§1## ΠΕΡΙ ΠΑΡΘΕΝΙΩΝ.
1.
ON THE DISEASES OF VIRGINS. 1.
Ἀρχή μοι τῆς ξυνθέσιος τῶν αἰειγενέων ἰητρίκῆς· οὐ γὰρ δυνατὸν τῶν νουσημάτων τὴν φύσιν γνῶναι, ὅ πέρ ἐστι τῆς τέχνης ἐξευρεῖν, ἢν μὴ γνῷ τὴν ἐν τῷ ἀμερεῖ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἐξ ἧς διέκρίθη.
This is the beginning for me of the compilation of medicine concerning eternal things; for it is not possible to know the nature of diseases—which is the very task of the art to discover—unless one knows their nature in its undivided state according to the origin from which it was distinguished.
Πρῶτον περὶ τῆς ἱερῆς νούσου καλεομένης, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀποπλήκτων, καὶ περὶ τῶν δειμάτων, ὁκόσα φοβεῦνται οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἰσχυρῶς, ὥστε παραφρονέειν καὶ ὁρῇν δοκέειν δαίμονάς τινας ἐφ’ ἑωυτῶν δυσμενέας, ὁκότε μὲν νυκτὸς, ὁκότε δὲ ἡμέρῃς, ὁκότε δὲ ἀμφοτέρῃσι τῇσιν ὥρῃσιν·
First, concerning the so-called sacred disease, and concerning apoplexies, and concerning the terrors which men fear so intensely as to lose their minds and seem to see certain hostile demons before them, sometimes by night, sometimes by day, and sometimes at both seasons.
ἔπειτα ἀπὸ τῆς τοιαύτης ὄψιος πολλοὶ ἤδη ἀπηγχονίσθησαν, πλέονες δὲ γυναῖκες ἢ ἄνδρες· ἀθυμοτέρη γὰρ καὶ ὀλιγωτέρη ἡ φύσις ἡ γυναικείη.
Then, after such a vision, many have already hanged themselves, more women than men; for the female nature is more despondent and weaker.
Αἱ δὲ παρθένοι, ὁκόσῃσιν ὥρη γάμου, παρανδρούμεναι, τοῦτο μᾶλλον πάσχουσιν ἅμα τῇ καθόδῳ τῶν ἐπιμηνίων, πρότερον οὐ μάλα ταῦτα κακοπαθέουσαι·
And virgins, who are of marriageable age but remain unmarried, suffer this more at the onset of their menses, not having suffered much from these things before.
ὕστερον γὰρ τὸ αἷμα ξυλλείβεται ἐς τὰς μήτρας, ὡς ἀποῤῥευσόμενον· ὁκόταν οὖν τὸ στόμα τῆς ἐξόδου μὴ ᾖ ἀνεστομωμένον, τὸ δὲ αἷμα πλέον ἐπιῤῥέῃ διά τε τὰ σιτία καὶ τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ σώματος, τηνικαῦτα οὐκ ἔχον τὸ αἷμα ἔκρουν ἀναΐσσει ὑπὸ πλήθεος ἐς τὴν καρδίην καὶ ἐς τὴν διάφραξιν· ὁκόταν οὖν ταῦτα πληρωθέωσιν, ἐμωρώθη ἡ καρδίη· εἶτα ἐκ τῆς μωρώσιος νάρκη· εἶτ’ ἐκ τῆς νάρκης παράνοια ἔλαβεν.
For later, the blood flows down into the womb, to be discharged; whenever, therefore, the mouth of exit is not opened, and more blood flows in because of food and the growth of the body, then the blood, having no outlet, rushes up because of its abundance to the heart and to the diaphragm; whenever, therefore, these parts are filled, the heart becomes sluggish; then from this sluggishness comes numbness; then from this numbness, madness takes hold.
Ὥσπερ ὁκόταν καθημένου πουλὺν χρόνον τὸ ἐκ τῶν ἰσχίων καὶ μηρῶν αἷμα ἀποπιεχθὲν ἐς τὰς κνήμας καὶ τοὺς πόδας νάρκην παράσχῃ· ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς νάρκης ἀκρατέες οἱ πόδες ἐς ὁδοιπορίην γίνονται, ἔστ’ ἂν ἀναχωρήσῃ τὸ αἷμα ἐς ἑωυτό· ἀναχωρέει δὲ τάχιστα, ὁκόταν ἀναστὰς ἐν ὕδατι ψυχρῷ τέγγῃ τὸ ἄνω τῶν σφυρῶν.
Just as whenever, when one sits for a long time, the blood from the hips and thighs, being pressed down into the shins and feet, causes numbness; and because of the numbness the feet become powerless for walking, until the blood returns to its place; and it returns most quickly whenever, having stood up, one bathes the part above the ankles in cold water.
Αὕτη μὲν οὖν ἡ νάρκη εὐήνιος, ταχὺ γὰρ παλιῤῥοεῖ διὰ τὴν ἰθύτητα τῶν φλεβῶν, καὶ ὁ τόπος τοῦ σώματος οὐκ ἐπίκαιρος· ἐκ δὲ τῆς καρδίης καὶ τῶν φρενῶν βραδέως παλιῤῥοεῖ· ἐπικάρσιαι γὰρ αἱ φλέβες καὶ ὁ τόπος ἐπίκαιρος ἔς τε παραφροσύνην καὶ μανίην ἕτοιμος.
This numbness, then, is easily managed, for the blood quickly flows back because of the straightness of the veins, and the region of the body is not vital; but from the heart and the diaphragm it flows back slowly; for the veins are transverse and the region is vital and ready for delirium and madness.
Ὁκόταν δὲ πληρωθέωσι ταῦτα τὰ μέρεα, καὶ φρίκη ξὺν πυρετῷ ἀναΐσσει· πλανήτας τοὺς πυρετοὺς καλέουσιν.
And whenever these parts are filled, a chill also rushes up with fever; they call these fevers wandering.
Ἐχόντων δὲ τουτέων ὧδε, ὑπὸ μὲν τῆς ὀξυφλεγμασίης μαίνεται, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς σηπεδόνος φονᾷ, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ ζοφεροῦ φοβέεται καὶ δέδοικεν, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς περὶ τὴν καρδίην πιέξιος ἀγχόνας κραίνουσιν, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς κακίης τοῦ αἵματος ἀλύων καὶ ἀδημονέων ὁ θυμὸς κακὸν ἐφέλκεται· ἕτερον δὲ καὶ φοβερὰ ὀνομάζει· καὶ κελεύουσιν ἅλλεσθαι καὶ καταπίπτειν ἐς τὰ φρέατα καὶ ἄγχεσθαι, ἅτε ἀμείνονά τε ἐόντα καὶ χρείην ἔχοντα παντοίην· ὁκότε δὲ ἄνευ φαντασμάτων, ἡδονή τις, ἀφ’ ἧς ἐρᾷ τοῦ θανάτου ὥσπέρ τινος ἀγαθοῦ.
And things being thus, from the acute inflammation she goes mad, from the putrefaction she becomes murderous, from the darkness she is terrified and fears, from the pressure about the heart they commit hanging, and from the badness of the blood, the mind, wandering and distressed, draws evil to itself; and she names other terrifying things; and they order them to leap and throw themselves into wells and to hang themselves, as if these things were better and of every usefulness; and sometimes without visions, a certain pleasure comes, from which she desires death as if it were some good thing.
Φρονησάσης δὲ τῆς ἀνθρώπου, τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι αἱ γυναῖκες ἄλλα τε πολλὰ, ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ τὰ πουλυτελέστατα τῶν ἱματίων καθιεροῦσι τῶν γυναικείων, κελευόντων τῶν μάντεων, ἐξαπατεώμεναι.
But when the woman recovers her senses, the women dedicate to Artemis many other things, and especially the most expensive of women's garments, because the seers command them, being deceived.
Ἡ δὲ τῆσδε ἀπαλλαγὴ, ὁκόταν τι μὴ ἐμποδίζῃ τοῦ αἵματος τὴν ἀπόῤῥυσιν.
The deliverance from this is whenever nothing obstructs the outflow of the blood.
Κελεύω δ’ ἔγωγε τὰς παρθένους, ὁκόταν τὸ τοιοῦτον πάσχωσιν, ὡς τάχιστα ξυνοικῆσαι ἀνδράσιν· ἢν γὰρ κυήσωσιν, ὑγιέες γίνονται· εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἢ αὐτίκα ἅμα τῇ ἥβῃ ἢ ὀλίγον ὕστερον ἁλώσεται, εἴπερ μὴ ἑτέρῃ νούσῳ· τῶν δὲ ἠνδρωμένων γυναικῶν αἱ στεῖραι μἅλλον ταῦτα πάσχουσιν.
And I command virgins, whenever they suffer such a thing, to cohabit with men as quickly as possible; for if they become pregnant, they become healthy; but if not, either immediately at puberty or a little later she will be overcome, unless by some other disease; and among married women, those who are sterile suffer these things more.