on airs, waters, and places-第2章

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more　moderate。　Then　such　waters　as　flow　to　the　rising　sun；　must
necessarily　be　clear；　fragrant；　soft；　and　delightful　to　drink；　in　such
a　city。　For　the　sun　in　rising　and　shining　upon　them　purifies　them；
by　dispelling　the　vapors　which　generally　prevail　in　the　morning。　The
persons　of　the　inhabitants　are；　for　the　most　part；　well　colored　and
blooming；　unless　some　disease　counteract。　The　inhabitants　have　clear
voices；　and　in　temper　and　intellect　are　superior　to　those　which　are
exposed　to　the　north；　and　all　the　productions　of　the　country　in　like
manner　are　better。　A　city　so　situated　resembles　the　spring　as　to
moderation　between　heat　and　cold；　and　the　diseases　are　few　in
number；　and　of　a　feeble　kind；　and　bear　a　resemblance　to　the　diseases
which　prevail　in　regions　exposed　to　hot　winds。　The　women　there　are
very　prolific；　and　have　easy　deliveries。　Thus　it　is　with　regard　to
them。
　　6。　But　such　cities　as　lie　to　the　west；　and　which　are　sheltered
from　winds　blowing　from　the　east；　and　which　the　hot　winds　and　the　cold
winds　of　the　north　scarcely　touch；　must　necessarily　be　in　a　very
unhealthy　situation：　in　the　first　place　the　waters　are　not　clear；
the　cause　of　which　is；　because　the　mist　prevails　commonly　in　the
morning；　and　it　is　mixed　up　with　the　water　and　destroys　its　clearness；
for　the　sun　does　not　shine　upon　the　water　until　he　be　considerably
raised　above　the　horizon。　And　in　summer；　cold　breezes　from　the　east
blow　and　dews　fall；　and　in　the　latter　part　of　the　day　the　setting
sun　particularly　scorches　the　inhabitants；　and　therefore　they　are　pale
and　enfeebled；　and　are　partly　subject　to　all　the　aforesaid　diseases；
but　no　one　is　peculiar　to　them。　Their　voices　are　rough　and　hoarse
owing　to　the　state　of　the　air；　which　in　such　a　situation　is
generally　impure　and　unwholesome；　for　they　have　not　the　northern　winds
to　purify　it；　and　these　winds　they　have　are　of　a　very　humid　character；
such　being　the　nature　of　the　evening　breezes。　Such　a　situation　of　a
city　bears　a　great　resemblance　to　autumn　as　regards　the　changes　of　the
day；　inasmuch　as　the　difference　between　morning　and　evening　is
great。　So　it　is　with　regard　to　the　winds　that　are　conducive　to　health；
or　the　contrary。
　　7。　And　I　wish　to　give　an　account　of　the　other　kinds　of　waters；
namely；　of　such　as　are　wholesome　and　such　as　are　unwholesome；　and　what
bad　and　what　good　effects　may　be　derived　from　water；　for　water
contributes　much　towards　health。　Such　waters　then　as　are　marshy；
stagnant；　and　belong　to　lakes；　are　necessarily　hot　in　summer；　thick；
and　have　a　strong　smell；　since　they　have　no　current；　but　being
constantly　supplied　by　rain…water；　and　the　sun　heating　them；　they
necessarily　want　their　proper　color；　are　unwholesome　and　form　bile；　in
winter；　they　become　congealed；　cold；　and　muddy　with　the　snow　and
ice；　so　that　they　are　most　apt　to　engender　phlegm；　and　bring　on
hoarseness；　those　who　drink　them　have　large　and　obstructed　spleens；
their　bellies　are　hard；　emaciated；　and　hot；　and　their　shoulders；
collar…bones；　and　faces　are　emaciated；　for　their　flesh　is　melted
down　and　taken　up　by　the　spleen；　and　hence　they　are　slender；　such
persons　then　are　voracious　and　thirsty；　their　bellies　are　very　dry
both　above　and　below；　so　that　they　require　the　strongest　medicines。
This　disease　is　habitual　to　them　both　in　summer　and　in　winter；　and
in　addition　they　are　very　subject　to　dropsies　of　a　most　fatal
character；　and　in　summer　dysenteries；　diarrheas；　and　protracted
quartan　fevers　frequently　seize　them；　and　these　diseases　when
prolonged　dispose　such　constitutions　to　dropsies；　and　thus　prove
fatal。　These　are　the　diseases　which　attack　them　in　summer；　but　in
winter　younger　persons　are　liable　to　pneumonia；　and　maniacal
affections；　and　older　persons　to　ardent　fevers；　from　hardness　of　the
belly。　Women　are　subject　to　oedema　and　leucophlegmasiae；　when　pregnant
they　have　difficult　deliveries；　their　infants　are　large　and　swelled；
and　then　during　nursing　they　become　wasted　and　sickly；　and　the　lochial
discharge　after　parturition　does　not　proceed　properly　with　the
women。　The　children　are　particularly　subject　to　hernia；　and　adults
to　varices　and　ulcers　on　their　legs；　so　that　persons　with　such
constitutions　cannot　be　long…lived；　but　before　the　usual　period　they
fall　into　a　state　of　premature　old　age。　And　further；　the　women
appear　to　be　with　child；　and　when　the　time　of　parturition　arrives；　the
fulness　of　the　belly　disappears；　and　this　happens　from　dropsy　of　the
uterus。　Such　waters　then　I　reckon　bad　for　every　purpose。　The　next　to
them　in　badness　are　those　which　have　their　fountains　in　rocks；　so　that
they　must　necessarily　be　hard；　or　come　from　a　soil　which　produces
thermal　waters；　such　as　those　having　iron；　copper；　silver；　gold；
sulphur；　alum；　bitumen；　or　nitre　（soda）　in　them；　for　all　these　are
formed　by　the　force　of　heat。　Good　waters　cannot　proceed　from　such　a
soil；　but　those　that　are　hard　and　of　a　heating　nature；　difficult　to
pass　by　urine；　and　of　difficult　evacuation　by　the　bowels。　The　best　are
those　which　flow　from　elevated　grounds；　and　hills　of　earth；　these
are　sweet；　clear；　and　can　bear　a　little　wine；　they　are　hot　in　summer
and　cold　in　winter；　for　such　necessarily　must　be　the　waters　from
deep　wells。　But　those　are　most　to　be　commended　which　run　to　the　rising
of　the　sun；　and　especially　to　the　summer　sun；　for　such　are　necessarily
more　clear；　fragrant；　and　light。　But　all　such　as　are　salty；　crude；　and
harsh；　are　not　good　for　drink。　But　there　are　certain　constitutions　and
diseases　with　which　such　waters　agree　when　drunk；　as　I　will　explain
presently。　Their　characters　are　as　follows：　the　best　are　such　as
have　their　fountains　to　the　east；　the　next；　those　between　the　summer
risings　and　settings　of　the　sun；　and　especially　those　to　the
risings；　and　third；　those　between　the　summer　and　winter　settings；
but　the　worst　are　those　to　the　south；　and　the　parts　between　the　winter
rising　and　setting；　and　those　to　the　south　are　very　bad；　but　those
to　the　north　are　better。　They　are　to　be　used　as　follows：　whoever　is　in
good　health　and　strength　need　not　mind；　but　may　always　drink
whatever　is　at　hand。　But　whoever　wishes　to　drink　the　most　suitable　for
any　disease；　may　accomplish　his　purpose　by　attending　to　the
following　directions：　To　persons　whose　bellies　are　hard　and　easily
burnt　up；　the　sweetest；　the　lightest；　and　the　most　limpid　waters
will　be　proper；　but　those　persons　whose　bellies　are　soft；　loose；　and
pituitous；　should　choose　the　hardest；　those　kinds　that　are　most　crude；
and　the　saltiest；　for　thus　will　they　be　most　readily　dried　up；　for
such　waters　as　are　adapted　for　boiling；　and　are　of　a　very　solvent
nature；　naturally　loosen　readily　and　melt　down　the　bowels；　but　such　as
are　intractable；　hard；　and　by　no　means　proper　for　boiling；　these
rather　bind　and　dry　up　the　bowels。　People　have　deceived　themselves
with　regard　to　salt　waters；　from　inexperience；　for　they　think　these
waters　purgative；　whereas　they　are　the　very　reverse；　for　such　waters
are　crude；　and　ill　adapted　for　boiling；　so　that　the　belly　is　more
likely　to　be　bound　up　than　loosened　by　them。　And　thus　it　is　with
regard　to　the　waters　of　springs。
　　8。　I　will　now　tell　how　it　is　with　respect　to　rain…water；　and　water
from　snow。　Rain　waters；　then；　are　the　lightest；　the　sweetest；　the
thinnest；　and　the　clearest；　for　originally　the　sun　raises　and　attracts
the　thinnest　and　lightest　part　of　the　water；　as　is　obvious　from　the
nature　of　salts；　for　the　saltish　part　is　left　behind　owing　to　its
thickness　and　weight；　and　forms　salts；　but　the　sun　attracts　the
thinnest　part；　owing　to　its　lightness；　and　he　abstracts　this　not
only　from　the　lakes；　but　also　from　the　sea；　and　from　all　things
which　contain　humidity；　and　there　is　humidity　in　everything；　and
from　man　himself　the　sun　draws　off　the　thinnest　and　lightest　part　of
the　juices。　As　a　strong　proof　of　this；　when　a　man　walks　in　the　sun；　or
sits　down　having　a　garment　on；　whatever　parts　of　the　body　the　sun
shines　upon　do　not　sweat；　for　the　sun　carries　off　whatever　sweat　makes
its　appearance；　but　those　parts　which　are　covered　by　the　garment；　or
anything　else；　sweat；　for　the　particles　of　sweat　are　drawn　and
forced　out　by　the　sun；　and　are　preserved　by　the　cover　so　a