on airs, waters, and places-第3章

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anything　else；　sweat；　for　the　particles　of　sweat　are　drawn　and
forced　out　by　the　sun；　and　are　preserved　by　the　cover　so　as　not　to
be　dissipated　by　the　sun；　but　when　the　person　comes　into　the　shade　the
whole　body　equally　perspires；　because　the　sun　no　longer　shines　upon
it。　Wherefore；　of　all　kinds　of　water；　these　spoil　the　soonest；　and
rain　water　has　a　bad　spot　smell；　because　its　particles　are　collected
and　mixed　together　from　most　objects；　so　as　to　spoil　the　soonest。
And　in　addition　to　this；　when　attracted　and　raised　up；　being　carried
about　and　mixed　with　the　air；　whatever　part　of　it　is　turbid　and
darkish　is　separated　and　removed　from　the　other；　and　becomes　cloud　and
mist；　but　the　most　attenuated　and　lightest　part　is　left；　and　becomes
sweet；　being　heated　and　concocted　by　the　sun；　for　all　other　things
when　concocted　become　sweet。　While　dissipated　then　and　not　in　a
state　of　consistence　it　is　carried　aloft。　But　when　collected　and
condensed　by　contrary　winds；　it　falls　down　wherever　it　happens　to　be
most　condensed。　For　this　is　likely　to　happen　when　the　clouds　being
carried　along　and　moving　with　a　wind　which　does　not　allow　them　to
rest；　suddenly　encounters　another　wind　and　other　clouds　from　the
opposite　direction：　there　it　is　first　condensed；　and　what　is　behind　is
carried　up　to　the　spot；　and　thus　it　thickens；　blackens；　and　is
conglomerated；　and　by　its　weight　it　falls　down　and　becomes　rain。　Such；
to　all　appearance；　are　the　best　of　waters；　but　they　require　to　be
boiled　and　strained；　for　otherwise　they　have　a　bad　smell；　and　occasion
hoarseness　and　thickness　of　the　voice　to　those　who　drink　them。　Those
from　snow　and　ice　are　all　bad；　for　when　once　congealed；　they　never
again　recover　their　former　nature；　for　whatever　is　clear；　light；　and
sweet　in　them；　is　separated　and　disappears；　but　the　most　turbid　and
weightiest　part　is　left　behind。　You　may　ascertain　this　in　the
following　manner：　If　in　winter　you　will　pour　water　by　measure　into　a
vessel　and　expose　it　to　the　open　air　until　it　is　all　frozen；　and
then　on　the　following　day　bring　it　into　a　warm　situation　where　the　ice
will　thaw；　if　you　will　measure　the　water　again　when　dissolved　you　will
find　it　much　less　in　quantity。　This　is　a　proof　that　the　lightest　and
thinnest　part　is　dissipated　and　dried　up　by　the　congelation；　and　not
the　heaviest　and　thickest；　for　that　is　impossible：　wherefore　I　hold
that　waters　from　snow　and　ice；　and　those　allied　to　them；　are　the　worst
of　any　for　all　purposes　whatever。　Such　are　the　characters　of
rain…water；　and　those　from　ice　and　snow。
　　9。　Men　become　affected　with　the　stone；　and　are　seized　with
diseases　of　the　kidneys；　strangury；　sciatica；　and　become　ruptured；
when　they　drink　all　sorts　of　waters；　and　those　from　great　rivers
into　which　other　rivulets　run；　or　from　a　lake　into　which　many
streams　of　all　sorts　flow；　and　such　as　are　brought　from　a　considerable
distance。　For　it　is　impossible　that　such　waters　can　resemble　one
another；　but　one　kind　is　sweet；　another　saltish　and　aluminous；　and
some　flow　from　thermal　springs；　and　these　being　all　mixed　up
together　disagree；　and　the　strongest　part　always　prevails；　but　the
same　kind　is　not　always　the　strongest；　but　sometimes　one　and　sometimes
another；　according　to　the　winds；　for　the　north　wind　imparts　strength
to　this　water；　and　the　south　to　that；　and　so　also　with　regard　to　the
others。　There　must　be　deposits　of　mud　and　sand　in　the　vessels　from
such　waters；　and　the　aforesaid　diseases　must　be　engendered　by　them
when　drunk；　but　why　not　to　all　I　will　now　explain。　When　the　bowels　are
loose　and　in　a　healthy　state；　and　when　the　bladder　is　not　hot；　nor　the
neck　of　the　bladder　very　contracted；　all　such　persons　pass　water
freely；　and　no　concretion　forms　in　the　bladder；　but　those　in　whom
the　belly　is　hot；　the　bladder　must　be　in　the　same　condition；　and
when　preternaturally　heated；　its　neck　becomes　inflamed；　and　when　these
things　happen；　the　bladder　does　not　expel　the　urine；　but　raises　its
heat　excessively。　And　the　thinnest　part　of　it　is　secreted；　and　the
purest　part　is　passed　off　in　the　form　of　urine；　but　the　thickest　and
most　turbid　part　is　condensed　and　concreted；　at　first　in　small
quantity；　but　afterwards　in　greater；　for　being　rolled　about　in　the
urine；　whatever　is　of　a　thick　consistence　it　assimilates　to　itself；
and　thus　it　increases　and　becomes　indurated。　And　when　such　persons
make　water；　the　stone　forced　down　by　the　urine　falls　into　the　neck
of　the　bladder　and　stops　the　urine；　and　occasions　intense　pain；　so
that　calculous　children　rub　their　privy　parts　and　tear　at　them；　as
supposing　that　the　obstruction　to　the　urine　is　situated　there。　As　a
proof　that　it　is　as　I　say；　persons　affected　with　calculus　have　very
limpid　urine；　because　the　thickest　and　foulest　part　remains　and　is
concreted。　Thus　it　generally　is　in　cases　of　calculus。　It　forms　also　in
children　from　milk；　when　it　is　not　wholesome；　but　very　hot　and
bilious；　for　it　heats　the　bowels　and　bladder；　so　that　the　urine
being　also　heated　undergoes　the　same　change。　And　I　hold　that　it　is
better　to　give　children　only　the　most　diluted　wine；　for　such　will
least　burn　up　and　dry　the　veins。　Calculi　do　not　form　so　readily　in
women；　for　in　them　the　urethra　is　short　and　wide；　so　that　in　them
the　urine　is　easily　expelled；　neither　do　they　rub　the　pudendum　with
their　hands；　nor　handle　the　passage　like　males；　for　the　urethra　in
women　opens　direct　into　the　pudendum；　which　is　not　the　case　with
men；　neither　in　them　is　the　urethra　so　wide；　and　they　drink　more
than　children　do。　Thus；　or　nearly　so；　is　it　with　regard　to　them。
　　10。　And　respecting　the　seasons；　one　may　judge　whether　the　year
will　prove　sickly　or　healthy　from　the　following　observations：…　If
the　appearances　connected　with　the　rising　and　setting　stars　be　as　they
should　be；　if　there　be　rains　in　autumn；　if　the　winter　be　mild；　neither
very　tepid　nor　unseasonably　cold；　and　if　in　spring　the　rains　be
seasonable；　and　so　also　in　summer；　the　year　is　likely　to　prove
healthy。　But　if　the　winter　be　dry　and　northerly；　and　the　spring
showery　and　southerly；　the　summer　will　necessarily　be　of　a　febrile
character；　and　give　rise　to　ophthalmies　and　dysenteries。　For　when
suffocating　heat　sets　in　all　of　a　sudden；　while　the　earth　is　moistened
by　the　vernal　showers；　and　by　the　south　wind；　the　heat　is
necessarily　doubled　from　the　earth；　which　is　thus　soaked　by　rain　and
heated　by　a　burning　sun；　while；　at　the　same　time；　men's　bellies　are
not　in　an　orderly　state；　nor　the　brain　properly　dried；　for　it　is
impossible；　after　such　a　spring；　but　that　the　body　and　its　flesh
must　be　loaded　with　humors；　so　that　very　acute　fevers　will　attack　all；
but　especially　those　of　a　phlegmatic　constitution。　Dysenteries　are
also　likely　to　occur　to　women　and　those　of　a　very　humid　temperament。
And　if　at　the　rising　of　the　Dogstar　rain　and　wintery　storms　supervene；
and　if　the　etesian　winds　blow；　there　is　reason　to　hope　that　these
diseases　will　cease；　and　that　the　autumn　will　be　healthy；　but　if
not；　it　is　likely　to　be　a　fatal　season　to　children　and　women；　but
least　of　all　to　old　men；　and　that　convalescents　will　pass　into
quartans；　and　from　quartans　into　dropsies；　but　if　the　winter　be
southerly；　showery　and　mild；　but　the　spring　northerly；　dry；　and　of　a
wintry　character；　in　the　first　place　women　who　happen　to　be　with
child；　and　whose　accouchement　should　take　place　in　spring；　are　apt
to　miscarry；　and　such　as　bring　forth；　have　feeble　and　sickly　children；
so　that　they　either　die　presently　or　are　tender；　feeble；　and　sickly；
if　they　live。　Such　is　the　case　with　the　women。　The　others　are
subject　to　dysenteries　and　dry　ophthalmies；　and　some　have　catarrhs
beginning　in　the　head　and　descending　to　the　lungs。　Men　of　a　phlegmatic
temperament　are　likely　to　have　dysenteries；　and　women；　also；　from
the　humidity　of　their　nature；　the　phlegm　descending　downwards　from　the
brain；　those　who　are　bilious；　too；　have　dry　ophthalmies　from　the
heat　and　dryness　of　their　flesh；　the　aged；　too；　have　catarrhs　from
their　flabbiness　and　melting　of　the　veins；　so　that　some　of　them　die
suddenly　and　some　become　paralytic　on　the　right　side　or　the　left。
For　when；　the　winter　being　southerly　and　the　body　hot；　the　blood　and
veins　are　not　prop