§55.
5.
Ὅργανα μὲν, καὶ ὅτε, καὶ οἵως, εἰρήσεται· ὅκου δεῖ· μὴ ἐμποδὼν τῷ ἔργῳ, μηδὲ ἐμποδὼν τῇ ἀναιρέσει, παρὰ τὸ ἐργαζόμενον δὲ τοῦ σώματος·
As for the instruments, when and how they are to be used will be spoken of; as for where they must be placed: they should not be in the way of the work, nor in the way of taking them up, but alongside the part of the body being operated upon.
ἄλλος δὲ ἢν διδῷ, ἕτοιμος ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ἔστω, ποιείτω δὲ, ὅταν κελεύῃς.
If another person hands them, let him be ready a little beforehand, and let him do so when you command.
§66.
6.
Οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν ἀσθενέοντα τὸ μὲν χειριζόμενον παρεχόντων, ὡς ἂν δοκῇ· τὸ δὲ ἄλλο σῶμα κατεχόντων, ὡς ἂν ἀτρεμέῃ, σιγῶντες, ἀκούοντες τοῦ ἐφεστεῶτος.
Those around the patient should present the part operated upon as seems best, and hold the rest of the body so that it remains still, keeping silent and listening to the one in charge.
§77.
7.
Ἐπιδέσιος δύο εἴδεα, εἰργασμένον, καὶ ἐργαζόμενον.
Of bandaging there are two aspects: the operating, and the completed.
Ἐργαζόμενον μὲν, ταχέως, ἀπόνως, εὐπόρως, εὐρύθμως·
In operating, it should be done quickly, painlessly, easily, and rhythmically.
ταχέως μὲν, ἀνύειν τὰ ἔργα· ἀπόνως δὲ, ῥηῖδίως δρῇν· εὐπόρως δὲ, ἐς πᾶν ἑτοίμως· εὐρύθμως δὲ, ὁρῆσθαι ἡδέως·
"Quickly" means dispatching the works; "painlessly," performing easily; "easily," being ready for everything; "rhythmically," being pleasant to look at.
ἀφ᾿ ὧν δὲ ταῦτα ἀσκημάτων, εἴρηται.
From what exercises these are derived has been told.
Εἰργασμένον δὲ ἀγαθῶς, καλῶς· καλῶς μὲν, ἁπλῶς, εὐκρινέως· ἢ ὅμοια καὶ ἴσα, ἴσως καὶ ὁμοίως· ἢ ἄνισα καὶ ἀνόμοια [, ἀνίσως καὶ ἀνομοίως]·
When completed, it should be done well and beautifully; "beautifully" means simply, clearly; or similar and equal parts, equally and similarly; or unequal and dissimilar parts, unequally and dissimilarly.
τὰ δὲ εἴδεα, ἁπλοῦν, σκέπαρνον, σιμὸν, ὀφθαλμὸς, ῥόμβος, καὶ ἡμίτομον· ἁρμόζον τὸ εἶδος τῷ εἴδει καὶ τῷ πάθει τοῦ ἐπιδεομένου.
The forms are: the simple, the hatchet-shape, the hollow, the eye-shape, the rhombus, and the half-cut; the form should fit the shape and the affection of the part bandaged.
§88.
8.
Ἀγαθὰ δὲ δύο εἴδεα τοῦ ἐπιδεομένου· ἰσχύος μὲν, ἢ πιέξει, ἢ πλήθει ὀθονίων.
There are two kinds of benefits for the bandaged part: regarding strength, either by pressure, or by the quantity of the bandages.
Τὸ μὲν οὖν, αὕτη ἡ ἐπίδεσις ἰῆται, τὸ δὲ τοῖσιν ἰωμένοισιν ὑπηρετέει.
In the one case, this bandaging itself heals; in the other, it assists the things being cured.
Ἐς μὲν οὖν ταῦτα νόμος· ἐν δὲ τουτέοισι μέγιστα ἐπιδέσιος· πίεξις μὲν, ὥστε τὰ ἐπικείμενα μὴ ἀφεστάναι, μηδὲ ἐρηρεῖσθαι κάρτα, ἀλλὰ ἡρμόσθαι μὲν, προσηναγκάσθαι δὲ μὴ, ἧσσον μὲν τὰ ἔσχατα, ἥκιστα δὲ τὰ μέσα.
For these there is a rule, and in these, the most important points of bandaging are: as for pressure, so that the things applied should not stand off, nor be pressed too tightly, but should fit, and not be forced, being less at the extremities, and least in the middle.
Ἅμμα, καὶ ῥάμμα νεμόμενον μὴ κάτω, ἀλλ᾿ ἄνω, ἐν παρέξει, καὶ σχέσει, καὶ ἐπιδέσει, καὶ πιέξει.
The knot and thread should be distributed not downward, but upward, in presentation, posture, bandaging, and pressure.
Ἀρχὰς βάλλεσθαι μὴ ἐπὶ τὸ ἕλκος, ἀλλ᾿ ἔνθα τὸ ἅμμα.
The beginnings should be cast not upon the ulcer, but where the knot is.
Τὸ δὲ ἅμμα μήτε ἐν τρίβῳ, μήτε ἐν ἔργῳ, μήτε ἐκεῖσε, ὅκου ἐνεόν.
The knot should be neither in a place of friction, nor where it interferes with work, nor there where the affection is.
Ἅμμα δὲ καὶ ῥάμμα μαλθακὸν, οὐ μέγα.
The knot and thread should be soft and not large.
§99.
9.
Εὖ γε μὴν γνόντα, ὅτι ἐς τὰ κατάντη καὶ ἀπόξη φεύγει πᾶς ἐπίδεσμος, οἷον, κεφαλῆς μὲν τὸ ἄνω, κνήμης δὲ τὸ κάτω.
Knowing well indeed that every bandage slips off towards declining and tapering parts; for example, the upper part of the head, and the lower part of the leg.
Ἐπιδεῖν δεξιὰ ἐπ᾿ ἀριστερὰ, ἀριστερὰ ἐπὶ δεξιὰ, πλὴν τῆς κεφαλῆς· ταύτην δὲ κατ᾿ ἴξιν.
Bandage from right to left, and from left to right, except for the head; and this latter in a straight line.
Τὰ δ᾿ ὑπεναντία, ἀπὸ δύο ἀρχέων· ἢν δὲ ἀπὸ μιῆς, ἐφ᾿ ὅμοιον ἐς τὸ μόνιμον, οἷον τὸ μέσον τῆς κεφαλῆς, ἢ ὅ τι ἄλλο τοιοῦτον.
Contrary forces [are to be obtained] from two beginnings; but if from one, towards a similar and stable place, such as the middle of the head, or any other such part.
Τὰ δὲ κινεύμενα, οἷον ἄρθρα, ὅπη μὲν ξυγκάμπτεται, ὡς ἥκιστα, καὶ εὐσταλέστατα περιβάλλειν, οἷον ἰγνύῃ· ὅπη δὲ περιτείνεται, ἁπλᾶ τε καὶ πλατέα, οἷον μύλῃ·
As for moving parts, such as joints, where they bend, wrap with as little bandage as possible and most compactly, as in the ham; but where they extend, wrap simply and flatly, as on the kneecap.
προσπεριβάλλειν δὲ καταλήψιος μὲν τῶν περὶ ταῦτα εἵνεκα, ἀναλήψιος δὲ τοῦ ξύμπαντος ἐπιδέσμου, ἐν τοῖσιν ἀτρεμέουσι καὶ λαπαρωτέροισι τοῦ σώματος, οἷον τὸ ἄνω καὶ τὸ κάτω τοῦ γούνατος·
One must also wrap around them for the sake of securing the parts, and for supporting the whole bandage, in the stiller and leaner parts of the body, such as above and below the knee.
ὁμολογέει δὲ ὤμου μὲν ἡ περὶ τὴν ἑτέρην μασχάλην περιβολὴ, βουβῶνος δὲ, ἡ περὶ τὸν ἕτερον κενεῶνα, καὶ κνήμης, ἡ ὑπὲρ γαστροκνημίης.
In agreement with this are: for the shoulder, the wrapping around the other armpit; for the groin, that around the other flank; and for the leg, that above the calf.
Ὁκόσοισι μὲν ἄνω ἠ φυγὴ, κάτωθεν ἡ ἀντίληψις· οἷσι δὲ κάτω, τοὐναντίον·
For those where the slipping is upward, the support is from below; for those where it is downward, the contrary.
οἷσι δὲ μὴ ἔστι, οἷον κεφαλῇ, τουτέων ἐν τῷ ὁμαλωτάτῳ τὰς καταλήψιας ποιέεσθαι, καὶ ἥκιστα λοξῷ τῷ ἐπιδέσμῳ χρέεσθαι, ὡς τὸ μονιμώτατον ὕστατον περιβληθὲν τὰ πλανωδέστατα κατέχῃ.
For those where there is no [such support], as in the head, make the securing on the flattest part, and use the bandage as little obliquely as possible, so that the most stable part, being wrapped last, may hold down the most wandering parts.
Ὁκόσοισι δὲ τοῖσιν ὀθονίοισι μὴ εὐκαταλήπτως, μηδὲ εὐαναλήπτως ἔχει, ῥάμμασι τὰς ἀναλήψιας ποιέεσθαι ἐκ καταβολῆς ἢ ξυῤῥαφῆς.
For those parts that are not easily secured or supported by the linen bandages, make the supports with threads by stitching or sewing together.
§1010.
10.
Ἐπιδέσματα καθαρὰ, κοῦφα, μαλθακὰ, λεπτά.
Bandages should be clean, light, soft, and thin.
Ἑλίσσειν ἀμφοτέρῃσιν ἅμα, καὶ ἑκατέρῃ χωρὶς ἀσκέειν.
Practice rolling with both hands together, and with each separately.
Τῇ πρεπούσῃ δὲ, ἐς τὰ πλάτη καὶ τὰ πάχη τῶν μορίων τεκμαιρόμενον, χρέεσθαι.
Use the appropriate one, calculating according to the widths and thicknesses of the parts.
Ἑλίξιος κεφαλαὶ σκληραὶ, ὁμαλαὶ, εὐκρινέες.
The heads of the rolls should be hard, smooth, and neat.
Τὰ δὲ δὴ μέλλοντα ἀποπίπτειν κακίω ταχέως ἀποπεσόντων· τὰ δὲ, ὡς μήτε πιέζειν, μήτε ἀποπίπτειν.
Those bandages that are about to fall off are worse than those that have quickly fallen off; and they should be applied so as neither to bind too tightly, nor to fall off.