§10.2Καὶ πρῶτον ταῦτα σκεπτέον, εἰ καλῶς ἔχει, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πῶς ἔχει τὸ στόμα τῶν ὑστερῶν.
And first these things must be considered, whether they are in good condition, and after these things, how the mouth of the uterus is.
Δεῖ γὰρ εἰς ὀρθὸν ἔχειν· εἰ δὲ μή, οὐχ ἕλξουσιν εἰς αὑτὰς τὸ σπέρμα.
For it must be in a straight line; otherwise, they will not draw the semen into themselves.
Εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν γὰρ αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ γυνὴ προΐεται, ὡς δῆλον, ὅταν ἐξονειρώττωσιν αὗται τελέως· τότε γὰρ οὗτος ὁ τόπος θεραπείας δεῖται αὐταῖς ὑγρανθείς, ὥσπερ εἰ ἀνδρὶ συνεγίνετο, ὡς προϊεμένων ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὸ παρὰ τοῦ ἀνδρός, εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον καὶ οὐχὶ εἰς τὰς ὑστέρας εἴσω.
For the woman also discharges into the front of them, as is clear when they have wet dreams completely; for then this place, being moistened, requires care for them, just as if she had copulated with a man, since they discharge there, and also that which comes from the man, into the same place and not inside the uterus.
Ἀλλ’ ὅταν ἐνταῦθα προϊῶνται, ἐντεῦθεν σπῶσι τῷ πνεύματι, οἷον αἱ ῥῖνες, καὶ αἱ ὑστέραι τὸ σπέρμα.
But when they discharge there, from there the uterus draws in the semen by means of breath, just as the nostrils do.
Διὸ καὶ παντὶ σχήματι συνοῦσαι κυΐσκονται, ὅτι εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν παντελῶς ἐχούσης γίγνεται καὶ αὐταῖς καὶ τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἡ πρόεσις τοῦ σπέρματος· εἰ δ’ εἰς αὐτήν, οὐκ ἂν πάντως συγγινόμεναι συνελάμβανον.
Therefore they conceive when copulating in any posture, because the discharge of semen both for them and for the men takes place when it is entirely in the front; for if it were into the uterus itself, they would not conceive when copulating in every posture.
Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εἰς ὀρθὸν βλέπωσιν αἱ ὑστέραι ἀλλ’ ἢ πρὸς τὰ ἰσχία ἢ πρὸς τὴν ὀσφὺν ἢ πρὸς τὸ ὑπογάστριον, ἀδύνατον συλλαβεῖν διὰ τὴν προειρημένην αἰτίαν, ὅτι ἀνελέσθαι οὐκ ἂν δύναιντο τὸ σπέρμα.
But if the uterus does not look in a straight line, but either toward the hips, or toward the loins, or toward the lower abdomen, it is impossible to conceive for the aforementioned reason, because they would not be able to take up the semen.
Ἐὰν μὲν οὖν ἰσχυρῶς τῇ φύσει οὕτως ἔχωσιν ἢ ὑπὸ νόσου, ἀνίατον τὸ πάθος· ἐὰν δ’ ᾖ ῥῆγμα ἢ φύσει ἢ ὑπὸ τῆς νόσου διὰ φλεγμασίαν συσπασάσης, ἐπὶ θάτερα αὐτῇ τὸ πάθος.
If, therefore, they are in this state strongly by nature or from disease, the affection is incurable; but if there is a rupture either by nature or from disease due to inflammation causing contraction, the affection is on one of the two sides for her.
Ταῖς δὲ μελλούσαις ἐγκύοις ἔσεσθαι δεῖ, καθάπερ εἴρηται, τὸ στόμα εἰς ὀρθὸν εἶναι, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἀνοίγεσθαι καλῶς.
For those who are going to become pregnant, the mouth must be in a straight line, as has been said, and in addition to this, it must open well.
Λέγω δὲ τὸ καλῶς τοιοῦτον, ὅπως ὅταν ἄρχηται τὰ γυναικεῖα, θιγγανόμενον ἔσται τὸ στόμα μαλακώτερον ἢ πρότερον, καὶ μὴ διεστομωμένον φανερῶς.
And I mean "well" to be of this kind: that when the menses begin, the mouth when touched will be softer than before, and not visibly wide open.
Ἀλλ’ εἰ οὕτως ἔχοντος, τὰ πρῶτα σημεῖα τὰ λευκὰ φοιτάτω.
But if it is in this state, let the first white signs come forth.
Ὅταν δὲ σαρκικώτερα ᾖ τὴν χρόαν τὰ σημεῖα, φανερῶς ἔσται ἀνεστομωμένη ἄνευ ἀλγήματος, κἂν θιγγάνῃ κἂν μὴ θιγγάνῃ, καὶ μήτε κωφότητα μήτε στόμα ἀλλοιότερον αὐτὸ αὑτοῦ.
And when the signs are more flesh-colored in their shade, she will be visibly opened without pain, whether one touches it or not, and there should be neither numbness nor the mouth itself being different from itself.
Ληξάντων δὲ τῶν γυναικείων διεστομωμένον ἔστω σφόδρα καὶ ξηρόν, ἀλλὰ μὴ σκληρόν, ἡμέραν ὅλην καὶ ἡμίσειαν ἢ καὶ δύο ἡμέρας.
And when the menses have ceased, let it be very wide open and dry, but not hard, for a whole day and a half, or even for two days.
Ταῦτα γὰρ σημαίνει οὕτω γιγνόμενα ὅτι καλῶς ἔχουσιν αἱ ὑστέραι καὶ ποιοῦσι τὸ αὑτῶν ἔργον, τῷ μὲν μὴ εὐθὺς ἀνεστομῶσθαι ἀλλὰ μαλακὸν τὸ στόμα γίνεσθαι, ὅτι ἅμα τῷ ἄλλῳ σώματι λυομένῳ λύονται, καὶ οὐκ ἐμποδίζουσι, καὶ ἀφιᾶσι πρῶτον τὰ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ τοῦ στόματος, ὅταν δὲ πλείω τὸ σῶμα προΐηται, ἀναστομοῦνται· ὅπερ ἐστὶ στόματος ὑγιεινῶς ἔχοντος.
For these things happening in this way indicate that the uterus is in a good condition and performs its own function; by its not opening immediately but the mouth becoming soft, because they are relaxed along with the rest of the body when it is relaxed, and they do not hinder, and they discharge first the things from the mouth itself, and when the body discharges more, they open wide; which is characteristic of a healthy mouth.
Παυσαμένων δὲ τῶν σημείων τοῦ μὴ εὐθὺς συμπίπτειν, σημαίνουσιν ὅτι, ἂν ἀπορήσῃ, κεναὶ καὶ ξηραὶ γίνονται καὶ διψηραί, καὶ οὐκ ἔχουσι λείψανα περὶ τὴν δίοδον.
And by their not collapsing immediately when the signs have ceased, they indicate that, if it is in need, they become empty and dry and thirsty, and they have no remnants around the passage.
Προσσπαστικαὶ οὖν οὖσαι σημαίνουσι καλῶς ἔχειν πρὸς τὸ συλλαβεῖν πλησιάσαντος, ὅταν οὕτως ἔχωσιν ἄνευ ἄλγους καὶ μετὰ ἀναισθησίας.
Being attractive, therefore, they indicate that they are in a good condition for conceiving when [the man] approaches, when they are in this state without pain and with insensibility.
Τό τε μὴ ἀλλοιότερον ἔχειν τὸ σῶμα ἀγαθόν· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο σημαίνει ὅτι οὐδέν ἐστιν ὃ κωλύει μὴ συμμύειν αὐτὰς ὅταν δέῃ.
And for the body of the uterus not to be in a different state is good; for this also indicates that there is nothing that prevents them from closing when necessary.