on ancient medicine-第4章

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least　operation　in　the　body；　for　these　reasons：　as　long　time　as　hot
and　cold　are　mixed　up　with　one　another　they　do　not　give　trouble；　for
the　cold　is　attempered　and　rendered　more　moderate　by　the　hot；　and
the　hot　by　the　cold；　but　when　the　one　is　wholly　separate　from　the
other；　then　it　gives　pain；　and　at　that　season　when　cold　is　applied
it　creates　some　pain　to　a　man；　but　quickly；　for　that　very　reason；　heat
spontaneously　arises　in　him　without　requiring　any　aid　or
preparation。　And　these　things　operate　thus　both　upon　men　in　health　and
in　disease。　For　example；　if　a　person　in　health　wishes　to　cool　his　body
during　winter；　and　bathes　either　in　cold　water　or　in　any　other　way；
the　more　he　does　this；　unless　his　body　be　fairly　congealed；　when　he
resumes　his　clothes　and　comes　into　a　place　of　shelter；　his　body
becomes　more　heated　than　before。　And　thus；　too；　if　a　person　wish　to　be
warmed　thoroughly　either　by　means　of　a　hot　bath　or　strong　fire；　and
straightway　having　the　same　clothing　on；　takes　up　his　abode　again　in
the　place　he　was　in　when　he　became　congealed；　he　will　appear　much
colder；　and　more　disposed　to　chills　than　before。　And　if　a　person　fan
himself　on　account　of　a　suffocating　heat；　and　having　procured
refrigeration　for　himself　in　this　manner；　cease　doing　so；　the　heat　and
suffocation　will　be　ten　times　greater　in　his　case　than　in　that　of　a
person　who　does　nothing　of　the　kind。　And；　to　give　a　more　striking
example；　persons　travelling　in　the　snow；　or　otherwise　in　rigorous
weather；　and　contracting　great　cold　in　their　feet；　their　hands；　or
their　head；　what　do　they　not　suffer　from　inflammation　and　tingling
when　they　put　on　warm　clothing　and　get　into　a　hot　place？　In　some
instances；　blisters　arise　as　if　from　burning　with　fire；　and　they　do
not　suffer　from　any　of　those　unpleasant　symptoms　until　they　become
heated。　So　readily　does　either　of　these　pass　into　the　other；　and　I
could　mention　many　other　examples。　And　with　regard　to　the　sick；　is
it　not　in　those　who　experience　a　rigor　that　the　most　acute　fever　is
apt　to　break　out？　And　yet　not　so　strongly　neither；　but　that　it
ceases　in　a　short　time；　and；　for　the　most　part；　without　having
occasioned　much　mischief；　and　while　it　remains；　it　is　hot；　and　passing
over　the　whole　body；　ends　for　the　most　part　in　the　feet；　where　the
chills　and　cold　were　most　intense　and　lasted　longest；　and；　when
sweat　supervenes；　and　the　fever　passes　off；　the　patient　is　much　colder
than　if　he　had　not　taken　the　fever　at　all。　Why　then　should　that
which　so　quickly　passes　into　the　opposite　extreme；　and　loses　its　own
powers　spontaneously；　be　reckoned　a　mighty　and　serious　affair？　And
what　necessity　is　there　for　any　great　remedy　for　it？
　　17。　One　might　here　say…　but　persons　in　ardent　fevers；　pneumonia；　and
other　formidable　diseases；　do　not　quickly　get　rid　of　the　heat；　nor
experience　these　rapid　alterations　of　heat　and　cold。　And　I　reckon　this
very　circumstance　the　strongest　proof　that　it　is　not　from　heat
simply　that　men　get　into　the　febrile　state；　neither　is　it　the　sole
cause　of　the　mischief；　but　that　this　species　of　heat　is　bitter；　and
that　acid；　and　the　other　saltish；　and　many　other　varieties；　and
again　there　is　cold　combined　with　other　qualities。　These　are　what
proves　injurious；　heat；　it　is　true；　is　present　also；　possessed　of
strength　as　being　that　which　conducts；　is　exacerbated　and　increased
along　with　the　other；　but　has　no　power　greater　than　what　is　peculiar
to　itself。
　　18。　With　regard　to　these　symptoms；　in　the　first　place　those　are　most
obvious　of　which　we　have　all　often　had　experience。　Thus；　then；　in　such
of　us　as　have　a　coryza　and　defluxion　from　the　nostrils；　this　discharge
is　much　more　acrid　than　that　which　formerly　was　formed　in　and　ran　from
them　daily；　and　it　occasions　swelling　of　the　nose；　and　it　inflames；
being　of　a　hot　and　extremely　ardent　nature；　as　you　may　know；　if　you
apply　your　hand　to　the　place；　and；　if　the　disease　remains　long；　the
part　becomes　ulcerated　although　destitute　of　flesh　and　hard；　and　the
heat　in　the　nose　ceases；　not　when　the　defluxion　takes　place　and　the
inflammation　is　present；　but　when　the　running　becomes　thicker　and　less
acrid；　and　more　mixed　with　the　former　secretion；　then　it　is　that　the
heat　ceases。　But　in　all　those　cases　in　which　this　decidedly　proceeds
from　cold　alone；　without　the　concourse　of　any　other　quality；　there
is　a　change　from　cold　to　hot；　and　from　hot　to　cold；　and　these
quickly　supervene；　and　require　no　coction。　But　all　the　others　being
connected；　as　I　have　said；　with　acrimony　and　intemperance　of　humors；
pass　off　in　this　way　by　being　mixed　and　concocted。
　　19。　But　such　defluxions　as　are　determined　to　the　eyes　being
possessed　of　strong　and　varied　acrimonies；　ulcerate　the　eyelids；　and
in　some　cases　corrode　the　and　parts　below　the　eyes　upon　which　they
flow；　and　even　occasion　rupture　and　erosion　of　the　tunic　which
surrounds　the　eyeball。　But　pain；　heat；　and　extreme　burning　prevail
until　the　defluxions　are　concocted　and　become　thicker；　and　concretions
form　about　the　eyes；　and　the　coction　takes　place　from　the　fluids　being
mixed　up；　diluted；　and　digested　together。　And　in　defluxions　upon　the
throat；　from　which　are　formed　hoarseness；　cynanche；　crysipelas；　and
pneumonia；　all　these　have　at　first　saltish；　watery；　and　acrid
discharges；　and　with　these　the　diseases　gain　strength。　But　when　the
discharges　become　thicker；　more　concocted；　and　are　freed　from　all
acrimony；　then；　indeed；　the　fevers　pass　away；　and　the　other　symptoms
which　annoyed　the　patient；　for　we　must　account　those　things　the
cause　of　each　complaint；　which；　being　present　in　a　certain　fashion；
the　complaint　exists；　but　it　ceases　when　they　change　to　another
combination。　But　those　which　originate　from　pure　heat　or　cold；　and
do　not　participate　in　any　other　quality；　will　then　cease　when　they
undergo　a　change　from　cold　to　hot；　and　from　hot　to　cold；　and　they
change　in　the　manner　I　have　described　before。　Wherefore；　all　the　other
complaints　to　which　man　is　subject　arise　from　powers　（qualities？）。
Thus；　when　there　is　an　overflow　of　the　bitter　principle；　which　we　call
yellow　bile；　what　anxiety；　burning　heat；　and　loss　of　strength　prevail！
but　if　relieved　from　it；　either　by　being　purged　spontaneously；　or　by
means　of　a　medicine　seasonably　administered；　the　patient　is
decidedly　relieved　of　the　pains　and　heat；　but　while　these　things　float
on　the　stomach；　unconcocted　and　undigested；　no　contrivance　could
make　the　pains　and　fever　cease；　and　when　there　are　acidities　of　an
acrid　and　aeruginous　character；　what　varieties　of　frenzy；　gnawing
pains　in　the　bowels　and　chest；　and　inquietude；　prevail！　and　these　do
not　cease　until　the　acidities　be　purged　away；　or　are　calmed　down　and
mixed　with　other　fluids。　The　coction；　change；　attenuation；　and
thickening　into　the　form　of　humors；　take　place　through　many　and
various　forms；　therefore　the　crises　and　calculations　of　time　are　of
great　importance　in　such　matters；　but　to　all　such　changes　hot　and　cold
are　but　little　exposed；　for　these　are　neither　liable　to　putrefaction
nor　thickening。　What　then　shall　we　say　of　the　change？　that　it　is　a
combination　（crasis）　of　these　humors　having　different　powers　toward
one　another。　But　the　hot　does　not　loose　its　heat　when　mixed　with　any
other　thing　except　the　cold；　nor　again；　the　cold；　except　when　mixed
with　the　hot。　But　all　other　things　connected　with　man　become　the
more　mild　and　better　in　proportion　as　they　are　mixed　with　the　more
things　besides。　But　a　man　is　in　the　best　possible　state　when　they
are　concocted　and　at　rest；　exhibiting　no　one　peculiar　quality；　but　I
think　I　have　said　enough　in　explanation　of　them。
　　20。　Certain　sophists　and　physicians　say　that　it　is　not　possible
for　any　one　to　know　medicine　who　does　not　know　what　man　is　＇and　how　he
was　made　and　how　constructed＇；　and　that　whoever　would　cure　men
properly；　must　learn　this　in　the　first　place。　But　this　saying　rather
appertains　to　philosophy；　as　Empedocles　and　certain　others　have
described　what　man　in　his　origin　is；　and　how　he　first　was　made　and
constructed。　But　I　think　whatever　such　has　been　said　or　written　by
sophist　or　physician　concerning　nature　has　less　connection　with　the
art　of　medicine　than　with　the　art　of　painting。　And　I　thi