§8.1Διὰ τί οἱ ῥιγῶντες πελιδνοὶ γίνονται;
Why do those who shiver with cold become livid?
ἢ διότι τὸ αἷμα πήγνυται διὰ τὸ ψῦχος, πηγνύμενον δὲ μελαίνεται διὰ τὴν ἀπουσίαν τοῦ θερμοῦ;
Or is it because the blood congeals due to the cold, and when congealed, it turns black due to the absence of heat?
τὸ δὲ λευκὸν τοῦ πυρός.
For whiteness belongs to fire.
διὸ καὶ τοῖς πρεσβύταις μάλιστα πελιοῦται ἡ σάρξ, ὅτι ἐλαχίστην ἔχει θερμότητα.
Whereframe also the flesh of the elderly becomes livid most of all, because they have the least heat.
§8.2Διὰ τί οἱ ῥιγῶντες καθεύδειν οὐ δύνανται;
Why are those who shiver with cold unable to sleep?
〈ἢ〉 διότι πάντες οἱ ῥιγῶντες μᾶλλον τὸ πνεῦμα κατέχουσιν, ὁ δὲ καθεύδων ἐκπνεῖ μᾶλλον ἢ εἰσπνεῖ, ὥστε χαλεπὸν ῥιγῶντα καθεύδειν· ἅμα γὰρ ποιεῖν τἀναντία ἀδύνατον.
Or is it because all who shiver hold their breath more, whereas one who sleeps exhales more than he inhales, so that it is difficult for one who shivers to sleep; for it is impossible to do opposite things at the same time.
§8.3Διὰ τί ἐν τῷ ψύχει ὀξύτεροι καὶ οἱ ἀσθενήσαντες καὶ οἱ λυπούμενοι καὶ οἱ ὀργιζόμενοι;
Why in the cold are those who are sick, those who are grieved, and those who are angry more acute?
ἢ στιφρότερον ποιεῖ τὸ καταψύχεσθαι;
Or is it because being chilled makes them more compact?
§8.4Διὰ τί οἱ ἀθληταὶ δύσριγοι εὖ ἔχοντες;
Why are athletes susceptible to cold when they are in good condition?
ἢ ὅτι καθαρὰ καὶ εὔπνους ἡ ἕξις καὶ ἀπίμελος;
Or is it because their bodily state is pure, well-ventilated, and free of fat?
ἡ τοιαύτη δὲ εὐπαθεστάτη ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀέρος, ὅταν εὐδίοδός τε ᾐ καὶ μὴ ἔχῃ θερμότητα ἐν αὑτῇ· ἡ δὲ πιμελὴ θερμόν, ἂν μὴ δίυγρος.
And such a state is most susceptible to the air, when it is easily penetrated and does not have heat in itself; whereas fat is warm, unless it is exceedingly moist.
§8.5Διὰ τί μάλιστα τὰ ἀκρωτήρια ῥιγῶσιν;
Why do the extremities freeze most of all?
ἢ διὰ στενότητα;
Or is it because of their narrowness?
καὶ οἱ πόροι ἐν αὐτοῖς στενοὶ ὄντες ὀλίγαιμοί εἰσιν, ὥστε καὶ ὀλιγόθερμοί εἰσιν· τὸ γὰρ αἷμα θερμόν.
And the passages in them, being narrow, have little blood, so that they also have little heat; for blood is warm.
§8.6Διὰ τί, ἐὰν μετέωροι ὦσιν οἱ πόδες, μᾶλλον ῥιγοῦσιν;
Why, if the feet are suspended, do they feel colder?
πότερον ὑποπνεῖ μᾶλλον;
Is it because the wind blows more from underneath?
ἢ ὅτι ἐν ἐλάττονι γίνεται τὸ αἷμα κάτω, ὥστε τὸ ἄλλο εὐψυκτότερον ἐκλείποντος τοῦ θερμοῦ;
Or is it because the blood below becomes less, so that the rest is more easily chilled as the heat leaves?
§8.7Διὰ τί οἱ παχεῖς σφόδρα ῥιγοῦσι, τῆς πιότητος θερμῆς οὔσης;
Why do very fat people shiver violently, although fat is warm?
ἢ διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ πάχους τοῦ μὲν ἔσωθεν θερμοῦ πόρρω γίνονται τὰ ἔσχατα, τοῦ δὲ ἔξω ψυχροῦ τὰ ἐγγύς;
Or is it because, owing to the great thickness of the fat, the outermost parts are far from the internal heat, but near to the external cold?
§8.8Διὰ τί πταρέντες καὶ οὐρήσαντες φρίττουσιν;
Why do people shiver after sneezing and urinating?
ἢ ὅτι κενοῦνται αἱ φλέβες ἐν ἀμφοτέροις, κενωθέντων δὲ ὁ ἀὴρ εἰσέρχεται ψυχρός, ὁ ποιῶν φρίττειν.
Or is it because the veins are emptied in both cases, and when they are emptied, cold air enters, which causes the shivering?
§8.9Διὰ τί μάλιστα βουλιμιῶσιν ἐπὶ τῷ ψύχει, καὶ τοῦ χειμῶνος μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ θέρους;
Why do they suffer from bulimia most of all in the cold, and more in winter than in summer?
ἢ διότι ἡ μὲν βουλιμία γίνεται δι’ ἔνδειαν τῆς ξηρᾶς τροφῆς, ἐν δὲ τῷ ψύχει καὶ τῷ χειμῶνι συστελλομένου τοῦ ἐντὸς θερμοῦ εἰς ἐλάττω τόπον θᾶττον ὑπολείπει ἡ ἐντὸς τροφή· τούτου δὲ γινομένου μᾶλλον βουλιμιᾶν εἰκός.
Or is it because bulimia occurs due to a lack of dry nourishment, and in the cold and in winter, when the internal heat is compressed into a smaller space, the internal food is consumed more quickly; and when this happens, it is natural to feel ravenous hunger more?
ἡ δ’ ἐν τῇ βουλιμίᾳ ἔκλυσις καὶ ἀδυναμία γίνεται συντήξεως γινομένης ἐν τῷ σώματι διὰ τὴν τοῦ θερμοῦ ἄθροισιν, ἧς ῥυείσης μὲν εἰς τὸν τῶν σιτίων τόπον αὐτὴ τροφὴ γίνεται τῷ σώματι· ἐὰν δ’ ἐπὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς τῆς ἀνανοῆς ἔλθῃ, ἀφωνία καὶ ἀδυναμία συμβαίνει, ἀφωνία μὲν διὰ τὸ ἐμφράττεσθαι τὸν τοῦ πνεύματος πόρον, ἀδυναμία δὲ διὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἀτροφίαν καὶ σύντηξιν.
And the exhaustion and weakness in bulimia occurs because a melting takes place in the body due to the accumulation of heat, which, when it flows into the place of the food, itself becomes nourishment for the body; but if it goes to the sources of respiration, loss of voice and weakness occur; loss of voice because the passage of breath is blocked, and weakness because of the atrophy and melting of the body.
ταχεῖαι δὲ καὶ ἀπ’ ὀλίγων αἱ βοήθειαι γίνονται τοῖς τοιούτοις διὰ τὸ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ πάθους ἔξωθεν γίνεσθαι.
And the remedies for such persons are rapid and from small things, because the origin of the affection comes from without.
συστέλλον γὰρ τὸ ἐντὸς ψυχρὸν τὸ θερμὸν ἡμῶν ποιεῖ τὴν βουλιμίαν.
For the cold from without, compressing our internal heat, produces the bulimia.
καθάπερ οὖν ἐν τῷ φόβῳ τρέμοντες καὶ ὠχριῶντες, ἀφέντες τοῦ κινδύνου, παραχρῆμα οἱ αὐτοὶ γίνονται, οὕτω καὶ οἱ βουλιμιῶντες μικρὰ προσενεγκάμενοι ἐξ ἄρτου, βίᾳ κινηθέντες ἐκ τῆς φύσεως, μὴ φθαρέντες δέ· ταχεῖα ἡ ἀποκατάστασις γίνεται.
Just as, therefore, those who tremble and turn pale in fear, when they are released from the danger, immediately become themselves again, so also those suffering from bulimia, having taken a small piece of bread, having been violently moved out of their natural state but not destroyed, experience a rapid restoration.
ταὐτὸ γὰρ ἀντέτεινεν τήν τε κατὰ φύσιν ἀγωγήν, καὶ καθίστησιν εἰς τὴν φύσιν.
For the same thing resisted the unnatural course, and restores them to nature.
ἀφεῖναι οὖν μόνον αὐτὴν δεῖ, καὶ καθάπερ τῶν παιδίων τὰ ἀντιτείνοντα εἰς τοὔπισθεν τὰ σπαρτία· καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα ἀφεθέντων τῶν σπαρτίων εὐθὺς πεπτώκασιν ὕπτια.
Therefore, it is only necessary to let it go, just like children who pull strings backward; for when the strings are let go, they immediately fall flat on their backs.