§55.
5.
Καί τοι ἔνιοι νοσέοντες ἀλλάσσουσι, τὸ ξενοπρεπὲς καὶ τὸ ἄδηλον προκρίνοντες, ἄξιοι μὲν ἀμελίης, οὐ μέντοι γε κολάσιος·
And yet some patients change their physicians, preferring what is strange and uncertain; although they deserve to be neglected, they certainly do not deserve punishment.
διὸ τουτέοισιν ἀντιτάξῃ εἰκότως μεταβολῆς ἐπὶ σάλου πορευομένοισιν.
Therefore, you should reasonably oppose them when they proceed in change amidst agitation.
Τίς γὰρ ὦ πρὸς Διὸς ἠδελφισμένος ἰητρὸς ἰητρεύειν πεισθείη ἀτεραμνίῃ;
For who, by Zeus, being a physician of noble brotherly mind, would be persuaded to practice medicine with stubbornness?
ὥστ’ ἐν ἀρχῇ ἀνακρίνοντα πᾶν πάθος μὴ οὐχ ὑποθέσθαι τινὰ ξυμφέροντα ἐς θεραπηΐην, ἀποθεραπεῦσαί τε τὸν νοσέοντα καὶ μὴ παριδεῖν.
So that, in examining every disease at the beginning, one should not fail to suggest something beneficial for treatment, to cure the patient thoroughly, and not to overlook him.
§66.
6.
Τῆς δ’ ἐπικαρπίης, μὴ ἄνευ τῆς ἐπισκευαζούσης πρὸς μάθησιν ἐπιθυμίης.
As for reward, let it not be without the desire that prepares for learning.
Παρακελεύομαι δὲ μὴ λίην ἀπανθρωπίην εἰσάγειν, ἀλλ’ ἀποβλέπειν ἔς γε περιουσίην καὶ οὐσίην· ὁτὲ δὲ προῖκα, ἀναφέρων μνήνην εὐχαριστίης προτέρην ἢ παρεοῦσαν εὐδοκίην.
And I exhort you not to introduce too much inhumanity, but to look to wealth and property; and sometimes to treat for nothing, recalling a past memory of gratitude or present good reputation.
Ἢν δὲ καιρὸς εἴη χορηγίης ξένῳ τε ἐόντι καὶ ἀπορέοντι, μάλιστα ἐπαρκέειν τοῖσι τοιουτέοισιν· ἢν γὰρ παρῇ φιλανθρωπίη, πάρεστι καὶ φιλοτεχνίη.
And if there should be an occasion for providing for a stranger and one in need, support such people most of all; for where there is love of humanity, there is also love of the art.
Ἔνιοι γὰρ νοσέοντες ᾐσθημένοι τὸ περὶ ἑωυτοὺς πάθος μὴ ἐὸν ἐν ἀσφαλείῃ, καὶ τῇ τοῦ ἰητροῦ ἐπιεικείῃ εὐδοκέοντες, μεταλλάσσονται ἐς ὑγιείην.
For some patients, perceiving that their condition is not in safety, and being well pleased with the goodness of the physician, are restored to health.
Εὖ δ’ ἔχει νοσεόντων μὲν ἐπιστατέειν, ἕνεκεν ὑγιείης· ὑγιαινόντων δὲ φροντίζειν, ἕνεκεν ἀνοσίης· φροντίζειν καὶ ὑγιαινόντων, ἕνεκεν εὐσχημοσύνης.
It is well to superintend the sick for the sake of health, and to care for the healthy for the sake of avoiding disease, and to care for the healthy also for the sake of propriety.
§77.
7.
Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐόντες ἐν βυθῷ ἀτεχνίης τῶν προλελεγμένων οὐκ ἂν αἰσθάνοιντο.
Now those who are in the depth of ignorance of the art would not perceive the things mentioned above.
Καὶ γὰρ οὗτοι ἀνίητροι ἐόντες, ἐλέγχη, ἐκ ποδὸς ὑψεύμενοι, τύχης γε μὴν δεόμενοι, ὑπό τινων εὐπόρων καὶ ἀσθενῶν ἔνδοσιν ἀναλαμβανόντων ἑκάτερῃ ἐπιτυχίῃ εὐδοκιμέουσι, καὶ διαπιπτόντων ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον, καταχλιδεῦσι καταμεμεληκότες τὰ τῆς τέχνης ἀνυπεύθυνα· ἐφ’ οἷς ἂν ἰητρὸς ἀγαθὸς ἀκμάζοι ὁμότεχνος καλεόμενος·
For indeed, being no physicians, when they are refuted, they immediately puff themselves up, though they actually stand in need of luck; and being accepted by some wealthy and weak people, they gain reputation by each success. But when things fall out for the worse, they live in luxury, having neglected the unaccountable things of the art; in which circumstances a good physician of the same art, if called in, would shine.
ὁ δὲ τὰς ἀκέσιας ἀναμαρτήτους ῥηϊδίως ἐπιτελέων οὐθὲν ἂν τουτέων παραβαίη, οὐ πάντη σπάνει τοῦ δύνασθαι· οὐ γὰρ ἄπιστός ἐστιν ὡς ἐν ἀδικίῃ.
But he who easily accomplishes unerring healings would transgress none of these rules, not being entirely destitute of ability; for he is not untrustworthy as if in wrongdoing.
Πρὸς γὰρ θεραπηΐην οὐ γίνονται, σκοπέοντες διάθεσιν φθινώδεα, φυλασσόμενοι ἑτέρων ἰητρῶν ἐπεισαγωγὴν, ἐνόντες ἐν μισοπονηρίῃ βοηθήσιος.
For they do not turn to treatment, looking at a wasting condition, guarding against the introduction of other physicians, remaining in hatred of assistance.
Οἵ τε νοσέοντες ἀνιέμενοι νήχονται ἐπὶ ἑκατέρῃ μοχθηρίῃ μὴ ἐγκεχειρικότες ἑωυτοὺς ἕως τέλους τῇ ἐν τῇ τέχνῃ πλείονι θεραπηΐῃ· ἄνεσις γάρ νούσου τινὸς κάμνοντι παρέχει μεγάλην ἀλεωρήν·
And the sick, being neglected, drift upon either mischief, not having committed themselves to the end to the better treatment in the art; for the relief of a disease provides great protection to the patient.
διὸ δεόμενοι τὴν ὑγιεινὴν διάθεσιν, οὐκ ἐθέλουσι τὴν αὐτὴν χρῆσιν αἰεὶ προσδέχεσθαι, μὴ νοέοντες ἰητροῦ ποικιλίην.
Therefore, though they need a healthy condition, they do not wish to always accept the same treatment, not understanding the variety of the physician.
Πολυτελεῖς γὰρ ἀπορέουσιν ἐόντες, κακοτροπίῃ προσκυρεῦντες καὶ ἀχαριστέοντες ξυντυχεῖν, δυνατοὶ ἐόντες εὐπορέειν, διαντλίζονται περὶ μισθαρίων, ἀτρεκέως ἐθέλοντες ὑγιέες εἶναι εἵνεκεν ἐργασίης τόκων ἢ γεωργίης, ἀφροντιστέοντες μὴ ὑπὲρ αὐτέων λαμβάνειν.
For being rich, they are close-fisted, falling into bad habits and being ungrateful to those they meet; though able to be wealthy, they worry about small fees, wishing indeed to be healthy for the sake of interest-bearing business or agriculture, yet careless about receiving treatment for their own lives.
§88.
8.
Περὶ σημασίης τοιαύτης ἅλις ἔστω· ἄνεσις γὰρ καὶ ἐπίτασις νοσέοντος ἐπινέμησιν ἰητρικὴν κέχρηνται.
Concerning such signs let what has been said suffice; for the relief and intensity of a patient require medical distribution.
Οὐκ ἄσχημον δὲ, οὐδ’ ἤν τις ἰητρὸς στενοχωρέων τῷ παρεόντι ἐπί τινι νοσέοντι καὶ ἐπισκοτεόμενος τῇ ἀπειρίῃ κελεύῃ καὶ ἑτέρους εἰσάγειν εἵνεκα τοῦ ἐκ κοινολογίης ἱστορῆσαι τὰ περὶ τὸν νοσέοντα, καὶ συνεργοὺς γενέσθαι ἐς εὐπορίην βοηθήσιος. Ἐν γὰρ κακοπαθείης παρεδρίῃ, ἐπιτείνοντος τοῦ πάθεος, δι’ ἀπορίην τὰ πλεῖστα ἐκκλίνουσι τῷ παρεόντι·
It is not unseemly, not even if a physician, being in difficulty over a present patient and being in the dark through inexperience, should urge the calling in of others also, in order to investigate the patient's condition by common consultation, and to become fellow-workers in finding a way of assistance.
θαῤῥητέον οὖν ἐν καιρῷ τοιουτέῳ· οὐδέποτε γὰρ ἐγὼ τὸ τοιοῦτο ὁριεῦμαι, ὅτι ἡ τέχνη κέκριται περὶ τουτέου.
For in the persistence of suffering, when the disease increases, most people through helplessness turn away from the present state; one must therefore have courage at such a time; for I will never define such a thing as that the art is judged concerning this.
Μηδέποτε φιλονεικέειν προσκυρέοντας ἀλλήλοισι καὶ κατασιλλαίνειν· ὃ γὰρ ἂν μεθ’ ὅρκου ἐρέω, οὐδέποτε ἰητροῦ λογισμὸς φθονήσειεν ἂν ἑτέρῳ, ἀκιδνὸς γὰρ ἂν φανείη· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλόν οἱ ἀγχιστεύοντες ἀγοραίης ἐργασίης πρήσσουσι ταῦτα εὐμαρέως.
Never contend with one another when you meet, nor mock; for what I shall say with an oath, the reasoning of a physician would never envy another, for it would appear weak; but rather those who are close to market business do these things easily.
Καίτοι γε οὐδὲ ψευδέως κατανενόηται· πάσῃ γὰρ εὐπορίῃ ἀπορίη ἔνεστι.
And yet it has been understood not falsely: for in every resource there is a difficulty.