§4Περὶ μὲν δὴ τῶν θερμῶν τε καὶ ψυχρῶν νοσημάτων αὐτάρκως εἴρηται· περὶ δὲ τῶν ξηρῶν ἐφεξῆς λεγέσθω.
Thus, enough has been said about hot and cold diseases; next, let us speak about dry ones.
εἰ δέ τις διαπονοίη μὲν πλείω καὶ διαπνοίη, τρέφοιτο δὲ ἐλάττω, καὶ ταῦτα ξηρότερα τὴν δύναμιν, ξηρότερος ὢν τὴν κρᾶσιν, εἰς ξηρὸν ῥᾳδίως ὑπαχθήσεται νόσημα, καὶ μάλιστα εἰ φροντίσειεν, ἢ ἀγρυπνήσειε πλείω.
If someone should exercise more and breathe out more, but be nourished less, and that with food more dry in its power, being himself of a drier temperament, he will easily be brought into a dry disease, and especially if he should worry or keep awake more.
καὶ μὴν καὶ αἱ τοῦ περιέχοντος ἡμᾶς ἀέρος καταστάσεις αἱ ξηραὶ ξηραίνουσι δηλονότι καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ τῶν ζώων σώματα, καὶ νῆξις ἐν ὕδατι νιτρώδει τε καὶ θειώδει καὶ στυπτηριώδει καὶ ἀσφαλτώδει καί τινος ἑτέρου τοιαύτης ποιότητος μετέχοντι.
And indeed, dry states of the surrounding air also clearly dry the very bodies of animals, as does bathing in water that is nitrous, sulfurous, aluminous, bituminous, or partaking of some other such quality.
καὶ μέν γε καὶ ὅσα τῶν φαρμάκων ξηρὰ τὴν δύναμίν ἐστιν, εἴτ’ ἔσωθεν, εἴτ’ ἔξωθεν προσφέροιτο, ξηραίνει καὶ ταῦτα.
And certainly, all those drugs which are dry in their power, whether applied internally or externally, also dry the body.
εἴρηται δὲ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐπιπλέον ἐν τοῖς περὶ φαρμάκων. §5Αὗται μὲν καὶ αἱ τῶν ξηρῶν νοσημάτων αἰτίαι.
But about them, more has been said in the treatise On Drugs., then, are also the causes of dry diseases.
τῶν δ’ ὑγρῶν αἱ ἐναντίαι σύμπασαι, ἐδεσμάτων μὲν ὑγροτέρων τὴν δύναμιν ἀφθονία, καὶ πλείω τὰ πώματα, καὶ σύμπασα ἡ ἁβροτέρα δίαιτα, καὶ ἡ θυμηδία, καὶ λουτρὰ γλυκέων ὑδάτων πολλὰ, καὶ μᾶλλον μετὰ τροφήν.
And for wet diseases, all the opposite ones are the causes: namely, an abundance of foods more wet in their power, more drinks, a more luxurious lifestyle as a whole, cheerfulness, and many baths in sweet waters, especially after taking food.
οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἀργὸς ὁ σύμπας βίος, καὶ ἄπονος, ὄμβροι τε πολλοὶ, καὶ ἡ πᾶσα κατάστασις ὑγρὰ, καὶ φάρμακα ταὐτὸ τοῦτο δρᾷν δυνάμενα.
In the same way, an entirely idle and effortless life, abundant rains, an altogether wet state of the environment, and drugs capable of doing this very same thing.