§1Τίς ἡ τοῦ ἐμφύτου πνεύματος διαμονή, καὶ τίς ἡ αὔξησις; 1 ὁρῶμεν γὰρ ὅτι πλέον καὶ ἰσχυρότερον γίνεται καὶ καθʼ ἡλικίας μεταβολὴν καὶ κατὰ διάθεσιν σώματος.
What is the maintenance of the connate spirit, and what is its growth? 1 For we see that it becomes greater and stronger both with the change of age and according to the disposition of the body.
ἢ ὡς τἆλλα μέρη, προσγινομένου τινός;
Or is it like the other parts, by something being added?
προσγίνεται δὲ τροφὴ τοῖς ἐμψύχοις, ὥστε ταύτην σκεπτέον ποία τε καὶ πόθεν.
Nutrition is added to living things, so that we must consider what kind of nutrition this is and whence it comes.
δύο δὴ τρόποι διʼ ὧν γίνεται, ἢ διὰ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς, ἢ διὰ τῆς κατὰ τὴν τῆς τροφῆς προσφορὰν πέψεως, καθάπερ τοῖς ἄλλοις.
There are indeed two ways in which it occurs: either through respiration, or through the digestion of nourishment during its intake, just as with the other parts.
τούτων ἴσως οὐχ ἧττον ἂν δόξειεν διὰ τῆς τροφῆς· σῶμα γὰρ ὑπὸ σώματος τρέφεται, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα σῶμα.
Of these, it would perhaps seem no less due to nourishment; for a body is nourished by a body, and spirit is a body.
τίς οὖν ὁ τρόπος;
What then is the method?
ἢ δῆλον ὡς ἐκ τῆς φλεβὸς ὁλκῇ τινι καὶ πέψει.
Or is it clear that it is from the vein by a kind of attraction and digestion?
τὸ γὰρ αἷμα ἡ ἐσχάτη τροφὴ καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ πᾶσιν.
For blood is the ultimate nourishment, and the same for all.
ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ εἰς τὸ ἀγγεῖον αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς τὸ περιεχόμενον λαμβάνει τροφὴν εἰς τὸ θερμόν.
Just as, therefore, it receives nourishment both into its vessel and into what is contained, so it does into the heat.
ἄγει δʼ ὁ ἀὴρ τὴν ἐνέργειαν ποιῶν, τήν τε πεπτικὴν αὐτὸς αὐτῷ προστιθεὶς αὔξει καὶ τρέφει.
And the air, by bringing about the activity, and itself adding the digestive power to itself, increases and nourishes it.
οὐδὲν δʼ ἴσως ἄτοπον αὐτό γε τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ γενέσθαι τὸ πρῶτον ἐκ τῆς τροφῆς.
But perhaps there is nothing absurd in this itself, but rather that it should first be generated from nourishment.
καθαρώτερον γὰρ ὃ τῇ ψυχῇ συμφυές, εἰ μὴ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ὕστερον λέγοι γίνεσθαι, διακρινομένων τῶν σπερμάτων καὶ εἰς φύσιν ἰόντων.
For that which is connate with the soul is purer, unless indeed one were to say that the soul also is generated later, when the seeds are separated and pass into their nature.
εἴτε περίττωμα πάσης τροφῆς ἐστι, ποίᾳ διαπέμπεται τοῦτο;
Or if it is a residue of all nourishment, by what way is this discharged?
κατὰ μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἐκπνοὴν οὐκ εὔλογον· ἀντιλαμβάνει γὰρ εὐθύς.
For on the one hand, to discharge it through exhalation is not reasonable; for it immediately takes in breath again.
λοιπὸν δὲ δῆλον ὅτι διὰ τῶν τῆς ἀρτηρίας πόρων.
On the other hand, it remains clear that it is through the pores of the artery.
τὸ δʼ ἐκκρινόμενον ἤτοι λεπτότερον ἢ παχύτερον.
And that which is secreted is either thinner or thicker.
ἀμφοτέρως δʼ ἄτοπον, εἰ τοῦτο πάντων ἔσται καθαρώτατον.
In either case it is absurd: if this is to be the purest of all.
εἰ δὲ παχύτερον, ἔσονταί τινες πόροι μείζους.
But if it is thicker, there will be some larger pores.
εἰ δʼ ἄρα κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς λαμβάνει καὶ ἐκπέμπει, τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ παράλογον καὶ ἄτοπον.
But if indeed it receives and discharges through the same, this very thing is contrary to reason and absurd.
ἡ μὲν οὖν ἐκ τῆς τροφῆς αὔξησις καὶ διαμονὴ σχεδὸν ταῦτα.
This, then, is roughly the situation regarding the growth and maintenance derived from nourishment.