§3.16Διὰ τί ὁ οἶνος καὶ τετυφωμένους ποιεῖ καὶ μανικούς;
Why is it that wine makes people both stupefied and frenzied?
ἐναντία γὰρ ἡ διάθεσις· ὁ μὲν γὰρ μᾶλλον ἤδη ἐν κινήσει, ὁ δὲ ἧττον.
For these dispositions are contrary: for the one is already rather in motion, while the other is less so.
ἢ ὥσπερ Χαιρήμων εἶπεν· τῶν χρωμένων γὰρ τοῖς τρόποις κεράννυται. τἀναντία οὖν ποιεῖ οὐ ταὐτά, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ ὁμοίως ἔχοντα, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ πῦρ τὰ μὲν ξηραίνει, τὰ δὲ ὑγραίνει, ἀλλ’ οὐ ταὐτά, καὶ τήκει τὸν κρύσταλλον καὶ πήγνυσι τοὺς ἅλας.
Or is it as Chaeremon said: "For it is blended with the characters of those who use it." Therefore, it produces contrary effects, not on the same things, but on things that are not in a similar state, just as fire also dries some things, but moistens others—not the same things—and melts ice and solidifies salt.
καὶ ὁ οἶνος (ὑγρὸς γάρ ἐστι τὴν φύσιν) τοὺς μὲν βραδυτέρους ἐπιτείνει καὶ θάττους ποιεῖ, τοὺς δὲ θάττους ἐκλύει.
And wine too (for it is moist by nature) intensifies those who are slower and makes them faster, but relaxes those who are faster.
διὸ ἔνιοι τῶν μελαγχολικῶν τῇ φύσει ἐν ταῖς κραιπάλαις ἐκλελυμένοι γίνονται πάμπαν.
Therefore, some of those who are melancholic by nature become completely relaxed during hangovers.
ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ λουτρὸν τοὺς μὲν συνδεδεμένους τὸ σῶμα καὶ σκληροὺς εὐκινήτους ποιεῖ, τοὺς δὲ εὐκινήτους καὶ ὑγροὺς ἐκλύει, οὕτως ὁ οἶνος, ὥσπερ λούων τὰ ἐντός, ἀπεργάζεται τοῦτο.
For just as a bath makes those whose body is bound and stiff easily movable, but relaxes those who are easily movable and moist, so wine, as if washing the inner parts, produces this effect.
§3.17Διὰ τί ἡ κράμβη παύει τὴν κραιπάλην;
Why does cabbage stop a hangover?
ἢ ὅτι τὸν μὲν χυλὸν γλυκὺν καὶ ῥυπτικὸν ἔχει (διὸ καὶ κλύζουσιν αὐτῷ τὴν κοιλίαν οἱ ἰατροί), αὐτὴ δ’ ἐστὶ ψυχρά.
Or is it because it has its juice sweet and purgative (wherefore also physicians wash out the stomach with it), but itself is cold?
σημεῖον δέ· πρὸς γὰρ τὰς σφοδρὰς διαρροίας χρῶνται αὐτῇ οἱ ἰατροί, ἕψοντες σφόδρα καὶ ἀποξυλίζοντες καὶ ψύχοντες.
And this is a sign: for physicians use it against severe diarrhea, boiling it thoroughly, extracting the juice, and cooling it.
συμβαίνει δὴ τῶν κραιπαλώντων τὸν μὲν χυλὸν αὐτῆς εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν κατασπᾶν τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς ὑγρά, οἰνηρὰ καὶ ἄπεπτα ὄντα, αὐτὴν δὲ ὑπολειπομένην ἐν τῇ ἄνω κοιλίᾳ ψύχειν τὸ σῶμα.
Consequently, in the case of those with hangovers, its juice draws down into the bowels the fluids in them, which are winy and undigested, while the cabbage itself, remaining behind in the upper stomach, cools the body.
ψυχομένου δὲ ὑγρὰ λεπτὰ συμβαίνει εἰς τὴν κύστιν φέρεσθαι, ὥστε κατ’ ἀμφότερα τῶν ὑγρῶν ἐκκρινομένων διὰ τοῦ σώματος, καὶ καταψυχομένου, εἰκότως ἀκραίπαλοι γίνονται· ὁ γὰρ οἶνος ὑγρὸς καὶ θερμός ἐστιν.
And as the body is cooled, it happens that thin fluids are carried to the bladder, so that, with the fluids being excreted through the body in both ways, and the body being cooled, they naturally get rid of their hangover; for wine is moist and hot.
ἔτι δὲ συμβαίνει τῶν ὑγρῶν κατασπωμένων καὶ ἐκκρινομένων κάτω καὶ πνεῦμα ἐπάγεσθαι αὐτοῖς, ὅθεν μόνον ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴνου εἰς τὴν κεφαλὴν φερόμενον τὸν κάρον καὶ τὴν κραιπάλην ποιεῖ.
Furthermore, as the fluids are drawn down and excreted below, it happens that wind is also drawn down along with them, which, when carried from the wine to the head alone, produces stupor and hangover.
κάτω δὲ ὁρμήσαντος καὶ καταψυχομένου τοῦ σώματος διὰ τὰ εἰρημένα, λύεται ὁ τῆς κραιπάλης πόνος.
But when it has rushed downwards and the body is cooled for the reasons mentioned, the pain of hangover is resolved.
ἒστι γὰρ ἡ κραιπάλη ζέσις τις καὶ φλεγμασία λήγουσα.
For hangover is a certain boiling and a subsiding inflammation.
λυπεῖ δὲ μᾶλλον τῆς μέθης, ὅτι ἐκείνη μὲν ἐξίστησιν, ἡ δὲ κραιπάλη ἐν ἑαυτοῖς οὖσι τὸν πόνον παρέχει· καθάπερ οὖν καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν πυρετῶν οἱ λαμβανόμενοι παίζουσι μᾶλλον ἢ ἀλγοῦσι, παρ’ αὑτοῖς δὲ γενόμενοι οἱ αὐτοί, κουφισθέντες τοῦ πάθους, ἀλγοῦσιν.
And it causes more distress than drunkenness, because the latter puts people out of their minds, whereas hangover causes pain to those who are in their right senses; just as those seized by fevers also make sport rather than feel pain, but when the same people come to themselves, being relieved of the disease, they feel pain.
ταὐτὰ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κραιπάλης καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς μέθης συμβαίνει.
For the same things happen in the case of hangover and drunkenness.
§3.18Διὰ τί μᾶλλον ἐμετιᾶν ποιεῖ ὁ ὑδαρὴς οἶνος ἢ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ ὁ ἄκρατος;
Why does watery wine make people vomit more than water and unmixed wine?
ἢ ὅτι ἐμεῖν μὲν μάλιστα ποιεῖ τὰ ἐπιπολαστικὰ καὶ ὅσα ἀηδῆ ἐστίν.
Or is it because things that float on the surface and whatever is unpleasant especially make people vomit?
ἔστι δὲ ὁ μὲν οἶνος κατακρουστικός, τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ λεπτὸν καὶ οὐκ ἀηδές.
And wine is downward-pressing, while water is thin and not unpleasant.
διὰ μὲν οὖν τὸ λεπτὸν καὶ οὐκ ἀηδὲς εἶναι κάτω διέρχεται ταχύ, διὰ δὲ τὸ μὴ ἀηδὲς οὐ ποιεῖ καρδιώττειν.
Therefore, because of being thin and not unpleasant, water passes downwards quickly, and because of not being unpleasant, it does not cause heartburn.
ὁ δὲ κεκραμένος λίαν οὐκ ἔστι λεπτὸς ὥστε διαρρεῖν ταχύ, διὰ δὲ τὸ μικρὸν ἔχειν οἴνου ἀηδής ἐστιν· ταράττει γὰρ τὴν αἴσθησιν τῷ πλείους ἐν αὐτῇ κινήσεις ἐμποιεῖν, τήν τ’ ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴνου καὶ τοῦ ὕδατος·
But wine that is excessively diluted is not thin so as to flow through quickly, and because of having a little wine, it is unpleasant; for it disturbs perception by producing several movements in it, both that from the wine and that from the water; for both become perceptible.
αἰσθηταὶ γὰρ ἄμφω γίνονται. ὁ δ’ εὔκρατος τὴν μὲν τοῦ ὕδατος αἴσθησιν ἀφανίζει, οἴνου δὲ μαλακοῦ ποιεῖ αἴσθησιν· διὸ ἡδέως πίνεται.
On the other hand, well-diluted wine makes the perception of water disappear, and produces a perception of mild wine; therefore it is drunk with pleasure.
ἀηδὴς δὲ ὢν ὁ ὑδαρὴς οἶνος ἐπιπολαστικός ἐστιν· τὸ δὲ τοιοῦτον ἐμετικόν ἐστιν.
But watery wine, being unpleasant, floats on the surface; and such a thing is emetic.
§3.19Διὰ τί μεθύοντες μᾶλλον διαισθανόμεθα τὰ ἁλυκὰ καὶ τὰ μοχθηρὰ ὕδατα, νήφοντες δ’ ἧττον;
Why is it that when we are drunk we perceive salty and bad waters more, but when sober less?
ἢ ὅτι τὰ λυπηρὰ μᾶλλον δῆλα τοῖς μὴ ἐπιθυμοῦσι, τοὺς δ’ ἐπιθυμοῦντας διαλανθάνει;
Or is it because unpleasant things are more obvious to those who do not desire them, but escape the notice of those who desire them?
ὁ μὲν οὖν ἡδέως ἔχων ὁμοίως τῷ ἐπιθυμοῦντι ἔχει, ὁ δὲ νήφων οὕτως ἔχει· ὁ δὲ μεθύων πλήρης.
Now, the one who drinks with pleasure is in a similar state to the one who desires, and the sober person is in this state; but the drunk person is full.