§4#1Περὶ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων, ἐν οἷς ἀπόλλυνται, μικρὸν ὕστερον ἐρῶ, διαρθρώσας πρότερον, ὅσα διορισμοῦ τινος τῶν εἰρημένων δέονται.
Concerning the other cases, in which they perish, I will speak a little later, after first distinguishing as many things as require some definition of the things mentioned.
ἓν μὲν οὖν ἐστιν αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ περὶ τῆς ἀκμῆς, εἴτε ἄχρονος ὑπάρχει διαπαντὸς, ὅσον ἐφ’ ἑαυτῇ, κᾂν εἰ πρὸς τὴν αἴσθησιν φαίνοιτο παρεκτεινομένη πολλάκις ἀξιολόγοις χρόνοις· εἴτε διαπαντὸς ἔχει τι πλάτος, ὁτὲ μὲν μεῖζον, ὁτὲ δὲ ἔλαττον· εἴτ’ ἐπὶ τινῶν μὲν νοσημάτων ἔγχρονος, ἐπὶ τινῶν δὲ ἄχρονος.
One of these, then, is also that concerning the peak, whether it is always timeless, as far as it is in itself, even if to perception it should often appear to extend over considerable times; or whether it always has a certain breadth, sometimes greater, sometimes less; or whether in some diseases it takes time, but in others it is timeless.
μακροτέρου δὲ λόγου δεομένου τοῦ σκέμματος, ἔοικα παραλείψειν αὐτὸν ἅπαντα, μιμησάμενος Ἱπποκράτη περὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸν ὦμον ἐκπτώσεως εἰπόντα· οὐ μέντοι ἰσχυρίζω ἔγωγε περὶ αὐτοῦ, καίτοι ἔχων ὅ τι λέγω. καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἠρκέσθη τοῖς διαπαντὸς ἑωραμένοις αὐτῷ, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον κᾀγὼ νῦν ὡς διαπαντὸς ἰδὼν ἐρῶ.
But since this inquiry requires a longer discussion, I seem to be about to omit all of it, imitating Hippocrates who spoke concerning the dislocation at the shoulder: "However, I do not assert strongly about it, although I have what to say." For just as he was content with the things always seen by him, in the same way I too will now speak as having always seen it.
πᾶσαν ἀκμὴν τῶν κατὰ μέρος παροξυσμῶν χρόνῳ γινομένην ἐθεασάμην, ὥστε κᾂν εἰ πρὸς τὴν φύσιν ἄχρονος εἴη, μηδεμιᾶς ἐξ αὐτοῦ χρείας ἀπολαύειν ἡμᾶς.
I have observed every peak of the individual paroxysms occurring in time, so that even if it should be timeless in relation to nature, we would derive no utility from it.
ὅταν γὰρ πρῶτον αἰσθήσει σαφὴς ἡ παρακμὴ γένηται, τότε τοῖς ἁρμόττουσιν αὐτῇ βοηθήμασι χρώμεθα· μέχρι δ’ ἂν ἀπὸ τῶν ἴσων ἀριθμῶν ἑστήκῃ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ πυρετοῦ, μέχρι τοσούτου τῷ μεγέθει τῆς ἀκμῆς οἰκεῖα πράττειν προσήκει.
For when the decline first becomes clear to perception, then we use the remedies appropriate to it; and as long as the magnitude of the fever stands at equal numbers, up to that point it is proper to do things appropriate to the magnitude of the peak.
κατὰ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἐπ’ ὀφθαλμίας καὶ πλευρίτιδος καὶ πάσης φλεγμονῆς ἑκάστου τε τῶν ἄλλων νοσημάτων οἱ καθόλου καιροὶ τὴν τῶν διαφόρων βοηθημάτων ὑπαγορεύουσι χρῆσιν, αἰσθήσει μετρούμενοι.
And in the same way in ophthalmia, pleurisy, every inflammation, and each of the other diseases, the general seasons, being measured by perception, dictate the use of various remedies.
λογικὸν οὖν γίνεται σκέμμα τὸ περὶ τοῦ πλάτους τῆς ἀκμῆς, εἴτε τῶν κατὰ μέρος παροξυσμῶν, εἴτε τῆς ὅλης νόσου τι σκοποῖτο· νυνὶ δὲ οὐ πρόκειταί μοι τὰ τοιαῦτα διαιρεῖν, ὡς οἱ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι φέροντες πράττουσιν, ὧν εἷς ἐστι καὶ Ἀρχιγένης.
Therefore, the inquiry concerning the breadth of the peak becomes a theoretical one, whether one should consider that of the individual paroxysms or that of the whole disease; but now it is not my purpose to distinguish such things, as those who bring in everything in all matters do, of whom Archigenes is one.
ἀναμίγνυσι γὰρ οὗτος ὁ ἀνὴρ ἰατρικωτάταις πραγματείαις ἐνίοτε μὲν ὑπὲρ ὀνομάτων ζήτησιν, ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων, ἀλλὰ λογικήν·
For this man mixes with highly medical treatises sometimes an inquiry about names, and sometimes also about the things themselves, but a theoretical one.
ἡμεῖς δὲ ὥσπερ ἀεὶ τοῦτο ἐφυλαξάμεθα, καὶ νῦν οὕτω πράξομεν, ἐάσαντες ὑπὲρ ἀκμῆς ἑτέροις ζητεῖν, εἴτε ἄχρονός ἐστιν, εἴτε σὺν χρόνῳ τινὶ, τὴν χρείαν μετρήσομεν αὐτῆς, τὴν φύσιν ὁρῶντες ἐναργῶς ἔν τε ταῖς ἡλικίαις τὴν ἀκμαστικὴν ἐν πλατεῖ χρόνῳ διαλυομένην, ἔν τε τοῖς νοσήμασιν ἐνίοτε μὲν ἐν μακροτέρῳ, πολλάκις δ’ ἐν ἐλάττονι, πάντως δ’ οὖν ἐν αἰσθητῷ.
But just as we have always guarded against this, so we will do now, leaving it to others to inquire concerning the peak, whether it is timeless or with some time; we will measure its utility, seeing its nature clearly, both in ages, the peak-age being dissolved in a broad time, and in diseases, sometimes in a longer time, often in a shorter, but in any case in a perceptible one.
τουτὶ δὲ αὐτὸ τὸ τοῦ χρόνου διάφορον ἐναργέστερόν ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἀκμὴν ἡλικίας ἐν τοῖς ζώοις θεάσασθαι· καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ κύνας θηρευτικοὺς, καὶ ἵππους ἀγωνιστὰς ὁρῶμεν ἤδη τι ποιοῦντας οἰκεῖον ἔργον ἐν τῷ τῆς αὐξήσεως καιρῷ, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τελείους τε αὐτούς φαμεν γεγονέναι, καὶ βλέπομεν ἐναργῶς ἰσχυροτέρους μὲν ἢ πρόσθεν, ὡσαύτως δὲ ἰσχύοντας οὐκ ἐνιαυτῷ μόνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ δυοῖν ἔστιν ὅτε καὶ τρισὶν ἔτεσιν· ὥσπερ καὶ ἀνθρώπους ἀθλητὰς οὐ τρισὶ τούτοις γε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τέτταρσι καὶ πέντε πολλάκις ἔτεσιν ἰσοσθενεῖς διαμείναντας ὡς πρὸς αἴσθησιν.
And this very difference of time is more evident to observe in the case of the age at its peak in animals; for indeed we see hunting dogs and racing horses already doing some of their proper work in the time of increase, and after these things we say that they have become perfect, and we see them clearly stronger than before, and possessing the same strength not for only one year, but also sometimes for two or three years; just as we also see human athletes remaining equal in strength, as far as perception goes, not for only these three years, but often for four and five years.
οὕτω δὲ ὡς ἔφην καὶ κατὰ τὰς νόσους οἵ τε κατὰ μέρος παροξυσμοὶ τὰς ἀκμὰς ἐν χρόνῳ ποιοῦνται σαφεῖ, καὶ πολὺ δὴ μᾶλλον οἱ καθόλου καιροὶ τῆς ὅλης νόσου πλάτος ἔχουσιν, οἵ τε ἄλλοι πάντες ὅ τε τῆς ἀκμῆς οὐδὲν ἧττον (ἔστιν) ὅ τε τῶν ἄλλων ἕκαστος.
And so, as I said, in the case of diseases too, the individual paroxysms make their peaks in a clear time, and much more indeed the general seasons of the whole disease have breadth, both all the others and the peak season no less, and each of the others.
γνωρίζειν δὲ αὐτὰς ἐνίοτε μὲν ἐγχωρεῖ σαφῶς, ἔστι δ’ ὅτε ἀμυδρῶς, ἢ καὶ παντάπασιν ἀγνοεῖν ἄχρι παμπόλλου.
And sometimes it is possible to recognize them clearly, but sometimes faintly, or even to be entirely ignorant of them up to a very long time.
καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο ἔνια δοκεῖ τῶν νοσημάτων εὐθὺς εἰσβάλλειν ἀκμάζοντά· καὶ τοῦτο μὲν αὐτὸ τῶν ἀδυνάτων ἐστὶν, οὔτε γὰρ ὁ λεγόμενος σύνοχος πυρετὸς εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀκμῆς ποτε εἰσέβαλεν, ἀλλ’ ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης προσβολῆς ἄχρι τῆς τελεωτάτης ἀκμῆς ὥραις ἤτοι τέτταρσιν ἢ τρισὶν ἀφικνεῖται τοὐλάχιστον, ἐντεῦθεν δὲ πάντως ἴσος ἑαυτῷ μένων συνεχῶς ἄχρι κρίσεως.
And because of this, some of the diseases seem to invade immediately at their peak; and this very thing is among the impossibilities, for neither does the so-called synochos fever ever invade immediately from its peak, but from the first attack until the most complete peak it arrives in at least three or four hours, and from then on it remains entirely equal to itself continuously until the crisis.