§7.3Γίνεται δὲ σημεῖον τοῦ συνειληφέναι ταῖς γυναιξίν, ὅταν εὐθὺς γένηται μετὰ τὴν ὁμιλίαν ὁ τόπος ξηρός.
A sign of conception having taken place in women is when the place becomes dry immediately after intercourse.
Ἂν μὲν οὖν λεῖα τὰ χείλη ᾖ τοῦ στόματος, οὐ θέλει συλλαμβάνειν (ἀπολισθαίνει γάρ), οὐδ’ ἂν παχέα·
Now, if the lips of the mouth of the uterus are smooth, it is not apt to conceive (for the semen slips away), nor if they are thick.
ἂν δ’ ἁπτομένῳ τῷ δακτύλῳ τραχύτερα ᾖ καὶ ἀντέχηται, καὶ ἂν λεπτὰ τὰ χείλη, τότε εὐκαίρως ἔχει πρὸς τὴν σύλληψιν.
But if they feel rougher and offer resistance when touched with the finger, and if the lips are thin, then it is in a favorable state for conception.
Πρὸς μὲν οὖν τὸ συλλαμβάνειν τοιαύτας δεῖ κατασκευάζειν τὰς ὑστέρας, πρὸς δὲ τὸ μὴ συλλαμβάνειν τοὐναντίον·
Therefore, for the purpose of conceiving, one must make the uterus of this character, but for not conceiving, the opposite.
ἂν γὰρ ᾖ λεῖα τὰ χείλη, οὐ συλλαμβάνει· διὸ ἔνιαι τῆς μήτρας πρὸς ὃ πίπτει τὸ σπέρμα, ἀλείφουσιν ἐλαίῳ κεδρίνῳ ἢ ψιμυθίῳ ἢ λιβανωτῷ, διέντες ἐλαίῳ.
For if the lips are smooth, conception does not occur; and this is why some women, on that part of the womb where the semen falls, smear cedar oil, or ceruse, or frankincense, dissolving them in olive oil.
Ἐὰν δὲ ἑπτὰ ἐμμείνῃ ἡμέρας, φανερὸν ὅτι εἴληπται· αἱ γὰρ καλούμεναι ἐκρύσεις ἐν ταύταις γίνονται ταῖς ἡμέραις.
And if it remains within for seven days, it is clear that conception has taken place; for what are called "ekrhysis" occur within these days.
Αἱ δὲ καθάρσεις φοιτῶσι ταῖς πλείσταις ἐπί τινα χρόνον συνειληφυίαις, ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν θηλειῶν τριάκονθ’ ἡμέρας μάλιστα, περὶ δὲ τετταράκοντα ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρρένων.
Moreover, in most women, the menses continue to flow for some time after they have conceived; in the case of female fetuses for about thirty days, and in the case of males for about forty.
Καὶ μετὰ τοὺς τόκους δ’ αἱ καθάρσεις βούλονται τὸν αὐτὸν ἀριθμὸν ἀποδιδόναι τοῦτον, οὐ μὴν ἐξακριβοῦσί γε πάσαις ὁμοίως.
And even after childbirth, the purifications tend to return for this same number of days, though they do not correspond precisely in all cases alike.
Μετὰ δὲ τὴν σύλληψιν καὶ τὰς ἡμέρας τὰς εἰρημένας οὐκέτι κατὰ φύσιν, ἀλλ’ εἰς τοὺς μαστοὺς τρέπεται καὶ γίνεται γάλα.
After conception and the mentioned days, the discharge no longer occurs naturally, but is directed to the breasts and becomes milk.
Ἐπισημαίνει δὲ τὸ πρῶτον μικρόν τε καὶ ἀραχνιῶδες τὸ γάλα ἐν τοῖς μαστοῖς.
At first, the milk appears in the breasts only in small quantities and like a spider's web.
Ὅταν δὲ συλλάβωσιν, αἴσθησις μάλιστα ἐγγίνεται ἔν τε ταῖς λαγόσιν· ἐνίαις γὰρ γίνονται πληρέστεραι εὐθύς· μᾶλλον δ’ ἐπιδήλως τοῦτο συμβαίνει ταῖς ἰσχναῖς.
When they conceive, a sensation arises especially in the flanks; for in some women they become fuller immediately, and this happens more conspicuously in thin women.
Καὶ ἐν τοῖς βουβῶσιν ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἀρρένων ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ μᾶλλον περὶ τὰς τετταράκοντα γίνεται ἡ κίνησις, τῶν δὲ θηλειῶν ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ περὶ ἐνενήκονθ’ ἡμέρας.
Also, in the groin, the movement in the case of males occurs for the most part on the right side around forty days, but in the case of females on the left side around ninety days.
Οὐ μὴν ἀλλ’ ἀκρίβειάν γε τούτων οὐδεμίαν ὑποληπτέον· πολλαῖς γὰρ θηλυτοκούσαις ἡ κίνησις ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ γίνεται, καὶ ταῖς ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ ἄρρεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα πάντα διαφέρει ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ τῷ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον.
Nevertheless, one must not assume any absolute certainty in these matters; for in many women who give birth to females, the movement occurs on the right, and in those on the left, a male; rather, all these and similar phenomena differ for the most part only in degree.
Περὶ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον καὶ σχίζεται τὸ κύημα· τὸν δ’ ἔμπροσθεν ἄναρθρον συνέστηκε κρεῶδες.
And around this time the fetus also becomes differentiated; prior to this, it is constituted as a flesh-like substance without joints.
Καλοῦνται δ’ ἐκρύσεις μὲν αἱ μέχρι τῶν ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν διαφθοραί, ἐκτρωσμοὶ δ’ αἱ μέχρι τῶν τετταράκοντα· καὶ πλεῖστα διαφθείρεται τῶν κυημάτων ἐν ταύταις ταῖς ἡμέραις.
Discharges up to seven days are called "ekrhysis", while abortions up to forty days are called "ektrosmos"; and the greatest number of fetuses are destroyed within these days.
Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἄρρεν ὅταν ἐξέλθῃ τετταρακοσταῖον, ἐὰν μὲν εἰς ἄλλο τι ἀφῇ τις, διαχεῖταί τε καὶ ἀφανίζεται, ἐὰν δ’ εἰς ψυχρὸν ὕδωρ, συνίσταται οἷον ἐν ὑμένι·
Now, when a male fetus is discharged at forty days, if one drops it onto anything else, it dissolves and disappears, but if into cold water, it coalesces as if in a membrane.
τούτου δὲ διακνισθέντος φαίνεται τὸ ἔμβρυον τὸ μέγεθος ἡλίκον μύρμηξ τῶν μεγάλων, τά τε μέλη δῆλα, τά τε ἄλλα πάντα καὶ τὸ αἰδοῖον, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων μέγιστοι.
When this is broken open, the embryo appears of the size of a large ant, and its limbs are plain, as are all the other parts, especially the privy member, and the eyes, as in other animals, are very large.
Τὸ δὲ θῆλυ, ὅ τι μὲν ἂν διαφθαρῇ ἐντὸς τῶν τριῶν μηνῶν, ἀδιάρθρωτον ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ φαίνεται· ὅ τι δ’ ἂν ἐπιλάβῃ τοῦ τετάρτου μηνός, γίνεται ἐσχισμένον καὶ διὰ ταχέων λαμβάνει τὴν ἄλλην διάρθρωσιν.
On the other hand, a female fetus, if aborted within three months, appears for the most part unarticulated; but if it reaches the fourth month, it is found to be differentiated and rapidly assumes the rest of its articulation.
Τέως μὲν οὖν πᾶσαν τὴν τελείωσιν τῶν μορίων βραδύτερον ἀπολαμβάνει τὸ θῆλυ τοῦ ἄρρενος, καὶ δεκάμηνα γίνεται μᾶλλον τῶν ἀρρένων·
Up to this time, then, the female completes the perfection of its parts more slowly than the male, and female births occur more often in the tenth month than male ones.
ὅταν δὲ γένηται, θᾶττον τὰ θήλεα τῶν ἀρρένων καὶ νεότητα καὶ ἀκμὴν λαμβάνει καὶ γῆρας, καὶ μᾶλλον αἱ πλείοσι χρώμεναι τόκοις, ὥσπερ εἴρηται πρότερον.
But once born, females reach youth, maturity, and old age more rapidly than males, and this is especially the case with those who have many pregnancies, as has been said before.