§4.8#1Τὸ δὲ γάλα γίνεται τοῖς θήλεσιν ὅσα ζῳοτοκεῖ ἐν αὐτοῖς, χρήσιμον μὲν εἰς τὸν χρόνον τὸν τοῦ τόκου.
Milk occurs in those female animals that are viviparous within themselves, being useful for the time of birth.
τῆς γὰρ τροφῆς χάριν αὐτὸ τῆς θύραζε ἐποίησεν ἡ φύσις τοῖς ζῴοις, ὥςτ᾽ ὄτ᾽ ἐλλείπειν αὐτὸ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ οὐθὲν οὔθ᾽ ὑπερβάλλειν οὐθέν· ὅπερ καὶ φαίνεται συμπῖπτον, ἂν μή τι γένηται παρὰ φύσιν.
For nature made it for the sake of nourishment outside the body for the animals, so that at this time it neither falls short in any way nor exceeds in any way; which indeed seems to happen, unless something occurs contrary to nature.
τοῖς μὲν οὖν ἄλλοις ζῴοις, διὰ τὸ τὸν χρόνον ἕνα. τῆς κυήσεως εἶναι, πρὸς τοῦτον ἀπαντᾷ τὸν καιρὸν ἡ πέψις αὐτοῦ· τοῖς δ᾽ ἀνθρώποις ἐπεὶ πλείους οἱ χρόνοι, κατὰ τὸν πρῶτον ἀναγκαῖον ὑπάρχειν.
For other animals, because the period of gestation is single, its concoction meets this season; but for humans, since the periods are multiple, it is necessary for it to be present in accordance with the first.
διὸ πρὸ τῶν ἑπτὰ μηνῶν ἄχρηστον τὸ γάλα ταῖς γυναιξί, τότε δ᾽ ἤδη γίνεται χρήσιμον.
Therefore, before seven months milk is useless in women, but at that time it already becomes useful.
εὐλόγως δὲ συμβαίνει καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀνάγκης αἰτίαν πεπεμμένον εἰς τοὺς τελευταίους χρόνους.
And it happens reasonably also because of the necessary cause that it is concocted towards the final periods.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτον ἡ τοῦ τοιούτου περιττώματος ἀπόκρισις εἰς τὴν τῶν ἐμβρύων ἀναλίσκεται γένεσιν.
For at first, the secretion of such residue is consumed for the generation of the embryos.
πάντων δ᾽ ἡ τροφὴ τὸ γλυκύτατον καὶ πεπεμμένον, ὥστ᾽ ἀφαιρουμένης τῆς τοιαύτης δυνάμεως ἀνάγκη τὸ λοιπὸν ἁλμυρὸν γίνεσθαι καὶ δύσχυμον.
And of all things, nourishment is the sweetest and concocted, so that when such power is taken away, the remainder must of necessity become salty and ill-flavored.
τελεουμένων δὲ τῶν κυημάτων πλέον τὸ περίττωμα τὸ περιγινόμενον· ἔλαττον γὰρ τὸ ἀναλισκόμενον καὶ γλυκύτερον, οὐκ ἀφαιρουμένου ὁμοίως τοῦ εὐπέπτου.
But as the embryos are being completed, the residue that remains becomes greater; for what is consumed is less and sweeter, since the easily concocted part is not taken away in the same way.
οὐ γὰρ ἔτι εἰς πλάσιν τοῦ ἐμβρύου γίγνεται ἡ δαπάνη, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς μικρὰν αὔξησιν, ὥσπερ ἑστηκὸς ἤδη διὰ τὸ τέλος ἔχειν τὸ ἔμβρυον.
For the expenditure is no longer for the formation of the embryo, but for a small growth, as if the embryo is already stationary because of having its completion.
ἔστι γάρ τις καὶ κυήματος τελείωσις.
For there is indeed a certain completion of the embryo.
διόπερ ἐξέρχεται καὶ μεταβάλλει τὴν γένεσιν, ὡς ἔχον τὰ αὑτοῦ, καὶ οὐκέτι λαμβάνει τὸ μὴ αὑτοῦ, ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ γίνεται τὸ γάλα χρήσιμον.
Therefore it goes out and changes its generation, as possessing its own things, and no longer receiving what is not its own, at which season the milk becomes useful.
εἰς δὲ τὸν ἄνω τόπον καὶ τοὺς μαστοὺς συλλέγεται διὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τάξιν τῆς συστάσεως.
And it collects in the upper region and the breasts because of the order of constitution from the beginning.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἄνω τοῦ ὑποζώματος τὸ κύριον τοῦ ζῴου ἐστί, τὸ δὲ κάτω τῆς τροφῆς καὶ τοῦ περιττώματος, ὅπως ὅσα πορευτικὰ τῶν ζῴων ἐν αὑτοῖς ἔχοντα τὴν τῆς τροφῆς αὐτάρκειαν μεταβάλλῃ τοὺς τόπους.
For the region above the diaphragm is the ruling part of the animal, and the region below is for nourishment and residue, so that all animals that are locomotive may change their places while having within themselves sufficiency of nourishment.
ἐντεῦθεν δὲ καὶ ἡ σπερματικὴ περίττωσις ἀποκρίνεται διὰ τὴν εἰρημένην αἰτίαν ἐν τοῖς κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς λόγοις.
And from here the seminal residue is also secreted because of the cause mentioned in the discussions at the beginning.
ἔστι δὲ τό τε τῶν ἀρρένων περίττωμα καὶ τὰ καταμήνια τοῖς θήλεσιν αἱματικῆς φύσεως.
And both the residue of the males and the menses in the females are of a bloody nature.
τούτου δ᾽ ἀρχὴ καὶ τῶν φλεβῶν ἡ καρδία· αὕτη δ᾽ ἐν τοῖς μορίοις τούτοις.
And the principle of this and of the veins is the heart; and this is in these parts.
διὸ πρῶτον ἐνταῦθα ἀναγκαῖον γίγνεσθαι τὴν μεταβολὴν ἐπίδηλον τῆς τοιαύτης περιττώσεως.
Therefore, it is necessary that first in this region the change of such residue becomes visible.
διόπερ αἵ τε φωναὶ μεταβάλλουσι καὶ τῶν ἀρρένων καὶ τῶν θηλειῶν, ὅταν ἄρχωνται σπέρμα φέρειν (ἡ γὰρ ἀρχὴ τῆς φωνῆς ἐντεῦθεν· ἀλλοία δὲ γίνεται ἀλλοίου γινομένου τοῦ κινοῦντος), καὶ τὰ περὶ τοὺς μαστοὺς αἴρεται καὶ τοῖς ἄρρεσιν ἐπιδήλως, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῖς θήλεσιν· διὰ γὰρ τὸ κάτω τὴν ἔκκρισιν γίνεσθαι πολλὴν κενὸς ὁ τόπος γίνεται ὁ τῶν μαστῶν αὐταῖς καὶ σομφός.
For this reason, the voices of both males and females change when they begin to bear seed (for the principle of voice is from here; and it becomes different when the moving cause becomes different), and the parts around the breasts rise, visibly even in males, but more in females; for because the secretion below becomes great, the region of the breasts becomes empty and spongy for them.