Humanitext Reader

Hippocrates · On the Crises §40-64

Resolution and Outcome by Supervening Symptoms in Illnesses

Passage 4 of 4 · Greek

Summary

The text details various conditions such as swellings near the ears, madness, fevers, diarrhea, and headaches, describing how they are resolved or worsened by the supervention of other symptoms like joint metastasis, chills, sweats, nosebleeds, and convulsions.

§4040.
40.
Τὰ παρ’ οὖς οἷς ἀμφὶ κρίσιν γενόμενα μὴ ἐκπυήσει, τουτέων ἀπαλλασσομένων, ὑποστροφὴ γίνεται κατὰ λόγον τῶν ὑποστροφῶν, ὁμοίᾳ περιόδῳ·
Concerning the swellings near the ears in those in whom they arise about the crisis but do not suppurate, when these swellings disappear, a relapse occurs according to the rule of relapses, in a similar cycle.
ἐπὶ τουτέοις ἐλπὶς ἐς ἄρθρα ἀφίστασθαι, ἢ οὖρον παχὺ, οἷον τὸ λευκὸν ἐπὶ τοῖς κοπιώδεσι τεταρταίοισι, ῥύεται τῆς ἀποστάσιος·
In these cases there is hope of a metastasis to the joints, or else thick urine, like the white sediment in quartan fevers with fatigue, saves them from the metastasis.
ἐνίοις δὲ τουτέων καὶ αἱμοῤῥαγίαι γίνονται ἐκ τῶν ῥινέων, καὶ πάνυ ταχὺ λύεται·
In some of these, nosebleeds also occur, and the disease is resolved very quickly.
καὶ τούτοις πῦα ἀποχωρέουσιν ὑγιάζεται ἡ νοῦσος.
And for these, when discharges of pus occur, the disease is cured.
§4141.
41.
Τοῖς μελαγχολικοῖς μετὰ φρενιτικῶν ἐχομένοις αἱμοῤῥοΐδες ἐγγενόμεναι ἀγαθόν.
For those of a melancholic disposition who are seized with phrenitis, hemorrhoids supervening is a good thing.
§4242.
42.
Ὅσοι μαίνονται, αὐτόματοι ἢ ἀπαλλασσόμενοι ἐκ τῶν νούσων, τουτέοις τὴν μανίην ὀδύνη ἐς τοὺς πόδας εἰσελθοῦσα ἢ ἐς [τὸ] στῆθος, ἢ βὴξ ἰσχυρὴ γενομένη λύει·
Those who are mad, either spontaneously or when recovering from diseases, in these, pain entering into the feet or the chest, or a severe cough arising, resolves the madness.
ἐὰν τουτέων μηδὲν γένηται, λυομένης τῆς μανίης, στέρησις τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ γίνεται.
If none of these occurs, when the madness is resolved, loss of sight occurs.
§4343.
43.
Ὁκόσοι τῇ γλώσσῃ παφλάζουσι τῶν χειλέων μὴ κρατέοντες, ἐὰν ταῦτα παύσηται, ἔμπυοι γίνονται, ἢ ὀδύνη ἰσχυρὴ ἐν τοῖς κάτω χωρίοις λύει, ἢ κυφότης, ἢ αἷμα πολὺ ἐκ τῶν ῥινῶν ῥυὲν, ἢ μανίη.
Those who sputter with their tongue, having no control over their lips, if these things cease, they become empyemic, or a severe pain in the lower parts, or kyphosis, or a copious flow of blood from the nose, or madness, resolves it.
§4444.
44.
Τοῦ μεγάλου νοσήματος ἐν ἔθει γενομένου λύσις, ἰσχίων ὀδύνη, ἢ ὀφθαλμῶν διαστροφὴ, ἢ τύφλωσις, ἢ ὀρχίων οἰδήσεις, ἢ τιτθῶν ἄρσις.
When the great disease has become habitual, the resolution is pain in the hips, or distortion of the eyes, or blindness, or swelling of the testicles, or enlargement of the breasts.
§4545.
45.
Καῦσον λύει αἵματος ἐκ ῥινῶν ῥύσις.
A flow of blood from the nose resolves a burning fever.
§4646.
46.
Ἐν καύσῳ ἐὰν ἐπιλάβῃ ῥῖγος, φιλέει ἐξιδροῦν.
In a burning fever, if a chill comes on, sweating is wont to break out.
§4747.
47.
Ὑπὸ καύσου ἐχομένῳ, ῥίγεος ἐπιγενομένου, λύσις.
For one who is seized with a burning fever, if a chill supervenes, there is resolution.
§4848.
48.
Ὅσοις ἐν τοῖσι καύσοισι τρόμοι ἐγγίνονται, παρακοπὴ λύει.
For those in whom tremors occur during burning fevers, delirium resolves them.
§4949.
49.
Ὅσοις ἂν ἐν τοῖς πυρετοῖς τὰ ὦτα κωφωθῇ, τουτέοισι μὴ λυθέντος τοῦ πυρετοῦ μανῆναι ἀνάγκη· λύει δὲ ἐκ τῶν ῥινῶν αἷμα ῥυὲν, ἢ κοιλίη ἐκταραχθεῖσα χολώδεα, ἢ δυσεντερίη ἐπιγενομένη, ἢ ὀδύνη ἰσχίων ἢ γονάτων.
Those who become deaf in fevers must of necessity go mad if the fever is not resolved; but a flow of blood from the nose, or a disturbance of the bowels discharging bilious matter, or supervening dysentery, or pain in the hips or knees, resolves it.
§5050.
50.
Ὅσοισι πυρετοῖσι ῥῖγος ἐπιγίνεται, ὁ πυρετὸς λύεται.
In those fevers in which a chill supervenes, the fever is resolved.
§5151.
51.
Ὅσοισιν ὀδύναι γίνονται ἐξαπίνης, τὸ ὑποχόνδριον ἐπῆρται ἄνω· καὶ ἐὰν περὶ τὴν νόθον πλευρὴν καὶ περὶ σκέλεα αἱ ὀδύναι γίνωνται, τουτέοισι λύσις φλεβοτομίη καὶ κάθαρσις κάτω· οὐ γὰρ λαμβάνει πυρετὸς ἰσχυρὸς ἀδυνατούντων τῶν χωρίων.
In those in whom pains arise suddenly, the hypochondrium is raised upward; and if the pains occur about the false rib and about the legs, for these bloodletting and purging downward are the resolution; for a severe fever does not take hold when these parts are disabled.
§5252.
52.
Ὑπὸ ὕδρωπος ἐχομένῳ, κατὰ τὰς φλέβας ἐς τὴν κύστιν ἢ κοιλίην ὑδατώδους ῥυέντος, λύσις.
For one who is seized with dropsy, if watery fluid flows through the veins into the bladder or the bowels, there is resolution.
§5353.
53.
Ἢν ὑπὸ λευκοῦ φλέγματος ἐχομένῳ διάῤῥοια ἐπιγίνηται ἰσχυρὴ, λύσις.
If for one who is seized with white phlegm, a severe diarrhea supervenes, there is resolution.
§5454.
54.
Ὑπὸ διαῤῥοίης ἐχομένῳ ἰσχυρῆς ἔμετος ἐπιγενόμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτομάτου λύσις.
For one who is seized with severe diarrhea, vomiting arising spontaneously is a resolution.
§5555.
55.
Ὅσοι ὑπὸ διαῤῥοίης πουλὺν χρόνον λαμβάνονται ξὺν βηχὶ, οὐκ ἀπαλλάσσονται, ἐὰν μὴ ὀδύναι ἰσχυραὶ ἐν τοῖς ποσὶν ἐμπέσωσιν· ἢ βούλεται διαστροφὴ γίνεσθαι φύσιος, ἐπειδὰν μὴ διάῤῥοια ἴῃ, ἢ κενὴ διαχώρησις πρὸς πᾶσαν λάβῃ· ἐπιγίνονται γὰρ φῦσαι ἔσωθεν οὖσαι·
Those who are afflicted with diarrhea for a long time together with a cough do not get rid of it, unless severe pains fall upon their feet; or a constitutional change tends to occur when diarrhea does not flow, or when empty evacuation takes hold in every way; for flatulence arising from within supervenes.
δῆλον τοίνυν οὐκ ἔχουσιν οὐδὲν ὑγρὸν, ὥστε προσφέρειν, εἰ δεῖ, σῖτα ἀσφαλῶς τῷ οὕτως ἔχοντι.
Therefore, it is clear they have no moisture, so that one can safely offer food, if necessary, to one in this state.
§5656.
56.
Εἰλεοῦ ἐπιγενομένου, οἶνον ψυχρὸν δίδου πίνειν πουλὺν ἄκρατον κατ’ ὀλίγον, ἕως ὕπνος, ἢ σκελέων ὀδύνη γίνηται· λύει δὲ καὶ πυρετὸς ἢ δυσεντερίη.
If ileus supervenes, give cold, strong, undiluted wine to drink copiously, in small quantities at a time, until sleep or pain in the legs occurs; and fever or dysentery also resolves it.
§5757.
57.
Κεφαλὴν περιωδυνοῦντι καὶ νοσέοντι, πύου ῥέοντος ἢ κατὰ τὰ ὦτα ἢ κατὰ τὰς ῥῖνας, λύεται τὸ νόσημα.
For one who has a severe headache and is ill, if pus flows either from the ears or from the nose, the disease is resolved.
§5858.
58.
Ὁκόσοισιν ὑγιαίνουσιν ἐξαπίνης ὀδύναι ἐγγίνονται ἐν ταῖς κεφαλαῖς, καὶ παραχρῆμα ἄφωνοι γίνονται, καὶ ῥέγκουσιν, ἀπόλλυνται ἐν ἑπτὰ ἡμέραις, ἐὰν μὴ πυρετὸς ἐπιλάβῃ.
In those who are healthy, if pains suddenly arise in their heads, and they immediately become speechless and snore, they die within seven days, unless a fever comes on.
§5959.
59.
Κεφαλὴν περιωδυνέοντι σικύην πρόσβαλε, ὅ τι ἂν τῶν ἄνω χωρίων πονήσῃ· λύει ὀδύνη ἐς ἰσχία καὶ γούνατα καὶ ἆσθμα, ὅ τι ἂν τουτέων γίνηται.
To one who has a severe headache, apply a cupping-glass to whatever of the upper parts is in pain; pain in the hips and knees, or asthma, whichever of these occurs, resolves it.
§6060.
60.
Ὀφθαλμιῶντι ὑπὸ διαῤῥοίης ἁλῶναι ἀγαθόν.
For one suffering from ophthalmia, to be seized with diarrhea is a good thing.
§6161.
61.
Ὑπὸ σπασμοῦ ἢ τετάνου ἐχομένῳ πυρετὸς ἐπιγενόμενος λύει τὸ νόσημα.
For one seized with convulsion or tetanus, a supervening fever resolves the disease.
§6262.
62.
Ὑπὸ πυρετοῦ ἐχομένῳ σπασμὸς ἢν λάβῃ, παύεται ὁ πυρετὸς αὐθημερὸν, ἢ τῇ ὑστεραίῃ, ἢ τῇ τρίτῃ.
For one seized with a fever, if convulsion takes hold, the fever ceases on the same day, or on the next, or on the third.
§6363.
63.
Ὁπόταν ξυντεταμένος τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τοὺς πόδας [ᾖ], μανίην ἐμποιέει.
Whenever one has hands and feet contracted, it produces madness.
§6464.
64.
Ἢν αἱ φλέβες σφύζωσιν αἱ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον ἐῤῥωμένον ᾖ, καὶ τὰ ὑποχόνδρια μὴ μαλακὰ, ἀλλὰ ἐπηρμένα ᾖ, χρονίη ἡ νοῦσος· ἄνευ σπασμοῦ [οὐ λύεται, ἢ αἵματος πολλοῦ ἐκ τῶν ῥινῶν, ἢ ὀδύνης ἐς τὰ ἰσχία].
If the veins throb, those in the hands, and the face is full of vigor, and the hypochondria are not soft but elevated, the disease is prolonged; and it is not resolved without a spasm, or a copious flow of blood from the nose, or pain in the hips.

Notes

  1. §40Τὰ παρ’ οὖς οἷς ἀμφὶ κρίσιν γενόμενα μὴ ἐκπυήσει, τουτέων ἀπαλλασσομένων — This passage combines a proleptic structure with a genitive absolute. 'Τὰ παρ’ οὖς' (the swellings near the ears) is placed at the beginning, followed by the relative 'οἷς' (to whom), while the genitive absolute 'τουτέων ἀπαλλασσομένων' refers back to the disappearance of these swellings.
  2. §40ῥύεται τῆς ἀποστάσιος — The verb ῥύομαι (to save, rescue, prevent) here takes the ablative genitive 'τῆς ἀποστάσιος' (from the metastasis), meaning 'saves [the patient] from the metastasis' or 'prevents the metastasis'.
  3. §55ἢ βούλεται διαστροφὴ γίνεσθαι φύσιος — The verb βούλεται is used here with an inanimate subject ('constitutional change') and an infinitive to express a tendency, inclination, or imminent event ('tends to occur', 'is about to happen').
  4. §64ἄνευ σπασμοῦ [οὐ λύεται...] — The bracketed text is a reconstruction by editors to supply a lacuna in the manuscript tradition, based on the parallel passage in §33.

Cite this passage

Hippocrates, On the Crises §40-64. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0627.tlg052.humanitext-grc1:40-64

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