§1.41Διὰ τί δὲ τὰ μὲν τὴν ἄνω κοιλίαν, τὰ δὲ τὴν κάτω κινεῖ, οἷον ἑλλέβορος μὲν τὴν ἄνω, σκαμμωνία δὲ τὴν κάτω, τὰ δὲ ἄμφω, οἷον ἐλατήριον καὶ τῆς θαψίας ὁ ὀπός;
Why do some drugs move the upper bowel, and others the lower, as hellebore moves the upper, and scammony the lower, and others both, as elaterium and the juice of thapsia?
ἢ ὅτι τὰ μέν ἐστι θερμά, τὰ δὲ ψυχρὰ τῶν φαρμάκων τῶν τὴν κοιλίαν κινούντων, ὥστε τὰ μὲν διὰ τὴν θερμότητα εὐθὺς ἐν τῇ ἄνω κοιλίᾳ ὄντα φέρεται ἐξ αὐτῆς πρὸς τὸν ἄνω τόπον, κἀκεῖθεν συντήξαντα μάλιστα μὲν τὰ ἀλλοτριώτατα καὶ ἥκιστα συμπεφυκότα, ἂν δὲ ἰσχυρὸν ᾖ τὸ φάρμακον ἢ πλέον δοθῇ τῆς φύσεως, κατάγει εἰς τὴν ἄνω κοιλίαν ταῦτά τε καὶ ἐάν τι περίττωμα ᾖ, καὶ διὰ τὴν θερμότητα ταράττον τὸ πνεῦμα πολὺ γινόμενον ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ, προσιστὰν τοὺς ἐμέτους ποιεῖ.
Is it because, among the drugs that move the bowel, some are warm and others cold, so that those which are warm, by reason of their warmth, being immediately in the upper bowel, are carried from it to the upper region, and from there, having dissolved especially the most foreign and least assimilated substances, if the drug is strong or is given in greater quantity than natural, they bring down both these and any residue that there may be into the upper bowel, and by reason of the warmth, disturbing the pneuma which becomes abundant because of it, and causing it to rise, they produce vomiting?
τὰ δὲ ψυχρὰ τὴν φύσιν αὐτῶν διὰ βάρος καὶ πρὶν παθεῖν τι ἢ ποιῆσαι κάτω φέρεται, κἀκεῖθεν ὁρμῶντα τὸ αὐτὸ δρᾷ τοῖς ἄνω· κατὰ γὰρ τοὺς πόρους ἀνιόντα ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ κινήσαντα ὧν ἂν κρατήσῃ περιττωμάτων καὶ συντηγμάτων, λαβόντα τὴν αὐτὴν ἄγει ὁδόν.
But those which are cold by nature, by reason of their weight, are carried downward before they suffer or produce anything, and starting from there, they do the same as the upper ones; for ascending from there through the passages, and having moved whatever residues and dissolved matters they master, taking them along, they lead them by the same way.
ὅσα δὲ ἀμφοῖν μετέχει καὶ ἐστὶ μικτὰ τῶν φαρμακωδῶν ἐκ θερμοῦ καὶ ψυχροῦ, ταῦτα δὲ δι’ ἑκατέραν τὴν δύναμιν ἀπεργάζεται ἄμφω, ὥσπερ καὶ νῦν παρασκευάζουσιν οἱ ἰατροὶ μιγνύντες ἀλλήλοις.
But those which partake of both and are mixed of warm and cold among medicinal things, these, through each of the two powers, work both results, just as physicians now prepare them by mixing them with one another.
§1.42Διὰ τί τὰ φάρμακα καθαίρει, ἄλλα δὲ πικρότερα ὄντα καὶ στρυφνότερα καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς τοιούτοις ὑπερβάλλοντα οὐ καθαίρει;
Why do drugs purge, while other things that are more bitter and more astringent and exceeding in other such qualities do not purge?
ἢ διότι οὐ διὰ τὰς τοιαύτας δυνάμεις καθαίρει, ἀλλ’ ὅτι ἄπεπτά ἐστιν;
Is it because they do not purge through such powers, but because they are indigestible?
ὅσα γὰρ δι’ ὑπερβολὴν θερμότητος ἢ ψυχρότητος, μικρὰ ὄντα τοὺς ὄγκους, ἄπεπτά ἐστι καὶ οἷα κρατεῖν, ἀλλὰ μὴ κρατεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ζῴων θερμότητος, εὐδιάχυτα ὄντα ὑπὸ τῶν δύο κοιλιῶν, ταῦτα φάρμακά ἐστιν.
For those which, through excess of heat or cold, though small in bulk, are indigestible and of such a nature as to master, but not to be mastered by the heat of animals, and are easily dispersed by the two bowels, these are drugs.
ὅταν γὰρ εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν εἰσέλθωσι καὶ διαχυθῶσι, φέρονται καθ’ οὕσπερ ἡ τροφὴ πόρους εἰς τὰς φλέβας, οὐ πεφθέντα δέ, ἀλλὰ κρατήσαντα ἐκπίπτει φέροντα τὰ ἐμπόδια αὐτοῖς· καὶ καλεῖται τοῦτο κάθαρσις.
For when they enter the bowel and are dispersed, they are carried through the same passages as food into the veins, but not being digested, but mastering, they break out, carrying along with them the obstacles in their way; and this is called purging.
χαλκὸς δὲ καὶ ἄργυρος καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἄπεπτα μέν ἐστιν ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ζῴων θερμότητος, ἀλλ’ οὐκ εὐδιάχυτα ταῖς κοιλίαις.
But copper and silver and such things are indeed indigestible by the heat of animals, but are not easily dispersed by the bowels.
ἔλαιον δὲ καὶ μέλι καὶ γάλα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα τῆς τροφῆς καθαίρει, ἀλλ’ οὐ τῷ ποιῷ, ἀλλὰ τῷ ποσῷ· ὅταν γὰρ διὰ πλῆθος ἄπεπτα γένηται, τότε καθαίρει, ἄνπερ καθαίρῃ.
But oil, honey, milk, and such kinds of food purge, not by their quality, but by their quantity; for when through abundance they become undigested, then they purge, if indeed they purge.
διὰ δύο γὰρ αἰτίας ἄπεπτά ἐστιν, διὰ τὸ ποιὰ αὐτὰ εἶναι ἢ διὰ τὸ ποσά.
For things are undigested for two reasons, either because they are of a certain quality or because they are of a certain quantity.
διόπερ οὐ φάρμακόν ἐστιν οὐδὲν τῶν εἰρημένων· οὐδὲ γὰρ διὰ δύναμιν καθαίρει.
Wherefore none of the things mentioned is a drug; for neither does it purge through a power.
στρυφνότης δὲ καὶ πικρότης συμβέβηκεν τοῖς φαρμάκοις καὶ δυσωδία τῷ ἐναντίον εἶναι τῇ τροφῇ τὸ φάρμακον.
But astringency, bitterness, and bad smell happen to drugs because the drug is contrary to food.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ πεφθὲν ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως, τοῦτο προσφύεται τοῖς σώμασι καὶ καλεῖται τροφή· τὸ δὲ μὴ πεφυκὸς κρατεῖσθαι, εἰσιόν τε εἰς τὰς φλέβας καὶ δι’ ὑπερβολὴν θερμότητος ἢ ψυχρότητος ταράττον· αὕτη δὲ φαρμάκου φύσις ἐστίν.
For that which is digested by nature becomes assimilated to bodies and is called food; but that which is not of a nature to be mastered enters the veins and, by excess of heat or cold, causes disturbance; and this is the nature of a drug.
§1.43Διὰ τί τὸ μὲν πέπερι πολὺ μὲν ὂν τὴν κύστιν λύει, ὀλίγον δὲ τὴν κοιλίαν, ἡ δὲ σκαμμωνία πολλὴ οὖσα τὴν κοιλίαν λύει, ὀλίγη δὲ καὶ παλαιὰ τὴν κύστιν;
Why does pepper, when abundant, purge the bladder, but when small in quantity, the bowel, while scammony, when abundant, purges the bowel, but when small in quantity and old, the bladder?
ἢ διότι ἑκάτερον ἑκατέρας ἐστὶ κινητικώτερον;
Is it because each is more motive of each?
τὸ μὲν γὰρ πέπερι οὐρητικόν ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ σκαμμωνία κατωτερικόν.
For pepper is diuretic, and scammony is purgative of the lower bowel.
τὸ μὲν οὖν πέπερι πολὺ μὲν ὂν φέρεται εἰς τὴν κύστιν καὶ οὐ διαχεῖται ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ, ὀλίγον δὲ ὂν κρατηθὲν διαλύει καὶ γίνεται φάρμακον αὐτῆς.
Therefore pepper, when abundant, is carried into the bladder and is not dispersed in the bowel, but when small in quantity, being mastered, it dissolves and becomes a drug for it.
ἡ δὲ σκαμμωνία πολλὴ μὲν οὖσα εἰς τοῦτο κρατεῖται ὥστε διαχυθῆναι, διαχυθεῖσα δὲ γίνεται φάρμακον διὰ τὴν εἰρημένην ἐν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω αἰτίαν· ὀλίγη δὲ οὖσα μετὰ τοῦ ποτοῦ ἀναπίνεται εἰς τοὺς πόρους, καὶ ταχὺ πρὶν ταράξαι καταφέρεται εἰς τὴν κύστιν, καὶ ἐκεῖ τῇ αὑτῆς δυνάμει ἀπάγει τὰ περιττώματα καὶ τὰ συντήγματα ὅσα ἐπιπολῆς ἐστίν.
But scammony, when abundant, is held back so as to be dispersed, and being dispersed, it becomes a drug through the cause mentioned above; but when small in quantity, it is absorbed with the drink into the passages, and quickly, before causing disturbance, is carried down into the bladder, and there by its own power carries away the residues and dissolved matters as far as they are on the surface.
ἡ δὲ πολλή, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, διὰ τὴν ἰσχὺν πολὺν χρόνον ἐμμείνασα κατάγει πολλὴν κάθαρσιν καὶ γεώδη.
But when abundant, as has been said, remaining for a long time because of its strength, it brings down a great and earthy purging.