§4.16Διὰ τί ἡ λαγνεία πρὸς νοσήματ’ ἔνια τῶν ἀπὸ φλέγματος συμφέρει;
Why is sexual intercourse beneficial for some diseases arising from phlegm?
ἢ ὅτι περιττώματός ἐστιν ἔξοδος, ὥστε συνεκκρίνεται πολλὴ περίττωσις;
Is it because it is an exit of residue, so that much residue is excreted along with it?
τὸ δὲ φλέγμα περίττωμα.
And phlegm is a residue.
§4.17Διὰ τί τὰ ἀφροδίσια τὴν κοιλίαν ψύχει καὶ ξηραίνει;
Why does sexual intercourse cool and dry the belly?
ἢ ψύχει μέν, ὅτι ἐκκρίνεται τὸ θερμὸν ἐν τῇ μίξει;
Does it cool it because the heat is excreted during the copulation?
ξηραινει δὲ καὶ ἡ μῖξις· ἐξατμίζεται γὰρ τοῦ θερμοῦ ἐξιόντος, ἐξέρχεται δὲ ψυχομένου.
And the copulation also dries; for evaporation takes place as the heat goes out, and it goes out while being cooled.
ἔτι καὶ ἡ θερμότης ἐν τῇ ὁμιλίᾳ ξηραίνει.
Furthermore, the heat in the intercourse also dries.
§4.18Διὰ τί, ὅσοις αἱ βλεφαρίδες ῥέουσι, λάγνοι;
Why is it that those whose eyelashes fall out are lustful?
ἢ διὰ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ διότι οἱ φαλακροί;
Is it for the same reason that bald people are?
ἔστι γὰρ μόρια ἄμφω ταῦτα τοῦ αὐτοῦ.
For both of these are parts of the same thing.
ἔστι δὲ τὸ αἴτιον· ὁπόσαι πρεσβυτέρου γινομένου μὴ αὐξάνονται τῶν συγγενικῶν τριχῶν, ἅπασαι τοῦτο πάσχουσιν ἐν ταῖς λαγνείαις.
And the cause is this: all the innate hairs that do not grow as one gets older undergo this during sexual excesses.
κεφαλὴ γὰρ καὶ ὀφρὺς καὶ βλεφαρὶς συγγενικαὶ τρίχες.
For head hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes are innate hairs.
τούτων δὲ μόνον ἐνίοις αἱ ὀφρύες δασύνονται πρεσβυτέροις γινομένοις (δι’ ἣν δὲ αἰτίαν, εἴρηται ἐν ἄλλοις), αἱ ἕτεραι δὲ διὰ τὸ αὐτὸ ἄμφω λείπουσιν.
Of these, only the eyebrows grow thicker in some as they get older (the reason for which has been stated elsewhere), while both of the others fail for the same reason.
αἴτιον δὲ ὅτι καταψύχει τὰ ἄνω ἡ λαγνεία ὀλίγαιμα ὄντα, ὥστε οὐ πέττει τὴν τροφὴν ὁ τόπος· οὐ λαμβάνουσαι δὲ τροφὴν ἐκρέουσιν αἱ τρίχες.
And the cause is that sexual excess cools the upper parts, which contain little blood, so that the region does not concoct the nourishment; and the hairs, not receiving nourishment, fall out.
§4.19Διὰ τί οὐρητιῶντες οὐ δύνανται ἀφροδισιάζειν;
Why is it that those who want to urinate are unable to perform sexual intercourse?
ἢ ὅτι πλήρεις γίνονται οἱ πόροι;
Is it because the passages become full?
τὸ δὲ πλῆρες ὑγροῦ οὐ δέχεται ἄλλο ὑγρόν.
And that which is full of moisture does not receive other moisture.
§4.20Διὰ τί αἱ ἰξίαι τοὺς ἔχοντας κωλύουσι γεννᾶν, καὶ ἀνθρώπους καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων ὅ τι ἂν ἔχῃ;
Why does sciatica prevent those who have it from generating, both men and any of the other animals that have it?
ἢ ὅτι ἡ ἰξία γίνεται μεταστάντος πνεύματος·
Is it because sciatica is produced when the breath (pneuma) shifts its position?
διὸ καὶ ὠφελεῖ πρὸς τὰ μελαγχολικά.
For this reason it is also beneficial against melancholic conditions.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ ὁ ἀφροδισιασμὸς μετὰ πνεύματος ἐξόδου.
And sexual intercourse also involves the exit of breath.
εἰ οὖν ὁδοποιεῖται ἡ ὁρμὴ γινομένου αὐτοῦ, οὐ ποιεῖ ὁρμᾶν τὸ σπέρμα, ἀλλὰ καταψύχεται· μαραίνει οὖν τὴν συντονίαν τοῦ αἰδοίου.
If then, when sciatica occurs, the impulse of the breath makes its way elsewhere, it does not cause the semen to rush forward, but it is cooled; therefore, it weakens the tension of the privy member.
§4.21Διὰ τί οἱ ἀφροδισιάζοντες ἐκλύονται καὶ ἀσθενέστεροι γίνονται ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ;
Why is it that those who perform sexual intercourse generally become exhausted and weaker?
πότερον διὰ τὸ ἀπὸ πάντων ἔκκρισιν εἶναι τὸ σπέρμα, ὥστε οἷον οἰκοδομήματος αἱ ἁρμονίαι, καὶ τοῦ σώματος οὕτω σειομένη ἡ σύνθεσίς ἐστι τῷ ἀπεληλυθέναι τι, οἷον εἰ τὸ αἷμα ἐξέλθοι ἢ πᾶν ἢ τι ἄλλο μέρος.
Is it because the semen is an excretion from the whole body, so that, just as the joints of a building are shaken, so the structure of the body is shaken by the departure of something, as if blood or some other part were to go out?
οὕτω σφόδρα ἐπίκαιρον τὸ ἐξιόν ἐστιν, καὶ ὃ ἐκ πολλῆς γίνεται τροφῆς ὀλίγον, οἷον τὸ ἀμύλιον ἐκ τοῦ σταιτός.
Thus that which goes out is extremely vital, and is a small amount produced from a large amount of nourishment, just as starch is produced from dough.
§4.22Διὰ τι οἱ ἀφροδισιάζοντες καὶ οὐρητιῶντες ἐντείνουσιν;
Why do those who are about to perform sexual intercourse or who want to urinate have an erection?
ἢ ὅτι πληρουμένων τῶν πόρων ὑγρότητος, τὸ σπέρμα ὑπεξιὸν ἐν ἐλάττονι τόπῳ πλείονά τε ὄγκον ποιεῖ καὶ αἴρει;
Is it because, when the passages are filled with moisture, the semen, as it gradually exits, produces a larger volume in a smaller space and raises it up?
ἐπίκειται γὰρ τὸ αἰδοῖον ἐπὶ τοῖς πόροις.
For the privy member lies upon these passages.
§4.23Διὰ τί ἡ σύντασις γίνεται τοῦ αἰδοίου καὶ ἡ αὔξησις;
Why does the tension and enlargement of the privy member occur?
ἢ διὰ δύο, διά τε τὸ βάρος ἐπιγίνεσθαι ἐν τῷ ὄπισθεν τῶν ὄρχεων αἴρεται (ὑπομόχλιον γὰρ οἱ ὄρχεις γίνονται) καὶ διὰ τὸ πνεύματος πληροῦσθαι τοὺς πόρους.
Is it due to two causes: because, weight being added behind the testicles, it is raised (for the testicles act as a fulcrum), and because the passages are filled with breath (pneuma)?
ἢ τοῦ ὑγροῦ αὐξανομένου καὶ μεθισταμένου ἢ ἐξ ὑγροῦ γινομένου ὁ ὄγκος μείζων γίνεται;
Or is it because the volume becomes larger as the moisture increases and shifts, or as it is produced from the moisture?
τὰ λίαν δὲ μεγάλα ἧττον αἴρεται διὰ τὸ πορρωτέρω τὸ βάρος τοῦ ὑπομοχλίου γίνεσθαι.
But extremely large ones are raised less because the weight is further from the fulcrum.
§4.24Διὰ τί οἱ ἀφροδισιάζοντες ἢ οἱ τοιοῦτοι δυσώδεις, οἱ δὲ παῖδες οὔ;
Why is it that those who perform sexual intercourse, or people of that kind, have a bad smell, whereas children do not?
καὶ τοῦ καλουμένου γράσου ὄζουσιν.
And they smell of what is called "goat-odor" (grasos).
ἢ τῶν πνευμάτων, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, τὰ μὲν τῶν παιδίων πέττει τὸ ὑγρὸν καὶ τοὺς ἱδρῶτας, οἱ δὲ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἄπεπτοι;
Is it because, as has been said, the breath of children concocts the moisture and sweat, whereas that of men is unconcocted?