§37.1Διὰ τί ἀεὶ τοῦ σώματος ῥέοντος, καὶ τῆς ἀπορροῆς γινομένης ἐκ τῶν περιττωμάτων, οὐ κουφίζεται τὸ σῶμα, ἐὰν μὴ ἰδίῃ;
Why is it that, although the body is always in a state of flux and efflux is taking place from the residue, the body is not lightened unless it sweats?
ἢ διότι ἐλάττων ἡ ἔκκρισις γίνεται;
Is it because the excretion is less?
ὅταν γὰρ ἐξ ὑγροῦ μεταβάλῃ εἰς ἀέρα, πλέον γίνεται ἐξ ἐλάττονος· τὸ γὰρ διακρινόμενον πλέον, ὥστε ἐν πλείονι χρόνῳ ἡ ἔκκρισις.
For when it changes from liquid into air, a greater amount is produced from a smaller; for what is separated is more, so that the excretion takes place over a longer time.
§37.2Διὰ τί δὲ τοῦτο;
And why is this?
ἢ διότι δι’ ἐλαττόνων πόρων ἡ ἔξοδός ἐστιν;
Is it because the exit is through smaller pores?
τὸ γὰρ γλίσχρον καὶ τὸ κολλῶδες μετὰ μὲν τοῦ ὑγροῦ ἐκκρίνεται διὰ τὴν κατάμιξιν, μετὰ δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀδυνατεῖ.
For what is viscous and sticky is excreted with liquid because of their mixture, but cannot do so with breath.
μάλιστα δὲ τοῦτ’ ἐστὶ τὸ λυποῦν.
And it is this which causes the greatest distress.
διὸ καὶ οἱ ἔμετοι τῶν ἱδρώτων κουφίζουσι μᾶλλον, ὅτι συνεξάγουσι τοῦτο, ἅτε παχύτεροι καὶ σωματωδέστεροι ὄντες.
Therefore, vomiting also lightens the body more than sweating, because, being thicker and more corporeal, vomit carries this away with it.
ἢ καὶ ὅτι τῇ μὲν σαρκὶ πόρρω οὗτος ὁ τόπος, ἐν ᾧ τὸ γλίσχρον καὶ τὸ κολλῶδες, ὥστε ἔργον μεταστῆσαι, τῇ δὲ κοιλίᾳ ἐγγύς;
Or is it also because this place in which the viscous and sticky reside is far from the flesh—so that it is a difficult task to move it—but near the stomach?
ἢ γὰρ ἐν ταύτῃ γίνεται ἢ πλησίον· διὸ καὶ δυσεξάγωγος ἄλλως.
For it is produced either in this or nearby; therefore, it is otherwise difficult to extract.
§37.3Διὰ τί αἱ τρίψεις σαρκοῦσιν;
Why does rubbing make the flesh grow?
ἢ ὅτι αὐξητικώτατον τῶν ἐν τῷ σώματι τὸ θερμόν ἐστιν;
Is it because heat is the most promotive of growth among the things in the body?
τοῦ μὲν γὰρ ἐνυπάρχοντος μείζους οἱ ὄγκοι γίνονται διὰ τὸ ἀεὶ αὐτὸ ἐν κινήσει εἶναι καὶ εἰς τὸ ἄνω φέρεσθαι καὶ πνευματοῦν τὰ ἐν ἡμῖν ὑγρά, ὃ ἐν τῇ τρίψει γίνεται·
For the bulk of the already existing flesh becomes greater because heat is always in motion and is carried upwards, and vaporizes the moisture in us, which is what happens during rubbing.
ἐκλείποντος δὲ φθίνει καὶ ἐλαττοῦται τὸ σῶμα.
But when heat fails, the body wastes away and decreases.
ἢ ὅτι ὀγκοτέρα τῆς τροφῆς γίνεται ἡ σὰρξ διὰ τὴν θερμασίαν;
Or is it because the flesh becomes bulkier than the food owing to the heat?
ἅπαν γὰρ τὸ θερμὸν ἐπισπαστικὸν τοῦ ὑγροῦ ἐστίν, ἡ δ’ εἰς τὴν σάρκα διαδιδομένη τροφὴ ὑγρά ἐστι, καὶ ἐπιδέχεται τὴν τροφὴν μᾶλλον διὰ τὴν ἀραίωσιν· ἀραιοτέρα γὰρ γινομένη μᾶλλον δύναται δέχεσθαι ὥσπερ σπογγιά.
For everything that is hot attracts moisture, and the food distributed into the flesh is moist, and the flesh receives the food better because of its porousness; for by becoming more porous, it is better able to receive it, like a sponge.
ἡ δὲ τρῖψις εὔπνουν καὶ ἀραιὰν ποιεῖ τὴν σάρκα, καὶ κωλύει συστάσεις γίνεσθαι κατὰ τὸ σῶμα.
And rubbing makes the flesh well-ventilated and porous, and prevents solidifications from forming in the body.
τούτου δὲ μὴ ὄντος οὐδὲ συντήξεις γίνονται· αἱ γὰρ ἀτροφίαι καὶ αἱ συντήξεις ἐκ τῶν ἀθροισθέντων εἰσίν.
And when this does not happen, wasting does not occur either; for atrophy and wasting arise from accumulated matters.
εὐπνούστερα δὲ καὶ ἀραιότερα καὶ ὁμαλέστερα γινόμενα εἰκὸς μᾶλλον ὀγκοῦσθαι· τῆς τε γὰρ τροφῆς δεκτικώτερα καὶ τῶν ἐκκρίσεων προετικώτερα γίνεται, ὅτι οὐ δεῖ πυκνοῦν τὴν σάρκα πρὸς ὑγίειαν, ἀλλ’ ἀραιοῦν·
And when parts become better ventilated, more porous, and more even, it is natural that they should increase in bulk; for they become more receptive of food and more ready to release excretions, because for health one must not condense the flesh, but make it porous.
ὥσπερ γὰρ πόλις ὑγιεινή ἐστι καὶ τόπος εὔπνους (διὸ καὶ ἡ θάλαττα ὑγιεινή), οὕτω καὶ σῶμα τὸ εὔπνουν μᾶλλον ὑγιεινόν ἐστι τοῦ ἐναντίως ἔχοντος.
For just as a well-ventilated city or place is healthy (which is why the sea is also healthy), so a well-ventilated body is healthier than one in the opposite condition.
δεῖ γὰρ ἢ μὴ ὑπάρχειν μηδέν, ἢ τούτου ὡς τάχιστα ἀπαλλάττεσθαι· καὶ δεῖ οὕτως ἔχειν τὸ σῶμα ὥστε λαμβάνον εὐθὺς ἐκκρίνειν τὴν περίττωσιν, καὶ εἶναι ἐν κινήσει ἀεὶ καὶ μηδέποτε ἠρεμεῖν.
For either nothing harmful should be present, or one must get rid of it as quickly as possible; and the body must be in such a state that, upon receiving food, it immediately excretes the residue, and is always in motion and never at rest.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ μένον σήπεται, ὥσπερ καὶ ὕδωρ τὸ μὴ κινούμενον· σηπόμενον δὲ νόσον ποιεῖ· τὸ δὲ ἐκκρινόμενον πρὸ τοῦ διαφθαρῆναι χωρίζεται.
For what remains stagnates, just like water that does not move; and what stagnates causes disease, whereas what is excreted is separated before it spoils.
τοῦτο οὖν πυκνουμένης μὲν τῆς σαρκὸς οὐ γίνεται (ὡσπερεὶ γὰρ ἐμφράττονται οἱ πόροι), ἀραιουμένης δὲ συμβαίνει.
This, then, does not happen when the flesh is dense (for the pores are, as it were, blocked up), but it occurs when it is porous.
διὸ καὶ οὐ δεῖ ἐν τῷ ἡλίῳ γυμνὸν βαδίζειν (συνίσταται γὰρ ἡ σὰρξ καὶ κομιδῇ ἀποσαρκοῦται·
For this reason also, one should not walk naked in the sun; for the flesh becomes condensed and completely loses its fleshiness.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐντὸς ὑγρὸν διαμένει, τὸ δ’ ἐπιπολῆς ἀπαλλάττεται ἐξατμιζόμενον, ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ κρέα τὰ ὀπτὰ τῶν ἑφθῶν μᾶλλον τὰ ἐντὸς ὑγρά ἐστιν) οὐδὲ τὰ στήθη γυμνὰ ἔχοντα βαδίζειν ἐν ἡλίῳ (ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν ἄριστα ᾠκοδομημένων τοῦ σώματος ὁ ἥλιος ἀφαιρεῖ, ὃ ἥκιστα δεῖται ἀφαιρέσεως), ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τὰ ἐντὸς ξηραντέον.
For the moisture inside remains, while that on the surface is removed by evaporation, just as roasted meat is moister inside than boiled meat. Nor should one walk in the sun with the chest bare; for the sun deprives the best-built parts of the body of moisture, which least need deprivation. Rather, one should dry the internal parts.
ἐκεῖθεν μὲν οὖν διὰ τὸ πόρρω εἶναι, ἐὰν μὴ μετὰ πόνου, οὐκ ἔστιν ἱδρῶτα ἄγειν· ἀπὸ τούτων δὲ διὰ τὸ πρόχειρα εἶναι ῥᾴδιον ἀναλῶσαι τὸ ὑγρόν.
From the former, because they are far away, it is impossible to draw sweat without labor; but from the latter, because they are close at hand, it is easy to consume the moisture.
§37.4Διὰ τί ψυχθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς θερμασίας καιόμεθα μᾶλλον καὶ ἀλγοῦμεν;
Why is it that, when we have been chilled, we are burned more and feel more pain from the same heat?
πότερον διὰ τὴν πυκνότητα στέγει ἡ σὰρξ τὸ προσπῖπτον θερμόν;
Is it because, owing to its density, the flesh confines the heat that strikes it?
διὸ μόλιβδος ἐρίου θερμότερος.
This is why lead is hotter than wool.
ἢ βίαιος γίνεται τοῦ θερμοῦ ἡ δίοδος διὰ τὸ πεπηγέναι ὑπὸ ψυχροῦ τὸ σῶμα;
Or is the passage of heat violent because the body has been congealed by the cold?
§37.5Διὰ τί αἱ ξηροτριβίαι στερεὰν τὴν σάρκα παρασκευάζουσιν;
Why does dry rubbing make the flesh firm?
ἢ ὅτι διὰ τὴν τρῖψιν τῆς θερμασίας ἐπιγινομένης τὸ ὑγρὸν καταναλίσκεται.
Is it because, heat being generated by the rubbing, the moisture is consumed?
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἡ σὰρξ τριβομένη πυκνοῦται·
In addition to this, does the flesh, when rubbed, become condensed?
ἅπαντα δὲ ὅσα πλείονος τρίψεως τυγχάνει πυκνοῦται καὶ στερεὰ γίνεται.
For everything that undergoes more rubbing becomes condensed and firm.
θεωρῆσαι δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον ἔστιν ἐπὶ πολλῶν· τὸ γὰρ σταῖς ἢ πηλὸς ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἐὰν μὲν ὕδωρ ἐπιχέας ἕλκῃς, ὑγρὰ καὶ κλυδῶντα διαμένει, ἐὰν δὲ πλείω τρῖψιν προσαγάγῃς, πυκνοῦταί τε καὶ στερεοῦται ταχέως καὶ γλίσχρα γίνεται.
One can observe this in many cases; for if you pour water on dough or clay or any other such thing and just pull it, it remains wet and runny, but if you apply more rubbing, it quickly becomes condensed, firm, and sticky.
§37.6Διὰ τί αἱ τρίψεις μᾶλλον σαρκοῦσι τῶν δρόμων;
Why is it that rubbing makes the flesh grow more than running?
ἢ ὅτι οἱ μὲν δρόμοι περιψύχουσιν τὴν σάρκα καὶ οὐ δεκτικὴν τροφῆς παρασκευάζουσιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν συσσείεται κάτω, τὰ δ’ ἐπὶ πολλοῦ τοῦ φυσικοῦ θερμοῦ ἐπιτελουμένου παντελῶς λεπτυνόμενα εἰς πνεῦμα διακρίνεται;
Is it because running chills the flesh and makes it unreceptive to food, so that some matters are shaken down, while others, as much natural heat is produced, are completely thinned and dissolved into breath?
ἡ δὲ παλάμη τῇ τρίψει τὴν σάρκα ἀραιὰν καὶ δεκτικὴν αὐτῆς παρασκευάζει.
On the other hand, the palm, by rubbing, makes the flesh porous and receptive to food.
καὶ ἡ ἔξωθεν δὴ ἁφὴ ἐναντιουμένη διὰ τῆς πιλήσεως τῇ φορᾷ αὐτὸν συνέχει μᾶλλον, καὶ ἀνάκλασιν τῆς σαρκὸς ποιεῖται.
Moreover, the contact from outside, by resisting the flow of heat through compression, rather confines it and causes a pressing back of the flesh.