§1616.
16.
Ψυχρότητα δ᾿ ἔγωγε καὶ θερμότητα πασέων ἥκιστα τῶν δυναμίων νομίζω δυναστεύειν ἐν τῷ σώματι διὰ τάσδε τὰς προφάσιας· ὃν μὲν ἂν δήπου χρόνον μεμιγμένα αὐτὰ αὐτέοισιν, ἅμα τὸ ψυχρόν τε καὶ θερμὸν ἔῃ, οὐ λυπέει· κρῆσις γὰρ καὶ μετριότης τῷ μὲν ψυχρῷ γίνεται ἀπὸ τοῦ θερμοῦ, τῷ δὲ θερμῷ ἀπὸ τοῦ ψυχροῦ·
But I, for my part, believe that coldness and heat have the least power of all the forces in the body, for the following reasons: as long as they are mixed with one another, and cold and heat are present together, they do not pain; for blending and moderation are brought to the cold by the hot, and to the hot by the cold.
ὅταν δὲ ἀποκριθείη χωρὶς ἑκάτερον, τότε λυπέει·
But when each is separated by itself, then it pains.
ἐν δὲ δὴ τουτέῳ τῷ καιρῷ, ὅταν τὸ ψυχρὸν ἐπιγένηται καί τι λυπήσῃ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, διὰ ταχέος πρῶτον δι᾿ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πάρεστι τὸ θερμὸν αὐτόθεν ἐκ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, οὐδεμιῆς βοηθείης οὐδὲ παρασκευῆς δεόμενον·
And indeed at this very time, when the cold comes upon a man and causes him some pain, first of all, and for this very reason, the hot is quickly present of itself from within the man, needing no help or preparation.
καὶ ταῦτα καὶ ἐν ὑγιαίνουσι τοῖσιν ἀνθρώποισιν ἀπεργάζεται, καὶ ἐν κάμνουσιν.
And this happens both in healthy people and in the sick.
Τοῦτο μὲν, εἴτις θέλει ὑγιαίνων χειμῶνος διαψῦξαι τὸ σῶμα, ἢ λουσάμενος ψυχρῷ, ἢ ἄλλῳ τῳ τρόπῳ, ὅσῳ ἂν αὐτὸ ἐπιπλέον ποιήσῃ, καὶ ἤν γε μὴ παντάπασι παγῇ τὸ σῶμα, ὅταν εἵματα λάβῃ καὶ ἔλθῃ ἐς τὴν σκέπην, μᾶλλον καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον θερμαίνεται τὸ σῶμα.
First, if any healthy person wishes to cool his body in winter, either by bathing in cold water or in some other way, the more he does this—provided the body does not freeze completely—when he takes his clothes and comes into shelter, the body is warmed even more and to a greater degree.
Τοῦτο δὲ, εἰ θέλοι ἐκθερμανθῆναι στερεῶς ἢ λουτρῷ θερμῷ, ἢ πολλῷ πυρὶ, ἐκ δὲ τουτέου τὸ ωὐτὸ εἷμα ἔχων ἐν τῷ αὐτέῳ χωρίῳ τὴν διατριβὴν ποιέεσθαι, ὥσπερ διεψυγμένος, πολὺ φανεῖται καὶ ψυχρότερος καὶ ἄλλως φρικαλεώτερος.
Second, if he wishes to be thoroughly warmed, either by a hot bath or by much fire, and after this, wearing the same clothing, spends his time in the same place as when he was cooled, he will appear much colder and otherwise more chilly.
Εἰ ῥιπιζόμενός τις ὑπὸ πνίγεος καὶ παρασκευαζόμενος αὐτὸς ἑωυτῷ ψύχος ἐκ τοιούτου ἂν τρόπου, διαπαύσαιτο τοῦτο ποιέων, δεκαπλάσιον ἔσται τὸ καῦμα καὶ τὸ πνῖγος ἢ τῷ μηδὲν τουτέων ποιέοντι.
If someone, being fanned because of the stifling heat and thus preparing cold for himself in this way, should stop doing this, the heat and stifling sensation will be ten times greater than for one who does nothing of the sort.
Τὰ δὲ δὴ καὶ πουλὺ μείζω, ὅσοι ἂν διὰ χιόνος ἢ ἄλλης ψύξιος βαδίσαντες ῥιγώσωσι διαφερόντως πόδας, ἢ χεῖρας, ἢ κεφαλὴν, οἷα πάσχουσιν ἐς τὴν νύκτα, ὅταν περισταλέωσί τε καὶ ἐν ἀλέῃ γένωνται, ὑπὸ καύματος καὶ κνησμοῦ· καὶ ἔστιν οἷσι φλυκταῖναι ἀνίστανται ὡς ἀπὸ πυρὸς κατακεκαυμένοισι· καὶ οὐ πρότερον τοῦτο πάσχουσιν πρὶν ἢ θερμανθῶσιν.
And indeed, in much greater cases, as many as have walked through snow or other cold and have excessively chilled their feet, or hands, or head, what they suffer toward night, when they are wrapped up and come into warmth, from burning heat and itching; and in some, blisters rise as if they had been burnt by fire; and they do not suffer this before they are warmed.
Οὕτως ἑτοίμως ἑκάτερον αὐτέων ἐπὶ θάτερα παραγίνεται.
So readily does each of them pass over to the other.
Μυρία δ᾿ ἂν καὶ ἔτερα ἔχοιμι εἰπεῖν.
I could say countless other things as well.
Τὰ δὲ κατὰ τοὺς νοσέοντας, οὐχ οἷσιν ἂν ῥῖγος γένηται, τουτέοισιν ὀξύτατος ὁ πυρετὸς ἐκλάμπει;
And as for the sick, is it not in those who experience a chill that the most acute fever flares up?
καὶ οὐχ οὕτως ἰσχυρῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ παυόμενος, δι᾿ ὀλίγου, καὶ ἄλλως τὰ πολλὰ ἀσινής· καὶ ὅσον ἂν χρόνον παρέῃ, διάθερμος, καὶ διεξιὼν διὰ παντὸς, τελευτᾷ ἐς τοὺς πόδας μάλιστα, οὗπερ τὸ ῥῖγος καὶ ἡ ψύξις νεηνικωτάτη καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον ἐχρόνισεν·
And not so powerfully, but also ceasing within a short time, and otherwise for the most part harmless; and for as long as it is present, the body is thoroughly hot, and passing through the whole, it ends especially in the feet, where the chill and coldness were most intense and lasted longest.
πάλιν δὲ ὅταν ἱδρώσῃ καὶ ἀπαλλαγῇ ὁ πυρετὸς, πολὺ μᾶλλον ἔψυξεν ἢ εἰ μὴ ἔλαβε τὴν ἀρχήν.
And again, when he sweats and the fever is gone, he is cooled much more than if he had not caught it in the beginning.
ᾯ οὖν διαταχέος οὕτω παραγίνεται τὸ ἐναντιώτατόν τε καὶ ἀφελόμενον τὴν δύναμιν ἀπὸ ταυτομάτου, τί ἂν ἀπὸ τουτέου μέγα ἢ δεινὸν γένοιτο;
In that which the exact opposite thus presents itself so quickly and of its own accord, taking away its power, what great or terrible thing could arise from this?
ἢ τίνος δεῖ πολλῆς ἐπὶ τουτέῳ βοηθείης;
Or what need is there of much help in this case?
§1717.
17.
Εἴποι ἄν τις, ἀλλ᾿ οἱ πυρεταίνοντες τοῖσι καύσοισί τε καὶ περιπλευμονίῃσι καὶ ἄλλοισιν ἰσχυροῖσι νουσήμασιν οὐ ταχέως ἐκ τῆς θερμῆς ἀπαλλάσσονται, οὐδὲ πάρεστιν ἐνταῦθα ἔτι τὸ θερμὸν ἢ τὸ ψυχρόν. Ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦτό μοι μέγιστον τεκμήριον ἡγεῦμαι εἶναι, ὅτι οὐ διὰ τὸ θερμὸν ἁπλῶς πυρεταίνουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, οὐδὲ τοῦτο εἴη τὸ αἴτιον τῆς κακώσιος μοῦνον, ἀλλ᾿ ἔστι καὶ πικρὸν καὶ θερμὸν τὸ αὐτὸ, καὶ θερμὸν καὶ ὀξὺ, καὶ ἁλμυρὸν καὶ θερμὸν, καὶ ἄλλα μυρία, καὶ πάλιν γε ψυχρὸν μετὰ δυνάμιων ἑτέρων.
Someone might say, 'But those who suffer from burning fevers, pneumonia, and other severe diseases do not quickly get rid of the heat, nor is there yet present there the hot or the cold [in alternation].' But I, for my part, consider this to be the greatest proof that men do not have fever simply because of the hot, nor would this be the sole cause of the harm, but the same thing is both bitter and hot, and hot and acid, and salty and hot, and countless other things, and again the cold is present with other powers.
Τὰ μὲν οὖν λυμαινόμενα ταῦτά ἐστι· ξυμπάρεστι δὲ καὶ τὸ θερμὸν, ῥώμης μετέχον, ὡς ἂν τὸ ἡγεύμενον καὶ παροξυνόμενον καὶ αὐξανόμενον ἅμα κείνῳ, δύναμιν δὲ οὐδεμίην πλείω τῆς προσηκούσης.
Therefore, these are the things that do harm; and the hot is also present with them, sharing in strength, as that which leads, provokes, and increases along with it, but possessing no more power than what is appropriate to it.