§1.32ἀλλ᾿ ἔν γε τοῖϲ ὀξέϲι νοϲήμαϲι κατ᾿ ἀρχὰϲ εὐθὺϲ | ἤτοι κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ἡμέραν ἢ οὐκ ἐξωτέρω τῆϲ δευτέραϲ μελλόντων ἡμῶν χρῆϲθαι ταῖϲ καθάρϲεϲιν, ὅταν ὀργῇ, τὴν τοιαύτην παραϲκευὴν οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ γενέϲθαι, πλὴν εἰ ἄρα ϲχοίη τιϲ καιρὸν μελίκρατον δοῦναι πίνειν, ἐναφεψήϲαϲ ὑϲϲώπου τι ἢ ὀριγάνου ἢ τραγοριγάνου ἢ θύμου ἢ γλήχουϲ ἤ τινοϲ τῶν οὕτω λεπτυνόντων, ὥϲτε εὐλόγωϲ ὀλιγάκιϲ ἐν τοῖϲ ὀξέϲι νοϲήμαϲι κα τ᾿ ἀρχὰϲ γενήϲεται ἡμῖν χρεία φαρμακείαϲ τῷ μήτε πολλάκιϲ ὀργᾶν ἐν ἀρχῇ τοὺϲ λυποῦνταϲ χυμούϲ, μήτε, εἰ καὶ τούτοιϲ ὑπάρχει, τοῦ νοϲοῦντοϲ ἐπιτηδείου πρὸϲ τὴν κάθαρϲιν ὄντοϲ, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ καιρὸν ἡμῖν παρέχοντοϲ ἐπιτήδειον αὐτὸν παραϲκευάϲαι.
But in acute diseases, right at the beginning, namely on the first day or not further than the second, when we are about to employ purgings, turgid though they may be, there is no room for such preparation to take place, unless indeed someone should have time to give hydromel to drink, having boiled in it some hyssop, or oregano, or wild marjoram, or thyme, or pennyroyal, or one of those things that thin in this way, so that reasonably we will rarely have need of medication at the beginning of acute diseases, since the troublesome humors do not often become turgid at the beginning, nor, even if this is the case with them, is the patient suitable for purging, nor does the situation afford us a suitable time to prepare him.
§1.33ὀργᾶν δ᾿ οἱ χυμοὶ λέγονται, ὅταν ἐν κινήϲει ϲφοδροτέρᾳ γενόμενοι καὶ μετταρρύϲει μορίων εἰϲ μόρια κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ νοϲήματοϲ ὀχλῶϲι τὸν ἄν|θρωπον, ἀνιῶντεϲ καὶ γαργαλίζοντεϲ καὶ ἡϲυχάζειν οὐκ ἐπιτρέποντεϲ.
And humors are said to be turgid when, having entered into a more violent motion and shifting from parts to parts at the beginning of the disease, they trouble the human being, causing distress and tickling and not permitting him to rest.
§1.34τοὺϲ μὲν οὖν τοιούτουϲ ἐκκενοῦν προϲήκει, τουτέϲτι τοὺϲ ἐν κινήϲει καὶ φορᾷ καὶ ῥύϲει· τοὺϲ δὲ καθ᾿ ἕν τι μόριον ἐϲτηριγμένουϲ οὔτε ἄλλῳ τινὶ βοηθήματι χρὴ κινεῖν οὔτε φαρμακεύειν πρὶν πεφθῆναι· τηνικαῦτα γὰρ ἤδη καὶ τὴν φύϲιν ἕξομεν βοηθοῦϲαν τῇ κενώϲει· φαίνεται γὰρ αὕτη μετὰ τὰϲ πέψειϲ διακινοῦϲά τε τοὺϲ χυμοὺϲ ἀπωθουμένη τε τὸ περιττόν, ἐν ᾧ δὴ καιρῷ καὶ κρίϲειϲ γίνονται, ἀλλὰ τελέωϲ μὲν αὐτῆϲ κινουμένηϲ, οὐδὲν δεῖ φαρμάκου, μετριώτερον δὲ καὶ ἀϲθενέϲτερον ἐνεργούϲηϲ, τὸ λεῖπον αὐτοὺϲ χρὴ προϲτιθέναι φαρμακεύονταϲ.
It is appropriate, then, to evacuate such humors, that is, those in motion and rush and flow; but those fixed in some single part should neither be moved by any other remedy nor medicated before coction; for then already we shall have nature too assisting the evacuation; for it is seen after coctions both moving the humors and pushing away the residue, at which very time crises also occur; but when it is moving completely, there is no need of medicine, whereas when it is acting more moderately and weakly, those medicating must add what is lacking to it.
§1.35χρὴ δ᾿ εἰδέναι ὡϲ αἱ μεταρρυήϲειϲ ἄλλοτε εἰϲ ἄλλο μόριον τῶν χυμῶν ὀλιγάκιϲ γίνονται, τὰ πλείω δ᾿ ἡϲυχάζει καθ’ ἕν τι μόριον, ἐν ᾧ καὶ πέττεται, | παῤ ὅλον τοῦ νοϲήματοϲ τὸν χρόνον ἄχρι λύϲεωϲ.
And one must know that the shiftings of the humors at different times to different parts occur rarely, but for the most part they remain quiet in some single part, in which they are also cocted, throughout the whole time of the disease until its resolution.
§1.36ὅταν οὖν μὴ μόνον ὀξὺ πάθοϲ ᾖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ πυρετοῦ ϲφοδροτάτου, εὐλαβητέον ἐϲτὶ τὴν δόϲιν τοῦ καθαίροντοϲ φαρμάκου, καὶ μάλιϲτα ὅταν ἀπείρωϲ τιϲ ἔχῃ τῆϲ τοῦ κάμνοντοϲ φύϲεωϲ· ἔνιοι μὲν γάρ εἰϲι φύϲει δυϲκάθαρτοι, τινὲϲ δ᾿ ἐπὶ βραχείᾳ πόϲει φαρμάκου καθαίρονται δαψιλῶϲ.
When, therefore, there is not only an acute affection but also one with a very severe fever, one must be cautious about the dose of the purging medicine, and especially when one is inexperienced in the nature of the patient; for some are by nature difficult to purge, while others are purged abundantly by a small drink of medicine.
§1.37ὅταν οὖν ὁ πυρετὸϲ ᾖ μὴ ϲφοδρόϲ, ἔμπειρόϲ τε ᾖϲ τῆϲ φύϲεωϲ τοῦ κάμνοντοϲ, ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ φαρμάκου δόϲιν ἀφίξῃ, χρώμενοϲ ἐλλεβόρῳ. μέλανι ⟨ἤ⟩ τινι τῶν ὁμοιοτρόπων, ὧν ἐϲτι καὶ τὸ διὰ τῆϲ κολοκυνθίδοϲ· §1.38ἱερὰν δ᾿ αὐτὴν ϲυνήθωϲ ὀνομάζουϲιν.
When, therefore, the fever is not severe and you are experienced in the nature of the patient, you shall proceed to the dose of the medicine, using black hellebore or one of those of similar character, among which is also that prepared with colocynth; and they are accustomed to call it hiera.
ποικίλωϲ δ᾿ αὐτῆϲ ϲκευαζομένηϲ, ἡ τὸν ἐλλέβορον εἰληφυῖα, τὴν ϲκαμμωνίαν δ᾿ οὐκ ἔχουϲα, κάλλιϲτόν ἐϲτι φάρμακον ἐπὶ τῶν δυναμένων ὅλωϲ λαβεῖν φάρμακον ὑπήλατον.
And though it is prepared in various ways, that which has received the hellebore but does not have the scammony is the finest medicine for those who are at all able to take a purging medicine.
§1.39μετὰ δὲ τὸ ληφθῆναι τὸ καθαρτήριον ϲυμφέρει τῆϲ πτιϲάνηϲ ἐπιρροφεῖν, ὥϲ φηϲιν Ἱππο | κράτηϲ· αὐτὸ μὲν γὰρ τὸ καθαρτικόν, ὡϲ ἂν ὀλίγον ὄν, εἰϲ τὸν πυθμένα τῆϲ κοιλίαϲ ἀφικνεῖται· κατὰ δὲ τὴν δίοδον ὅ τε ϲτόμαχοϲ ὅϲον τε τῆϲ γαϲτρὸϲ ὑψηλὸν οὐ μόνον τῆϲ ποιότητοϲ τοῦ καθαίροντοϲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆϲ οὐϲίαϲ προϲιζούϲηϲ ἐν τῇ διόδῳ μεταλαμβάνοντα μεγάλωϲ βλάπτονται.
And after the purging medicine is taken, it is beneficial to sup ptisan, as Hippocrates says; for the purging medicine itself, being small, arrives at the bottom of the cavity; but during the passage both the gullet and the upper part of the stomach, not only because of the quality of the purging medicine but also because of its substance adhering in the passage, share in them and are greatly harmed.
§1.40χρήϲιμοϲ οὖν χυλὸϲ τῆϲ πτιϲάνηϲ ἐπιρροφούμενοϲ, ὡϲ ἀπορρύψαι μὲν καὶ καταϲῦραι κάτω τὸ προϲπεπλαϲμένον ἐν τῇ διόδῳ δυνάμενοϲ, ἐπικεράϲαι δὲ καὶ ὑπαλλάξαι τὴν ἐνιζηκυῖαν τοῖϲ μορίοιϲ ποιότητα τοῦ φαρμάκου.
Therefore, the juice of the ptisan supped is useful, being able to wash away and drag down what is plastered in the passage, and to temper and alter the quality of the medicine that has settled in the parts.
§1.41διὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τοῦ καθαρτικοῦ πόϲει κελεύει τῆϲ πτιϲάνηϲ ἐπιρροφεῖν· ἀρξαμένηϲ δὲ γίνεϲθαι τῆϲ καθάρϲεωϲ. οὐκέτι βούλεται δίδοϲθαι πτιϲάνηϲ, εὐλαβούμενοϲ ἐκλυθῆναι τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ καθαίροτοϲ φαρμάκου. |
For these reasons, therefore, he bids to sup ptisan upon the drinking of the purging medicine; but when the purging has begun to occur, he no longer wishes ptisan to be given, guarding against the power of the purging medicine being weakened.