§3.7.1Δοκεῖ δὲ τῶν σπλάγχνων τὰ μὲν εἶναι μονοφυῆ, 7 καθάπερ καρδία καὶ πλεύμων, τὰ δὲ διφυῆ, καθάπερ νεφροί, τὰ δʼ ἀπορεῖται ποτέρως ἔχει.
Of the viscera, some seem to be of a single nature, 7 as the heart and the lung, others of a double nature, as the kidneys, while about others it is doubted which of the two they are.
φανείη γὰρ ἄν ἐπαμφοτερίζειν τούτοις τὸ ἠπαρ καὶ ὸ σπλήν·
For the liver and the spleen might seem to dualize between these; for each is both as single, and as two instead of one having a very similar nature.
καὶ γὰρ ὡς μονοφυὲς ἑκάτερον, καὶ ὡς ἀνθʼ ἑνὸς δύο παραπλησίαν ἔχοντα τὴν φύσιν. ἔστι δὲ πάντα διφουᾶ.
But in fact they are all of a double nature.
§3.7.2τὸ δʼ αἴτιον ἡ τού σόματος διάστασις διφυὴς μὲν 2 οὖσα, πρὸς μίαν δὲ σνντελοῦσα ἀρχήν·
The cause of this is the division of the body, which is double 2 but directed to a single principle; for there are upper and lower, front and back, right and left.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἄνω καὶ κατω, τὸ δʼ ἔμπροσθεν καὶ ὄπισθεν, τὸ δέ δεξιὸν καὶ ἀριστερὸν ἐστιν. διόπερ καὶ ὁ ἐγκέφαλος βούλεται διμερὴς εἶναι πἀσι καὶ τῶν αἰσθητηρίων ἕκαστον.
Therefore, the brain also tends to be of two parts in all animals, as does each of the sense-organ.
κατὰ τὸν αὑτὸν δὲ λόγον ἡ καρδία ταῖς κοιλίαις.
By the same principle, the heart is so in its cavities.
ὁ δὲ πλεύμων ἔν τε τοῖς ᾠοτόκοις τοσοὺτον διέστηκεν ὥστε δοκεῖν δύ ʼἔχειν αὐτὰ πλεύμονας.
And the lung in oviparous animals is so divided that they seem to have two lungs.
οἱ δὲ νεφροὶ καὶ παντὶ δῆλοι.
As for the kidneys, this is clear to everyone.
§3.7.3κατὰ δὲ τὸ ἧπαρ καὶ 3 τὸν σπλὴνα δικαίως ἄν τις ἀπορήσειεν.
But regarding the liver and 3 the spleen, one might justly be puzzled.
τούτου δʼ σἴτιον ὅτι ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἔχουσι σπλῆνα δόξειεν ἂν οἷον νόθον εἶναι ἧπαρ ὁ σπλήν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς μὴ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἔχουσιν, ἀλλὰ πάμμικρον ὧσπερ σημείου χάριν, ἐναργῶς διμερὲς τὸ ἧπάρ ἐστιν, καὶ τὸ μὲν εἰς τὰ δεξιά, τὸ δʼ ἑλαττον είς τἀριστερὰ βούλεται τὴν θέσιν ἔχειν.
The cause of this is that in those animals which have a spleen of necessity, the spleen might seem to be a sort of bastard liver, whereas in those which do not have it of necessity, but only as a tiny token, the liver is clearly bipartite, and one part tends to have its position on the right and the smaller part on the left.
§3.7.4οὑ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ᾠοτόκοις 4 ἧττον μὴ ἐπὶ τούτων φανερόν, ἐνίοις δὲ κἀκεῖ ὥσπερ ἔν τισι ζῳοτόκοις ἐπιδήλωος διέστηκεν, οἷον κατά τινας τόπους οἱ δασύποδες δύο δοκοῦσιν ἥπατ ἔχειν, καθάπερ τῶν ἰχθύωον ἕτεροί τέ τινες καὶ οἱ σελαχώδεις.
Nevertheless, even in the oviparous animals, 4 this is no less apparent in them, and in some of them, even there, as in some viviparous animals, it is clearly divided; as in certain localities hares seem to have two livers, just as do some other of the fishes and the cartilaginous fishes.
διὰ δὲ τὸ τὴν θέσιν ἔχειν τὸ ἧπαρ ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς μᾶλλον ἡ τού σπληνὸς γέγονε φύσις, ὥστʼ ἀναγκαῖον μέν πως, μὴ λίαν δʼ εἶναι πᾶσι τοῖς ζῴοις.
And because the liver has its position more on the right, the nature of the spleen has come to be, so that it is necessary in a way, though not highly so for all animals.
§3.7.5τοῦ μὲν οὖν διφυῆ τὴν φύσιν εἶναι τῶν σπλάγχνων σἴτιον, ὧσπερ εἴπομεν, τὸ δύʼ εἶναι τὸ δεξιὸν καὶ τὸ ἀριστερόν· ἑκάτερον γὰρ ζητεῖ τὸ ὅμοιον, ὧσπερ καὶ αὐτὰ βούλεται παραπλησίαν καὶ διδύμην ἔχειν τὴν φύσιν, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνα δίδυμα μέν, συνήρτηται δʼ εἰς ἕν, καὶ τῶν σπλάγχνων ὁμοίως ἕκαστον.
The cause, then, of the viscera being of a double nature is, as we said, that there are two parts, the right and the left; for each seeks its like, just as they themselves tend to have a similar and twin nature, just as those are twins but are joined into one, so too is each of the viscera likewise.
§3.7.6ἔστι δὲ σπλάγχνα τὰ κάτω τοὺ ὑποζώματος κοινῇ μὲν πάντα τῶν φλεβῶν χάριν, ὅπως οὖσαι μετέωροι μένωσι τῷ τούτων συνδέσμῳ πρὸς τὸ σῶμα.
And the viscera below the diaphragm are all in common for the sake of the blood-vessels, so that, being suspended, they may remain anchored to the body by the bond of these viscera.
καθάπερ ἄγκυραι γὰρ βέβληνται πρὸς τὸ σῶμα διὰ τῶν ἀποτεταμένων μορίων, ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς μεγάλης φλεβὸς πρὸς τὸ ἧπαρ καὶ τὸν σπλῆνα.
For they are cast like anchors to the body through the extended parts, from the great vessel to the liver and the spleen.
τούτων γὰρ τῶν σπλάγχνων ἡ φύσις οἷον ἧλοι πρὸς τὸ σῶμα προσλαμβάνουσιν αὐτήν, εἰς μὲν τὰ πλάγια τοῦ σύματος τό θʼ ἧπαρ καὶ ὁ σπλὴν τὴν φλέβα τὴν μεγάλην (ἀπὸ ταύτης γὰρ εἰς αὐτὰ μόνον διατείνουσι φλέβες), εἰς δὲ τὰ ὄπισθεν οἱ νεφροί.
For the nature of these viscera, like nails, fastens it to the body: towards the sides of the body, the liver and the spleen [fasten] the great vessel (for from this vessel alone do blood-vessels extend into them), and towards the back, the kidneys.
πρὸς δʼ ἐκείνους οὑ μόνον ἀπὸ τῆς μεγάλης φλεβὸς ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀορτῆς τείνει φλὲψ εἰς ἑκάτερον.
And towards the latter, a vessel extends to each not only from the great vessel but also from the aorta.