§1111.
11.
Ἐπὴν δὲ ἐσίῃς πρὸς τὸν νοσέοντα, τουτέων σοι ἀπηρτισμένων, ἵνα μὴ ἀπορῇς, εὐθέτως ἔχων ἕκαστα πρὸς τὸ ποιησόμενον, ἴσθι γινώσκων, ὃ χρὴ ποιέειν πρὶν ἐσελθεῖν· πολλὰ γὰρ οὐδὲ συλλογισμοῦ, ἀλλὰ βοηθείης δεῖται τῶν πραγμάτων.
When you enter to the sick person, with these things prepared for you, so that you may not be at a loss, having each thing in readiness for what is to be done, be sure you know what must be done before entering; for many of the matters do not even need reasoning, but immediate help.
Προδιαστέλλεσθαι οὖν χρὴ τὸ ἐκβησόμενον ἐκ τῆς ἐμπειρίης· ἔνδοξον γὰρ καὶ εὐμαθές.
Therefore, one must predict from experience what will turn out; for this brings good reputation and is easy to learn.
§1212.
12.
Ἐν δὲ τῇ εἰσόδῳ μεμνῆσθαι καὶ καθέδρης, καὶ καταστολῆς, περιστολῆς, ἀνακυριώσιος, βραχυλογίης, προσεδρίης, ἐπιμελείης, ἀντιλέξιος πρὸς τὰ ἀπαντώμενα, πρὸς τοὺς ὄχλους τοὺς ἐπιγινομένους εὐσταθείης τῆς ἐν ἑωυτῷ, πρὸς τοὺς θορύβους ἐπιπλήξιος, πρὸς τὰς ὑπουργίας ἑτοιμασίης.
And on entering, remember both your posture, composure, dress, authority, brevity of speech, attention, care, replying to what meets you, self-composure in the face of the crowds that gather around, rebuke of disturbances, and readiness for services.
Ἐπὶ τουτέοισι μέμνησο παρασκευῆς τῆς πρώτης· εἰ δὲ μὴ, τὰ κατ’ ἄλλα ἀδιάπτωτον, ἐξ ὧν παραγγέλλεται εἰς ἑτοιμασίην.
In addition to these, remember your primary preparation; otherwise, be faultless in other things, from which instructions are given for readiness.
§1313.
13.
Ἐσόδῳ χρέο πυκνῶς, ἐπισκέπτεο ἐπιμελέστερον, τοῖσιν ἀπατεωμένοισιν ἐπὶ τὰς μεταβολὰς ἀπαντῶν· ῥᾷον γὰρ εἴσῃ, ἅμα δὲ καὶ εὐμαρέστερος ἔσῃ· ἄστατα γὰρ τὰ ἐν ὑγροῖσι· διὸ καὶ εὐμεταποίητα ὑπὸ φύσιος καὶ ὑπὸ τύχης· ἀβλεπτηθέντα γὰρ τὰ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ὑπουργίης ἔφθασαν ὁρμήσαντα καὶ ἀνελόντα· οὐ γὰρ ἦν τὸ ἐπικουρῆσον.
Make frequent visits, examine more carefully, counteracting the changes in those who are deceived; for you will know the condition more easily, and at the same time you will be more adaptable; for the states in bodily fluids are unstable; therefore they are easily changed both by nature and by chance; for things neglected at the moment of treatment hasten to break out and destroy, since there was nothing to help.
Πολλὰ γὰρ ἅμα τὰ προσιόντα τι χαλεπόν· τὸ γὰρ καθ’ ἓν κατ’ ἐπακολούθησιν εὐθετώτερον καὶ ἐμπειρότερον.
For many things coming on all at once are difficult; for dealing with things one by one in succession is more manageable and shows more experience.
§1414.
14.
Ἐπιτηρεῖν δὲ δεῖ καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας τῶν καμνόντων, δι’ ὧν πολλοὶ πολλάκις διεψεύσαντο ἐν τοῖσι προσάρμασι τῶν προσφερομένων· ἐπεὶ τὰ μισητὰ ποτήματα οὐ λαμβάνοντες, ἢ φαρμακευόμενοι ἢ θεραπευόμενοι, ἀνῃρέθησαν· καὶ αὐτῶν μὲν οὐχ ὡς ὁμολογίην τρέπεται τὸ ποιηθὲν, τῷ δὲ ἰητρῷ τὴν αἰτίην προσῆψαν.
And one must also watch out for the faults of the sick, through which many people have often lied concerning the taking of what is administered; since they do not take the unpleasant drinks, and while being purged or treated, they have perished; and on their part, what was done is not turned into an admission, but they attach the blame to the physician.
§1515.
15.
Ἐσκέφθαι δὲ χρὴ καὶ τὰ περὶ ἀνακλίσεων, ἃ μὲν αὐτέων πρὸς τὴν ὥρην, ἃ δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὰ γένεα· οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτέων ἐς ὑψηλοὺς, οἱ δὲ ἐς μὴ ὑψηλοὺς, οἱ δὲ ἐς καταγείους καὶ σκοτεινοὺς τόπους· τά τε ἀπὸ ψόφων καὶ ὀσμῶν, μάλιστα δ’ ἀπὸ οἴνου, χειροτέρη γὰρ αὕτη, φυγεῖν δὲ καὶ μετατιθέναι.
And one must also consider the matters of lying down, some of them in relation to the season, others in relation to the kinds of disease; for some of them should be placed in high places, others in not high places, others in low and dark places; and one must avoid and change position from the annoyances of noises and smells, especially from wine, for this is worse.
§1616.
16.
Πρήσσειν δ’ ἅπαντα ταῦτα ἡσύχως, εὐσταλέως, μεθ’ ὑπουργίης τὰ πολλὰ τὸν νοσέοντα ὑποκρυπτόμενον· ἃ δὲ χρὴ, παρακελεύοντα ἱλαρῶς καὶ εὐδιεινῶς, σφέτερα δὲ ἀποτρεπόμενον, ἅμα μὲν ἐπιπλήσσειν μετὰ πικρίης καὶ ἐντάσεων, ἅμα δὲ παραμυθέεσθαι μετ’ ἐπιστροφῆς καὶ ὑποδέξιος, μηδὲν ὑποδεικνύντα τῶν ἐσομένων ἢ ἐνεστώτων αὐτέοισι· πολλοὶ γὰρ δι’ αἰτίην ταύτην ἐφ’ ἑκάτερα ἀπεώσθησαν, διὰ τὴν πρόῤῥησιν τὴν προειρημένην τῶν ἐνεστώτων ἢ ἐπεσομένων.
And do all these things quietly, with decorum, concealing most things from the sick person while assisting; and encouraging them cheerfully and calmly in what is necessary, turning away their attention, at one moment rebuking with sharpness and severity, and at another moment comforting with attentiveness and kindness, revealing nothing of what is about to happen or is currently present to them; for many, for this reason, have been driven in either direction because of the aforementioned prediction of present or future things.
§1717.
17.
Τῶν δὲ μανθανόντων ἔστω τὶς ὁ ἐφεστὼς, ὅκως τοῖσι παραγγέλμασιν οὐκ ἀκαίρως χρήσεται, ποιήσει δὲ ὑπουργίην τὸ προσταχθέν· ἐκλέγεσθαι δὲ αὐτέων ἤδη τοὺς ἐς τὰ τῆς τέχνης εἰλημμένους, προσδοῦναί τι τῶν ἐς τὸ χρέος, ἢ ἀσφαλέως προσενεγκεῖν· ὅκως τε ἐν διαστήμασι μηδὲν λανθάνῃ σε· ἐπιτροπὴν δὲ τοῖσιν ἰδιώτῃσι μηδέποτε διδοὺς περὶ μηδενός· εἰ δὲ μὴ, τὸ κακῶς πρηχθὲν εἰς σὲ χωρῆσαι τὸν ψόγον ἐᾷ· μήποτ’ ἀμφιβόλως ἔχῃ, ἐξ ὧν τὸ μεθοδευθὲν χωρήσει, καὶ οὐ σοὶ τὸν. ψόγον περιάψει, καὶ τευχθὲν δὲ πρὸς τὸ κλέος ἔσται· πρόλεγε οὖν ταῦτα πάντα ἐπὶ τῶν ποιευμένων, οἷς καὶ τὸ ἐπεγνῶσθαι πρόκειται.
And let there be one of your pupils in charge, so that he will not use the instructions unseasonably, but will carry out the ordered service; and select from them those who have already been initiated into the art, either to give some further help for the need, or to administer safely; and so that in the intervals nothing escapes your notice; and never give charge of anything to laymen; otherwise, you allow the blame for what is badly done to fall upon you; let him never be in doubt as to how the treated case will turn out, and he will not cast the blame on you, and if successful, it will turn to your glory; therefore, declare all these things beforehand to those who are acting, for whom also recognition lies ahead.
§1818.
18.
Τοιουτέων οὖν ἐόντων τῶν πρὸς εὐδοξίην καὶ εὐσχημοσύνην τῶν ἐν τῇ σοφίῃ καὶ ἰητρικῇ καὶ ἐν τῇσιν ἄλλῃσι τέχνῃσι, χρὴ τὸν ἰητρὸν διειληφότα τὰ μέρεα περὶ ὧν εἰρήκαμεν, περιεννύμενον πάντοτε τὴν ἑτέρην διατηρέοντα φυλάσσειν, καὶ παραδιδόντα ποιέεσθαι· εὐκλεᾶ γὰρ ἐόντα πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποισι διαφυλάσσεται· οἵ τε δι’ αὐτέων ὁδεύσαντες δοξασταὶ πρὸς γονέων καὶ τέκνων· κἤν τινες αὐτέων μὴ πολλὰ γινώσκωσιν, ὑπ’ αὐτέων τῶν πρηγμάτων ἐς σύνεσιν καθίστανται.
Since, then, such are the things that lead to good reputation and decorum in wisdom, medicine, and other arts, the physician, having understood the parts of which we have spoken, clothing himself always in the other, must preserve them by constantly maintaining them, and practice them by passing them on; for being glorious they are preserved among all men; and those who have journeyed through them are held in honor by parents and children; and even if some of them do not know much, they are brought to understanding by the facts themselves.