§1#3Ὥσπερ αἱ διαφοραὶ τῶν ὡρῶν ἐνδείκνυνται διάφορον δίαιταν, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ σώματος αἱ ἕξεις, ἐφ᾿ ἃς νῦν ἧκε συντελέσας τὸν περὶ τῶν ὡρῶν λόγον.
Just as the differences of the seasons indicate a different regimen, so also do the constitutions of the body, to which he has now come after completing the discussion of the seasons.
ὥσπερ δὲ ἐν ταῖς ὥραις ἐνεδείκνυτο τὴν προσήκουσαν δίαιταν, οὕτω κᾀν ταῖς τοῦ σώματος ἰδέαις.
And just as he indicated the appropriate regimen in the seasons, so also in the types of the body.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ σαρκώδεις καὶ μαλα-κοὶ καὶ ἐρυθροὶ διὰ τὴν τῆς κράσεως ὑγρότητα τοιοῦτοι γεγόνασιν.
For those who are fleshy, soft, and ruddy have become such due to the wetness of their temperament.
οἱ δὲ ἐναντίως αὐτοῖς διακείμενοι, περὶ ὧν ἐφε-ξῆς ἐρεῖ, διὰ τὴν ξηρότητα.
But those who are in the opposite state to them, whom he will speak of next, are so due to dryness.
προσήκει τοιγαροῦν τοὺς μὲν ὑγροὺς ξηροτέρα χρῆσθαι διαίτῃ, τοὺς δὲ ξηροὺς ὑγροτέρᾳ.
It is proper, therefore, for the wet to use a drier regimen, and the dry a wetter one.
καὶ εἴπερ ταῦτα ἀληθῶς εἴρηται, πρόδηλον ὅτι καὶ τοὺς εὐκράτους εὐκράτῳ χρῆσθαι προσήκει τῇ διαίτῃ.
And if indeed these things have been said truly, it is obvious that it is proper also for those of well-blended temperament to use a well-blended regimen.
λέγω δὲ εὐκράτους οὓς οὔτε σαρκώδεις οὔτε ἀσάρκους, ἀλλ᾿ εὐσάρ-κους ὀνομάζουσι.
And by "well-blended" I mean those whom people call neither fleshy nor fleshless, but of good flesh.
"Τοὺς δὲ στρυφνοὺς καὶ προσεσταλμένους καὶ πυῤῥοὺς καὶ μέλανας τῇ ὑγροτέρῃ διαίτῃ χρὴ τὸν πλείω διαιτᾶσθαι χρόνον, τὰ γὰρ σώματα τοιαῦτα ὑπάρχει ξηρὰ ἔοντα. "[q. 1]
Τὰ τῶν κράσεων γνωρίσματα γέγραπταί μοι τελέως ἐν τοῖς περὶ κράσεων ὑπομνήμασιν, ἐν οἷς ὅτι μὲν οἱ στρυφνοὶ, τουτέστιν οἱ σκληροὶ, καὶ οἱ προσεσταλμένοι, τουτέστιν οἱ ἰσχνοὶ, ξηροτέρας εἰσὶ κράσεως, ὡς ἐδιδάξαμεν, ὥσπερ γε καὶ οἱ μέλανες.
"But those who are firm, and contracted, and ruddy, and dark, should for the greater part of the time use a wetter regimen, for such bodies are dry by nature." [q.1] The signs of temperaments have been fully written by me in the commentaries "On Temperaments", in which we taught that the firm, that is, the hard, and the contracted, that is, the lean, are of a drier temperament, just as indeed are the dark.
οὐ μὴν γε τούς γε πυῤῥοὺς εἶναι ἔφαμεν ξηροὺς τὴν κρᾶσιν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς πλησιάζοντας αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὴν χροιὰν, οὓς ξανθοὺς ὀνομάζουσιν, ἐπεί γε καὶ ξανθὴ χολὴ τὴν κρᾶσιν ξηρά ἐστι.
However, we did not say that the "ruddy" (pyrrhoi) are of dry temperament, but rather those who approach them in color, whom they call "blonde" (xanthoi), since yellow bile (xanthe chole) is also dry in its temperament.
χρώμενοι δὲ ἐνίοτε τοῖς ὀνό-μασιν οὐκ ἀκριβῶς ἔνιοι τῶν βιβλία γραψάντων τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων διδασκαλίαν ταράσσουσιν.
But by using names inaccurately sometimes, some of those who write books confuse the teaching of things.
οὕτως γοῦν τινες ὀνο-μάζουσι τοὺς Γερμανοὺς ξανθοὺς, καίτοι γε οὐκ ὄντας ξαν-θοὺς, ἐὰν ἀκριβῶς τις ἐθέλῃ καλεῖν, ἀλλὰ πυῤῥούς.
Thus, for example, some call the Germans blonde, although they are not blonde, if one wishes to call them accurately, but ruddy.
τὰ δ᾿ ἄλλα τῆς προκειμένης ῥήσεως ἀληθῶς τε ἅμα καὶ σαφῶς εἴρηται.
The other parts of the set passage have been spoken both truly and clearly.
"Καὶ τοῖσι νέοισι τῶν σωμάτων ξυμφέρει μαλακωτέροισί τε καὶ ὑγροτέροισι χρέεσθαι τοῖσι διαιτήμασιν· ἡ γὰρ ἡλικίη ξηρὴ καὶ τὰ σώματα πέπηγε.
"And for young bodies, it is beneficial to use softer and wetter regimens; for the age is dry and the bodies are firm.
τοὺς δὲ πρεσβυ-τέρους τῷ ξηροτέρῳ χρὴ τρόπῳ τὸ πλεῖον τοῦ χρόνου διά-γειν.
But the older people ought to spend the greater part of the time in a drier way.
τὰ γὰρ σώματα ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἡλικίῃ ὑγρὰ καὶ μαλ-θακὰ καὶ ψυχρά. "[q. 2]
Ἐπὶ τὰς ἡλικίας μεταβὰς ἐλλιπῆ τὸν διορισμὸν ἐποιή-σατο, μὴ τεμὼν εἰς τέσσαρας διαφορὰς αὐτὰς, ἀλλ᾿ εἰς δύο μόνας.
For bodies at this age are wet, soft, and cold." [q.2] Having transitioned to the ages, he made an incomplete division, not cutting them into four differences, but into two only.
ἐχρῆν δ᾿ εἴπερ ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὰς ἡλικίας κράσεων ἔνδειξιν ἔμελλε λήψεσθαι τοῦ τρόπου τῆς διαίτης, ὥσπερ αἱ κράσεις τέτταρές εἰσιν, οὕτω καὶ τὰς ἡλικίας εἰς τέτταρα τεμεῖν, ὑγρὰν μὲν καὶ θερμὴν τὴν τῶν παίδων εἰπόντα, ξη-ρὰν δὲ καὶ θερμὴν τὴν τῶν ἀκμαζόντων, καὶ ξηρὰν μὲν καὶ ψυχρὰν τὴν τῶν παρακμαζόντων, ὑγρὰν δὲ καὶ ψυχρὰν τὴν τῶν γερόντων.
Yet he ought, if indeed he was to take the indication of the manner of regimen from the temperaments according to ages, just as the temperaments are four, so also to cut the ages into four, calling that of children wet and hot, that of those in their prime dry and hot, that of those past their prime dry and cold, and that of the elderly wet and cold.
ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν τῶν παίδων ὑγρὰν εἶναι προσήκει, μὴ δυναμένης γε τῆς αὐξήσεως ἐν ἑτέρᾳ κράσει γενέσθαι. τὴν δὲ τῶν ἀκμαζόντων, ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τὸ προσῆκόν τέ ἐστι θερμοτέρα καὶ ξηροτέρα, συμφέρει χρῆ-σθαι τοῖς ἐναντίοις διαιτήμασι, καθάπερ γε καὶ τὴν τῶν παρακμαζόντων.
But while that of children must be wet, since growth cannot occur in any other temperament, for those in their prime, since they are hotter and drier than is proper, it is beneficial to use opposite regimens, just as indeed for those past their prime.
ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς τῶν γερόντων ἡλικίας οὐ σμι-κρόν ἐστι ζήτημα σχεδὸν ἅπασιν ἠμελημένον, ὑπὲρ οὗ μι-κρὸν ὕστερον ἐρῶ, τὸν περὶ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἡλικιῶν συντε-λέσας λόγον.
But on the age of the elderly, there is a not small problem neglected by almost everyone, about which I will speak a little later, after completing the discussion of the previous ages.
εἰ γὰρ ὡμολόγηται τὰ παιδία πλέον μὲν ἔχειν ὑγρότητος ἢ συμφέρει τοῖς ἀβλαβῶς ὑγιαίνουσι, πλέον δὲ θερμότητος (οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἐστι θερμὰ καθάπερ οἱ ἀκμά-ζοντες, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἔμφυτον θερμασίαν, ἥτις εὔκρατός ἐστιν, ἐν αἵματι χρηστῷ τὴν ὕπαρξιν ἔχουσα) τὸ μεταξὺ τῶν παίδων τε καὶ τῶν ἀκμαζόντων, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐφήβων τε καὶ μειρακίων, εἴη ἂν ἐν τῇ ἀρίστῃ κράσει.
For if it is agreed that children have more wetness than is beneficial for those who are healthily without harm, and more heat (for they are not simply hot like those in their prime, but according to the innate heat, which is well-blended, having its existence in good blood), the state between children and those in their prime, which is that of youths and adolescents, would be in the best temperament.
τῆς δ᾿ ἀρίστης μέσης οὔσης καὶ τὰ διαιτήματα μέσα τῇ κράσει προσήκει ποιεῖσθαι, μήθ᾿ ὑγρότερον ἐργαζομένους μήτε ξηρότερον, ἢ θερμότερον, ἢ ψυχρότερον αὐτῶν τὸ σῶμα.
And since the best is in the middle, it is proper also to make their regimens middle in temperament, making their bodies neither wetter nor drier, nor hotter nor colder.
τὸ μέντοι τῶν παιδίων, εἰ καὶ πλεῖον, ὡς πρὸς ὑγιεινὴν ἕξιν ἔχοι τὸ ὑγρὸν, ὅμως οὐ χρὴ ξηραίνειν· ἀναυξῆ γὰρ αὐτὰ ποιήσομεν.
Yet, although the body of children may have more wetness in comparison to a healthy state, still one must not dry them, for we shall make them growless.
ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν γερόντων, ἐπειδή τινες μὲν αὐτοὺς ὑγροὺς εἶναι λέγουσι, τινὲς δὲ ξηροὺς, ἀδιορίστως ἑκάτεροι, διοριστέον ἡμῖν ἐστι κατὰ τί μὲν αὐτοὺς ὄντας ξηροὺς, κατὰ τί δὲ ὑγρούς.
But concerning the elderly, since some say they are wet, and others dry, both without qualification, we must distinguish in what respect they are dry and in what respect wet.
ἐδείχθη δὲ τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς περὶ κράσεων. αὐτοῖς μὲν γὰρ τοῖς στερεοῖς τοῦ σώματος μορίοις ἐδείχθησαν ὄντες ξηροί. περιττώματα δ᾿ ἔχοντες διὰ τὴν ψυχρότητα τῆς κράσεως πολλὰ καὶ δι᾿ αὐτὰ ὑγροὶ λεγόμενοι.
And this was shown in the works "On Temperaments." For in the solid parts of the body themselves they were shown to be dry, but having many residues due to the coldness of their temperament, and because of these they are said to be wet.
κατὰ λόγον οὖν ἔνδει-ξις ἐναντία τε καὶ διττὴ γίνεται τοῖς ἰατροῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ἡλι-κίας ταύτης, διὰ μὲν τὴν ξηρότητα τῆς τῶν στερεῶν κρά-σεως ὑγραίνεσθαι δεομένων αὐτῶν, διὰ δὲ τὴν περιουσίαν τῶν ὑγρῶν ξηραίνεσθαι.
Accordingly, therefore, a contrary and double indication is given to physicians from this age: to be wetted because of the dryness of the temperament of the solid parts which need wetting, and to be dried because of the abundance of wet residues.
πῶς μὲν οὖν ἀμφοτέρων ἄν τις στοχάζοιτο τελέως εἴρηται κατὰ τὴν ὑγιεινὴν πραγματείαν. ἐν δὲ τῷ παρόντι λόγῳ τὸ κεφάλαιον ὧν ἐν ἐκείνῃ γεγράφα-μεν εἰπεῖν ἀρκέσει.
How, then, one might perfectly aim at both has been fully said in the treatise "On Hygiene." But in the present discussion, it will suffice to state the main point of what we have written there.