§5#2ἐπιτηδεία, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀνάδοσιν, καὶ μάλιστα ἐφ’ ὧν εἰς τὰ κυρτὰ τοῦ ἥπατος οὐ διέρχεται εὐκόλως τὰ λαμβανόμενα.
It is also suitable for the distribution of nourishment, especially in those cases where the things taken in do not easily pass through to the convex parts of the liver.
πλαδαρὸν δ’ ἐστὶ μετρίως, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὑγρὸν, καὶ ἄδιψον.
And it is moderately moist, which is equivalent to wet, and it is thirst-quenching.
καὶ τὸ μὲν ὑγρὸν ἔχει ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος, πλὴν κεκλασμένον διὰ τὴν φύσιν τῆς κριθῆς μετρίως ξηραίνουσαν· τὸ γὰρ ἐξ ἐναντίων συγκείμενον δυνάμεων, ἄλλην τινὰ φύσιν ἐπίκτητον κτησάμενον, τὰ ἄκρα ἐξέφυγε.
And it derives its wetness from the water, except that it is tempered by the nature of the barley, which is moderately drying; for that which is composed of contrary powers, having acquired some other new nature, escapes the extremes.
ἄδιψον δ’, ὡς ὑγρόν· πλέον δὲ τοῦ ὕδατος ἔχει τὸ ἄδιψον, εἰ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὑγρότητα ἐλαττοῦται, ὅτι καὶ τάχιον ἀναδίδοται, καὶ ὅτι παραμένουσαν αὑτῇ ἔχει τὴν ὑγρότητα διὰ τὴν γλισχρότητα, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ὅτι καὶ ψυχρόν ἐστι.
And it is thirst-quenching because it is wet; but it possesses the thirst-quenching quality to a greater degree than water, even if it is inferior in its wetness, because it is distributed more quickly, and because it has the wetness remaining with itself due to its stickiness, and in addition to these, because it is also cold.
διὰ ταῦτα καὶ διακαέσι πυρετοῖς ἁρμοδιώτατον, ὡς κατὰ πάντα αὐτοῖς ἐναντιουμένη, ψύχουσά τε καὶ ὑγραίνουσα, καὶ ῥύπτουσα τοὺς σηπεδονώδεις χυμοὺς, καὶ τροφὴν οὐκ ὀλίγην παρέχουσα τῷ σώματι, τοὺς δ’ ἡμισαπεῖς συμπέττουσά τε καὶ εἰς χρηστὸν χυμὸν μεταβάλλουσα.
For these reasons, it is most appropriate for burning fevers, as it opposes them in every respect, by cooling and moistening, and by cleansing putrid humors, and by providing not a little nourishment to the body, and by concocting half-putrid humors and changing them into good humor.
ταῦτα δ’ ἔχει πάντα μετὰ τοῦ μηδεμίαν ἔχειν στύψιν ἢ τοῦ στομάχου ἀνατροπήν.
And it possesses all these properties along with having no astringency or upset of the stomach.
ἡ μὲν γὰρ στύψις, ὅσον εἰς ῥῶσιν τῆς γαστρὸς ἱκανὴ, τοσοῦτον εἰς τὸ παχῦναι τοὺς χυμοὺς ἐπιτήδειος· ἡ δ’ ὑγρότης, τὸ παχύνειν οὐκ ἔχουσα, τὸ ἀμετάτρεπτον ἔχει.
For while astringency, insofar as it is sufficient for strengthening the stomach, is to that extent suitable for thickening the humors, wetness, not having the property of thickening, possesses unchangeability.
ἅπαν μέντοι πέφευγεν ἡ πτισάνη διὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἄμετρον ἔχειν κακόν.
However, the barley-gruel has escaped all of these disadvantages because it has no excessive evil.
ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ ταραχὴν, οὐδὲ θόρυβόν τινα ἐν κοιλίᾳ ποιεῖ διὰ τὸ μηδεμίαν δύναμιν ἔχειν ἀπὸ δριμύτητος ἢ πνεύματος φυσώδους· καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐν τῇ ἑψήσει ἀποβάλλεται.
Nor does it produce any disturbance or tumult in the belly because it has no power derived from acridity or flatulent wind; for this too is cast off in the boiling.
τὰ μὲν οὖν ἀγαθὰ τῆς πτισάνης, ἃ ἐκ τῆς χρηστῆς ἑψήσεως ἐκτήσατο, ταῦτ’ ἐστί.
The benefits of the barley-gruel, therefore, which it acquired from proper boiling, are these.
καὶ κατὰ μακρὸν μὲν ὁ λόγος ἐδίδαξε, καὶ αὖθις δὲ διὰ κεφαλαίων ἐρεῖ.
And while the discourse has taught them at length, it will state them again in summary.
λεῖα μέν ἐστιν αὐτῆς τὰ μόρια, καὶ ὁμαλὰ, καὶ συνεχῆ, καὶ ἡνωμένα, ὡς μὴ τὸ μὲν αὐτῆς φαίνεσθαι λεπτὸν, τὸ δὲ παχὺ ἢ ὅλως ἀνώμαλον.
Its parts are smooth, even, continuous, and unified, so that one part of it does not appear thin and another thick, or altogether uneven.
καὶ τοῦτο οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἁφὴν ἔχει μόνον, ἀλλ’ ἤδη καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτῆς ἐνέργειάν τε καὶ δύναμιν.
And it possesses this property not only in touch, but already also in its own action and power.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν γεῦσιν προσηνὴς, τουτέστιν μηδεμίαν ἔχουσα ἀηδίαν, καὶ ὑγρὰ, καὶ ἄδιψος, διὰ τὴν παροῦσαν αὐτῇ γλισχρότητα.
And it is also pleasant to the taste, which means having no unpleasantness, and wet, and thirst-quenching, because of the stickiness present in it.
τὸ δὲ λεῖον καὶ ὑγρὸν καὶ προσηνὲς καὶ στύψεως ἀπήλλακται καὶ ἄλλης ἰσχυρᾶς ποιότητος.
And the smooth, wet, and pleasant quality is exempt from astringency and any other strong quality.
ἐπὶ πᾶσι δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἄφυσον διὰ τὴν χρηστὴν ἕψησιν.
And in addition to all these, it is also non-flatulent because of the proper boiling.
οὕτως δ’ ἔχουσα τοῖς ὀξέσι πυρετοῖς ὑπάρχει ἁρμόδιον, οὐ μόνον ὅτι κατὰ πάντα αὐτοῖς ἀντίκειται, ἀλλ’ ὅτι καὶ εὐπεπτότατόν ἐστι, καὶ ἀσθενέστατον κατὰ πᾶσαν ποιότητα, καὶ εὐανάδοτον, καὶ τοὺς μὲν σεσηπότας χυμοὺς καθαίρουσα διὰ τὸ ῥυπτικὸν, τοὺς δὲ ἡμισαπεῖς ἔτι συμπέττουσα.
Being in this state, it is suitable for acute fevers, not only because it is opposed to them in every respect, but also because it is most easily digested, and weakest in every quality, and easily distributed, cleansing the putrid humors by its washing quality, and still concocting the half-putrid ones.