§1.20Διὰ τί, ἐὰν τὸ θέρος ἔπομβρον γένηται καὶ νότιον, καὶ τὸ μετόπωρον, ὁ χειμὼν νοσερὸς γίνεται;
Why, if the summer is rainy and southerly, and the autumn likewise, does the winter become unhealthy?
ἢ ὅτι σφόδρα ὑγρὰ τὰ σώματα ὁ χειμὼν λαμβάνει, καὶ ἡ μεταβολὴ ἔτι μεγάλη γίνεται ἐξ ἀλέας πολλῆς καὶ οὐκ ἐκ προσαγωγῆς, διὰ τὸ καὶ τὸ μετόπωρον γίνεσθαι ἀλεεινόν, ὥστε τοῖς μὲν γίνεσθαι ἀνάγκη τὰ ὀξέα νοσήματα, μὴ ἀραιοῖς οὖσι·
Or is it because the winter receives the bodies in a very moist state, and the change becomes even greater, from much warmth and not gradually, because the autumn also becomes warm, so that for those who are not porous, acute diseases must arise?
τοῖς γὰρ τοιούτοις ἄνω μᾶλλον τὰ ὑγρὰ περιττώματα ἀθροίζεται, διὰ τὸ τούτους μὲν τοὺς τόπους ἔχειν χώραν, τοὺς δὲ κάτω ἑτέρους εἶναι.
For in such persons the moist residues collect more in the upper parts, because these regions have space, whereas the lower parts are different.
οἱ οὖν ὄντες πυκνόσαρκοι οὐ πολλὰ περιττώματα δέχονται.
Therefore, those who are close-fleshed do not receive many residues.
ψυχομένης οὖν τῆς περιττώσεως τῆς ἐν τοῖς ἄνω μέρεσιν τοῦ σώματος, ὥσπερ τοῖς οἰνωμένοις ὅταν ῥιγῶσιν, τὰ εἰρημένα νοσήματα συμβαίνει γίνεσθαι.
Thus, when the residue in the upper parts of the body is cooled, just as with those who are drunk when they shiver, the aforementioned diseases happen to occur.
τοῖς δὲ ἀραιοτέροις πυρετῶν γενομένων, τοὺς ἀπὸ πλείστης ἀπεψίας γενομένους πυρετοὺς καύσους συμβαίνει γίνεσθαι, διὰ τὸ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐσκεδάσθαι μὲν μᾶλλον κατὰ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα τὰ ὑγρὰ ἢ τοῖς πυκνοσάρκοις, συνισταμένης δὲ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος θερμαινόμενα τὰ ὑγρὰ πυρετοὺς ποιεῖν.
But for those who are more porous, when fevers arise, those fevers which arise from the greatest indigestion turn into burning fevers (causos), because in such persons the moistures are more dispersed throughout the whole body than in the close-fleshed, and when their flesh is contracted by the winter, the warmed moistures produce fevers.
ἡ γὰρ παντὸς τοῦ σώματος ὑπερβάλλουσα θερμότης ἐστὶ πυρετός· ἐπιτεινομένη δὲ διὰ τὸ p πλῆθος τῆς ἐνυπαρχούσης αὐτοῖς ὑγρότητος καῦσος γίνεται.
For the excessive heat of the whole body is fever; and when it is intensified due to the abundance of the moisture inherent in them, it becomes a burning fever (causos).
§1.21Διὰ τί, ὅταν ἐκ γῆς ἀτμὸς ἀνίῃ πολὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου, τὸ ἔτος λοιμῶδες γίνεται;
Why, when much vapor rises from the earth under the sun, does the year become pestilential?
ἢ ὅτι ὑγρὸν ἀνάγκη καὶ ἔπομβρον τὸ ἒτος σημαίνειν, καὶ τὴν γῆν ὑγρὰν ἀνάγκη εἶναι;
Or is it because it must indicate that the year is moist and rainy, and the earth must be moist?
οἷον οὖν ἐν ἑλώδει τόπῳ ἡ οἲκησις γίνεται.
Therefore, the habitation becomes as if in a marshy place.
νοσώδης δὲ ἡ τοιαύτη ἐστίν.
And such a habitation is unhealthy.
καὶ τὰ σώματα δὴ τότε ἀνάγκη περίττωμα πολὺ ἔχειν, ὥστε ἐν τῷ θέρει ἔχειν ὕλην νοσώδη.
And then the bodies also must have much residue, so that in the summer they have the matter for disease.
§1.22Διὰ τί γίνεται τὰ ἔτη νοσώδη, ὅταν γένηται φορὰ τῶν μικρῶν βατράχων τῶν φρυνοειδῶν;
Why do years become unhealthy when there is an abundance of small toad-like frogs?
ἢ ὅτι ἕκαστον εὐσθενεῖ ἐν τῇ οἰκείᾳ χώρᾳ τῆς φύσεως;
Or is it because each thing thrives in its own proper place of nature?
καὶ ταῦτα δὴ φύσει ἐστὶν ὑγρά, ὥστε ἔπομβρον καὶ ὑγρὸν σημαίνειν τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν γίνεσθαι.
And these indeed are by nature moist, so as to indicate that the year becomes rainy and moist.
τὰ δὲ τοιαῦτα ἔτη νοσώδη ἐστίν· ὑγρὰ γὰρ τὰ σώματα ὄντα πολὺ ἔχει τὸ περίττωμα, ὅ ἐστι τῶν νόσων αἴτιον.
And such years are unhealthy; for the bodies, being moist, have much residue, which is the cause of diseases.
§1.23Διὰ τί οἱ νότοι οἱ ξηροὶ καί μὴ ὑδατώδεις πυρετώδεις εἰσίν;
Why are dry and non-rainy south winds fever-inducing?
ἢ ὃτι ὑγρότητα καὶ θέρμην ἀλλοτρίαν ποιοῦσιν;
Or is it because they produce foreign moisture and warmth?
εἰσὶ γὰρ ὑγροὶ καὶ θερμοὶ φύσει.
For they are by nature moist and warm.
τοῦτο δ’ ἐστὶ πυρετῶδες· ὁ γὰρ πυρετὸς ἐξ ἀμφοτέρας τῆς τούτων ἐστὶν ὑπερβολῆς.
And this is a feverish condition; for fever arises from the excess of both of these.
ὅταν μὲν οὖν ἄνευ ὕδατος πνέωσι, ταύτην ἐν ἡμῖν ποιοῦσι τὴν διάθεσιν, ὅταν δὲ ἅμα ὕδατι, τὸ ὕδωρ καταψύχει ἡμᾶς.
Therefore, when they blow without water, they produce this disposition in us, but when they blow with water, the water cools us.
οἱ δὲ ἐκ θαλάττης νότοι καὶ συμφέρουσι τοῖς φυτοῖς· ἐψυγμένοι γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάττης ἀφικνοῦνται πρὸς αὐτά.
But the south winds from the sea are also beneficial to plants; for they arrive at them cooled by the sea.
αἱ δ’ ἐρυσίβαι γίνονται ὑπὸ ὑγρότητος καὶ θέρμης ἀλλοτρίας.
And mildews are produced by foreign moisture and warmth.
§1.24Διὰ τί ἐν τοῖς νότοις βαρύτερον ἔχουσι καὶ ἀδυνατώτερον οἱ ἄνθρωποι;
Why do people feel heavier and weaker in south winds?
ἢ ὅτι ἐξ ὀλίγου πολὺ ὑγρὸν γίνεται διατηκόμενον διὰ τὴν ἀλέαν καὶ ἐκ πνεύματος κούφου ὑγρὸν βαρύ;
Or is it because, through melting due to the warmth, much moisture arises from a small amount, and from light breath (pneuma) comes heavy moisture?
ἔτι δὲ ἡ δύναμις ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς ἄρθροις ἐστί· ταῦτα δὲ ἀνίεται ὑπὸ τῶν νοτίων.
And furthermore, our strength is in our joints; and these are relaxed by south winds.
δηλοῦσι δὲ οἱ ψόφοι τῶν κεκολλημένων.
And this is shown by the noises made by things glued together.
τὸ γὰρ γλίσχρον ἐν τοῖς ἄρθροις πεπηγὸς μὲν κινεῖσθαι κωλύει ἡμᾶς, ὑγρὸν δὲ λίαν ὂν συντείνεσθαι.
For the sticky substance in the joints, when congealed, prevents us from moving, but when excessively moist, it prevents us from exerting tension.
§1.25Διὰ τί ἀρρωστοῦσι μὲν μᾶλλον τοῦ θέρους, ἀποθνήσκουσι δὲ μᾶλλον οἱ ἀρρωστοῦντες τοῦ χειμῶνος;
Why do people fall ill more in the summer, but the sick die more in the winter?
ἢ ὅτι τοῦ χειμῶνος διὰ τὴν πυκνότητα ἐντὸς τῶν σωμάτων συνεσταλμένου τοῦ θερμοῦ, καὶ πονοῦντες μᾶλλον, εἰ μὴ πέττοιμεν, τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν συνισταμένων περιττωμάτων, ἰσχυρὰν ἀνάγκη τὴν ἀρχὴν εἶναι τῆς νόσου;
Or is it because in the winter, the heat being contracted inside the body due to its density, and the residues accumulated within us, and we suffering more if we do not digest them, the beginning of the disease is necessarily strong?
τοιαύτην δὲ οὖσαν φθαρτικὴν εἰκός ἐστιν αὐτὴν εἶναι.
And since it is of such a nature, it is likely to be destructive.
ἐν δὲ τῷ θέρει, μανοῦ καὶ κατεψυγμένου παντὸς τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἐκλελυμένου πρὸς τοὺς πόνους ὄντος, ἀρχὰς νόσων ἀνάγκη πλείους μὲν γίνεσθαι διά τε κόπους καὶ ἀπεψίαν τῶν εἰσφερομένων (καὶ γὰρ οἱ νέοι καρποὶ τότε εἰσίν), ἀλλ’ οὐχ οὕτως ἰσχυράς, διὸ εὐβοήθητοι.
But in the summer, the whole body being porous, cooled, and relaxed with respect to labors, the beginnings of diseases must arise more in number due to both fatigue and indigestion of what is ingested (for new fruits are present then), but they are not so strong, wherefore they are easily treated.