§7Ἐνδέχεται γὰρ ἑνὶ καὶ τῷ αὐτῷ χρόνῳ καὶ δυσὶ καὶ τρισὶ νοσήμασιν ἔχεσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὧν τὸ μὲν ἤδη παρακμάζει, τὸ δὲ τὸν ἀρχῆς ἔτι μένει καιρὸν, ἢ τὰ πρῶτα τῆς ἀναβάσεως, τὸ δ’ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ηὔξηται· κᾄπειτα τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀποθανεῖν, οὔτε διὰ τὸ παρακμάζον, οὔτε διὰ τὸ νῦν ἀρχόμενον, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ μεγάλως ηὐξημένον.
For it is possible for a person to be held by one and the same, and two, and three diseases at one time, of which one is already declining, another is still remaining in the stage of the beginning, or in the first parts of the progression, and another has increased to the maximum; and that the person then dies, neither because of the declining one, nor because of the one now beginning, but because of the one that has greatly increased.
μάλιστα μὲν οὖν ἐπισκέπτου τὰς τρεῖς ἀρχὰς τῶν διοικουσῶν ὅλον τὸ σῶμα δυνάμεων, ὅπως διάκεινται· λέγω δὲ ταύτας, ἐγκέφαλον, καρδίαν καὶ ἧπαρ· ἐφεξῆς δὲ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα σύμπαντα μόρια, τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχῶν ἑκάστης πεφυκότα, νεῦρα, φλέβας καὶ ἀρτηρίας, καὶ ἅττα φύσιν μὲν ἰδίαν ἔχοντα, διοικούμενα δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχῶν ἁπασῶν, ἔνια μὲν ὁμοτίμως, ἔνια δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς μὲν μᾶλλον, ὑπὸ τῆς δὲ ἧττον.
Therefore, examine above all the three sources of the powers that govern the whole body, how they are disposed—I mean these: the brain, the heart, and the liver—and next also all the other parts, those originating from each of the sources, the nerves, veins, and arteries, and such as have a proper nature of their own, but are governed by all the sources, some equally, and some more by one, less by another.
ἐκ γὰρ τῆς τοιαύτης θεωρίας πρῶτον μὲν, εἴθ’ ἕν ἐστιν, εἴτε καὶ πλείω νοσήματα κατὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, εὑρήσεις· εἶθ’ ἑξῆς ἑκάστου τοὺς ἰδίους ἐπίσκεψαι καιροὺς, ἀναγκαίους ὑπάρχοντας εἰς τὴν τῶν βοηθημάτων εὕρεσιν, ἧς ἕνεκα ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος ὅδε σπουδάζεται.
For from such observation you will find, first, whether there is one or more diseases in the person; then next, examine the proper stages of each, which are necessary for the discovery of remedies, for the sake of which this discourse is earnestly pursued by us.
§8Περὶ μὲν γὰρ τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰ τέλη πάντα ἀσθενέστερα, περὶ δὲ τὰς ἀκμὰς ἰσχυρότερα, μεταξὺ δὲ τούτων ὅσα μεταξύ.
For around the beginnings and the ends, everything is weaker, but around the acmes, stronger, and between these, whatever is in between.
τὰ μὲν γὰρ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐγγυτέρω τῶν ἐγγυτέρω τῆς ἀκμῆς ἀσθενέστερα, καθάπερ γε καὶ τὰ τοῦ τέλους ἐγγυτέρω· τὰ δὲ ἶσον ἀπέχοντα τῆς ἀρχῆς τε καὶ τῆς ἀκμῆς μέσα τῆς ἰσχύος τῶν ἄκρων ἀμφοτέρων· οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀκμῆς ἶσον ἀπέχοντα καὶ τῆς τελευτῆς, μέσα καὶ ταῦτα τῶν ἰδίων ἄκρων ἐστίν.
For those closer to the beginning are weaker than those closer to the acme, just as also those closer to the end; but those equally distant from both the beginning and the acme are in the middle of the strength of both extremes; and likewise those equally distant from the acme and the end are also in the middle of their own extremes.
ἐπικρατεῖν οὖν ἐν τῇ θεραπείᾳ προσήκει κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἀκμὴν τὸ παρηγορικὸν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ τῆς τελευτῆς τὸ ἀγωνιστικόν· ἀνάλογον δὲ τοῖς ἄκροις οἱ μεταξὺ καιροὶ λαμβανέσθωσαν, καθάπερ ἐν τῇ τῆς θεραπευτικῆς μεθόδου πραγματείᾳ λέλεκται ἐπὶ πλέον, νυνὶ δὲ ὅσον ὑπογραφῆς ἕνεκεν αὐτὰ τὰ κεφάλαια διῆλθον, ἐνδεικνύμενος τὴν χρείαν τῆς ἐν τοῖς νοσήμασι κατὰ καιροὺς διαφορᾶς.
Therefore, in treatment, the soothing method should prevail during the acme, but the combative during the beginning and the end; and let the intermediate stages be taken in proportion to the extremes, just as has been discussed more fully in the treatise on the Therapeutic Method, but now, only for the sake of an outline, I have run through these main points, demonstrating the usefulness of the difference according to stages in diseases.
οὐδὲ γὰρ ὅπως τις διαιτήσει δυνατὸν εὑρεῖν, οὐδὲ πότε δὲ θρέψει, χωρὶς τοῦ διορίσαι βεβαίως αὐτοὺς, εἴ γε χρὴ συντεκμαίρεσθαι κατ’ ἀρχὰς εὐθὺς, ὁπηνίκα μὲν ἡ ἀκμὴ τοῦ νοσήματος ἔσοιτο, πηλίκη δέ ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ κάμνοντος δύναμις.
For it is not even possible to find how one should regulate diet, nor when one should nourish, without defining them securely, if indeed one must infer from the very beginning when the acme of the disease will be, and how great is the power of the sick person.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐξαρκέσει τῷ τῆς ἀκμῆς καιρῷ καὶ χωρὶς τοῦ τροφὴν προσενέγκασθαι, κράτιστον ἀσιτεῖν ἄχρι τοῦ τὴν παρακμὴν ἀπάρξασθαι· εἰ δ’ οὐχ οἷόν τε ἀσιτοῦντα διαρκέσαι, θρεπτέον αὐτὸν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς εὐθέως ἐν ἅπαντι καιρῷ τῷ δυναμένῳ προσδέξασθαι τροφὴν, ἔστι δὲ οὗτος ὁ τῆς ἀνέσεως.
For if it will suffice for the time of the acme even without administering food, it is best to fast until the decline begins; but if it is not possible to hold out while fasting, he must be nourished from the very beginning at every time capable of receiving food, and this is that of the remission.
λέγω δὲ ἄνεσιν ἄρτι τὸ δεύτερον μόριον τῆς ὅλης περιόδου διαιρεθείσης εἰς δύο τὰ πάντα, παροξυσμόν τε καὶ ἄνεσιν.
And I mean by remission now the second part of the whole period when it is divided into two parts in all: paroxysm and remission.
Ἱπποκράτης μὲν οὖν πάντων πρῶτος ὧν ἴσμεν ὀρθῶς περὶ τούτου διωρίσατο· βέλτιον δὲ ἂν ἐξεργάσασθαι τὴν τέχνην αὐτοῦ· σχεδὸν δὲ οὐδεὶς τοῦτο ἐποίησεν, ἔνιοι δὲ καὶ τελέως ἀποχωρήσαντες αὐτῆς εἰς μακρολογίαν ἐξετράποντο, καθάπερ καὶ Ἀρχιγένης ἔν τε τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι κᾀν τοῖς δύο βιβλίοις, ἃ περὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς νόσοις καιρῶν ἐγράψατο.
Now Hippocrates was the first of all whom we know to have defined this correctly; and it would have been possible to develop his art further; but almost no one did this, and some, having even completely departed from it, turned aside into wordiness, just as Archigenes also did, both in all other things and in the two books which he wrote on the stages in diseases.
μαθήσῃ δὲ ἐναργῶς ὃ λέγω, δύο ταῦτα ἐξετάσας ἀκριβῶς· ἓν μὲν, εἰ ταυτὶ τὰ νῦν ὑφ’ ἡμῶν εἰρημένα δι’ ὅλου τούτου τοῦ βιβλίου χρησιμώτατά ἐστιν εἰς θεραπείαν καὶ πρόγνωσιν· ἕτερον δὲ, εἰ λέλεκταί τι πρὸς Ἀρχιγένους.
And you will clearly learn what I say, if you examine these two things accurately: one, whether these things now said by us through this whole book are most useful for treatment and prognosis; the other, whether anything has been said by Archigenes.
εἰ γὰρ μηδενὸς ἐλλείποντος τοῖσδε, φαίνεται λέγων ἕτερα, διττῶς πλημμελεῖ, μήτε τὰ χρήσιμα διδάσκων, βαρύνων τε τῇ τῶν ἀχρήστων πολυλογίᾳ τοὺς ἀναγινώσκοντας αὐτοῦ τὰ βιβλία.
For if, while nothing is lacking in these, he appears to say other things, he errs doubly, neither teaching what is useful, and burdening with the wordiness of useless things those who read his books.