on the sacred disease-第2章

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the　body　of　man　is　polluted　by　god；　the　most　impure　by　the　most

holy；　for　were　it　defiled；　or　did　it　suffer　from　any　other　thing；　it

would　be　like　to　be　purified　and　sanctified　rather　than　polluted　by

god。　For　it　is　the　divinity　which　purifies　and　sanctifies　the　greatest

of　offenses　and　the　most　wicked；　and　which　proves　our　protection

from　them。　And　we　mark　out　the　boundaries　of　the　temples　and　the

groves　of　the　gods；　so　that　no　one　may　pass　them　unless　he　be　pure；

and　when　we　enter　them　we　are　sprinkled　with　holy　water；　not　as

being　polluted；　but　as　laying　aside　any　other　pollution　which　we

formerly　had。　And　thus　it　appears　to　me　to　hold；　with　regard　to

purifications。



　　But　this　disease　seems　to　me　to　be　no　more　divine　than　others；　but

it　has　its　nature　such　as　other　diseases　have；　and　a　cause　whence　it

originates；　and　its　nature　and　cause　are　divine　only　just　as　much　as

all　others　are；　and　it　is　curable　no　less　than　the　others；　unless

when；　the　from　of　time；　it　is　confirmed；　and　has　became　stronger

than　the　remedies　applied。　Its　origin　is　hereditary；　like　that　of

other　diseases。　For　if　a　phlegmatic　person　be　born　of　a　phlegmatic；

and　a　bilious　of　a　bilious；　and　a　phthisical　of　a　phthisical；　and

one　having　spleen　disease；　of　another　having　disease　of　the　spleen；

what　is　to　hinder　it　from　happening　that　where　the　father　and　mother

were　subject　to　this　disease；　certain　of　their　offspring　should　be

so　affected　also？　As　the　semen　comes　from　all　parts　of　the　body；

healthy　particles　will　come　from　healthy　parts；　and　unhealthy　from

unhealthy　parts。　And　another　great　proof　that　it　is　in　nothing　more

divine　than　other　diseases　is；　that　it　occurs　in　those　who　are　of　a

phlegmatic　constitution；　but　does　not　attack　the　bilious。　Yet；　if　it

were　more　divine　than　the　others；　this　disease　ought　to　befall　all

alike；　and　make　no　distinction　between　the　bilious　and　phlegmatic。



　　But　the　brain　is　the　cause　of　this　affection；　as　it　is　of　other　very

great　diseases；　and　in　what　manner　and　from　what　cause　it　is　formed；　I

will　now　plainly　declare。　The　brain　of　man；　as　in　all　other　animals；

is　double；　and　a　thin　membrane　divides　it　through　the　middle；　and

therefore　the　pain　is　not　always　in　the　same　part　of　the　head；　for

sometimes　it　is　situated　on　either　side；　and　sometimes　the　whole　is

affected；　and　veins　run　toward　it　from　all　parts　of　the　body；　many

of　which　are　small；　but　two　are　thick；　the　one　from　the　liver；　and　the

other　from　the　spleen。　And　it　is　thus　with　regard　to　the　one　from

the　liver：　a　portion　of　it　runs　downward　through　the　parts　on　the

side；　near　the　kidneys　and　the　psoas　muscles；　to　the　inner　part　of　the

thigh；　and　extends　to　the　foot。　It　is　called　vena　cava。　The　other　runs

upward　by　the　right　veins　and　the　lungs；　and　divides　into　branches　for

the　heart　and　the　right　arm。　The　remaining　part　of　it　rises　upward

across　the　clavicle　to　the　right　side　of　the　neck；　and　is

superficial　so　as　to　be　seen；　near　the　ear　it　is　concealed；　and

there　it　divides；　its　thickest；　largest；　and　most　hollow　part　ends

in　the　brain；　another　small　vein　goes　to　the　right　ear；　another　to　the

right　eye；　and　another　to　the　nostril。　Such　are　the　distributions　of

the　hepatic　vein。　And　a　vein　from　the　spleen　is　distributed　on　the

left　side；　upward　and　downward；　like　that　from　the　liver；　but　more

slender　and　feeble。



　　By　these　veins　we　draw　in　much　breath；　since　they　are　the

spiracles　of　our　bodies　inhaling　air　to　themselves　and　distributing　it

to　the　rest　of　the　body；　and　to　the　smaller　veins；　and　they　and

afterwards　exhale　it。　For　the　breath　cannot　be　stationary；　but　it

passes　upward　and　downward；　for　if　stopped　and　intercepted；　the　part

where　it　is　stopped　becomes　powerless。　In　proof　of　this；　when；　in

sitting　or　lying；　the　small　veins　are　compressed；　so　that　the　breath

from　the　larger　vein　does　not　pass　into　them；　the　part　is

immediately　seized　with　numbness；　and　it　is　so　likewise　with　regard　to

the　other　veins。



　　This　malady；　then；　affects　phlegmatic　people；　but　not　bilious。　It

begins　to　be　formed　while　the　foetus　is　still　in　utero。　For　the　brain；

like　the　other　organs；　is　depurated　and　grows　before　birth。　If；

then；　in　this　purgation　it　be　properly　and　moderately　depurated；　and

neither　more　nor　less　than　what　is　proper　be　secreted　from　it；　the

head　is　thus　in　the　most　healthy　condition。　If　the　secretion　（melting）

the　from　the　brain　be　greater　than　natural；　the　person；　when　he

grows　up；　will　have　his　head　diseased；　and　full　of　noises；　and　will

neither　be　able　to　endure　the　sun　nor　cold。　Or；　if　the　melting　take

place　from　any　one　part；　either　from　the　eye　or　ear；　or　if　a　vein

has　become　slender；　that　part　will　be　deranged　in　proportion　to　the

melting。　Or；　should　depuration　not　take　place；　but　congestion

accumulate　in　the　brain；　it　necessarily　becomes　phlegmatic。　And　such

children　as　have　an　eruption　of　ulcers　on　the　head；　on　the　ears；　and

along　the　rest　of　the　body；　with　copious　discharges　of　saliva　and

mucus；…these；　in　after　life；　enjoy　best　health；　for　in　this　way　the

phlegm　which　ought　to　have　been　purged　off　in　the　womb；　is

discharged　and　cleared　away；　and　persons　so　purged；　for　the　most　part；

are　not　subject　to　attacks　of　this　disease。　But　such　as　have　had　their

skin　free　from　eruptions；　and　have　had　no　discharge　of　saliva　or

mucus；　nor　have　undergone　the　proper　purgation　in　the　womb；　these

persons　run　the　risk　of　being　seized　with　this　disease。



　　But　should　the　defluxion　make　its　way　to　the　heart；　the　person　is

seized　with　palpitation　and　asthma；　the　chest　becomes　diseased；　and

some　also　have　curvature　of　the　spine。　For　when　a　defluxion　of　cold

phlegm　takes　place　on　the　lungs　and　heart；　the　blood　is　chilled；　and

the　veins；　being　violently　chilled；　palpitate　in　the　lungs　and

heart；　and　the　heart　palpitates；　so　that　from　this　necessity　asthma

and　orthopnoea　supervene。　For　it　does　not　receive　the　spirits　as

much　breath　as　he　needs　until　the　defluxion　of　phlegm　be　mastered；　and

being　heated　is　distributed　to　the　veins；　then　it　ceases　from　its

palpitation　and　difficulty　of　breathing；　and　this　takes　place　as

soon　as　it　obtains　an　abundant　supply；　and　this　will　be　more　slowly；

provided　the　defluxion　be　more　abundant；　or　if　it　be　less；　more

quickly。　And　if　the　defluxions　be　more　condensed；　the　epileptic

attacks　will　be　more　frequent；　but　otherwise　if　it　be　rarer。　Such

are　the　symptoms　when　the　defluxion　is　upon　the　lungs　and　heart；　but

if　it　be　upon　the　bowels；　the　person　is　attacked　with　diarrhoea。



　　And　if；　being　shut　out　from　all　these　outlets；　its　defluxion　be

determined　to　the　veins　I　have　formerly　mentioned；　the　patient　loses

his　speech；　and　chokes；　and　foam　issues　by　the　mouth；　the　teeth　are

fixed；　the　hands　are　contracted；　the　eyes　distorted；　he　becomes

insensible；　and　in　some　cases　the　bowels　are　evacuated。　And　these

symptoms　occur　sometimes　on　the　left　side；　sometimes　on　the　right；　and

sometimes　in　both。　The　cause　of　everyone　of　these　symptoms　I　will

now　explain。　The　man　becomes　speechless　when　the　phlegm；　suddenly

descending　into　the　veins；　shuts　out　the　air；　and　does　not　admit　it

either　to　the　brain　or　to　the　vena　cava；　or　to　the　ventricles；　but

interrupts　the　inspiration。　For　when　a　person　draws　in　air　by　the

mouth　and　nostrils；　the　breath　goes　first　to　the　brain；　then　the

greater　part　of　it　to　the　internal　cavity；　and　part　to　the　lungs；

and　part　to　the　veins；　and　from　them　it　is　distributed　to　the　other

parts　of　the　body　along　the　veins；　and　whatever　passes　to　the

stomach　cools；　and　does　nothing　more；　and　so　also　with　regard　to　the

lungs。　But　the　air　which　enters　the　veins　is　of　use　（to　the　body）　by

entering　the　brain　and　its　ventricles；　and　thus　it　imparts　sensibility

and　motion　to　all　the　members；　so　that　when　the　veins　are　excluded

from　the　air　by　the　phlegm　and　do　not　receive　it；　the　man　loses　his

speech　and　intellect；　and　the　hands　become　powerless；　and　are

contracted；　the　blood　stopping　and　not　being　diffused；　as　it　was　wont；

and　the　eyes　are　distorted　owing　to　the　veins　being　excluded　from

the　air；