§1## ΠΕΡΙ ΦΥΣΩΝ.
1.
## On Breaths 1.
Εἰσί τινες τῶν τεχνέων, αἳ τοῖσι μὲν κεκτημένοισίν εἰσιν ἐπίπονοι, τοῖσι δὲ χρεομένοισιν ὀνηισταὶ, καὶ τοῖσι μὲν ἰδιώτῃσι ξυνὸν ἀγαθὸν, τοῖσι δὲ μεταχειριζομένοισι σφᾶς λυπηραί.
There are some arts which to those who possess them are painful, but to those who use them are most beneficial, and while they are a common good to laymen, they are painful to those who practice them.
Τῶν δὴ τοιουτέων ἐστὶ τεχνέων, καὶ ἣν οἱ Ἕλληνες καλέουσιν ἰητρικήν·
Of such arts, indeed, is also that which the Greeks call medicine.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἰητρὸς ὁρῇ τε δεινὰ, θιγγάνει τε ἀηδέων, ἐπ’ ἀλλοτρίῃσί τε ξυμφορῇσιν ἰδίας καρποῦται λύπας· οἱ δὲ νοσέοντες ἀπαλλάσσονται τῶν μεγίστων κακῶν διὰ τὴν τέχνην, νούσων, πόνων, λύπης, θανάτου·
For the physician sees terrible things, touches unpleasant things, and from others' misfortunes reaps private pains; whereas the sick are rid of the greatest evils through the art—diseases, pains, suffering, death.
πᾶσι γὰρ τουτέοισιν ἄντικρυς ἰητρικὴ εὑρίσκεται ἀκεστορίς.
For against all these, medicine is found to be a direct remedy.
Ταύτης δὲ τῆς τέχνης τὰ μὲν φλαῦρα χαλεπὸν γνῶναι, τὰ δὲ σπουδαῖα ῥηΐδιον· καὶ τὰ μὲν φλαῦρα τοῖσιν ἰητροῖσι μούνοισίν ἐστιν εἰδέναι, καὶ οὐ τοῖσιν ἰδιώτῃσιν· οὐ γὰρ σώματος, ἀλλὰ γνώμης ἐστὶν ἔργα.
In this art, the faulty parts are difficult to recognize, but the excellent parts are easy; and the faulty parts are for physicians alone to know, and not for laymen, for they are works not of the body but of the mind.
Ὅσα μὲν γὰρ χειρουργῆσαι δεῖ, χρὴ ξυνεθισθῆναι· τὸ γὰρ ἔθος τῇσι χερσὶ κάλλιστον διδασκάλιον γίνεται·
For in as much as it is necessary to perform manual operations, one must become accustomed to them; for habit becomes the best teacher for the hands.
περὶ δὲ τῶν ἀφανεστάτων καὶ χαλεπωτάτων νουσημάτων δόξῃ μᾶλλον ἢ τέχνῃ κρίνεται· διαφέρει δὲ ἐν αὐτέοισι πλεῖστον ἡ πείρη τῆς ἀπειρίης.
But concerning the most obscure and difficult diseases, judgment is made by opinion rather than by art; and in these, experience differs most from inexperience.
Ἓν δὲ δή τι τῶν τοιουτέων ἐστὶ τόδε, τί ποτε τὸ αἴτιόν ἐστι τῶν νούσων, καὶ τίς ἀρχὴ καὶ πηγὴ γίνεται τῶν ἐν τῷ σώματι κακῶν;
One such thing indeed is this: what on earth is the cause of diseases, and what is the beginning and source of the evils in the body?
εἰ γάρ τις εἰδείη τὴν αἰτίην τοῦ νοσήματος, οἷός τ’ ἂν εἴη προσφέρειν τὰ ξυμφέροντα τῷ σώματι, ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων ἐπιστάμενος τὰ βοηθήματα.
For if one were to know the cause of the disease, one would be able to administer what is beneficial to the body, knowing the remedies from opposites.
Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ ἰητρικὴ μάλιστα κατὰ φύσιν ἐστίν· αὐτίκα γὰρ λιμὸς νοῦσός ἐστιν· ὅ τι γὰρ ἂν λυπέῃ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, τοῦτο καλέεται νοῦσος·
For this medicine is most in accordance with nature; for instance, hunger is a disease, for whatever pains a person is called a disease.
τί οὖν λιμοῦ φάρμακον;
What then is the remedy for hunger?
ὃ παύει λιμόν· τοῦτο δ’ ἐστὶ βρῶσις· τούτῳ ἄρα ἐκεῖνο ἰητέον.
That which stops hunger; and this is eating; therefore, by this must that be cured.
Αὖθις αὖ δίψαν ἔπαυσε πόσις· πάλιν αὖ πλησμονὴν ἰῆται κένωσις· κένωσιν δὲ πλησμονή· πόνον δὲ ἀπονίη· ἀπονίην δὲ πόνος.
Again, drinking stops thirst; again, evacuation cures satiety, and satiety cures evacuation; rest cures labor, and labor cures rest.
Ἑνὶ δὲ συντόμῳ λόγῳ, τὰ ἐναντία τῶν ἐναντίων ἐστὶν ἰήματα· ἰητρικὴ γάρ ἐστι πρόσθεσις καὶ ἀφαίρεσις, ἀφαίρεσις μὲν τῶν ὑπερβαλλόντων, πρόσθεσις δὲ τῶν ἐλλειπόντων·
In one concise word, opposites are the remedies for opposites; for medicine is addition and subtraction, subtraction of excesses, addition of deficiencies.
ὁ δὲ τοῦτ’ ἄριστα ποιέων ἄριστος ἰητρός· ὁ δὲ τουτέου πλεῖστον ἀπηλλαγμένος πλεῖστον ἀπήλλακται καὶ τῆς τέχνης.
He who does this best is the best physician; and he who is furthest removed from this is also furthest removed from the art.
Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐν παρέργῳ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ μέλλοντος εἴρηται. §22.
These things then have been said as a digression from the coming discourse. 2.
Τῶν δὲ δὴ νούσων ἁπασέων ὁ μὲν τρόπος ὁ αὐτὸς, ὁ δὲ τόπος διαφέρει·
Of all diseases, the mode is the same, but the location differs.
δοκέει μὲν οὖν τὰ νουσήματα οὐδὲν ἀλλήλοισιν ἐοικέναι διὰ τὴν ἀλλοιότητα καὶ ἀνομοιότητα τῶν τόπων.
Thus, diseases seem to resemble one another in no way because of the difference and dissimilarity of the locations.
Ἔστι δὲ μία ἁπασέων νούσων καὶ ἰδέη καὶ αἰτίη ἡ αὐτή· ταύτην δὲ, ἥ τις ἐστὶ, διὰ τοῦ μέλλοντος λόγου φράσαι πειρήσομαι. §33.
But there is one and the same form and cause of all diseases; and what this is, I will attempt to declare through the coming discourse. 3.
Τὰ γὰρ σώματα τῶν τε ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ζώων ὑπὸ τρισσέων τροφῶν τρέφεται· ἔστι δὲ τῇσι τροφῇσι ταύτῃσι ταῦτα τὰ οὐνόματα, σῖτα, ποτὰ, πνεύματα.
For the bodies of humans and other animals are nourished by three kinds of nourishment; and to these nourishments there are these names: food, drink, and breaths.
Πνεύματα δὲ τὰ μὲν ἐν τοῖσι σώμασι φῦσαι καλέονται, τὰ δὲ ἔξω τῶν σωμάτων ἀήρ.
Of breaths, those in the bodies are called winds, and those outside the bodies are called air.
Οὗτος δὲ μέγιστος ἐν τοῖσι πᾶσι τῶν πάντων δυνάστης ἐστίν· ἄξιον δὲ αὐτοῦ θεήσασθαι τὴν δύναμιν.
This is the greatest ruler of all things among all; and it is worthwhile to contemplate its power.
Ἄνεμος γάρ ἐστιν ἠέρος ῥεῦμα καὶ χεῦμα·
For wind is a flow and pour of air.
ὅταν οὖν πολὺς ἀὴρ ἰσχυρὸν τὸ ῥεῦμα ποιήσῃ, τά τε δένδρεα ἀνασπαστὰ πρόῤῥιζα γίνεται διὰ τὴν βίην τοῦ πνεύματος, τό τε πέλαγος κυμαίνεται, ὁλκάδες τε ἄπειροι τῷ μεγέθει ἐς ὕψος διαῤῥιπτεῦνται.
When, therefore, much air makes a strong flow, trees are torn up by the roots through the force of the breath, the sea surges, and merchant ships of infinite size are tossed on high.
Τοιαύτην μὲν οὖν ἐν τουτέοισιν ἔχει δύναμιν· ἀλλὰ μήν ἐστί γε τῇ μὲν ὄψει ἀφανὴς, τῷ δὲ λογισμῷ φανερός·
Such power indeed it has in these things; yet it is invisible to sight, but manifest to reason.
τί γὰρ ἄνευ τουτέου γένοιτο ἄν;
For what could happen without this?
ἢ τίνος οὗτος ἄπεστιν;
Or from what is this absent?
ἢ τίνι οὐ ξυμπάρεστιν;
Or to what is it not present?
ἅπαν γὰρ τὸ μεταξὺ γῆς τε καὶ οὐρανοῦ πνεύματος ἔμπλεον ἐστιν.
For all the space between earth and heaven is full of breath.
Τοῦτο καὶ χειμῶνος καὶ θέρεος αἴτιον, ἐν μὲν τῷ χειμῶνι πυκνὸν καὶ ψυχρὸν γινόμενον, ἐν δὲ τῷ θέρει πρηῢ καὶ γαληνόν.
This is the cause of both winter and summer, becoming dense and cold in winter, and mild and calm in summer.
Ἀλλὰ μὴν ἡλίου τε καὶ σελήνης καὶ ἄστρων ὁδὸς διὰ τοῦ πνεύματός ἐστιν· τῷ γὰρ πυρὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τροφή· τοῦ δὲ πνεύματος τὸ πῦρ στερηθὲν οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο ζῇν· ὥστε καὶ τὸν τοῦ ἡλίου δρόμον ἀένναον ὁ ἀὴρ ἀένναος καὶ λεπτὸς ἐὼν παρέχεται.
Moreover, the path of the sun, moon, and stars is through the breath; for breath is food for fire, and fire deprived of breath would not be able to live; so that the air, being eternal and thin, also provides the eternal course of the sun.
Ἀλλὰ μὴν ὅτι καὶ τὸ πέλαγος μετέχει πνεύματος, φανερόν· οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε τὰ πλωτὰ ζῶα ζῇν ἠδύνατο, μὴ μετέχοντα πνεύματος· μετέχοιεν δὲ πῶς ἂν ἄλλως, ἀλλ’ ἢ διὰ τοῦ ὕδατος, κἀκ τοῦ ὕδατος ἕλκοντα τὸν ἠέρα;
Moreover, that the sea also participates in breath is clear; for swimming animals would never be able to live without participating in breath; and how else could they participate, except through the water, drawing the air from the water?
καὶ μὴν ἥ τε γῆ τουτέου βάθρον, οὗτός τε τῆς γῆς ὄχημα, κενεόν τε οὐδέν ἐστιν τούτου.
And indeed, the earth is the base of this, and this is the carriage of the earth, and there is nothing empty of this.