§6Τῷ δὲ διὰ τῆς σκίλλης φαρμάκῳ τῷ πρὸς ἡμῶν σοι δεδομένῳ μετὰ τὴν κάθαρσιν, ἣν εἰσβάλλοντος τοῦ ἦρος ἠξίωσα γενέσθαι, χρήσεται καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὁ υἱός σου, πρὶν εἰς τὴν παλαίστραν ἀπιέναι, καὶ εἰ μὴ μεγάλη τις εἴη πάνυ καὶ σκιῤῥώδης ἡ νόσος ἐν τεσσαράκοντα ταῖς πάσαις ἡμέραις ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ τῷδε τῷ φαρμάκῳ τελέως αὐτὴν καταστήσασθαι, ὡς ἔγωγε μυρίους ἤδη παῖδας ἰασάμην οὕτως, μηδὲν δεηθεὶς ἑλλεβόρου.
Your son will use daily, before going to the wrestling-school, the medicine made of squill given to you by us after the purging, which I thought right to take place at the onset of spring; and unless the disease is very great and hard, one can expect that under this medicine it will be completely restored within forty days in all, just as I myself have already cured ten thousand children in this way, without needing any hellebore.
χρὴ δὲ μετὰ τὴν κάθαρσιν πρὸ τοῦ χρῆσθαι τῷ φαρμάκῳ πιεῖν ἀψίνθιον καὶ ἅπαξ που καὶ δίς.
It is necessary, however, after the purging and before using the medicine, to drink wormwood once or twice.
ὀξύμελι δὲ τὸ μὲν ὀξύτατον τέταρτον ἔχει μέρος τοῦ ὄξους ὡς πρὸς τὸ μέλι. παραλαμβάνει δὲ τὸ γλυκύτατον ὄγδοον.
As for oxymel, the sharpest sort has a fourth part of vinegar in proportion to the honey; but the sweetest takes an eighth part.
τὰ δ’ ἄλλα τὰ μεταξὺ μέτρα καθ’ ὅσον ἂν ἑκατέρῳ τῶν ἄκρων προσκεχώρηκε, κατὰ τοσοῦτον ὀξύτητος ἢ γλυκύτητος μετέχει.
The other intermediate measures participate in sharpness or sweetness in proportion to how much they have approached either of the extremes.
χρὴ δὲ καὶ ἑψεῖσθαι πάντως αὐτό· καὶ γὰρ ἑνωθείη οὕτως ἂν ἀκριβῶς ἄμφω τὰ μιχθέντα, καὶ τὸ σφοδρὸν τῆς τοῦ ὄξους δυνάμεως καθαιρεθείη καὶ τὸ φυσῶδες ἐν τῷ μέλιτι κολασθείη.
And it is absolutely necessary that it be boiled; for in this way both the mixed elements would be accurately united, and the violent power of the vinegar would be diminished, and the flatulence in the honey would be checked.
καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ τὸν ἀφρὸν αὐτοῦ πάντως ὁ ἕψων ἀφαιρήσει.
For indeed, the one who boils it will by all means remove its scum.
κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ τὰς πλείστας τῶν νήσων οἶδα καὶ τὸ ἐκ τῶν κηρίων σκευαζομένων ὀξύμελι.
In Greece and most of the islands, I also know of the oxymel prepared from the honeycombs.
καί σοι καὶ τούτῳ χρῆσθαι πάρεστιν ἀδεῶς καὶ μάλιστα θέρους, Ἀθήνῃσί γε διατρίβοντος τοῦ παιδός.
And you may use this as well without fear, especially in summer, while the boy is spending time in Athens.
ὁπηνίκα δὲ χρὴ γλυκύτερον ἢ ὀξύτερον αὐτὸ διδόναι καὶ ὑδαρέστερον καὶ ἀκρατέστερον, οὐκ ἐμὸν ἔτι τοῦτο διελεῖν, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἄλλα πολλὰ τῶν κατὰ μέρος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ παρόντος τε καὶ θεωμένου τὸ θεραπευόμενον σῶμα καὶ δυναμένου τεκμήρασθαι περὶ τῆς τῶν χυμῶν διαθέσεως.
But when one should give it sweeter or sharper, and more watery or more concentrated, this is no longer my part to determine, just as with many other detailed matters, but rather that of the one who is present and observing the treated body, and is able to judge concerning the disposition of the humors.
ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῖς παχέσι καὶ γλίσχροις ὀξυτέρῳ τε καὶ ἀκρατεστέρῳ χρηστέον, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς μὴ τοιούτοις ὑδαρεστέρῳ καὶ γλυκυτέρῳ.
For in the case of thick and sticky humors, one must use it sharper and more concentrated, but in the case of those that are not so, more watery and sweeter.
κατὰ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ τἄλλα σύμπαντα τὰ εἰρημένα ταῖς ἐφημέροις τοῦ σώματος καταστάσεσι, συμμεταβάλλεσθαί τε καὶ ποικίλλεσθαι προσήκει, καθάπερ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι νοσήμασιν.
In the same manner, all the other mentioned things also ought to be changed and varied in accordance with the daily conditions of the body, just as in all other diseases.
ὅθεν οὐδ’ εἰ μυρίας τις ὑποθήκας γράφοι μή πω κατὰ τὴν θεραπευτικὴν μέθοδον ἠσκημένῳ, κἀκεῖθεν τετεχνημένῳ τὴν ψυχὴν, ἱκανὸν ἂν ἐργάσαιτο θεραπευτικὴν τὸν τοιοῦτον οὐχ ὅπως οὐ μεγίστων νοσημάτων, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ τῶν σμικροτάτων οὐδενός.
Hence, even if someone should write ten thousand precepts for one who is not yet trained in the therapeutic method, and has not had his soul artistically shaped from there, he would not make such a person capable of treating, I do not say the greatest diseases, but not even any of the smallest.
ἔδειξα δ’ ἐναργῶς αὐτὸ πολλάκις ἐγὼ καὶ ἕλκη χρόνια καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν διαθέσεις, διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν ἰασάμενος φαρμάκων, οἷς οἱ πρόσθεν ἰατροὶ χρώμενοι μηδὲν ἤνυον.
I myself have often demonstrated this clearly, having cured chronic ulcers and conditions of the eyes by using the very same medicines which the former physicians used to no purpose.
ὁ γάρ τοι καιρὸς τῆς χρήσεως ἑκάστου, καθάπερ Ἱπποκράτης ἔλεγε, μέγα τὸ ποσὸν εἰς δύναμιν εὐστόχως συναρμοσθὲν, τὰ λοιπὰ τῆς ὠφελείης ἐστί.
For indeed, the opportune time of the use of each thing, as Hippocrates said, when well fitted with the quantity to the power, is the rest of the utility.
τὰ δὲ φάρμακα μᾶλλον βοηθημάτων ὗλαί εἰσιν ἢ βοηθήματα, καθάπερ καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἰατροῖς ἅπασιν ὡμολόγηται.
Medicines are rather the materials of remedies than remedies themselves, just as this also has been agreed upon by all the best physicians.
καί μοι τετελεύτηκεν ὁ λόγος εἰς ταὐτὸν ὅθεν περ καὶ ἤρξατο, μηδὲ τοὐλάχιστον ἐπιδείξασθαι δύνασθαι καλῶς τὸν ἰδιώτην μεταχειρίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ χρῄζειν ἐπιστατοῦντος τοῦ τεχνίτου.
And my discourse has ended at the very same point from which it began, namely that the layman is not able to handle even the smallest thing well, but needs the supervision of the craftsman.
ἐπειδὴ δὲ οἱ πολλοὶ φαύλως τὸν χυλὸν τῆς σκίλλης ἐκλαμβάνουσιν, ἀξιώσαντί σοι μαθεῖν ὅπως ἐγὼ τοῦτο πράττω, προσθήσω τῷ λόγῳ τὴν σκευασίαν αὐτοῦ.
But since many people extract the juice of the squill poorly, at your request to learn how I do this, I will add its preparation to the discourse.
τῶν μελιτηρῶν ἀγγείων, οὕτως δὲ ὀνομάζουσιν οἱ Ἕλληνες ἐξ ὧν ἐκενώθη μέλι, παρασκευάσας ἐμβάλλω σκίλλαν, εἰς λεπτὰ διατρίψας ταῖς χερσὶν, εἶτα πωμάσας στεγανῷ πώματι καὶ περιθεὶς ἔξωθεν ὅλῳ τῷ σώματι τοῦ ἀγγείου δέρμα καὶ δήσας ἀκριβῶς, ἐν χωρίῳ κατατίθημι πρὸς μεσημβρίαν μὲν ἐστραμμένῳ, σκεπτομένῳ δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν βορείων πνευμάτων, ὡς μηδὲ ὅλως ὑπ’ αὐτῶν καταπνεῖσθαι.
Having prepared one of the honey-jars—for so the Greeks call those from which honey has been emptied—I throw in the squill, after crushing it into small pieces with my hands; then, having covered it with a tight lid, and having wrapped a skin around the outside of the whole body of the jar and bound it securely, I place it in a spot turned towards the south, but sheltered from the north winds, so as not to be blown upon by them at all.
ποιῶ δὲ τοῦτο κατ’ ἐκείνην τοῦ ἔτους τὴν ὥραν, ἐν ᾗ τὴν τοῦ κυνὸς ἐπιτολὴν ἅπαντες Ἕλληνες πεπιστεύκασιν.
I do this at that season of the year in which all Greeks believe the rising of the Dog Star occurs.
αὗται δέ εἰσιν ἡμέραι τεσσαράκοντα, πρὸ μὲν αὐτῆς τῆς ἐπιτολῆς εἴκοσι, ἴσαι δὲ αὐταῖς τὸν ἀριθμὸν αἱ μετ’ αὐτὴν, ἀτρέμα δέ πως ἔν τισι αὐτῶν ὑπαλλάττων τὴν θέσιν τοῦ κεραμίου, θερμαίνεσθαι κατὰ πᾶν μέρος ὁμοίως αὐτὸ βουλόμενος, εἶτα μετὰ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον λύσας, εὑρίσκω τὸ ἀγγεῖον ἑψημένῳ παραπλήσιον τὸ σῶμα τῆς σκίλλης ἔχον, ἐξεῤῥυηκότα δέ τινα καὶ χυλὸν αὐτῆς, ὃν ἀνελόμενος ἡδύνω μέλιτι καλλίστῳ καὶ δίδωμι τούτῳ καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἓν κοχλιάριον μεστὸν, τοῖς μὲν παιδίοις μικρὸν, τοῖς τελείοις δὲ μέγα.
These are forty days, twenty before the rising itself, and an equal number after it. And during some of these days, I slightly alter the position of the jar, wishing it to be heated equally in every part; then, after this time, having unbound it, I find the jar containing the body of the squill in a state very similar to having been boiled, and some of its juice run out, which I collect and sweeten with the finest honey, and I give him one full spoonful of this daily, a small one for children, and a large one for adults.
καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὸ σωματῶδες ὅλης τῆς σκίλλης κόψας ἀκριβῶς καὶ λειώσας μετὰ μέλιτος, δίδωμι κᾀκ τούτου κοχλιάριον ἓν, ὡς προείρηται.
Indeed, also having pounded the solid part of the whole squill thoroughly and smoothed it with honey, I give from this also one spoonful, as has been said before.
δεύτερον τῇ δυνάμει τοῦτο γίνωσκε τοῦ πρόσθεν εἰρημένου.
Know that this is second in power to the one mentioned above.
ὅσοι δὲ ἑψήσαντες ἐν ὕδατι τὴν σκίλλαν λειοῦσιν, ἐκλύουσι τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῆς, ὥσπερ ὅσοι δι’ ὄξους, ἰσχυρὸν μὲν σφοδρῶς ἐργάζονται τὸ φάρμακον, οὐκ ἀβλαβὲς δὲ τῶν νεύρων.
Those who boil the squill in water and then smooth it weaken its power, just as those who do it through vinegar make the medicine exceedingly strong, but not harmless to the nerves.