Humanitext Reader

Aristotle · History of Animals §10.1#2

Uterine Discharges: Pathology versus Healthy Menstruation

Passage 182 of 189 · Greek

Summary

The author distinguishes whether uterine discharges in their quality, quantity, and cycle are due to affections of the uterus itself, such as inflammation, or are normal responses to changes in the overall body habit, describing the healthy course of menstruation.

§10.1#2Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἡ ὑστέρα πλείω ἀποδιδοῦσα σημαίνει φλεγματικόν τι πάθος, ἐὰν ὅμοια μὲν πλείω δ’ ἀποδιδῷ.
Likewise, the uterus also, when it discharges more, indicates some inflammatory affection, if it discharges what is of the same quality but in greater quantity.
Ἐὰν δ’ ἀνόμοια καὶ σεσημμένα μᾶλλον, οἷα ταῖς ὑγιαινούσαις προέρχεται, τοῦτο μὲν ἤδη πάθος καὶ ἐπίδηλον γίνεται· ἀνάγκη γὰρ καὶ πόνους τινὰς ἐπισημαίνειν ἐχούσης ὡς οὐ δεῖ.
But if it discharges what is dissimilar and more corrupted than what comes from healthy women, this is already an obvious affection; for it is necessary that some pains also show themselves, since she has it in an improper way.
Ταῖς δ’ ὑγιαινούσαις τὰ λευκὰ καὶ σεσημμένα προέρχεται, ταῖς μὲν καὶ ἀρχομένων, ταῖς δὲ πλείσταις ληγόντων τῶν καταμηνίων.
And for healthy women, white and corrupted discharges come forth, for some even at the beginning, but for most at the end of the menses.
Ὅσαις μὲν οὖν σεσημμένα μᾶλλον γίνεται ἢ ταῖς ὑγιαινούσαις, ἢ ἄτακτα, πλείω ἢ ἐλάττω, μᾶλλον δέονται θεραπείας ὡς ἐμποδιζόντων πρὸς τὴν τέκνωσιν.
Those, therefore, in whom the discharges become more corrupted than in healthy women, or erratic, and too much or too little, require treatment more, as these things hinder child-bearing.
Ὅσαις δὲ τοῖς χρόνοις μόνον ἀνωμάλοις καὶ μὴ δι’ ἴσου, ἧττον μὲν διακωλυτικὸν τὸ πάθος, διασημαίνει μέντοι τῆς ὑστέρας τὴν ἕξιν κινουμένην καὶ οὐκ ἀεὶ ὁμοίως μένουσαν.
But those in whom only the times are irregular and not at equal intervals, their affection is less obstructive, yet it indicates that the habit of the uterus is in motion and does not always remain the same.
Ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο τὸ πάθος οἷον μὲν βλάψαι τὰς εὐφυεῖς πρὸς τὴν σύλληψιν, οὐ μέντοι νόσος, ἀλλὰ τοιοῦτόν τι πάθος οἷον καθίστασθαι καὶ ἄνευ θεραπείας, ἂν μή τι προσεξαμαρτάνῃ αὐτή.
And this affection is of such a nature as to harm those who are well-suited for conception, yet it is not a disease, but an affection of such a kind as to settle even without treatment, unless she herself commits some further error.
Ἔαν δὲ μεταβάλλωσι τῇ τάξει ἢ τῷ πλήθει, τοῦ ἄλλου σώματος μὴ ὁμοίως ἔχοντος ἀλλ’ ὁτὲ μὲν ὑγροτέρου ὁτὲ δὲ ξηροτέρου, οὐθὲν αἴτιαι αἱ ὑστέραι, ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτὰς τῇ τοῦ σώματος ἕξει, δεχομένας καὶ ἀφιείσας κατὰ λόγον.
But if they change in order or in quantity, because the rest of the body is not in the same state but is sometimes more moist and sometimes drier, the uterus is not at all to blame, but it must even follow the habit of the body, receiving and discharging in proportion.
Ἐὰν μὲν οὖν ὑγιαίνοντος τοῦ σώματος μεταβάλλοντος δὲ τοῦτο ποιῶσιν, οὐθὲν αὐταὶ δέονται θεραπείας· ἐὰν δὲ νοσοῦντος, ἢ ἐλάττω ἀποδίδωσι διὰ τὸ ἄλλοθί που ἀναλίσκεσθαι τὸ περίττωμα, ἢ κάμνει τὸ σῶμα.
If, therefore, they do this while the body is healthy but changing, the uterus itself requires no treatment; but if while the body is diseased, either it discharges less because the residue is consumed somewhere else, or the body is suffering.
Ἐὰν δὲ πλείω ἀφιῶσι διὰ τὸ δεῦρο ἐξερεύγεσθαι τὸ σῶμα, οὐδὲ τοῦτο σημαίνει αὐτάς γε τὰς ὑστέρας δεῖσθαι θεραπείας, ἀλλὰ τὸ σῶμα.
And if they discharge more because the body is discharging itself in this direction, not even this indicates that the uterus itself requires treatment, but the body.
Ὡς ὅσαις συμμεταβάλλει ταῖς ἕξεσι τοῦ σώματος τὰ γυναικεῖα, δηλοῖ ὅτι οὐθὲν αἴτιον ἐν ταῖς ὑστέραις ἐστίν, ὅτι ὑγιαίνουσαι διατελοῦσιν.
Since for those women whose menses change along with the habits of the body, it shows that there is no cause in the uterus, because they continue to be healthy.
Αὐταὶ δ’ αὑτῶν ὁτὲ μὲν ἀρρωστότεραι, ὁτὲ δὲ ἰσχύουσι μᾶλλον, καὶ ὁτὲ μὲν ὑγρότεραι, ὁτὲ δὲ ξηρότεραι.
And the uteri themselves are at some times weaker within themselves, and at others stronger, and sometimes more moist, and sometimes drier.
Καὶ φοιτᾷ αὐταῖς, ὅταν μὲν πλεῖον τὸ σῶμα αὑτοῦ, πλείω, ὅταν δ’ ἔλαττον, ἐλάττω, καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ὑγρόν, ὑδαρέστερα, ἐὰν δὲ ξηρόν, ἐναιμότερα.
And there comes to them, when the body has more than its usual self, a greater quantity, and when less, a smaller quantity, and if the body is moist, more watery discharges, and if dry, more bloody ones.
Καὶ ἄρχονται μὲν ἐκ λευκῶν γαλακτοειδῶν, ἀνόσμων μενουσῶν· τὰ δὲ φοινικᾶ μέν, ἀπολήγοντα δὲ λευκότερα, ἐσχάτης καταμίξεως.
And they begin from white milk-like discharges, remaining odorless; then they become red, and ending, they are whiter, of the extreme mixture.
Ὀσμὴν δ’ ἔχει τὰ λευκὰ ταῦτα οὐ σηπεδόνος, ἀλλὰ δριμυτέραν καὶ βαρυτέραν, οὔτε πύου· καὶ ἄνευ μὲν τήξεως, μετὰ μέντοι θερμασίας, ὅταν οὗτος ᾖ ὁ τρόπος τῶν σημείων.
And these white discharges have a smell not of putrefaction, but sharper and heavier, nor of pus; and they are without melting, but with heat, when this is the manner of the signs.
Ὅσαις μὲν οὖν οὕτω συμβαίνει, ταύταις ἔχουσιν ὡς δεῖ τὰ περὶ τὰς ὑστέρας πρὸς τὴν τέκνωσιν.
For those women, therefore, to whom it happens in this way, their uterine conditions are as they should be for child-bearing.

Notes

  1. p.371ἐὰν ὅμοια μὲν πλείω δ’ ἀποδιδῷ — A conditional clause introduced by ἐάν. The contrast between μέν and δέ opposes 'of the same quality' (ὅμοια) on the one hand, and 'more in quantity' (πλείω) on the other, indicating that the quality remains the same while only the quantity increases.
  2. p.371ὡς ἐμποδιζόντων — A genitive absolute construction where the conjunction ὡς is combined with the participle ἐμποδιζόντων (neuter plural genitive, present participle). The implied subject of the participle refers to the previously mentioned irregular or corrupted discharges (σεσημμένα ... ἢ ἄτακτα), expressing a subjective reason ('on the ground that they hinder...').
  3. p.372ἐσχάτης καταμίξεως — A genitive of description or cause. Meaning 'of the extreme mixture,' it explains the state or the cause of the preceding comparative λευκότερα (whiter).

Cite this passage

Aristotle, History of Animals §10.1#2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg014.humanitext-grc1:10.1%232

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.