§22 Ἡ δʼ ἐκ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς, ὥσπερ Ἀριστογένης οἴεται (τροφὴν γὰρ οἴεται καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα πεττομένου τοῦ ἀέρος ἐν τῷ πνεύμονι· τοῦτο δʼ εἰς τὰ ἀγγεῖα διαδίδοσθαι, τὸ περίττωμα πάλιν ἐκπέμπεσθαι) πλείους ἔχει τὰς ἀπορίας.
2 On the other hand, that which is derived from respiration, as Aristogenes thinks—for he thinks that the spirit also is nourished by the air being digested in the lung, and that this is distributed into the vessels, while the residue is sent out again—presents more difficulties.
ἥ τε γὰρ πέψις ὑπὸ τίνος;
For, in the first place, by what is the digestion performed?
εἰκὸς μὲν γὰρ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ, καθάπερ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων.
For it is reasonable that it is by the spirit itself, just as with other things.
αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτʼ ἄτοπον, εἰ μὴ διαφέρει τοῦ ἔξω ἀέρος· οὕτω δʼ ἡ θερμότης ἂν πέττοι.
But this very thing is absurd, if it does not differ from the outside air; for in that case would the heat digest it?
καὶ μὴν καὶ παχύτερον αὐτὸν εὔλογον εἶναι μεθʼ ὑγρότητος τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀγγείων ὄντα καὶ τῶν ὅλων ὄγκων, ὥσθʼ ἡ πέψις ἂν εἰς τὸ σωματῶδες εἴη.
And indeed, it is reasonable that it is thicker, being accompanied by moisture from the vessels and the whole masses, so that the digestion would be into the bodily state.
τὸ δὲ περίττωμα, εἴπερ γίνεται λεπτότερον, οὐ πιθανόν.
And the residue, if indeed it becomes thinner, is not plausible.
ἄλογος δὲ καὶ ἡ ταχυτὴς τῆς πέψεως.
And the speed of the digestion is also unreasonable.
εὐθὺς γὰρ μετὰ τὴν εἰσπνοὴν ἡ ἐκπνοή.
For exhalation follows immediately after inhalation.
τί οὖν τὸ οὕτω ταχὺ μεταβάλλον καὶ ἀλλοιοῦν;
What is it, then, that changes and alters it so quickly?
ὑπολάβοι γὰρ ἄν τις μάλιστα τὸ θερμόν, καὶ μαρτυρεῖ οὕτως ἡ αἴσθησις· ὁ γὰρ ἐκπνεόμενος θερμός.
For one might especially suppose it to be the heat, and sensation bears witness to this; for the exhaled air is warm.
ἔτι δʼ εἰ μὲν ἐν τῷ πνεύμονι καὶ τῇ ἀρτηρίᾳ τὸ πεττόμενον, ἡ τοῦ θερμοῦ δύναμις ἐν τούτοις· ὅπερ οὔ φασιν, ἀλλʼ ἐν τῇ κινήσει τῇ τοῦ πνεύματος. ἐκθερμαίνεσθαι τὴν τροφήν.
Furthermore, if that which is digested is in the lung and the artery, the power of the heat must be in these; which is not what they say, but rather that the nourishment is heated in the movement of the spirit.
εἰ δʼ ἐξ ἑτέρου τινὸς οἷον ἐπισπᾶται ἢ καὶ κινοῦντος δέχεται, τοῦτʼ ἔτι θαυμασιώτερον. ἅμα δὲ καὶ οὐκ αὐτὸ τὸ πρῶτον κινοῦν.
But if it is as it were drawn from something else, or receives it from something that moves it, this is still more wonderful; and at the same time, it would not be the first mover itself.
ἔτι δʼ ἡ μὲν ἀναπνοὴ μέχρι τοῦ πνεύμονος, ὥσπερ λέγουσιν αὐτοί, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα διʼ ὅλου τὸ σύμφυτον.
Furthermore, respiration is only as far as the lung, as they themselves say, but the connate spirit is throughout the whole.
εἰ δʼ ἀπὸ τούτου διαδίδοται καὶ πρὸς τὰ κάτω καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἄλλα, πῶς ἡ πέψις οὕτω ταχεῖα;
But if it is distributed from this both to the lower parts and to the others, how is the digestion so rapid?
θαυμασιώτερον γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ μεῖζον· οὐ γὰρ διαπέμπει τοῦτό γʼ εὐθὺς πεττόμενον τὸν ἀέρα τοῖς κάτω.
For this is more wonderful and a greater difficulty; for it does not immediately send this digested air to the lower parts.
καίτοι τὸ μὲν δόξειεν ἂν ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι τοῦτο τῆς πέψεως γινομένης ἐν τῷ πνεύμονι τῆς τʼ ἀναπνοῆς κοινωνούντων καὶ τῶν κάτω, μεῖζον δʼ οὕτως ἔτι καὶ παραδοξότερον τὸ συμβαῖνον· οἷον γὰρ διόδῳ καὶ θίξει γίνεται μόνον ἡ πέψις.
And yet this would seem to be necessary, if digestion takes place in the lung and the lower parts also share in respiration; but even so, what happens is still more difficult and paradoxical; for digestion would occur as it were by mere passage and contact.
ἄλογον δὲ καὶ τουτὶ καὶ λογοδεστερον, εἰ ὁ αὐτὸς πόρος τῆς τροφῆς καὶ τοῦ περιττώματος.
And this too is unreasonable and more theoretical, if the passage for the nourishment and the residue is the same.
εἰ δὲ διʼ ἄλλου τινὸς τῶν ἐντός, οἱ αὐτοὶ λόγοι οἳ καὶ πρότερον, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο λέγοι τις, ὡς οὐ πάσης τῆς τροφῆς οὐδὲ πᾶσι γίνεται περίττωμα, καθάπερ οὐδὲ τοῖς φυτοῖς, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τῶν τοῦ σώματος μερῶν ἑκάστου λαβεῖν ἐστιν, εἰ μή, ὅτι γε παντός.
But if it is through some other of the internal passages, the same arguments apply as before, unless one were to say this: that residue does not come from all nourishment nor in all things, just as it does not in plants, since indeed it is not possible to find residue for each of the parts of the body, except perhaps for the whole.
ἀλλʼ ἄρα γε ἡ μὲν ἀγγείων αὔξησις ἡ αὐτὴ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων μορίων, εὐρυνομένων δὲ καὶ διισταμένων τούτων πλείων ὁ ἀὴρ ὁ εἰσρέων καὶ ἐκρέων.
But is the growth of the vessels the same as that of the other parts, and as these dilate and separate, the air that flows in and out becomes more?
εἰ δέ τι ἀναγκαῖον ἐνυπάρχει, τοῦτο αὐτὸ ζητεῖται, τίς ὁ φυσικός;
But if some necessary thing is present within, this is the very thing being sought: what is the natural one?
καὶ πῶς οὗτος πλείων ὑγιῶς, ἐκ τούτου φανερὸν ἂν εἴη.
And how this becomes greater in a healthy way would be clear from this.
τοῖς δὲ δὴ μὴ ἀναπνευστικοῖς τίς ἡ τροφὴ τοῦ συμφύτου καὶ τίς ἡ αὔξησις;
And for those creatures that do not respire, what is the nourishment of the connate spirit and what is its growth?
οὐ γὰρ ἔτι τούτοις ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔξωθεν.
For it can no longer be from the outside for them.
εἰ δʼ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐντὸς καὶ τῆς κοινῆς τροφῆς, εὔλογον κἀκείνοις· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν αὐτῶν τὰ ὅμοια καὶ ὡσαύτως, εἰ μὴ ἄρα καὶ τούτοις ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐκτός, ὥσπερ καὶ τῶν ὀσμῶν αἰσθάνονται.
But if it is from the internal parts and the common nourishment, it is reasonable for them too; for similar things come from the same things and in the same way, unless indeed for them too it is from the outside, in the same way as they perceive odors.
ἀλλʼ οὔτοιγʼ οἷον ἀναπνοὴ γίνεται.
But surely no such thing as respiration occurs in them.
περὶ οὗ κἂν ἀπορήσειέ τις, εἰ κατὰ ἀλήθειάν ἐστιν, αὐτό τε τοῦτο προφέρων καὶ τὴν ἐπίσπασιν τῆς τροφῆς (ὁλκὴ γὰρ ἅμα πνεύματος), ἔτι δʼ ὑπὲρ τῆς καταψύξεως ἀντιλέγων, ὡς κἀκείνων δεομένων.
Concerning which one might be puzzled whether it is true, bringing forward this very point and the attraction of nourishment (for it is at the same time an attraction of spirit), and furthermore arguing on behalf of cooling, on the ground that they too require it.
εἰ δὲ διὰ τοῦ ὑποζώματος αὐτοῖς γίνεται, ταύτῃ δῆλον ὅτι καὶ ἡ τοῦ ἀέρος εἴσοδος· ὥσθʼ ὅμοιόν τι τῇ ἀναπνοῇ.
But if it occurs to them through the diaphragm, in this way it is clear that the entrance of air also takes place; so that it is something similar to respiration.
πλὴν οὐκ ἀφορίζεται τίς ἡ ὁλκὴ καὶ ὑπὸ τίνος, ἢ εἰ μὴ ὁλκή, πῶς ἡ εἴσοδος; εἰ μὴ ἄρα αὐτομάτως.
Except that it is not defined what the attraction is and by what it is caused, or if it is not an attraction, how the entrance occurs, unless indeed it is spontaneous.
τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ἔχει καὶ αὐτὸ καθʼ αὑτὸ σκέψιν.
This subject, then, also requires consideration by itself.
τοῖς δὲ δὴ ἐνύγροις τίς ἡ τροφὴ καὶ αὔξησις τοῦ συμφύτου;
And for aquatic creatures, what is the nourishment and growth of the connate spirit?
χωρὶς γὰρ τοῦ μὴ ἀναπνεῖν οὐδʼ ἐνυπάρχειν ὅλως ἐν τῷ ὑγρῷ φαμεν ἀέρα.
For apart from the fact that they do not respire, we say that there is no air at all in the liquid.
λοιπὸν ἄρα διὰ τῆς τροφῆς, ὡς οὐχ ὁμοίως πᾶσιν, ἢ κἀκεῖνα διὰ τῆς τροφῆς τὰ μὴ ἔνυγρα· τριῶν γὰρ τούτων ἀναγκαῖον ἕν.
It remains, then, that it is through nourishment, though not in the same way for all, or else those other non-aquatic creatures also are nourished through nourishment; for one of these three must be necessary.
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς περὶ τὴν αὔξησιν καὶ τροφὴν τοῦ πνεύματος.
And these are the matters concerning the growth and nourishment of the spirit.