§3.3.7ἡ δʼ ἀρτηρία τῷ 7 διακεῖσθαι, καθάπερ εἶπομεν, ἐν τῷ πρόσθεν ὑπὸ τῆς τροφῆς ἐνοχλεῖται· ἀλλʼ ἡ φύσις πρὸς τοὺτο μεμηχάνηται τὴν ἐπιγλωσσίὅα.
But the windpipe, by being situated in the front, as we said, is obstructed by the food; however, nature has devised the epiglottis against this.
ταύτην δʼ οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἅπαντα τὰ ζῳοτοκοῦντα, ἀλλʼ ὅσα πλεύμονα ἔχει καὶ τὸ δέρμα τριχωτόν, καὶ μὴ φολιἄωτὰ μιηδὲ πτερωτὰ πέφυκεν.
Not all viviparous animals have this, but only those that have lungs and hairy skin, and are not naturally scaly or feathered.
τούτοις δʼ ἀντὶ τῆς ἐπιγλωττίδος συνάγεται καὶ διοίγεται ὁ φάρυγξ, ὅνπερ τρόπον ἐκείνοις ἐπιβάλλει τε καὶ ἀναπτύσσεται τοῦ πνεύμμιατος τῇ εἰσόδῳ τε καὶ ἐξόδῳ ἀναπτυσσόμενος, τῆς δὲ τροφῆς εἰσιούσης ἐπιπτυσσόμενος, ἵνα μηθὲν παραρρυῇ παρὰ τὴν ἀρτηρίαν.
In these, instead of the epiglottis, the pharynx contracts and opens, in the same way as in those others it (the epiglottis) is applied and unfolds, unfolding at the entrance and exit of the breath, and folding down when the food enters, so that nothing slips in beside the windpipe.
ἐἀν δέ τι πλημμεληθῇ παρὰ τὴν τοιαύτην κίνησιν καὶ προσφερομένης τῆς τροφῆς ἀναπνεύσῃ τις, βῆχας καὶ πνιγμοὺς ποιεῖ, καθαέπερ εἴρηται.
But if any error occurs during such movement, and someone breathes in while food is being presented, it produces coughing and choking, as has been said.
§3.3.8οὕτω δὲ καλῶς μεμηχάένηται καὶ ἡ ταύτης 8 καὶ ἡ τῆς γλωττης κίνησις, ὥστε τῆς τροφῆς ἐν μὲν τῷ στὸματι λεαινομένης, παρʼ αὐτὴν δὲ διιούσης, τὴν μὲν ὀλιγάκις ὑπὸ τοὺς ὀδόντας πέπτειν, εἰς δὲ τὴν ἀρτηρίαν σπάυιόν τι παραρρεῖν.
And both the movement of this (the epiglottis) and that of the tongue have been so well devised, that while the food is being ground in the mouth and passing by it, the food rarely falls under the teeth, and it is a rare thing for any of it to slip into the windpipe.
§3.3.9οὐκ ἔχει δὲ τὰ 9 λεχθέντα ζῴα τὴν ἐπιγλωττίδα διὰ τὸ ξηρὰς εἶναι τὰς σάρκας αύὺτῶν καὶ τὸ δέρμα σκληρόν, ὧστʼ οὐκ ἄν εὐκίνητον ὴν τὸ τοιούτον μόριον αὑτοῖς ἐκ τοιαύτης σαρκὸς καὶ ἐκ τοιούτου δέρματος συνεστηκς, ἀλλʼ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀρτηρίας τήν ἐσχάτων θάσσον ἐγίνετʼ ἄν ἡ συναγωγὴ τῆς ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας σαρκὸς ἐπιγλωττίδος, ἣν ἔχουσι τὰ τριχωτα.
And the aforementioned animals do not have the epiglottis because their flesh is dry and their skin is hard, so that such a part composed of such flesh and such skin would not have been easily movable for them. Instead, the closing of the extreme part of the windpipe itself would occur faster than that of the epiglottis made of its own flesh, which the hairy animals have.
διʼ ἣν μὲν οὗν αἰτίαν τὰ μὲν ἔχει τῶν ζῴων τὰ δʼ οὐκ ἔχει, ταῦτʼ εἰρήσθω, καὶ διότι τῆς ἀρτηρίας τὴν φαυλότητα τῆς θέσεωος ίάτρευκεν ἡ φύσις, μηχανησαμένη τὴν καλουμένην ἐπιγλωττίδα.
For what cause, then, some of the animals have it and others do not, let these things be said, and also why nature cured the badness of the position of the windpipe by devising what is called the epiglottis.
§3.3.1010 κεῖται δʼ ἕμπροσθεν ἡ φάρυγξ τοῦ οἰσοφάγου ἐξ ἀνάγκης.
And the pharynx lies in front of the oesophagus of necessity.
ἡ μὲν γὰρ καρδία ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν καὶ ἐν μέσῳ κεῖται, ἐν ᾖ τὴν ἀρχήν φαμεν τῆς ζωῆς καὶ πάσης κινήσεής τε καὶ αἰσθήσεως (ἐπὶ τὸ καλούμενον γὰρ ἔμπροσθεν ἡ αἴσθησις καὶ ἡ κίνησις· αὐτῷ γὰρ τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ διύὸρισται τὸ ἔμπροσθεν καὶ ὄπισθεν), ὸ δὲ πλεύμων κεῖται οὐ ἡ καρδία καὶ περὶ ταύτην, ὴ δʼ ἀναπνοὴ διά τε τούτον καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν τὴν ἐν τῇ καρδία ἐνυπάρχουσαν.
For the heart lies in the front and in the middle, in which we say is the principle of life and of all movement and sensation (for sensation and movement are towards what is called the front; for by this very definition the front and the back are distinguished), and the lung lies where the heart is and around it, and respiration is through this and through the principle inherent in the heart.
ἡ δʼ ἀναπνοὴ γίνεται τοῖς ζῴοις διὰ τὴς ἀρτηρίας· ὥστ ἐπεὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν πρώτην ἀναγκαῖον κεῖσθαι, καὶ τὸν φάρυγγα καὶ τὴν ἀρτηρίαν πρὸτερον ἀναγκαῖον κεῖσθαι τού οἰσοφάγου· τὰ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὸν πλεύμονα τείνει καὶ τὴν καρδίαν, ὁ δʼ εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν.
And respiration occurs in animals through the windpipe; so since it is necessary that the heart lies first in the front, it is also necessary that the pharynx and the windpipe lie prior to the oesophagus; for the former stretch towards the lung and the heart, while the latter stretches into the stomach.
§3.3.1111 ὅλως δʼ ἀεὶ τὸ βέλτιον καὶ τιμιώτερον, ὅπου μηδὲν μεῖζον ἕτερον ἐμποδίζει, τού μὲν ἄνω καὶ κάτω ἐν τοῖς μἀλλόν ἐστιν ἄνω, τοῦ δʼ ὲμπροσθεν καὶ ὄπισθεν ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, τοῦ δεξιοῦ δὲ καὶ ἀριστεροῦ ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς.
And in general, the better and more honorable, where no other greater thing prevents, is always rather up in the case of up and down, in the front in the case of front and back, and on the right in the case of right and left.