§1010.
10.
Ἴσως δ’ ἄν τις εἴποι· πῶς οὖν τὰ ῥεύματα γίνεται διὰ τὰς φύσας;
Perhaps someone might say, "How then do catarrhs occur because of the winds?
ἢ τίνα τρόπον τῶν αἱμοῤῥαγιῶν τῶν περὶ τὰ στέρνα τοῦτο αἴτιόν ἐστιν; οἶμαι δὲ καὶ ταῦτα δηλώσειν διὰ τωὐτὸ γινόμενα.
Or in what manner is this the cause of hemorrhages about the chest?" I think I can show that these also occur because of the same cause.
Ὅταν αἱ περὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν φλέβες γεμισθῶσιν ἠέρος, πρῶτον μὲν ἡ κεφαλὴ βαρύνεται τῶν φυσέων ἐγκειμένων· ἔπειτα εἰλεῖται τὸ αἷμα, οὐ διαχέειν δυναμένων διὰ τὴν στενότητα τῶν ὁδῶν· τὸ δὲ λεπτότατον τοῦ αἵματος διὰ τῶν φλεβῶν ἐκθλίβεται·
When the veins about the head are filled with air, first the head becomes heavy because of the winds enclosed within; then the blood is congested, since the veins are unable to distribute it because of the narrowness of the passages; and the thinnest part of the blood is squeezed out through the veins.
τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ὑγρὸν ὅταν ἀθροισθῇ, ῥεῖ δι’ ἄλλων πόρων· ὅποι δ’ ἂν ἀθρόον ἀφίκηται τοῦ σώματος, ἐνταῦθα ξυνίσταται ἡ νοῦσος·
When this fluid is accumulated, it flows through other pores; and wherever it arrives all at once in the body, there the disease is established.
ἢν μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τὴν ὄψιν ἔλθῃ, ταύτης ὁ πόνος· ἢν δὲ ἐς τὰς ἀκοὰς, ἐνταῦθ’ ἡ νοῦσος· ἢν δὲ ἐς τὰς ῥῖνας, κόρυζα γίνεται· ἢν δὲ ἐς τὰ στέρνα, βράγχος καλέεται.
If, then, it goes to the eyes, there is pain in them; if to the ears, the disease is there; if to the nose, it becomes a cold; and if to the chest, it is called hoarseness.
Τὸ γὰρ φλέγμα δριμέσι χυμοῖσι μεμιγμένον, ὅποι ἂν προσπέσῃ ἐς ἀήθεας τόπους, ἑλκοῖ· τῇ δὲ φάρυγγι ἁπαλῇ ἐούσῃ ῥεῦμα προσπῖπτον τρηχύτητας ἐμποιέει·
For phlegm mixed with acrid humors, wherever it falls upon places unaccustomed to it, causes ulceration; and since the throat is tender, the catarrh falling upon it causes roughness.
τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα τὸ διαπνεόμενον διὰ τῆς φάρυγγος ἐς τὰ στέρνα βαδίζει, καὶ πάλιν ἐξέρχεται διὰ τῆς ὁδοῦ ταύτης· ὅταν οὖν ἀπαντήσῃ τῷ ῥεύματι τὸ πνεῦμα κάτωθεν ἰὸν κάτω ἰόντι, βὴξ ἐπιγίνεται, καὶ ἀναῤῥίπτεται ἄνω τὸ φλέγμα·
For the breath breathed through the throat goes to the chest, and again goes out through this same passage; when, therefore, the breath going from below meets the catarrh going downward, coughing occurs, and the phlegm is thrown upward.
τουτέων δὲ τοιουτέων ἐόντων, ἡ φάρυγξ ἑλκοῦται, καὶ τρηχύνεται, καὶ θερμαίνεται, καὶ ἕλκει τὸ ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑγρὸν θερμὴ ἐοῦσα· ἡ δὲ κεφαλὴ πάλιν παρὰ τοῦ ἄλλου σώματος λαμβάνουσα ταύτῃ διδοῖ·
These things being so, the throat is ulcerated, becomes rough and heated, and being hot, draws the fluid from the head; and the head, in turn receiving it from the rest of the body, gives it to this part.
ὁκόταν γοῦν ἐθισθῇ τὸ ῥεῦμα ταύτῃ ῥέειν καὶ χαραδρωθέωσιν οἱ πόροι, διαδιδοῖ ἤδη καὶ ἐς τὰ στέρνα, δριμὺ δὲ ἐὸν τὸ φλέγμα προσπῖπτόν τε τῇ σαρκὶ ἑλκοῖ καὶ ἀναῤῥηγνύει τὰς φλέβας.
When, at any rate, the catarrh is accustomed to flow in this direction and the passages become channeled, it already spreads to the chest; and the phlegm, being acrid, when it falls upon the flesh, ulcerates it and ruptures the veins.
Ὁκόταν δὲ ἐκχυθῇ τὸ αἷμα ἐς ἀλλότριον τόπον, χρονιζόμενον καὶ σηπόμενον γίνεται πῦον, καὶ οὔτε ἄνω δύναται ἀνελθεῖν, οὔτε κάτω ὑπελθεῖν· ἄνω γὰρ οὐκ εὔπορος ἡ πορείη προσάντης τις οὖσα ὑγρῷ χρήματι καὶ ἑτέρῳ παντὶ βάρος ἔχοντι· κάτω δὲ κωλύει φραγμὸς ὁ τῶν φρενῶν.
And when the blood is poured out into an unnatural place, remaining there and putrefying, it becomes pus, and is able neither to go upward nor to pass downward; for upward the passage is not easy, being an uphill way for a fluid substance and everything else that has weight; while downward the barrier of the diaphragm prevents it.
Διὰ τί δὲ δήποτε τὸ ῥεῦμα ἀναῤῥήγνυται τὸ μὲν αὐτόματον, τὸ δὲ διὰ πόνους;
But why indeed does the rupture occur in some cases spontaneously, and in others because of exertions?
αὐτόματον μὲν οὖν, ὅταν αὐτόματος ὁ ἀὴρ ἐλθὼν ἐς τὰς φλέβας στενοχωρίην ποιήσῃ τῇσι τοῦ αἵματος διεξόδοισιν· τότε γὰρ πιεζεύμενον τὸ αἷμα πουλὺ γενόμενον ἀναῤῥηγνύει τοὺς πόρους, ᾗ ἂν ὡς τὰ μάλιστα βρίσῃ· ὅσοι δὲ διὰ πόνων πλῆθος ᾑμοῤῥάγησαν, καὶ τούτοισιν οἱ πόνοι πνεύματος ἐνέπλησαν τὰς φλέβας, ἀνάγκη γὰρ τὸν πονέοντα τόπον κατέχειν τὸ πνεῦμα, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα τοῖσιν εἰρημένοισιν ὅμοια γίνεται.
Spontaneously indeed, when air, having entered the veins spontaneously, causes a constriction in the passages of the blood; for then the blood, being compressed and becoming abundant, ruptures the pores wherever it presses most heavily; and as many as have had hemorrhage because of the greatness of their exertions, for these also the exertions filled the veins with breath—for it is necessary that breath occupy the painful place—and the other things happen in a manner similar to what has been said.
§1111.
11.
Τὰ δὲ ῥήγματα πάντα γίνεται διὰ τάδε· ὁκόταν ὑπὸ βίης διαστέωσιν αἱ σάρκες ἀπ’ ἀλλήλων, ἐς δὲ τὴν διάστασιν ὑποδράμῃ πνεῦμα, τοῦτο τὸν πόνον παρέχει.
And all ruptures occur because of this: when by violence the flesh is separated from one another, and breath runs under into the separation, this causes the pain.
§1212.
12.
Ἢν δὲ διὰ τῶν σαρκῶν αἱ φῦσαι διεξιοῦσαι τοὺς πόρους τοῦ σώματος ἀραιοὺς ποιήσωσιν, ἕπεται δὲ τῇσι φύσῃσιν ὑγρασίη, ἧς τὴν ὁδὸν ὁ ἀὴρ ἀπειργάσατο· διαβρόχου δὲ γενομένου τοῦ σώματος, ὑπεκτήκονται μὲν αἱ σάρκες, οἰδήματα δὲ ἐς τὰς κνήμας καταβαίνει· καὶ λέγεται τὸ τοιοῦτον νόσημα ὕδρωψ.
And if the winds, passing through the flesh, make the pores of the body sparse, and moisture follows the winds, the passage for which was prepared by the air; and when the body has become soaked, the flesh melts away from beneath, and swellings descend into the shins; and such a disease is called dropsy.
Μέγιστον δὲ σημεῖον, ὅτι φῦσαι τοῦ νουσήματός εἰσιν αἴτιαι, τόδε ἐστίν· ἤδη τινὲς ὀλεθρίως ἔχοντες ἐκαύθησαν καὶ ἐκενώθησαν τοῦ ὕδατος· παραυτίκα μὲν τὸ ἐξιὸν ἐκ τῆς κοιλίης ὕδωρ πολὺ φαίνεται, χρονιζόμενον δὲ ἔλασσον γίνεται.
And the greatest proof that winds are the cause of the disease is this: already some who were in a fatal condition were cauterized and emptied of their water; immediately indeed the water coming out of the belly appears much, but with the passage of time it becomes less.
Διὰ τί οὖν γίγνεται καὶ τοῦτο, δῆλον· ὅτι παραυτίκα μὲν τὸ ὕδωρ ἠέρος πλῆρές ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ ἀὴρ ὄγκον παρέχεται μέγαν· ἀπιόντος δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος, ὑπολείπεται τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτό· διὸ δὴ φαίνεται μὲν μικρὸν ἐὸν, ἔστι δὲ ἴσον.
Why indeed this also happens is clear: because immediately the water is full of air, and the air provides a great volume; but when the breath departs, the water itself is left behind; wherefore indeed it appears small, but is equal.
Ἄλλο δὲ αὐτέων τόδε σημεῖον· κενωθείσης γὰρ παντελῶς τῆς κοιλίης, οὐδ’ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέρῃσιν ὕστερον πάλιν πλήρεις γίνονται.
And another proof of theirs is this: for when the belly has been completely emptied, not even in three days afterward are they filled again.
Τί οὖν ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ πληρῶσαν, ἀλλ’ ἢ πνεῦμα;
What then is it that filled it, if not breath?
τί γὰρ ἂν οὕτως ἄλλο ταχέως ἐξεπλήρωσεν;
For what else would have filled it so quickly?
οὐ γὰρ δήπου ποτόν γε τοσοῦτον ἐσῆλθεν ἐς τὸ σῶμα· καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ σάρκες ὑπάρχουσιν ἔτι αἱ τηξόμεναι· λείπεται γὰρ ὀστέα καὶ νεῦρα καὶ ἶνες, ἀφ’ ὧν οὐδενὸς οὐδεμίη δύναιτ’ ἂν αὔξησις ὕδατος γεγενῆσθαι.
For surely not so much drink entered the body; and indeed there is no longer flesh left to be melted; for bones, sinews, and fibers remain, from none of which could any increase of water occur.