§1.1Διὰ τί αἱ μεγάλαι ὑπερβολαὶ νοσώδεις;
Why are great excesses unhealthy?
ἢ ὅτι ὑπερβολὴν ἢ ἔλλειψιν ποιοῦσιν;
Is it because they produce excess or deficiency?
τοῦτο δὲ ἦν ἡ νόσος.
And this was disease.
§1.2Διὰ τί δὲ τὰς νόσους πολλάκις ὑγιάζουσιν, ὅταν πολὺ ἐκστῇ τις;
And why do they often cure diseases when someone departs far from their normal state?
καὶ ἐνίων ἰατρῶν τοιαύτη ἡ τέχνη· ὑπερβολαῖς γὰρ ἰῶνται οἴνου ἢ ὕδατος ἢ ἅλμης ἢ σίτου ἢ λιμοῦ.
Indeed, the art of some physicians is of this kind; for they cure by excesses of wine, or water, or brine, or food, or hunger.
ἢ ὅτι ἐναντία ἀλλήλοις τὰ τὴν νόσον ποιοῦντα·
Or is it because the things that produce disease are contrary to one another?
εἰς τὸ μέσον οὖν ἄγει θάτερον ἑκάτερα.
Therefore, the one leads each of them to the mean.
§1.3Διὰ τί αἱ τῶν ὡρῶν μεταβολαὶ καὶ πνεύματα ἐπιτείνουσιν ἢ παύουσι καὶ κρίνουσι τὰς νόσους καὶ ποιοῦσιν;
Why do the changes of the seasons and the winds intensify or stop, and decide and produce diseases?
ἢ ὅτι θερμαὶ καὶ ψυχραί εἰσι καὶ ὑγραὶ καὶ ξηραί, αἱ δὲ νόσοι τούτων εἰσὶν ὑπερβολαί, ἡ δὲ ὑγεία ἰσότης.
Is it because they are hot and cold, and wet and dry, and diseases are excesses of these, while health is equality?
ἐὰν οὖν δι’ ὑγρότητα ἢ ψύξιν, ἡ ἐναντία ὥρα παύει· ἐὰν δὲ ἐναντία ὥρα ἔχηται, ἡ ὁμοία κρᾶσις ἐπιγενομένη ἐπέτεινεν καὶ ἀνεῖλεν.
If, therefore, a disease is due to wetness or cold, the opposite season stops it; but if the opposite season holds sway, and the similar mixture comes upon it, it intensifies and destroys.
διὰ ταῦτα δὲ καὶ νοσίζουσι τοὺς ὑγιαίνοντας, ὅτι μεταβάλλουσαι λύουσι τὴν κρᾶσιν· ἅμα γὰρ ταῖς οἰκείαις ὥραις καὶ ἡλικίαις καὶ τόποις αὐξάνεται.
And because of these things they also make healthy people sick, because by changing they dissolve the mixture; for it increases together with the appropriate seasons, ages, and places.
διὸ δεῖ ἐν ταῖς μεταβολαῖς μάλιστα διακυβερνᾶν.
Therefore, one must especially navigate carefully during the changes.
ὃ δὲ καθόλου περὶ τῶν ὡρῶν εἴρηται, καὶ κατὰ μέρος τὸ αὐτὸ αἴτιον.
And what has been said in general about the seasons, the same cause also applies in detail.
αἱ γὰρ τῶν πνευμάτων μεταβολαὶ καὶ τῶν ἡλικιῶν καὶ τόπων ὥρας τινός εἰσι μεταβολαί.
For the changes of the winds, ages, and places are changes of some season.
διὸ καὶ ταῦτα ἐπιτείνει καὶ παύει καὶ κρίνει καὶ ποιεῖ, ὥσπερ αἱ ὧραι καὶ ἐπιτολαὶ τῶν ἄστρων, ὥσπερ Ὠρίων καὶ Ἀρκτοῦρος καὶ Πλειὰς καὶ Κύων, [ὥσπερ] πνευμάτων καὶ ὑδάτων καὶ εὐδιῶν καὶ χειμώνων καὶ ἀλέας.
Therefore, these also intensify, stop, decide, and produce diseases, just as the seasons and the risings of the stars do, such as Orion, Arcturus, the Pleiades, and the Dog Star, just as they do changes of winds, rain, fair weather, winter, and heat.
§1.4Διὰ τί ἐν ταῖς μεταβολαῖς τῶν ὡρῶν ἐμέτοις οὐ δεῖ χρῆσθαι;
Why should one not use emetics during the changes of the seasons?
ἢ ἵνα μὴ γένηται συντάραξις διαφόρων γινομένων τῶν περιττωμάτων διὰ τὰς μεταβολάς.
Is it lest a disturbance occur when the residues become different due to the changes?
§1.5Διὰ τί καὶ οἱ κιβδηλιῶντες καὶ οἱ ὑπὸ λιμοῦ πονοῦντες τοὺς πόδας οἰδοῦσιν;
Why do both those of cachectic constitution (or coin-counterfeiters) and those suffering from hunger get swollen feet?
ἢ διὰ τὴν σύντηξιν ἀμφότεροι;
Is it due to wasting in both cases?
συντήκονται δὲ οἱ μὲν διὰ λιμὸν διὰ τὸ ὅλως μὴ λαμβάνειν τροφήν, οἱ δὲ κιβδηλιῶντες διὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἀπολαύειν ἧς λαμβάνουσι τροφῆς.
For those suffering from hunger waste away because they do not take in food at all, while those of cachectic constitution waste away because they derive no benefit from the food they take.
Διὰ τί τῶν ἀπὸ χολῆς νοσημάτων ἐν τῷ θέρει (πυρέττουσι γὰρ μάλιστα ἐν τῷ θέρει) τὰ ὀξέα ἀπὸ χολῆς ὄντα ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι γίνεται μᾶλλον;
Why is it that, while diseases arising from bile occur in summer (for they suffer from fevers especially in summer), acute diseases arising from bile occur more in winter?
ἢ διότι μετὰ πυρετοῦ ὄντα ὀξέα ἐστὶν διὰ τὸ βίαια εἶναι, ἡ δὲ βία παρὰ φύσιν.
Is it because those accompanied by fever are acute because they are violent, and violence is contrary to nature?
ὑγραινομένων γάρ τινων τόπων θερμὴ φλεγμασία γίνεται· ἡ δὲ φλεγμασία ὑπερβολὴ θερμότητος οὖσα ποιεῖ τοὺς πυρετούς.
For when certain places become wet, a hot inflammation occurs; and inflammation, being an excess of heat, produces fevers.
ἐν μὲν οὖν τῷ θέρει ξηραὶ καὶ θερμαί εἰσιν αἱ νόσοι, ἐν δὲ τῷ χειμῶνι ὑγραὶ καὶ θερμαί, διὸ ὀξεῖαι· ταχέως γὰρ ἀναιροῦσιν· οὐ γὰρ θέλει πέττεσθαι διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ περιττώματος.
In summer, therefore, diseases are dry and hot, but in winter they are wet and hot, and therefore acute; for they destroy quickly; for the disease is not disposed to be concocted because of the abundance of the residue.
§1.7Διὰ τί ποτε ὁ λοιμὸς μόνη τῶν νόσων μάλιστα τοὺς πλησιάζοντας τοῖς θεραπευομένοις προσαναπίμπλησιν;
Why is it that plague alone, most of all diseases, infects those who come near the sick?
ἢ ὅτι μόνη τῶν νόσων κοινή ἐστιν ἅπασιν, ὥστε διὰ τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἐπιφέρει τὸν λοιμόν, ὅσοι φαύλως ἔχοντες προϋπάρχουσιν.
Is it because it is the only disease common to all, so that for this reason it brings the plague upon all who are already in a bad condition?
καὶ γὰρ διὰ τὸ ὑπέκκαυμα τῆς νόσου τῆς παρὰ τῶν θεραπευομένων γινομένης ταχέως ὑπὸ τοῦ πράγματος ἁλίσκονται.
For indeed, because of the fuel of the disease arising from those under treatment, they are quickly caught by the matter.
§1.8Διὰ τί τοῦ χειμῶνος βορείου γενομένου, ἐὰν τὸ ἔαρ ἔπομβρον γένηται καὶ νότιον, τὸ θέρος νοσῶδες γίνεται πυρετοῖς καὶ ὀφθαλμίαις;
Why is it that when the winter has been northerly, if the spring becomes rainy and southerly, the summer becomes unhealthy with fevers and ophthalmia?
ἢ ὅτι τά τε σώματα ἐκδέχεται τὸ θέρος πολλὴν ἔχοντα ἀλλοτρίαν ὑγρότητα, καὶ ἡ γῆ καὶ ὁ τόπος ἐν ᾧ ἂν οἰκῶσι, γίνεται ἔφυδρος καὶ τοιοῦτος οἷοι λέγονται οἱ ἀεὶ νοσώδεις τόποι;
Is it because the bodies enter summer containing much foreign moisture, and the land and the place in which they dwell become waterlogged and of such a character as those places which are said to be always unhealthy?
πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ὀφθαλμίαι γίνονται τηκομένης τῆς περὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν περιττώσεως, ἔπειτα πυρετοί.
First of all, then, ophthalmia occurs as the residue around the head melts, and then fevers.
δεῖ γὰρ νοῆσαι ὅτι τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ θερμότατον γίνεται καὶ ψυχρότατον, οἷον ὕδωρ καὶ λίθος ὁ μὲν ζεῖ, τὸ δὲ κάει μᾶλλον.
For one must understand that the same thing becomes both extremely hot and extremely cold, just as water boils and stone burns more.
ἔν τε οὖν ἀέρι πνίγη γίνεται θερμαινομένου τοῦ ἀέρος διὰ πάχος, καὶ ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν ὡσαύτως πνίγη καὶ καύματα, τὸ δὲ ἐν σώματι καῦμα πυρετός ἐστιν, ἐν δὲ ὀφθαλμοῖς ὀφθαλμίαι.
In the air, then, stuffiness occurs as the air is heated because of its density, and in the bodies likewise stuffiness and burning heat, and the burning heat in the body is fever, and in the eyes ophthalmia.
ὅλως δὲ καὶ ἡ μεταβολὴ ἰσχυρὰ οὖσα τὰ σώματα φθείρει, ὅταν τοῦ ἔαρος ὑγροῦ ὄντος εὐθὺς ἐπιλαμβάνῃ τὸ θέρος θερμὸν ὂν καὶ ξηρόν.
In general, also, the change being violent destroys the bodies, when, the spring being wet, the summer immediately succeeds, being hot and dry.
ἔτι δὲ χαλεπώτερον, ἐὰν καὶ τὸ θέρος ἔπομβρον γένηται.
And it is still more difficult if the summer also becomes rainy.
ἔχει γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος ὕλην ἣν ποιήσει ζεῖν καὶ ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν καὶ ἐν τῇ γῇ καὶ ἀέρι· διὸ γίνονται πυρετοὶ καὶ ὀφθαλμίαι.
For the sun has material which it will make boil both in the bodies, in the land, and in the air; therefore fevers and ophthalmia occur.