on the sacred disease-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　400　BC

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ON　THE　SACRED　DISEASE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Hippocrates

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　Francis　Adams









　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ON　THE　SACRED　DISEASE



　　It　is　thus　with　regard　to　the　disease　called　Sacred：　it　appears　to

me　to　be　nowise　more　divine　nor　more　sacred　than　other　diseases；　but

has　a　natural　cause　from　the　originates　like　other　affections。　Men

regard　its　nature　and　cause　as　divine　from　ignorance　and　wonder；

because　it　is　not　at　all　like　to　other　diseases。　And　this　notion　of

its　divinity　is　kept　up　by　their　inability　to　comprehend　it；　and　the

simplicity　of　the　mode　by　which　it　is　cured；　for　men　are　freed　from　it

by　purifications　and　incantations。　But　if　it　is　reckoned　divine

because　it　is　wonderful；　instead　of　one　there　are　many　diseases

which　would　be　sacred；　for；　as　I　will　show；　there　are　others　no　less

wonderful　and　prodigious；　which　nobody　imagines　to　be　sacred。　The

quotidian；　tertian；　and　quartan　fevers；　seem　to　me　no　less　sacred

and　divine　in　their　origin　than　this　disease；　although　they　are　not

reckoned　so　wonderful。　And　I　see　men　become　mad　and　demented　from　no

manifest　cause；　and　at　the　same　time　doing　many　things　out　of　place；

and　I　have　known　many　persons　in　sleep　groaning　and　crying　out；　some

in　a　state　of　suffocation；　some　jumping　up　and　fleeing　out　of　doors；

and　deprived　of　their　reason　until　they　awaken；　and　afterward　becoming

well　and　rational　as　before；　although　they　be　pale　and　weak；　and

this　will　happen　not　once　but　frequently。　And　there　are　many　and

various　things　of　the　like　kind；　which　it　would　be　tedious　to　state

particularly。



　　They　who　first　referred　this　malady　to　the　gods　appear　to　me　to　have

been　just　such　persons　as　the　conjurors；　purificators；　mountebanks；

and　charlatans　now　are；　who　give　themselves　out　for　being

excessively　religious；　and　as　knowing　more　than　other　people。　Such

persons；　then；　using　the　divinity　as　a　pretext　and　screen　of　their　own

inability　to　of　their　own　inability　to　afford　any　assistance；　have

given　out　that　the　disease　is　sacred；　adding　suitable　reasons　for　this

opinion；　they　have　instituted　a　mode　of　treatment　which　is　safe　for

themselves；　namely；　by　applying　purifications　and　incantations；　and

enforcing　abstinence　from　baths　and　many　articles　of　food　which　are

unwholesome　to　men　in　diseases。　Of　sea　substances；　the　surmullet；

the　blacktail；　the　mullet；　and　the　eel；　for　these　are　the　fishes

most　to　be　guarded　against。　And　of　fleshes；　those　of　the　goat；　the

stag；　the　sow；　and　the　dog：　for　these　are　the　kinds　of　flesh　which　are

aptest　to　disorder　the　bowels。　Of　fowls；　the　cock；　the　turtle；　and　the

bustard；　and　such　others　as　are　reckoned　to　be　particularly　strong。

And　of　potherbs；　mint；　garlic；　and　onions；　for　what　is　acrid　does

not　agree　with　a　weak　person。　And　they　forbid　to　have　a　black　robe；

because　black　is　expressive　of　death；　and　to　sleep　on　a　goat's　skin；

or　to　wear　it；　and　to　put　one　foot　upon　another；　or　one　hand　upon

another；　for　all　these　things　are　held　to　be　hindrances　to　the　cure。

All　these　they　enjoin　with　reference　to　its　divinity；　as　if

possessed　of　more　knowledge；　and　announcing　beforehand　other　causes　so

that　if　the　person　should　recover；　theirs　would　be　the　honor　and

credit；　and　if　he　should　die；　they　would　have　a　certain　defense；　as　if

the　gods；　and　not　they；　were　to　blame；　seeing　they　had　administered

nothing　either　to　eat　or　drink　as　medicines；　nor　had　overheated　him

with　baths；　so　as　to　prove　the　cause　of　what　had　happened。　But　I　am　of

opinion　that　（if　this　were　true）　none　of　the　Libyans；　who　live　in

the　interior；　would　be　free　from　this　disease；　since　they　all　sleep　on

goats'　skins；　and　live　upon　goats'　flesh；　neither　have　they　couch；

robe；　nor　shoe　that　is　not　made　of　goat's　skin；　for　they　have　no　other

herds　but　goats　and　oxen。　But　if　these　things；　when　administered　in

food；　aggravate　the　disease；　and　if　it　be　cured　by　abstinence　from

them；　godhead　is　not　the　cause　at　all；　nor　will　purifications　be　of

any　avail；　but　it　is　the　food　which　is　beneficial　and　prejudicial；　and

the　influence　of　the　divinity　vanishes。



　　Thus；　they　who　try　to　cure　these　maladies　in　this　way；　appear　to

me　neither　to　reckon　them　sacred　nor　divine。　For　when　they　are　removed

by　such　purifications；　and　this　method　of　cure；　what　is　to　prevent

them　from　being　brought　upon　men　and　induced　by　other　devices

similar　to　these？　So　that　the　cause　is　no　longer　divine；　but　human。

For　whoever　is　able；　by　purifications　conjurations；　to　drive　away　such

an　affection；　will　be　able；　by　other　practices；　to　excite　it；　and；

according　to　this　view；　its　divine　nature　is　entirely　done　away

with。　By　such　sayings　and　doings；　they　profess　to　be　possessed　of

superior　knowledge；　and　deceive　mankind　by　enjoining　lustrations　and

purifications　upon　them；　while　their　discourse　turns　upon　the　divinity

and　the　godhead。　And　yet　it　would　appear　to　me　that　their　discourse

savors　not　of　piety；　as　they　suppose；　but　rather　of　impiety；　and　as　if

there　were　no　gods；　and　that　what　they　hold　to　be　holy　and　divine；

were　impious　and　unholy。　This　I　will　now　explain。



　　For；　if　they　profess　to　know　how　to　bring　down　the　moon；　darken

the　sun；　induce　storms　and　fine　weather；　and　rains　and　droughts；　and

make　the　sea　and　land　unproductive；　and　so　forth；　whether　they

arrogate　this　power　as　being　derived　from　mysteries　or　any　other

knowledge　or　consideration；　they　appear　to　me　to　practice　impiety；　and

either　to　fancy　that　there　are　no　gods；　or；　if　there　are；　that　they

have　no　ability　to　ward　off　any　of　the　greatest　evils。　How；　then；

are　they　not　enemies　to　the　gods？　For　if　a　man　by　magical　arts　and

sacrifices　will　bring　down　the　moon；　and　darken　the　sun；　and　induce

storms；　or　fine　weather；　I　should　not　believe　that　there　was

anything　divine；　but　human；　in　these　things；　provided　the　power　of　the

divine　were　overpowered　by　human　knowledge　and　subjected　to　it。　But

perhaps　it　will　be　said；　these　things　are　not　so；　but；　not

withstanding；　men　being　in　want　of　the　means　of　life；　invent　many

and　various　things；　and　devise　many　contrivances　for　all　other　things；

and　for　this　disease；　in　every　phase　of　the　disease；　assigning　the

cause　to　a　god。　Nor　do　they　remember　the　same　things　once；　but

frequently。　For；　if　they　imitate　a　goat；　or　grind　their　teeth；　or　if

their　right　side　be　convulsed；　they　say　that　the　mother　of　the　gods　is

the　cause。　But　if　they　speak　in　a　sharper　and　more　intense　tone；

they　resemble　this　state　to　a　horse；　and　say　that　Poseidon　is　the

cause。　Or　if　any　excrement　be　passed；　which　is　often　the　case；　owing

to　the　violence　of　the　disease；　the　appellation　of　Enodia　is

adhibited；　or；　if　it　be　passed　in　smaller　and　denser　masses；　like

bird's；　it　is　said　to　be　from　Apollo　Nomius。　But　if　foam　be　emitted　by

the　mouth；　and　the　patient　kick　with　his　feet；　Ares　then　gets　the

blame。　But　terrors　which　happen　during　the　night；　and　fevers；　and

delirium；　and　jumpings　out　of　bed；　and　frightful　apparitions；　and

fleeing　away；…all　these　they　hold　to　be　the　plots　of　Hecate；　and　the

invasions　the　and　use　purifications　and　incantations；　and；　as

appears　to　me；　make　the　divinity　to　be　most　wicked　and　most　impious。

For　they　purify　those　laboring　under　this　disease；　with　the　same　sorts

of　blood　and　the　other　means　that　are　used　in　the　case　of　those　who

are　stained　with　crimes；　and　of　malefactors；　or　who　have　been

enchanted　by　men；　or　who　have　done　any　wicked　act；　who　ought　to　do　the

very　reverse；　namely；　sacrifice　and　pray；　and；　bringing　gifts　to　the

temples；　supplicate　the　gods。　But　now　they　do　none　of　these　things；

but　purify；　and　some　of　the　purifications　they　conceal　in　the　earth；

and　some　they　throw　into　the　sea；　and　some　they　carry　to　the　mountains

where　no　one　can　touch　or　tread　upon　them。　But　these　they　ought　to

take　to　the　temples　and　present　to　the　god；　if　a　god　be　the　cause　of

the　disease。　Neither　truly　do　I　count　it　a　worthy　opinion　to　hold　that

the　body　of　man　is　polluted　by　god