§7.6Διὰ τί χασμησαμένοις ἀντιχασμῶνται, καὶ ὅταν οὐροῦντα ἴδωσιν, οὐροῦσι, καὶ μάλιστα τὰ ὑποζύγια;
Why do they yawn in response to those who have yawned, and when they see someone urinating, they urinate, and especially beasts of burden?
ἢ διὰ τὴν μνήμην;
Or is it due to memory?
ὅταν γὰρ μνησθῇ, κινεῖται τοῦτο τὸ μέρος.
For when one remembers, this part is moved.
τοῖς μὲν οὖν ἀνθρώποις, διὰ τὸ εὐαισθητοτέροις εἶναι, ἰδοῦσιν εὐθὺς συμβαίνει κινεῖσθαι καὶ ἀναμιμνήσκεσθαι·
For humans, then, because they are more sensitive, as soon as they see, it happens that they are moved and reminded.
τοῖς δὲ ὑποζυγίοις οὐκ αὔταρκες τὸ ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ προσδέονται καὶ ἄλλης αἰσθήσεως· διὸ καὶ ὀσφρανθέντα, ὅτι εὐκινητοτέρα αὕτη ἡ αἴσθησις τοῖς ἄνευ λόγου.
But for beasts of burden, seeing is not sufficient, but they also require another sense in addition; wherefore they also urinate after having smelled, because this sense is more easily moved in irrational animals.
καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον ἅπαντα οὐρεῖ, οὗ ἂν τὸ πρῶτον οὐρήσῃ.
And because of this, they all urinate in the same place where the first one urinated.
τότε γὰρ μάλιστα κινοῦνται, ὅταν ὀσφρανθῶσιν· ὀσφραίνονται δ’, ὅταν πλησιάσωσιν.
For they are moved most of all when they smell; and they smell when they approach.
§7.7Διὰ τί, ἐπειδὰν τεμνόμενόν τινα ἴδωμεν ἢ καιόμενον ἢ στρεβλούμενον ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν δεινῶν πάσχοντα, συναλγοῦμεν τῇ διανοίᾳ;
Why, when we see someone being cut or burned or tortured or suffering any other terrible thing, do we suffer with them in our mind?
ἢ ὅτι ἡ φύσις ἡμῖν κοινὴ ἅπασιν;
Or is it because our nature is common to all?
συνήλγησεν οὖν, ἐπειδάν τι τοιοῦτον ἴδῃ, τῷ πάσχοντι διὰ τὴν οἰκειότητα.
Therefore, when it sees any such thing, it suffers with the sufferer due to kinship.
ἢ ὅτι ὥσπερ αἱ ῥῖνες καὶ αἱ ἀκοαὶ λαμβάνουσί τινας ἀπορροίας κατὰ τὰς οἰκείας δυνάμεις, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ὄψις αὐτὸ πάσχει καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἡδέων καὶ λυπηρῶν;
Or is it that, just as the nose and the hearing receive certain effluences according to their proper powers, so also the sight itself suffers this both from pleasant and painful things?
§7.8Διὰ τί ἀπὸ φθίσεως καὶ ὀφθαλμίας καὶ ψώρας οἱ πλησιάζοντες ἁλίσκονται, ἀπὸ δὲ ὕδρωπος καὶ πυρετῶν καὶ ἀποπληξίας οὐχ ἁλίσκονται, οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων;
Why do those who approach catch consumption, ophthalmia, and scabies, but do not catch dropsy, fevers, apoplexy, or any of the others?
ἢ ἡ μὲν ὀφθαλμία, ὅτι εὐκινητότατον ὁ ὀφθαλμός, καὶ μάλιστα ὁμοιοῦται τῷ ὁρωμένῳ τῶν ἄλλων, οἷον κινεῖται ἀπὸ κινουμένου ὥστε καὶ ἀντιβλέπων τεταραγμένῳ ταράττεται μάλιστα;
Or is ophthalmia because the eye is most easily moved, and of all things it is most assimilated to what is seen, as for instance it is moved by what is moved, so that when looking back at a troubled eye, it is troubled most of all?
ἡ δὲ φθίσις, ὅτι πνεῦμα φαῦλον ποιεῖ καὶ βαρύ, ταχιστα δὲ τὰ νοσήματα ταῦτα ἅπτεται πάντων, ὅσα τούτου φθειρομένου γίνεται, οἷον τὰ λοιμώδη.
And consumption because it produces a bad and heavy breath, and those diseases most quickly touch all things that occur when this is corrupted, such as pestilential diseases.
ὁ δὲ πλησιάζων τοιοῦτον ἀναπνεῖ.
And the one who approaches inhales such a breath.
νοσεῖ μὲν οὖν, ὅτι νοσῶδες· ἀπὸ μόνου δέ, ὅτι ἐκπνεῖ, νοσεῖ, οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι ἑτέρως· τὴν αὐτὴν δὲ νόσον, ὅτι ᾧ ἂν ἀσθενήσῃ, τούτῳ ἀναπνεῖ τοιοῦτον οἷον εἰ πεπονθὼς ἦν.
He becomes sick, then, because it is sickly; and he becomes sick from this alone, because it exhales, while others do so in another way; and he catches the same disease because in whatever part he is weak, in this he breathes in such a thing as if he had suffered it.
ἡ δὲ ψώρα μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων, οἷον λέπρας καὶ τῶν τοιούτων, ὅτι ἐπιπολῆς τε καὶ γλίσχρον τὸ ἀπορρέον· τὰ γὰρ κνησμώδη τοιαῦτα.
And scabies more than the others, such as leprosy and the like, because that which flows off is both on the surface and sticky; for itchy diseases are of this kind.
διὸ αὐτὰ τῷ ἐπιπολῆς γίνεσθαι καὶ γλίσχρον εἶναι ἅπτεται.
Wherefore, because of occurring on the surface and being sticky, they cling.
τῶν δ’ ἄλλων τὰ μὲν οὐχ ἅπτεται διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐπιολῆς γίνεσθαι, τὰ δὲ ὄντα ἐπιπολῆς, ὅτι οὐ προσμένει διὰ ξηρότητα.
But of the others, some do not cling because of not occurring on the surface, while those that do occur on the surface do not remain because of dryness.
§7.9Διὰ τί τὴν αἱμωδίαν παύει ἡ ἀνδράχνη καὶ ἅλες;
Why do purslane and salt stop teeth on edge?
ἢ ὅτι ἡ μὲν ὑγρότητά τινα ἔχει;
Or is it because the former has a certain moisture?
φανερὰ δὲ αὕτη μασωμένοις τε, κἂν συντεθῇ χρόνον τινά· ἕλκεται γὰρ ἡ ὑγρότης.
And this is clear both to those who chew it, and if it is left together for some time; for the moisture is drawn out.
τὸ δὴ γλίσχρον εἰσδυόμενον ἐξάγει τὸ ὀξύ.
Then, the sticky substance, entering, draws out the acid.
καὶ γὰρ ὅτι συγγενὴς ἡ ὀξύτης σημαίνει· ἔχει γάρ τινα ὀξύτητα ὁ χυλός.
And indeed, that the acidity is kindred is indicated; for the juice has a certain acidity.
ὁ δὲ ἅλς συντήκων ἐξάγει καὶ τὴν ὀξύτητα.
And salt, by melting, also draws out the acidity.
διὰ τί οὖν ἡ κονία καὶ τὸ νίτρον οὔ;
Why then do lye and natron not do so?
ἢ ὅτι στύφει καὶ οὐ τήκει;
Or is it because they astringe and do not melt?