§9.1Διὰ τί τοὺς μώλωπας κωλύει τὰ νέοδαρτα δέρματα προστιθέμενα, καὶ μάλιστα κριῶν, καὶ ᾠὰ ἐπικαταγνύμενα;
Why do newly flayed skins, especially of rams, and eggs broken over them, prevent bruises [from swelling]?
ἢ ὅτι ἄμφω κωλύει τὴν ἄθροισιν τοῦ ὑγροῦ καὶ τὴν ἔπαρσιν;
Or is it because both prevent the accumulation of moisture and the swelling?
τὸ γὰρ ἀφηλκωμένον ἕλκει ἐπαίρεται διὰ τὴν θερμασίαν·
For the wounded part draws [moisture] and swells because of the heat.
τά τε δὴ ᾠὰ διὰ τὴν γλισχρότητα κατακολλῶντα κωλύει ἐπαίρεσθαι, καθάπερ καὶ τὰ καύματα, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ κόλλα, καὶ τὰ δέρματα τῇ τε γλισχρότητι προσκολλᾶται, καὶ ἅμα τῇ θερμότητι συμπέττει καὶ παύει τὴν φλεγμασίαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀφαιροῦσιν ἡμερῶν τινῶν.
And indeed, eggs, sticking because of their viscosity, prevent swelling, just as in the case of burns, like glue; and skins also stick because of their viscosity, and at the same time digest by their warmth and stop the inflammation; for they do not remove them for some days.
ἐξάγειν δὲ βούλονται τὴν φλεγμασίαν καὶ οἱ τῷ ἁλὶ καὶ τῷ ὄξει τρίβοντες.
And those who rub with salt and vinegar also wish to draw out the inflammation.
§9.2Διὰ τί ἐν μὲν τῷ ἄλλῳ σώματι αἱ οὐλαὶ μέλαιναι, ἐν δὲ τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ λευκαί;
Why are scars black on the rest of the body, but white in the eye?
ἢ ὅτι ἐναντίαν χρόαν ἡ οὐλὴ λαμβάνει τῇ πρότερον, ὥσπερ πᾶν τὸ νενοσηκός;
Or is it because the scar takes a color opposite to the previous one, just like everything that has been diseased?
ἐν τῷ μέλανι δὲ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ τὰ ἕλκη.
And the wounds in the eye are in the black part.
οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ σώματι μέλαιναι εὐθύς, ἀλλ’ ἐξ ἀρχῆς λευκαί, οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ ἀεὶ μέλαιναι, ἀλλ’ ἀποκαθίστανται τῷ χρόνῳ, ἢ ἁπλῶς ἢ εἰς τὸ μᾶλλον.
However, even on the body they are not black immediately, but are white from the beginning; nor in the eye are they always black, but they are restored over time, either completely or for the most part.
§9.3Διὰ τί ὁ νάρθηξ τὰ κύκλῳ τῆς πληγῆς ποιεῖ ἐρυθρά, τὸ δὲ μέσον λευκόν;
Why does the giant fennel stalk make the area around the blow red, but the middle white?
πότερον ὅτι ἀποπιέζει τὸ αἷμα ἐκ τοῦ μέσου, καθὸ μάλιστα προσπίπτει περιφερὴς ὤν;
Is it because, being round, where it strikes hardest, it presses the blood out of the middle?
ἢ ἔδει ἐπανιέναι διά γε τοῦτο πάλιν· ἀλλ’ αἵματος συνδρομὴ τὸ ἐρύθημά ἐστιν, συνδρομὴ δ’ εἰς τὸν πληγέντα τόπον.
Or ought it to have returned again because of this; but redness is a concourse of blood, and the concourse is to the struck place.
§9.4Διὰ τί τῷ μὲν νάρθηκι σφόδρα τυπτόμενον τὸ μέσον τῆς σαρκὸς λευκὸν γίνεται, τὸ κύκλῳ δὲ ἐρυθρόν, ξύλῳ δὲ ἐρυθρότερον τὸ μέσον;
Why, when one is struck hard with a giant fennel stalk, does the middle of the flesh become white and the surrounding area red, whereas with a wooden stick the middle is redder?
ἢ ὅτι ὁ μὲν νάρθηξ διὰ κουφότητα, ἐὰν σφόδρα πατάξῃ, τὸ ἐπιπολῆς διεσκέδασεν αἷμα, ὥστε ὅθεν μὲν ἐξέλιπεν, λευκὸν φαίνεται, οὗ δὲ πλέον ἦλθεν, ἐρυθρότερον.
Or is it because the giant fennel stalk, owing to its lightness, even if it strikes hard, scatters the superficial blood, so that where it left, it appears white, but where more of it went, it appears redder?
οἰδησάσης δὲ τῆς πληγῆς, οὐ ταχέως ἀποκαθίσταται τὸ σκεδασθὲν αἷμα διὰ τὸ ὀλίγον τε εἶναι καὶ τὴν φορὰν εἰς τὸ πρόσαντες εἶναι· πλήθει γὰρ βιασθὲν δεῖ τὴν παρὰ φύσιν φορὰν ἐνεχθῆναι.
And when the blow swells, the scattered blood does not quickly return to its place because it is small in quantity and its motion is uphill; for, forced by its abundance, it must be carried in a contrary-to-nature motion.
διὰ δὲ τῶν σκληρῶν αἱ πληγαὶ διὰ τὸ βάρος καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν θλῖψιν καὶ θλάσιν ποιοῦσιν.
On the other hand, blows from hard objects, because of their weight and force, produce compression and contusion.
θλιβόμενον μὲν οὖν κοῖλον γίνεται, θλώμενον δὲ ἀραιόν· τομὴ γὰρ καὶ διαίρεσίς ἐστι μαλακὴ ἡ θλάσις.
Now, the compressed part becomes hollow, and the contused part becomes loose; for a contusion is a gentle cutting and division.
κοίλου δὲ καὶ ἀραιοῦ γενομένου τοῦ μέσου, φέρεται εἰς αὐτὸ ἐκ τῶν πέριξ ἐπιπολῆς αἷμα· κάτω τε γὰρ πέφυκε φέρεσθαι, καὶ εἰς τὰ ἀραιὰ τῷ εἴκειν αὐτά.
And when the middle becomes hollow and loose, blood flows into it from the surrounding surface; for it naturally flows downwards, and into loose parts because they yield.
ἀθροιζομένου δ’ ἐνταῦθα εἰκότως τοῦ αἵματος τοῦτο μὲν ἐρυθραίνει, ἃ δὲ ἀπολείπει, λευκαίνει.
And when the blood gathers there, it naturally makes this part red, but where it leaves, it makes it white.
§9.5Διὰ τί αἱ οὐλαὶ μέλαιναι τῶν σπληνιώντων;
Why are the scars of those suffering from spleen disease black?
ἢ ὅτι αἷμα διεφθαρμένον ἔχουσιν διὰ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σπληνὸς σύμμιξιν νοσώδους αἵματος καὶ ὑδαροῦς;
Or is it because they have corrupted blood due to the admixture of diseased and watery blood from the spleen?
ἡ μὲν οὖν οὐλὴ τὸ δέρμα λεπτὸν καὶ ἐπιπόλαιον ἴσχει· τὸ δὲ αἷμα, διὰ τὸ ὑδαρὲς καὶ θερμὸν εἶναι μέλαν ὄν, τοιαύτην ποιεῖ τὴν οὐλὴν διαφαινόμενον·
Now, the scar makes the skin thin and superficial; and the blood, being watery and warm, and being black, makes the scar appear such by showing through.
καὶ δὴ πλεονάκις ἡ οὐλὴ ἐν τούτῳ γίνεται μελαντέρα.
Indeed, the scar often becomes blacker in this condition.
γίνεται δὲ διὰ ταὐτό· δι’ ἀσθένειαν γὰρ τοῦ δέρματος καταψύχεται τὸ αἷμα, καὶ ἐξατμίζοντος τοῦ θερμοῦ γίνεται μελάντερον.
And it happens for the same reason; for because of the weakness of the skin, the blood is chilled, and as the heat evaporates, it becomes blacker.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοῖς πρεσβύταις οἵ τε χρῶτες μελάντεροι γίνονται, καὶ αἱ οὐλαὶ αἱ συγγενεῖς μελάντεραι ἢ νέοις· οἷον ὑπώπιον γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα οὑ διὰ λεπτότητα τοῦ δέρματος, ἀλλ’ ὅτι τὸ θερμὸν ἐκλέλοιπεν.
Likewise also in the elderly, the skin becomes blacker, and their congenital scars are blacker than in the young; for their whole body is like a bruise, not because of the thinness of the skin, but because the warmth has failed.