§2.31Διὰ τί οἱ ἀγωνιῶντες ἱδροῦσι τοὺς πόδας, τὸ δὲ πρόσωπον οὔ, ἐν τῷ ἄλλῳ βίῳ ἱδρούντων ἡμῶν μάλιστα μὲν τὸ πρόσωπον, ἥκιστα δὲ τοὺς πόδας;
Why do those who are anxious sweat in their feet, but not in their face, when in the rest of life we sweat most in the face, and least in the feet?
ἢ ὅτι ἡ ἀγωνία φόβος τίς ἐστι πρὸς ἀρχὴν ἔργου, ὁ δὲ φόβος κατάψυξις τῶν ἄνω·
Is it because anxiety is a kind of fear at the beginning of an action, and fear is a chilling of the upper parts?
διὸ καὶ ὠχριῶσι τὰ πρόσωπα οἱ ἀγωνιῶντες.
Wherefore also those who are anxious grow pale in their faces.
κινοῦνται δὲ καὶ σκαίρουσι τοῖς ποσί· ποιοῦσι γὰρ τοῦτο οἱ ἀγωνιῶντες καὶ καθάπερ γυμνάζονται·
And they move and twitch with their feet; for those who are anxious do this and, as it were, exercise.
διόπερ εἰκότως ἱδροῦσι ταῦτα οἷς πονοῦσι καὶ τρίβουσι δὲ τὰς χεῖρας καὶ συγκαθιᾶσι καὶ ἐκτείνονται καὶ ἐξάλλονται καὶ οὐδέποτε ἠρεμοῦσιν· ὁρμητικοὶ γάρ εἰσι πρὸς τὸ ἔργον διὰ τὸ τὸ θερμὸν αὐτῶν ἠθροῖσθαι εἰς τὸν περὶ τὸ στῆθος τόπον ὄντα εὐσωματωδέστερον· ὅθεν πάντη διάττοντος αὐτοῦ τε καὶ τοῦ αἵματος συμβαίνει πυκνὴν καὶ ποικίλην γίνεσθαι κίνησιν.
Wherefore they naturally sweat in those parts with which they exert themselves; and they also rub their hands, and crouch, and stretch themselves, and leap up, and are never at rest; for they are eager for action because their heat is gathered into the region around the chest, which is more capable of containing it; whence, as both it and the blood rush in all directions, it happens that frequent and varied movement occurs.
μάλιστα δὲ ἱδροῦσι τοὺς πόδας, ὅτι οὗτοι μὲν συνεχῶς πονοῦσιν, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα μέρη τοῦ σώματος ἀναπαύσεως τυγχάνει ταῖς τῶν σχημάτων καὶ κινήσεων μεταβολαῖς.
And they sweat most in their feet, because these exert themselves continuously, whereas the other parts of the body obtain rest by the changes of postures and movements.
§2.32Διὰ τί ἐν τοῖς πυριατηρίοις οὔτε ἀθρόου τοῦ πυρὸς ὄντος μᾶλλον ἱδροῦσιν, οὔτ’ ἐλάττονος ἀεὶ γινομένου, ἀλλὰ πλείονος;
Why is it that in vapor baths people do not sweat more when the heat is present all at once, nor when it is always less, but when it becomes greater?
ἐπεισφερομένου γὰρ τὰ πυριατήρια μᾶλλον ἱδροῦσιν ἢ εἴπερ εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς τοσοῦτον ἦν τὸ πῦρ.
For when it is introduced in addition, they sweat more in the vapor baths than if the fire had been so great right from the beginning.
ἢ τὸ μὲν πολὺ ἐκ πρώτης ξηρὰν λαμβάνον τὴν ἐπιπολῆς σάρκα καὶ δέρμα καίει καὶ ὀστρακοῖ, γενομένη δὲ τοιαύτη τέγγει τοὺς ἱδρῶτας.
Or is it because a great amount of heat from the very first, finding the superficial flesh and skin dry, burns and parches them like pottery, and when the skin has become like this, it blocks the sweat?
τὸ δὲ ὀλίγον μᾶλλον τὴν σάρκα ἀνιὲν αὐτήν τε ἀραιοῖ, καὶ τὰ ἐντὸς καθάπερ ὀργάζει πρὸς τὴν διάκρισιν καὶ ἐξαγωγήν.
But a small amount of heat rather relaxes the flesh and makes it porous, and, as it were, kneads the inner parts for separation and excretion.
οὕτω δ’ ἐχούσης αὐτῆς, ἐπεισενεχθὲν πλέον πῦρ καὶ εἰσδυόμενον εἰς βάθος τῆς σαρκὸς δι’ ἀραιότητα ἐξατμίζει τε τὰ προμαλαχθέντα ὑγρά, καὶ τὰ λεπτὰ αὐτῶν ἀποκρῖνον ἐξάγει μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος.
When the flesh is in this state, more heat being introduced and penetrating into the depth of the flesh because of its porousness, both vaporizes the pre-softened moisture and, separating the thin parts of it, draws them out with the breath.
§2.33Πότερον δεῖ μᾶλλον τοῦ θέρους παρασκευάζειν τὸ ἱδροῦν ἢ τοῦ χειμῶνος;
Should one prepare to sweat more in summer or in winter?
ἢ τοῦ μὲν χειμῶνος συστελλόμενον ἐντὸς τὸ θερμὸν ἐκπέττει καὶ πνευματοῖ τὰ ἐν ἡμῖν ὑγρά, διὸ πάντων αὐτῶν ἢ τῶν πλείστων ἀναλισκομένων οὐδὲν δεῖται συγγενοῦς ἀποκρίσεως.
Or is it because in winter the heat, being contracted within, digests and vaporizes the moisture in us, wherefore, as all or most of it is consumed, there is no need for any kindred excretion?
τοῦ δὲ θέρους δι’ ἀραιᾶς τῆς σαρκὸς ἐκπίπτοντος τοῦ θερμοῦ ἧττον πέττεται τὰ ἐν ἡμῖν ὑγρά· διὸ δεῖται ἀπαντλήσεως.
But in summer, since the heat escapes through the porous flesh, the moisture in us is less digested; wherefore it requires drawing off.
ἐμμείναντα γὰρ διὰ τὴν ὥραν σήπεται καὶ νοσοποιεῖ.
For if it remains inside, because of the season, it putrefies and causes disease.
σήπεται γὰρ πᾶν τὸ σηπόμενον ὑπ’ ἀλλοτρίου θερμοῦ, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ οἰκείου πέττεται.
For everything that putrefies does so under the influence of foreign heat, but by its own innate heat it is digested.
ἐν μὲν οὖν τῷ θέρει τὸ ἀλλότριον ἰσχύει, διὸ σήπεται πάντα μᾶλλον ἐν αὐτῷ, ἐν δὲ τῷ χειμῶνι τὸ οἰκεῖον· διὸ οὐ σήπει ὁ χειμών.
In summer, then, the foreign heat is strong, wherefore everything putrefies more in it; but in winter, the innate heat is strong, wherefore winter does not cause putrefaction.
§2.34Διὰ τί τῶν ἱδρώτων γινομένων ὑπὸ τῆς ἐντὸς θερμασίας ἢ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκτὸς προσπιπτούσης, πρὸς ἐνίων ἱδρώτων φρίττομεν;
Why is it that, although sweat is produced either by internal heat or by external heat falling upon us, we shiver in the case of some sweats?
ἢ διότι ὑπὸ μὲν τῆς ἐντὸς θερμασίας ὅταν ἐκπίπτωσιν ἐκ πολλοῦ τόπου εἰς ὀλίγον, συστελλομένοις πρὸς τὴν περιοχὴν παντελῶς τὰς τοῦ θερμοῦ περιόδους ἀποφράττουσιν, εἶτα ἡ φρίκη ἐγγίνεται;
Or is it because, in the case of sweat from internal heat, when they escape from a large space into a small one, as they contract towards the surface, they completely block the passages of the heat, and then shivering arises?
ἔτι τῆς σαρκὸς παντελῶς διαβρόχου γινομένης καὶ τοῦ θερμοῦ διεξιόντος.
Furthermore, because the flesh becomes completely soaked and the heat passes out?
ἡ δὲ ἐκτὸς θερμασία προσπίπτουσα ἀραιοῖ τὸν χρῶτα πρῶτον· εἶτα τὸ ἐντὸς τῆς φύσεως θερμὸν ἀποκρινάμενον τὴν φρίκην ἐποίησεν.
While the external heat falling upon us first makes the skin porous; then the natural heat within, being separated, produces the shivering.
§2.35Διὰ τί τῶν ἱδρώτων οἱ θερμοὶ κρίνονται βελτίους εἶναι τῶν ψυχρῶν;
Why is it that of sweats, the warm are judged to be better than the cold?
ἢ ὅτι πᾶς μὲν ἱδρὼς περιττώματός τινος ἔκκρισίς ἐστιν, εἰκὸς δὲ τὸ μὲν ὀλίγον περίττωμα ἐκθερμαίνεσθαι, τὸ δὲ πλεῖον μὴ ὁμοίως, ὥστε ὁ ψυχρὸς ἱδρὼς πολλοῦ περιττώματος ἂν εἴη σημεῖον·
Or is it because, while every sweat is an excretion of some residue, it is likely that a small residue is thoroughly warmed, but a larger amount is not so in like manner?
διὸ καὶ μακροτέρας τὰς νόσους δηλοῖ.
So that cold sweat would be a sign of much residue; wherefore also it indicates longer diseases.