίειν δὴ, καθάπερ πῦρ, ἀλλὰ μήτε τρέφειν μήτε αὐξάνειν τὰ σώματα δύναται.
And becoming colder than the proper measure in apoplexies, and hotter in fevers, in apoplexies it is prevented from entering easily everywhere, and for this reason the affection ends in immobility; but in fevers, although indeed easy of passage everywhere, it burns indeed like fire, but is able neither to nourish nor to increase the bodies.
μὴ τοίνυν εἶναι μικρὰν νομίζωμεν τὴν χρείαν τοῖς ζώοις τῆς συμμέτρου θερμασίας, ἀλλ’ ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις, μάλιστα μὲν οὖν τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ψυχικῷ καὶ τοῖς κυριωτάτοις ὀργάνοις, ἤδη δὲ καὶ καθ’ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα.
Let us not, therefore, think that the need of moderate warmth is small for animals, but rather among the most necessary things, especially indeed for the psychic pneuma and the most principal organs, and furthermore also throughout the whole body.
εἰκότως ἄρα τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς φυσικῆς θερμασίας, τὴν καρδίαν, εἰς τοσοῦτον ἀναπνοῆς χρῄζουσαν ἔχομεν, εἰς ὅσον περ καὶ συμμέτρου θερμασίας αὐτοὶ χρῄζομεν.
Reasonably, then, we have the heart, the source of natural warmth, needing respiration to such an extent as we ourselves need moderate warmth.
ἐδείχθη γὰρ ἀδύνατος ἡ σωτηρία τῆς θερμασίας χωρὶς τῆς ἀναπνοῆς.
For the preservation of warmth was shown to be impossible without respiration.
ἔκπνουν μὲν δὴ καὶ εἴσπνουν ἐστὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα, κατὰ τὸν Ἱπποκράτους λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἡμῶν ἑτέρωθι δέδεικται.
Indeed, the whole body is breathing out and breathing in, according to the word of Hippocrates, but it has also been shown by us elsewhere.
σύμμετρος δὲ ἀναπνοὴ τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις ἅπασι μορίοις ἡ διὰ τῶν ἀρτηριῶν ἐστιν· ἐγκεφάλου δὲ καὶ καρδίας δύο ἐξαίρετα πρόσκειται τῆς ἀναπνοῆς ὄργανα, τῷ μὲν ῥῖνες, τῷ δὲ πνεύμων.
And moderate respiration for all the other parts is that through the arteries; but for the brain and the heart, two special organs of respiration are attached: the nostrils for the former, and the lung for the latter.
ὅπως δὲ ὁ πνεύμων κινοῖτο, θώρακος ἐδεήθη.
And in order that the lung might move, it needed the thorax.
καὶ δι’ αὐτὸ ὡς μὲν τῇ καρδίᾳ συνημμένος ὁ πνεύμων τὸ πρῶτόν ἐστι πνευστικὸν ὄργανον, ὡς δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ θώρακος κινούμενος τὸ δεύτερον.
And for this reason, the lung, insofar as it is joined to the heart, is the primary respiratory organ, but insofar as it is moved by the thorax, it is the secondary.
εἰ δὲ τῆς τοῦ αἵματος ἀναθυμιάσεως εἰς θρέψιν χρῄζει τὸ ψυχικὸν πνεῦμα, πιθανὸν γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο, μεγίστην ἂν ἔχοι καὶ ταύτην τῆς συμμέτρου θερμασίας τὴν χρείαν τὰ ζῶα.
But if the psychic pneuma needs the exhalation of the blood for nourishment—for this too is plausible—animals would have in this also a very great need of moderate warmth.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ ψυχρὸν αἷμα πῶς ἂν εἰς ἀτμοὺς λύοιτο;
For how could cold blood be dissolved into vapors?
ἀμέτρως δὲ θερμὸν εὐσκέδαστον μὲν εἰς ἀτμοὺς, ἀλλ’ εἰς θολεροὺς τούτους καὶ καπνώδεις.
But immoderately hot blood is indeed easily dispersed into vapors, but into those that are turbid and smoky.
οὐ μὴν τοιούτῳ γε εἶναι πρέπει τῷ ψυχικῷ πνεύματι, ἀλλ’, εἴπερ τῳ ἄλλῳ, καθαρωτάτῳ τε καὶ χρηστοτάτῳ.
Yet the psychic pneuma must not be of such a kind, but, if anything else, most pure and most excellent.
ταῦτ’ ἄρα τὸ μελαγχολικὸν αἷμα καὶ τὸ πικρόχολον εἰς ἀτμοὺς μοχθηροὺς λυόμενον, τὸ μὲν εἰς μελαγχολίαν, τὸ δὲ εἰς φρενῖτιν ἄγει.
For this reason, therefore, melancholic and bitter-bilious blood, being dissolved into harmful vapors, leads the former to melancholy and the latter to phrenitis.
διὰ τοῦτο δὲ κᾀν τοῖς καυσώδεσι πυρετοῖς ἑτοίμως παραφρονοῦσιν.
And on this account they also readily become delirious in burning fevers.
εἰ γὰρ χρηστὸν ᾖ τηνικαῦτα τὸ αἷμα, διὰ γοῦν τὸ πλῆθος τῆς θερμασίας ἀτμίζει καπνωδῶς.
For even if the blood should be excellent at that time, yet on account of the abundance of warmth it evaporates in a smoky manner.
εἴη δ’ ἂν καὶ τοῦτο τῆς κατὰ φύσιν θερμασίας ὄφελος οὐ σμικρὸν, ἀτμίζειν σύμμετρόν τε καὶ καθαρὸν καὶ χρηστόν.
And this too would be no small benefit of natural warmth: to evaporate in a moderate, pure, and excellent manner.
οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ταῖς οἰκείαις κατασκευαῖς δεῖσθαι ὅτῳ τῶν μορίων ὑπόθοιτό τις, οὐδὲ οὕτως εἰς τὴν φυλακὴν τῆς κατασκευῆς ὠφελεῖ μικρὸν ἡ σύμμετρος θερμασία.
Indeed, not even if one should suppose that any of the parts does not need it for its own structures, not even so does moderate warmth benefit little for the preservation of the structure.
ξηρὸν μὲν γὰρ ἀμέτρως ἢ ὑγρὸν οὐκ ἂν ἐν ἀκαρεῖ χρόνῳ γίγνοιτο τῶν μορίων οὐδέν· ψυχρὸν δ’ ἐσχάτως ἢ θερμὸν δύναιτ’ ἂν ἐμφανῶς γενέσθαι.
For none of the parts would become immoderately dry or wet in an instant of time; but it could visibly become extremely cold or hot.
καὶ μὴν ἰδία ἑκάστου τῶν μορίων οὐσία ψυχροῦ καὶ θερμοῦ καὶ ξηροῦ καὶ ὑγροῦ ποιά τις κρᾶσίς ἐστιν.
And indeed, the proper substance of each of the parts is a certain mixture of cold, hot, dry, and wet.
ὥστε καὶ διαφθείρεσθαι ταύτην ὑπ’ οὐδενὸς οὕτω ταχέως εἰκὸς, ὡς ὑπὸ τῆς κατὰ τὴν θερμασίαν ἀμετρίας.
So that it is likely that this is destroyed by nothing so quickly as by immoderation in warmth.
εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν ὑπ’ οὐδενὸς ἑτοιμότερον ἐγχωρεῖ βλαβῆναι.
And if this is so, it is also possible for the activity to be damaged by nothing more readily.
τῶν μὲν οὖν ἄλλων ὀργάνων αἱ βλάβαι τῶν ἐνεργειῶν μικραί· τῶν δ’ εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ζωὴν διαφερόντων μεγάλαι· τῶν δ’ οὐ μόνον εἰς ζωὴν αὐτὴν διαφερόντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἄλλα λόγον ἀρχῆς ἐχόντων μέγισται.
Now, the damages to the activities of the other organs are small; but those of the organs that make a difference for life itself are great; and those of the organs that not only make a difference for life itself but also have the relation of a principle to the others are greatest.