§2323.
23.
Πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα καὶ ἔσω καὶ ἔξω τοῦ σώματος εἴδεα σχημάτων, ἃ μεγάλα ἀλλήλων διαφέρει πρὸς τὰ παθήματα καὶ νοσέοντι καὶ ὑγιαίνοντι, οἷον κεφαλαὶ σμικραὶ ἢ μεγάλαι, τράχηλοι λεπτοὶ ἢ παχέες, μακροὶ ἢ βραχέες, κοιλίαι μακραὶ ἢ στρογγύλαι, θώρηκος καὶ πλευρέων πλατύτητες ἢ στενότητες, καὶ ἄλλα μυρία, ἃ δεῖ πάντα εἰδέναι ᾗ διαφέρει, ὅπως, τὰ αἴτια ἑκάστων εἰδὼς, ὀρθῶς τηροίης.
There are also many other kinds of shapes both inside and outside the body, which differ greatly from one another with respect to affections, both in a sick person and in a healthy person, such as small or large heads, slender or thick necks, long or short, long or round bellies, broadness or narrowness of the chest and ribs, and countless other things, all of which one must know in what way they differ, so that, knowing the causes of each, you may observe correctly.
§2424.
24.
Περὶ δὲ δυνάμιων χυμῶν, αὐτέων τε ἕκαστος ὅ τι δύναται ποιέειν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐσκέφθαι, καὶ πρότερον εἴρηται, καὶ τὰς ξυγγενείας ὡς ἔχουσι πρὸς ἀλλήλους.
With regard to the powers of the humors, and what each of them is able to do to a human being, this has been investigated, as has indeed been spoken of before, as well as their affinities, how they stand to one another.
Λέγω δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον· εἰ γλυκὺς χυμὸς μεταβάλλοι ἐς ἄλλο εἶδος, μὴ ἀπὸ ξυγκρήσιος, ἀλλ᾿ αὐτὸς ἐξιστάμενος, ποῖός τις πρῶτος γένοιτο, πικρὸς, ἢ ἁλμυρὸς, ἢ στρυφνὸς, ἢ ὀξύς;
What I mean is something like this: if a sweet humor should change into another form, not from mixture, but altering by itself, what sort would it first become: bitter, or salty, or astringent, or acid?
Οἶμαι μὲν, ὀξύς.
I think, indeed, acid.
Ὁ ἄρα ὀξὺς χυμὸς ἀνεπιτήδειος προσφόρων ἂν τῶν λοιπῶν μάλιστα εἴη, εἴπερ ὁ γλυκύς γε πάντων ἐπιτηδειότατος.
Therefore, the acid humor would be the most unsuitable of the remaining foods, if indeed the sweet is the most suitable of all.
Οὕτως, εἴ τις δύναιτο ζητέων ἔξωθεν ἐπιτυγχάνειν, δύναιτ᾿ ἂν πάντων ἐκλέγεσθαι αἰεὶ τὸ βέλτιστον· βέλτιστον δέ ἐστι τὸ προσωτάτω τοῦ ἀνεπιτηδείου ἀπέχον.
Thus, if one, by searching from without, could succeed, he would be able always to select the best of all; and the best is that which is furthest removed from the unsuitable.