§2.36Διὰ τί τῶν ἱδρώτων διὰ θερμασίαν γινομένων πρὸς τὸ πολὺ πῦρ ἧττον ἱδροῦμεν;
Why, when sweat is produced because of heat, do we sweat less in the presence of a great fire?
ἢ διότι ἤτοι σφόδρα θερμαινομένου τοῦ σώματος εἰς πνεύματα ὑγρὰ διαλύεται, ἢ ἐκπίπτοντος τοῦ ὑγροῦ καὶ ταχὺ περιξηραινομένου τὴν αἴσθησιν οὐ λαμβάνομεν;
Is it because either, when the body is heated excessively, the moisture is dissolved into wet vapors, or because, though the moisture escapes, it is quickly dried up all around and we do not perceive it?
§2.37Διὰ τί τοῦ ἡλίου μᾶλλον θερμαίνοντος, ἐὰν μηδὲν περίβλημα ἔχωμεν,. . . ἱδρῶτες γίνονται τοῖς ἱματίοις ἱματίοις εριστελλομένοις;
Why is it that, when the sun is hotter, if we have no covering, sweats are produced when we are wrapped in cloaks?
καὶ περὶ τούτου ταὐτὰ ἐροῦμεν τῷ προτέρῳ.
And regarding this, we shall say the same things as in the previous question.
§2.38Διὰ τί τῶν ὀξειῶν κινήσεων μᾶλλον θερμαίνειν δοκουσῶν, τῶν δὲ νωθρῶν ἧττον, αἱ πρὸς τὸ σιμὸν πορεῖαι νωθρότεραι οὖσαι ἱδρῶτάς τε μᾶλλον ἐκκρίνουσιν καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα προσιστᾶσιν, ὡς θερμαίνουσαι μᾶλλον τῶν κατάντων;
Why is it that, although rapid movements seem to heat more and sluggish ones less, walking up a steep slope, which is more sluggish, both secretes more sweat and causes shortness of breath, as though it heated more than walking down?
ἢ ὅτι τοῖς βάρεσιν εἰς τὸ κάτω φέρεσθαι κατὰ φύσιν ἐστίν, εἰς δὲ τὸ ἄνω παρὰ φύσιν.
Or is it because for heavy weights to be carried downwards is natural, but upwards is contrary to nature?
ἡ οὖν τοῦ θερμοῦ φύσις ἡ φέρουσα ἡμᾶς πρὸς μὲν τὰ κατάντη οὐθὲν συμπονεῖ, πρὸς δὲ τὰ σιμὰ φορτηγοῦσα διατελεῖ.
Therefore the nature of the heat which carries us does not exert itself at all for walking down, but continues to carry a burden for walking up.
ὥστε διὰ μὲν τὴν τοιαύτην κίνησιν ἐκθερμαίνεται, καὶ μᾶλλον τοὺς ἱδρῶτας ἐκκρίνει, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα προσίστησιν.
So, because of such movement, the body is thoroughly heated, and secretes more sweat, and causes shortness of breath.
συμβάλλεται δέ τι ἐν ταῖς πορείαις καὶ ἡ τοῦ σώματος σύγκαμψις πρὸς τὸ μὴ εὐθυπορεῖν τὸ πνεῦμα προσιστᾶσα.
And the bending of the body during the walks also contributes something, causing shortness of breath by preventing the breath from traveling in a straight course.
§2.39Διὰ τί τῶν ἱδρώτων γινομένων, ὅσῳ ἂν ἐπιβάλληταί τις μᾶλλον, οὐχ οἱ τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν ἱματίων ἐπιβαλλόμενοι ἱδροῦσι;
Why is it that, although sweat is produced in proportion as one covers oneself more, those who cover themselves with the greatest number of clothes do not sweat the most?
καὶ περὶ τούτου ταὐτὰ ἐροῦμεν τῷ ἐπάνω.
And regarding this, we shall say the same things as above.
§2.40Διὰ τί τῶν σωμάτων ξηροτέρων ὄντων τοῦ θέρους ἢ τοῦ χειμῶνος, ἱδρωτικωτέρως διακείμεθα τοῦ θέρους;
Why is it that, although our bodies are drier in summer than in winter, we are more disposed to sweat in summer?
ἢ ὅτι τοῦ μὲν θέρους ἀραιῶν τῶν σωμάτων ὄντων τὸ τῆς φύσεως θερμὸν οὐ πολὺ κατέχεται;
Or is it because in summer, since our bodies are porous, the natural heat is not retained in great quantity?
διαλύει οὖν τὰ ὑγρὰ εἰς πνεῦμα.
It therefore dissolves the moisture into vapor.
τοῦ δὲ χειμῶνος πεπυκνωμένων ἐκτὸς τῶν σωμάτων, πολὺ κατειλημμένον τὸ τῆς φύσεως θερμὸν εἰς πνεῦμα οὐ διαλύει τὰ ὑγρὰ.
But in winter, since the exterior of our bodies is condensed, the natural heat, being retained in great quantity, does not dissolve the moisture into vapor.
ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦ μὲν θέρους πολὺ προσφερόμεθα τὸ ὑγρόν, τοῦ χειμῶνος δὲ τοὐναντίον.
And furthermore, in summer we take in a lot of moisture, but in winter the opposite.
§2.41Διὰ τί οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτομάτου γινόμενοι τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσιν ἱδρῶτες φαυλότεροι δοκοῦσιν εἶναι τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν πόνων;
Why do spontaneous sweats in healthy people seem to be worse than those caused by exertion?
ἢ ὅτι οἱ μὲν πόνοι ἀπαντλοῦντες ἀεὶ τὸ περιττεῦον ὑγρὸν ξηροτέραν τὴν σάρκα παρασκευάζουσιν, ὥστε τὰς κοιλίας τῶν πόρων ὑγιεινὰς εἶναι καὶ τῇ τοῦ θερμοῦ ἠθίσει μηδεμίαν ἔμφραξιν γίνεσθαι, οἱ δ’ αὐτόματοι μὲν προσαγορευόμενοι ἱδρῶτες, γινόμενοι δ’ ἐξ ἀνάγκης, ὅταν ὑπὸ πλείονος ὑγρασίας συγχεομένων τῶν τῆς φύσεως πόρων τὰ θερμὰ μὴ παντελῶς καταλαμβάνηται, ἀλλ’ ἔτι ἀπομάχεσθαι καὶ ἐκκρίνειν αὐτὸ δύνηται, εὐλόγως νόσου σημεῖα φαίνεται.
Or is it because exertions, always drawing off the superfluous moisture, make the flesh drier, so that the cavities of the pores remain healthy and no obstruction occurs to the percolation of the heat? While the sweats called spontaneous, though occurring of necessity, when, because of too much moisture, the natural pores are confused, the heat is not completely overwhelmed but is still able to fight back and excrete it, naturally appear as signs of disease?
τότε γὰρ ὑπὸ πλείονος ὑγρασίας ἢ τοῦ συμμέτρου κατὰ φύσιν ψύχεται, ἥ τε σὰρξ δίομβρος γενομένη τὴν κακίστην πρὸς ὑγίειαν διάθεσιν λαμβάνει.
For at that time, by moisture greater than what is naturally proportionate, the body is chilled, and the flesh, becoming soaked like a rain-swept field, falls into the worst condition for health.
§2.42Διὰ τί τοῦ χειμῶνος ἱδρῶτες ἧσσον γίνονται, καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐχ ὁμοίως παρασκευάζειν βουλόμεθα, ὑγροτέρων ὄντων τῶν σωμάτων τοῦ χειμῶνος;
Why is it that in winter sweats occur less, and we do not wish to produce them in like manner, although our bodies are more moist in winter?
ἢ ἧσσον μὲν ἱδροῦμεν, ὅτι τὰ ὑγρὰ τοῦ χειμῶνος πέπηγε καὶ συνέστηκε σφόδρα· δυσδιαλυτώτερα οὖν.
Or do we sweat less because the moisture in winter is frozen and thoroughly condensed, and is therefore harder to dissolve?
οὐχ ὑπολαμβάνομεν δὲ δεῖν ἱδρωτοποιεῖσθαι τοῦ χειμῶνος, διότι ἡ τοιαύτη διάθεσις ὑγιεινή.
And we do not think we ought to produce sweat in winter because such a state of body is healthy?
ὁ δὲ τοὺς ἱδρῶτας ἐμποιῶν τήκει καὶ συγχεῖ τὴν ἕξιν·
For one who produces sweats melts and confuses the bodily habit.
ἔτι τε καὶ ἀραιοτέραν τοῦ προσήκοντος ἐμποιῶν τό τε ἐντὸς θερμὸν ἀποκρίνων ἔλαττον ποιεῖ, ὥστε μὴ ὁμοίως δύνασθαι τῷ περιέχοντι ψυχρῷ ἀντιτετάχθαι· τό τε ἐκτὸς ὑγρὸν ῥᾳδιέστερον παρεμπεσεῖται τοῖς σώμασιν, ἀραιῶν τῶν πόρων διὰ τὰς ἱδρωτοποιίας 〈ὄντων〉.
And furthermore, by making the skin more porous than is proper, and by separating and reducing the internal heat, it makes it less able to resist the surrounding cold; and the external moisture will more easily penetrate into our bodies, since the pores are porous because of the sweat-producing processes.