§1111.
11.
Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ὀφθαλμοῖσί γε ἰδόντι τούτων τῶν εἰρημένων οὐδενὶ οὐδέν ἐστιν εἰδέναι· διὸ καὶ ἄδηλα ἐμοί τε ὠνόμασται καὶ τῇ τέχνῃ κέκριται εἶναι, οὐ μὴν ὅτι ἄδηλα, κεκράτηκεν, ἀλλ’ ᾗ δυνατὸν, κεκράτηται·
For indeed, by seeing with the eyes, it is not possible for anyone to know any of these mentioned things; wherefore they have been named by me "unmanifest" and have been judged by the art to be so. Not indeed that, because they are unmanifest, they have mastered us, but, in so far as it is possible, they have been mastered.
δυνατὸν δὲ, ὅσον αἵ τε τῶν νοσεόντων φύσιες ἐς τὸ σκεφθῆναι παρέχουσιν, αἵ τε τῶν ἐρευνησόντων ἐς τὴν ἔρευναν πεφύκασιν.
And it is possible, as much as the natures of the sick present themselves for consideration, and the natures of those who will investigate are fit by nature for investigation.
Μετὰ πλείονος μὲν γὰρ πόνου καὶ οὐ μετ’ ἐλάσσονος χρόνου, ἢ εἰ τοῖσιν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἑώρατο, γινώσκεται· ὅσα γὰρ τὴν τῶν ὀμμάτων ὄψιν ἐκφεύγει, ταῦτα τῇ τῆς γνώμης ὄψει κεκράτηται·
For it is known with more labor and in no less time than if it had been seen with the eyes; for whatever escapes the sight of the eyes is mastered by the sight of the mind.
καὶ ὅσα δὲ ἐν τῷ μὴ ταχὺ ὀφθῆναι οἱ νοσέοντες πάσχουσιν, οὐχ οἱ θεραπεύοντες αὐτοὺς αἴτιοι, ἀλλ’ ἡ φύσις ἥ τε τοῦ νοσέοντος, ἥ τε τοῦ νοσήματος·
And as for what the sick suffer in not being quickly seen, those who treat them are not the cause, but rather the nature both of the sick person and of the disease.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἦν αὐτέῳ ὄψει ἰδεῖν τὸ μοχθέον, οὐδ’ ἀκοῇ πυθέσθαι, λογισμῷ μετῄει.
For the doctor, since it was not possible for him to see the suffering part with his sight, nor to learn of it by hearing, pursued it by reasoning.
Καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἃ πειρῶνται οἱ τὰ ἀφανέα νοσέοντες ἀπαγγέλλειν περὶ τῶν νοσημάτων τοῖσι θεραπεύουσιν, δοξάζοντες μᾶλλον ἢ εἰδότες ἀπαγγέλλουσιν· εἰ γὰρ ἠπίσταντο, οὐκ ἂν περιέπιπτον αὐτοῖσιν·
Indeed, even what those who are sick with unmanifest diseases try to report about their illnesses to those who treat them, they report by guessing rather than knowing; for if they knew, they would not have fallen into them.
τῆς γὰρ αὐτῆς ξυνέσιός ἐστιν, ἧσπερ τὸ εἰδέναι τῶν νούσων τὰ αἴτια, καὶ τὸ θεραπεύειν αὐτὰς ἐπίστασθαι πάσῃσι τῇσί θεραπείῃσιν, αἳ κωλύουσι τὰ νουσήματα μεγαλύνεσθαι.
For it belongs to the same understanding to know the causes of diseases and to know how to treat them with all the treatments that prevent the diseases from growing.
Ὅτε οὖν οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν ἀπαγγελλομένων ἐστὶ τὴν ἀναμάρτητον σαφηνίην ἀκοῦσαι, προσοπτέον τι καὶ ἄλλο τῷ θεραπεύοντι·
When, therefore, it is not possible to hear unerring clarity even from what is reported, the healer must look for something else besides.
ταύτης οὖν τῆς βραδυτῆτος οὐχ ἡ τέχνη, ἀλλ’ ἡ φύσις αἰτίη ἡ τῶν σωμάτων· ἡ μὲν γὰρ αἰσθανομένη ἀξιοῖ θεραπεύειν σκοποῦσα ὅπως μὴ τόλμῃ μᾶλλον ἢ γνώμῃ, καὶ ῥᾳστώνῃ μᾶλλον ἢ βίῃ θεραπεύῃ· ἡ δ’ ἢν μὲν ἀρκέσῃ πρὸς τὸ ὀφθῆναι, ἐξαρκέσει καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἰαθῆναι·
Of this delay, then, not the art, but the nature of bodies is the cause; for the one, perceiving, deems it right to treat, taking care that it treats by judgment rather than boldness, and by gentleness rather than force; while the other, if it suffices to be seen, will also suffice to be cured.
ἢν δ’ ἐν ᾧ τοῦτο ὁρᾶται, κρατηθῇ διὰ τὸ βραδέως αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν θεραπεύσοντα ἐλθεῖν, ἢ διὰ τὸ τοῦ νοσήματος τάχος, οἰχήσεται.
But if, while this is being observed, it is overcome because of his coming slowly to the one who will treat him, or because of the speed of the disease, it will be gone.
Ἐξ ἴσου μὲν γὰρ ὁρμώμενον τῇ θεραπείῃ οὐκ ἔστι θᾶσσον, προλαβὸν δὲ θᾶσσον, προλαμβάνει δὲ διά τε τὴν τῶν σωμάτων στεγνότητα, ἐν ᾗ οὐκ ἐν εὐόπτῳ οἰκέουσιν αἱ νοῦσοι, διά τε τὴν τῶν καμνόντων ὀλιγωρίην· ἐπεὶ ἔοικε· οὐ λαμβανόμενοι γὰρ, ἀλλ’ εἰλημμένοι ὑπὸ τῶν νοσημάτων ἐθέλουσι θεραπεύεσθαι.
For starting on equal terms with the treatment, the disease is not faster, but having gained a head start, it is faster. And it gains a head start because of the density of bodies, in which diseases dwell in no obvious place, and because of the neglect of the sick; as indeed it seems, for they wish to be treated not when they are being caught, but when they have already been caught by the diseases.
Ἐπεὶ τῆς γε τέχνης τὴν δύναμιν, ὁκόταν τινὰ τῶν τὰ ἄδηλα νοσεύντων ἀναστήσῃ, θαυμάζειν ἀξιώτερον, ἢ ὁκόταν ἐγχειρήσῃ τοῖς ἀδυνάτοις.
Since indeed it is more worthy to marvel at the power of the art when it raises up someone suffering from unmanifest diseases, than when it attempts impossible things.
Οὔκουν ἐν ἄλλῃ γε δημιουργίῃ τῶν ἤδη εὑρημένων οὐδεμιῇ ἔνεστιν οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον, ἀλλ’ αὐτέων ὅσαι πυρὶ δημιουργεῦνται, τούτου μὴ παρεόντος, ἀεργοί εἰσι, μετὰ δὲ τοῦ τοῦτο ἁφθῆναι ἐνεργοί.
Indeed, in no other of the arts already discovered is there anything of this kind, but those of them that work by fire are inactive when this is not present, but active after it is kindled.
Καὶ ὅσαι τοῖσιν εὐεπανορθώτοισι σώμασι δημιουργεῦνται, αἱ μὲν μετὰ ξύλων, αἱ δὲ μετὰ σκυτέων, αἱ δὲ γραφῇ, χαλκῷ τε καὶ σιδήρῳ, καὶ τοῖσι τούτων ὁμοίοισιν αἱ πλεῖσται, ὄντα δὲ τὰ ἐκ τουτέων καὶ μετὰ τούτων δημιουργεύμενα εὐεπανόρθωτα, ὅμως οὐ τῷ τάχει μᾶλλον, ἢ τῷ ὡς δεῖ δημιουργεῖται· οὐδ’ ὑπερβατῶς, ἀλλ’ ἢν ἀπῇ τι τῶν ὀργάνων, ἐλιννύει·
And those that work upon easily rectifiable bodies—some with wood, some with leather, some by painting, others with bronze and iron, and the majority with things similar to these—even though the products made from these and with these are easily rectifiable, nevertheless they are fashioned not by speed, but rather in the way they ought to be; nor out of order, but if any of the tools is missing, the work stops.
καί τοι κἀκείναις τὸ βραδὺ πρὸς τὸ λυσιτελέστερον ἀσύμφορον, ἀλλ’ ὅμως προτιμᾶται.
And yet, even for those arts, delay is disadvantageous to greater utility, but nevertheless it is preferred.