on ancient medicine-第5章

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art　of　medicine　than　with　the　art　of　painting。　And　I　think　that　one
cannot　know　anything　certain　respecting　nature　from　any　other
quarter　than　from　medicine；　and　that　this　knowledge　is　to　be
attained　when　one　comprehends　the　whole　subject　of　medicine
properly；　but　not　until　then；　and　I　say　that　this　history　shows　what
man　is；　by　what　causes　he　was　made；　and　other　things　accurately。
Wherefore　it　appears　to　me　necessary　to　every　physician　to　be
skilled　in　nature；　and　strive　to　know；　if　he　would　wish　to　perform　his
duties；　what　man　is　in　relation　to　the　articles　of　food　and　drink；　and
to　his　other　occupations；　and　what　are　the　effects　of　each　of　them
to　every　one。　And　it　is　not　enough　to　know　simply　that　cheese　is　a　bad
article　of　food；　as　disagreeing　with　whoever　eats　of　it　to　satiety；
but　what　sort　of　disturbance　it　creates；　and　wherefore；　and　with
what　principle　in　man　it　disagrees；　for　there　are　many　other
articles　of　food　and　drink　naturally　bad　which　affect　man　in　a
different　manner。　Thus；　to　illustrate　my　meaning　by　an　example；
undiluted　wine　drunk　in　large　quantity　renders　a　man　feeble；　and
everybody　seeing　this　knows　that　such　is　the　power　of　wine；　and　the
cause　thereof；　and　we　know；　moreover；　on　what　parts　of　a　man's　body　it
principally　exerts　its　action；　and　I　wish　the　same　certainty　to　appear
in　other　cases。　For　cheese　（since　we　used　it　as　an　example）　does　not
prove　equally　injurious　to　all　men；　for　there　are　some　who　can　take　it
to　satiety　without　being　hurt　by　it　in　the　least；　but；　on　the
contrary；　it　is　wonderful　what　strength　it　imparts　to　those　it
agrees　with；　but　there　are　some　who　do　not　bear　it　well；　their
constitutions　are　different；　and　they　differ　in　this　respect；　that
what　in　their　body　is　incompatible　with　cheese；　is　roused　and　put　in
commotion　by　such　a　thing；　and　those　in　whose　bodies　such　a　humor
happens　to　prevail　in　greater　quantity　and　intensity；　are　likely　to
suffer　the　more　from　it。　But　if　the　thing　had　been　pernicious　to　of
man；　it　would　have　hurt　all。　Whoever　knows　these　things　will　not
suffer　from　it。
　　21。　During　convalescence　from　diseases；　and　also　in　protracted
diseases；　many　disorders　occur；　some　spontaneously；　and　some　from
certain　things　accidentally　administered。　I　know　that　the　common
herd　of　physicians；　like　the　vulgar；　if　there　happen　to　have　been
any　innovation　made　about　that　day；　such　as　the　bath　being　used；　a
walk　taken；　or　any　unusual　food　eaten；　all　which　were　better　done　than
otherwise；　attribute　notwithstanding　the　cause　of　these　disorders；
to　some　of　these　things；　being　ignorant　of　the　true　cause　but
proscribing　what　may　have　been　very　proper。　Now　this　ought　not　to　be
so；　but　one　should　know　the　effects　of　a　bath　or　a　walk　unseasonably
applied；　for　thus　there　will　never　be　any　mischief　from　these
things；　nor　from　any　other　thing；　nor　from　repletion；　nor　from　such
and　such　an　article　of　food。　Whoever　does　not　know　what　effect　these
things　produce　upon　a　man；　cannot　know　the　consequences　which　result
from　them；　nor　how　to　apply　them。
　　22。　And　it　appears　to　me　that　one　ought　also　to　know　what　diseases
arise　in　man　from　the　powers；　and　what　from　the　structures。　What　do
I　mean　by　this？　By　powers；　I　mean　intense　and　strong　juices；　and　by
structures；　whatever　conformations　there　are　in　man。　For　some　are
hollow；　and　from　broad　contracted　into　narrow；　some　expanded；　some
hard　and　round；　some　broad　and　suspended；　some　stretched；　some　long；
some　dense；　some　rare　and　succulent；　some　spongy　and　of　loose　texture。
Now；　then；　which　of　these　figures　is　the　best　calculated　to　suck　to
itself　and　attract　humidity　from　another　body？　Whether　what　is
hollow　and　expanded；　or　what　is　solid　and　round；　or　what　is　hollow；
and　from　broad；　gradually　turning　narrow？　I　think　such　as　from
hollow　and　broad　are　contracted　into　narrow：　this　may　be　ascertained
otherwise　from　obvious　facts：　thus；　if　you　gape　wide　with　the　mouth
you　cannot　draw　in　any　liquid；　but　by　protruding；　contracting；　and
compressing　the　lips；　and　still　more　by　using　a　tube；　you　can
readily　draw　in　whatever　you　wish。　And　thus；　too；　the　instruments
which　are　used　for　cupping　are　broad　below　and　gradually　become
narrow；　and　are　so　constructed　in　order　to　suck　and　draw　in　from　the
fleshy　parts。　The　nature　and　construction　of　the　parts　within　a　man
are　of　a　like　nature；　the　bladder；　the　head；　the　uterus　in　woman；
these　parts　clearly　attract；　and　are　always　filled　with　a　juice
which　is　foreign　to　them。　Those　parts　which　are　hollow　and　expanded
are　most　likely　to　receive　any　humidity　flowing　into　them；　but
cannot　attract　it　in　like　manner。　Those　parts　which　are　solid　and
round　could　not　attract　a　humidity；　nor　receive　it　when　it　flows　to
them；　for　it　would　glide　past；　and　find　no　place　of　rest　on　them。
But　spongy　and　rare　parts；　such　as　the　spleen；　the　lungs；　and　the
breasts；　drink　up　especially　the　juices　around　them；　and　become
hardened　and　enlarged　by　the　accession　of　juices。　Such　things　happen
to　these　organs　especially。　For　it　is　not　with　the　spleen　as　with
the　stomach；　in　which　there　is　a　liquid；　which　it　contains　and
evacuates　every　day；　but　when　it　（the　spleen）　drinks　up　and　receives　a
fluid　into　itself；　the　hollow　and　lax　parts　of　it　are　filled；　even　the
small　interstices；　and；　instead　of　being　rare　and　soft；　it　becomes
hard　and　dense；　and　it　can　neither　digest　nor　discharge　its
contents：　these　things　it　suffers；　owing　to　the　nature　of　its
structure。　Those　things　which　engender　flatulence　or　tormina　in　the
body；　naturally　do　so　in　the　hollow　and　broad　parts　of　the　body；
such　as　the　stomach　and　chest；　where　they　produce　rumbling　noises；　for
when　they　do　not　fill　the　parts　so　as　to　be　stationary；　but　have
changes　of　place　and　movements；　there　must　necessarily　be　noise　and
apparent　movements　from　them。　But　such　parts　as　are　fleshy　and　soft；
in　these　there　occur　torpor　and　obstructions；　such　as　happen　in
apoplexy。　But　when　it　（the　flatus？）　encounters　a　broad　and　resisting
structure；　and　rushes　against　such　a　part；　and　this　happens　when　it　is
by　nature　not　strong　so　as　to　be　able　to　withstand　it　without
suffering　injury；　nor　soft　and　rare；　so　as　to　receive　or　yield　to
it；　but　tender；　juicy；　full　of　blood；　and　dense；　like　the　liver；　owing
to　its　density　and　broadness；　it　resists　and　does　not　yield。　But
flatus；　when　it　obtains　admission；　increases　and　becomes　stronger；　and
rushes　toward　any　resisting　object；　but　owing　to　its　tenderness；　and
the　quantity　of　blood　which　it　（the　liver）　contains；　it　cannot　be
without　uneasiness；　and　for　these　reasons　the　most　acute　and
frequent　pains　occur　in　the　region　of　it；　along　with　suppurations
and　chronic　tumors　（phymata）。　These　symptoms　also　occur　in　the　site　of
the　diaphragm；　but　much　less　frequently；　for　the　diaphragm　is　a　broad；
expanded；　and　resisting　substance；　of　a　nervous　（tendinous？）　and
strong　nature；　and　therefore　less　susceptible　of　pain；　and　yet　pains
and　chronic　abscesses　do　occur　about　it。
　　23。　There　are　both　within　and　without　the　body　many　other　kinds　of
structure；　which　differ　much　from　one　another　as　to　sufferings　both　in
health　and　disease；　such　as　whether　the　head　be　small　or　large；　the
neck　slender　or　thick；　long　or　short；　the　belly　long　or　round；　the
chest　and　ribs　broad　or　narrow；　and　many　others　besides；　all　which　you
ought　to　be　acquainted　with；　and　their　differences；　so　that　knowing
the　causes　of　each；　you　may　make　the　more　accurate　observations。
　　24。　And；　as　has　been　formerly　stated；　one　ought　to　be　acquainted
with　the　powers　of　juices；　and　what　action　each　of　them　has　upon
man；　and　their　alliances　towards　one　another。　What　I　say　is　this：　if　a
sweet　juice　change　to　another　kind；　not　from　any　admixture；　but
because　it　has　undergone　a　mutation　within　itself；　what　does　it
first　become？…　bitter？　salt？　austere？　or　acid？　I　think　acid。　And
hence；　an　acid　juice　is　the　most　improper　of　all　things　that　can　be
administered　in　cases　in　which　a　sweet　juice　is　the　most　proper。　Thus；
if　one　should　succeed　in　his　investigations　of　external　things；　he
would　be　the　better　able　always　to　select　the　best；　for　that　is　best
which　is　farthest　removed　from　that　which　is　unwholesome。