§1.15Διὰ τί δὲ ἡ μεταβολὴ νοσώδης;
And why is change unhealthy?
ἢ ὅτι πᾶσα μὲν ἡ μεταβολὴ καὶ ὥρας καὶ ἡλικίας εὐκίνητον.
Or is it because every change, both of season and of age, is easily moved?
εὐκίνητα γὰρ τὰ ἄκρα, οἷον καὶ αἱ ἀρχαὶ και αἱ τελευταί.
For the extremes, such as both the beginnings and the ends, are easily moved.
ὥστε καὶ αἱ τροφαὶ ἕτεραι οὖσαι ἀλλήλας φθείρουσιν· αἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄρτι, αἱ δὲ οὔπω προσπεφύκασιν.
With the result that foods, being different, destroy one another; for some have just now grown into the body, while others have not yet done so.
ἔτι δὲ ὥσπερ ἡ ποικίλη τροφὴ νοσώδης (ταραχώδης γὰρ καὶ οὐ μία πέψις), οὕτω συμβαίνει μεταβάλλουσιν ὕδωρ ποικίλη πόματος χρῆσθαι τῇ τροφῇ;
And furthermore, just as a varied diet is unhealthy (for it is disturbing and digestion is not single), so does it happen to those who change water that they use a varied diet of drink?
καὶ ἡ τοιαύτη τροφὴ κυριωτέρα τῆς ξηρᾶς ἐστὶ τῷ πλεῖστον εἶναι καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν σιτίων τὸ ὑγρὸν γίνεσθαι τροφήν.
And such food is more dominant than dry food, because it is the greatest part and because even from dry foods themselves the moist becomes nourishment.
§1.16Διὰ τί ἡ τῶν ὑδάτων μεταβολὴ τοῖς ἔχουσι φθεῖρας ποιεῖ πολλοὺς ἔχειν;
Why does the change of waters cause those who have lice to have many of them?
ἢ ὅτι ἀπεψία γινομένη τοῦ ὑγροῦ διὰ τὴν ταραχήν, ἣ γίνεται διὰ τὴν ποικιλίαν τοῦ ὕδατος πυκνὰ μεταβάλλουσιν, ὑγρότητα ἐμποιεῖ, καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τῷ ἐπιτηδείως ὑπάρχοντι τόπῳ;
Or is it because, for those who change frequently, the indigestion of the moisture which arises because of the disturbance produced by the variety of the water produces moisture, and especially in the region that is suitably disposed?
ὁ δὲ ἐγκέφαλος ὑγρός· διὸ καὶ ἡ κεφαλὴ ἀεὶ μάλιστα.
And the brain is moist; wherefore the head also is always most so.
δηλοῖ δέ, ὅτι αἱ τρίχες ἔνεισι μάλιστα ἐν αὐτῇ.
And this is shown by the fact that hair is mostly on it.
ἡ δὲ τοῦ τόπου τούτου ὑγρότης φθειρῶν ποιητική.
And the moisture of this region is productive of lice.
δηλοῖ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν παίδων· ὑγροκέφαλοί τε γάρ εἰσιν καὶ πολλάκις ἢ κορυζῶσιν ἢ αἷμα ποιεῖ ῥεῖν, καὶ φθεῖρας πλείους οἱ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ ἔχουσιν.
And this is shown in the case of children; for they are moist-headed and often either have runny noses or have blood flow, and those of this age have more lice.
§1.17Διὰ τί ἀπὸ Πλειάδος μέχρι ζεφύρου οἱ τὰς μακρὰς νόσους κάμνοντες μάλιστα ἀναιροῦνται, καὶ οἱ γέροντες μᾶλλον τῶν νέων;
Why, from the setting of the Pleiades until the west wind, are those suffering from long illnesses mostly carried off, and old men more than young men?
πότερον ὅτι δύο ἐστὶ τὰ φθαρτικώτατα, ὑπερβολή τε καὶ ψῦχος;
Is it because the two most destructive things are excess and cold?
τὸ γὰρ ζῆν θερμόν, ἡ δὲ ὥρα αὕτη ἄμφω ταῦτ’ ἔχει· ψυχρά τε γάρ ἐστι, καὶ ἀκμαιότατος ὁ χειμών· τὸ λοιπὸν γὰρ ἔαρ ἐστίν.
For living is hot, and this season has both of these; for it is cold, and winter is at its height (for the remainder is spring).
ἢ ὅτι ὁμοίως μὲν διάκεινται τοῖς γέρουσι τῶν καμνόντων οἱ τὰς μακρὰς κάμνοντες ἀσθενείας;
Or is it because, among the sick, those suffering from long illnesses are in a similar state to the elderly?
οἷον γὰρ ἤδη γῆρας ἡ μακρὰ ἀσθένεια συμβαίνει· τὸ γὰρ σῶμα ἀμφοῖν ξηρὸν καὶ ψυχρόν ἐστιν, τῶν μὲν δι’ ἡλικίαν, τῶν δὲ διὰ νόσον.
For a long illness turns out to be, as it were, already old age; for the body of both is dry and cold, of the one due to age, of the other due to disease.
ὁ δὲ χειμὼν καὶ οἱ πάγοι ὑπερβολή ἐστι ψυχρότητος καὶ ξηρότητος.
And winter and frost are an excess of coldness and dryness.
μικρᾶς οὖν δεομένοις αὐτοῖς ῥοπῆς γίνεται οἷον πῦρ ἐπὶ πυρὶ ὁ χειμών, καὶ φθείρει διὰ ταῦτα.
Therefore, since they need only a small tilt, winter becomes like fire upon fire, and destroys them for these reasons.
§1.18Διὰ τί ἐν τοῖς ἑλώδεσι τὰ μὲν ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ ἕλκη ταχὺ ὑγιάζεται, τὰ δὲ ἐν ταῖς κνήμαις μόλις;
Why, in marshy places, do wounds in the head heal quickly, but those in the shins with difficulty?
ἢ ὅτι βαρεῖα ἡ ὑγρότης διὰ τὸ γεώδης εἶναι, τὰ δὲ βαρέα εἰς τὸ κάτω ἀποχωρεῖ;
Or is it because the moisture is heavy due to being earthy, and heavy things depart downward?
τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄνω ἔκκριτα διὰ τὸ ἀποκεχωρηκέναι εἰς τὰ κάτω, τὰ δὲ κάτω πολλῆς γέμει περιττώσεως καὶ εὐσήπτου.
Therefore, the upper parts are cleared because of the departure to the lower parts, while the lower parts are full of abundant and easily putrefied residue.
§1.19Διὰ τί, ἐὰν τοῦ χειμῶνος γενομένου βορείου καὶ τοῦ ἔαρος νοτίου καὶ ἐπόμβρου τὸ θέρος λίαν αὐχμηρὸν γένηται, θανατῶδες γίνεται τὸ μετόπωρον πᾶσιν, μάλιστα δὲ τοῖς παιδίοις, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις δὲ δυσεντερίαι καὶ τεταρταῖοι χρόνιοι γίνονται ἐν αὐτῷ;
Why, if the winter is northerly, and the spring southerly and rainy, and the summer becomes excessively dry, does autumn become deadly to all, especially to children, and for others dysenteries and chronic quartan fevers occur in it?
ἢ ὅτι μετρίου μὲν ἐπιγενομένου ὕδατος θερινοῦ καταψυχθὲν τὸ ζέον ὑγρὸν ἐν ἡμῖν λωφᾷ, ὅσον ἠθροίσθη ἐν τῷ ἦρι γενομένῳ τῷ ὑγρῷ;
Or is it because, if moderate summer rain follows, the boiling moisture within us—as much as was accumulated during the wet spring—is cooled and abates?
εἰ δὲ μή, τὰ μὲν παιδία διὰ τὸ ὑγρὰ φύσει καὶ θερμὰ εἶναι ὑπερζεῖ τῷ πάθει, διὰ τὸ μὴ καταψυχθῆναι.
But if not, children, because they are by nature moist and warm, boil over under this condition, because they are not cooled.
ὅσα δὲ μὴ τοῦ θέρους, τοῦ μετοπώρου ὅσον ἐκζεῖ.
And as much as does not boil over in the summer, boils over in the autumn.
αἱ δὲ περιττώσεις ἐὰν μὴ εὐθὺς ἀνέλωσι, περὶ πνεύμονα καὶ ἀρτηρίαν γινόμεναι γὰρ ἄνω πρῶται συνίστανται διὰ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀέρος ἡμᾶς θερμαίνεσθαι· διὰ γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ ὀφθαλμίαι πυρετῶν πρότερον γίνονται ἐν τῷ νοσερῷ θέρει.
And if the residues are not immediately consumed, they first collect above, around the lungs and trachea, because we are warmed by the air (for because of these things, ophthalmias also occur before fevers in the unhealthy summer).
- ἐὰν οὖν μὴ ἐν τοῖς ἄνω, καθάπερ εἴρηται, τὰ περιττώματα εὐθὺς ἀνέλῃ, καταβαίνουσιν εἰς τὰς κοιλίας ἄπεπτα ὄντα, τοῦτο δέ ἐστι δυσεντερία, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐκκρίνεσθαι ὑπὸ πλήθους τὸ ὑγρόν.
If, therefore, they are not immediately consumed in the upper parts, as has been said, the residues descend into the bowels being undigested, and this is dysentery, because the moisture is not excreted due to its abundance.
καὶ ἐὰν παύσωνται, τεταρταῖοι γίνονται τοῖς σωζομένοις· ἡ γὰρ τοῦ ἀπέπτου ὑπόστασις μονιμωτάτη ἐστὶ καὶ σύντονος γίνεται τῷ σώματι, καθάπερ ἡ μέλαινα χολή.
And if they cease, they turn into quartan fevers for those who survive; for the sediment of the undigested matter is most persistent and becomes deep-seated in the body, just like black bile.