Theophrastus · Fragments §166.1

Remedies for Resuscitating the Suffocated

Passage 171 of 196 · Greek

Summary

A passage where Theophrastus, in his treatise On Suffocation, describes the method for resuscitating suffocated persons using the infusion of vinegar and ground pepper or nettle seed.

§166.1Fr. 166 Ἐν δὲ τῷ περὶ πνιγμοῦ γράφει· ἡ δὲ τούτων ἀνάο κτήσις ὄξους ἐγχύσει καὶ πεπερίδος ἢ κνίδης καρπῷ τριφθείσης.

And in the treatise On Suffocation he writes: "The recovery of these is by the infusion of vinegar and by ground pepper or the seed of nettle."

Notes

Fr. 166ἀνάο κτήσις — The manuscript reading "ἀνάο κτήσις" is generally interpreted as a corruption or misspelling of "ἀνάκτησις" (recovery, resuscitation). The translation is based on this emendation, meaning "the recovery of these [suffocated persons]."
Fr. 166τούτων — Genitive plural of the demonstrative pronoun. In this context, it is interpreted as an objective genitive referring to the suffocated persons (πνιγόμενοι), meaning "the recovery of these [persons]."
Fr. 166τριφθείσης — Aorist passive participle, genitive singular feminine, from the verb τρίβω (to rub, grind). It modifies either πεπερίδος (pepper) or κνίδης (nettle), or both (since both are feminine nouns), meaning "ground" or "rubbed," indicating the method of preparing the pepper or nettle seed.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §166.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:166.1

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