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BOOK TWO

PART 1

In the previous book we demonstrated that not only Erasistratus, but also all others who would say anything to the purpose about urinary secretion, must acknowledge that the kidneys possess some faculty which attracts to them this particular quality existing in the urine.¹ Besides this we drew attention to the fact that the urine is not carried through the kidneys into the bladder by one method, the blood into parts of the animal by another, and the yellow bile separated out on yet another principle. For when once there has been demonstrated in any one organ, the drawing, or so-called epispastic² faculty, there is then no difficulty in transferring it to the rest. Certainly Nature did not give a power such as this to the kidneys without giving it also to the vessels which abstract the biliary fluid,³ nor did she give it to the latter without also it to each of the other parts. And, assuredly, if this is true, we must marvel that Erasistratus should make statements concerning the delivery of nutriment from the food-canal⁴ which are so false as to be detected even by Asclepiades. Now, Erasistratus considers it absolutely certain that, if anything flows from the veins, one of two things must happen: either a completely empty space will result, or the contiguous quantum of fluid will run in and take the place of that which has been evacuated. Asclepiades, however, holds that not one of two, but one of three things must be said to result in the emptied vessels: either there will be an entirely empty space, or the contiguous portion will flow in, or the vessel will contract. For whereas, in the case of reeds and tubes it is true to say that, if these be submerged in water, and are emptied of the air which they contain in their lumens, then either a completely empty space will be left, or the contiguous portion will move onwards; in the case of veins this no longer holds, since their coats can collapse and so fall in upon the interior cavity. It may be seen, then, how false this hypothesis — by Zeus, I cannot call it a demonstration! — of Erasistratus is.

And, from another point of view, even if it were true, it is superfluous, if the stomach⁵ has the power of compressing the veins, as he himself supposed, and the veins again of contracting upon their contents and propelling them forwards.⁶ For, apart from other considerations, no plethora⁷ would ever take place in the body, if delivery of nutriment resulted merely from the tendency of a vacuum to become refilled. Now, if the compression of the stomach becomes weaker the further it goes, and cannot reach to an indefinite distance, and if, therefore, there is need of some other mechanism to explain why the blood is conveyed in all directions, then the principle of the refilling of a vacuum may be looked on as a necessary addition;⁸ there will not, however, be a plethora in any of the parts coming after the liver,⁹ or, if there be, it will be in the region of the heart and lungs; for the heart alone of the parts which come after the liver draws the nutriment into its right ventricle, thereafter sending it through the arterioid vein¹⁰ to the lungs (for Erasistratus himself will have it that, owing to the membranous excrescences,¹¹no other parts save the lungs receive nourishment from the heart). If, however, in order to explain how plethora comes about, we suppose the force of compression by the stomach to persist indefinitely, we have no further need of the principle of the refilling of a vacuum, especially if we assume contraction of the veins in addition — as is, again, agreeable to Erasistratus himself.

PART 2

Let me draw his attention, then, once again, even if he does not wish it, to the kidneys, and let me state that these confute in the very clearest manner such people as object to the principle of attraction. Nobody has ever said anything plausible, nor, as we previously showed, has anyone been able to discover, by any means, any other cause for the secretion of urine; we necessarily appear mad if we maintain that the urine passes into the kidneys in the form of vapour, and we certainly cut a poor figure when we talk about the tendency of a vacuum to become refilled;¹² this idea is foolish in the case of blood, and impossible, nay, perfectly nonsensical, in the case of the urine.¹³

This, then, is one blunder made by those who dissociate themselves from the principle of attraction. Another is that which they make about the secretion of yellow bile. For in this case, too, it is not a fact that when the blood runs past the mouths [stomata] of the bile-ducts there will be a thorough separation out [secretion] of biliary waste-matter. Well, say they, let us suppose that it is not secreted but carried with the blood all over the body. But, you sapient folk, Erasistratus himself supposed that Nature took thought for the animals' future, and was workmanlike in her method; and at the same time he maintained that the biliary fluid was useless in every way for the animals. Now these two things are incompatible. For how could Nature be still looked on as exercising forethought for the animal when she allowed a noxious humour such as this to be carried off and distributed with the blood?...

This, however, is a small matter. I shall again point out here the greatest and most obvious error. For if the yellow bile adjusts itself to the narrower vessels and stomata, and the blood to the wider ones, for no other reason than that blood is thicker and bile thinner, and that the stomata of the veins are wider and those of the bile-ducts¹⁴ narrower, then it is clear that this watery and serous superfluity, too, will run out into the bile-ducts quicker than does the bile, exactly in proportion as it is thinner than the bile! How is it, then, that it does not run out? Because, it may be said, urine is thicker than bile! This was what one of our Erasistrateans ventured to say, herein clearly disregarding the evidence of his senses, although he had trusted these in the case of the bile and blood. For, if it be that we are to look on bile as thinner than blood because it runs more, then, since the serous residue¹⁵ passes through fine linen or lint or a or a sieve more easily even than does bile, by these tokens bile must also be thicker than the watery fluid. For here, again, there is no argument which will demonstrate that bile is thinner than the serous superfluities.

But when a man shamelessly goes on using circumlocutions, and never acknowledges when he has had a fall, he is like the amateur wrestlers, who, when they have been overthrown by the experts and are lying on their backs on the ground, so far from recognizing their fall, actually seize their victorious adversaries by the necks and prevent them from getting away, thus supposing themselves to be the winners!

PART 3

Thus, every hypothesis of channels¹⁶ as an explanation of natural functioning is perfect nonsense. For, if there were not an inborn faculty given by Nature to each one of the organs at the very beginning, then animals could not continue to live even for a few days, far less for the number of years which they actually do. For let us suppose they were under no guardianship, lacking in creative ingenuity¹⁷ and forethought; let us suppose they were steered only by material forces,¹⁸ and not by any special faculties (the one attracting what is proper to it, another rejecting what is foreign, and yet another causing alteration and adhesion of the matter destined to nourish it); if we suppose this, I am sure it would be ridiculous for us to discuss natural, or, still more, psychical, activities — or, in fact, life as a whole.¹⁹

For there is not a single animal which could live or endure for the shortest time if, possessing within itself so many different parts, it did not employ faculties which were attractive of what is appropriate, eliminative of what is foreign, and alterative of what is destined for nutrition. On the other hand, if we have these faculties, we no longer need channels, little or big, resting on an unproven hypothesis, for explaining the secretion of urine and bile, and the conception of some favourable situation (in which point alone Erasistratus shows some common sense, since he does regard all the parts of the body as having been well and truly placed and shaped by Nature).

But let us suppose he remained true to his own statement that Nature is artistic — this Nature which, at the beginning, well and truly shaped and disposed all the parts of the animal,²⁰ and, after carrying out this function (for she left nothing undone), brought it forward to the light of day, endowed with certain faculties necessary for its very existence, and, thereafter, gradually increased it until it reached its due size. If he argued consistently on this principle, I fail to see how he can continue to refer natural functions to the smallness or largeness of canals, or to any other similarly absurd hypothesis. For this Nature which shapes and gradually adds to the parts is most certainly extended throughout their whole substance. Yes indeed, she shapes and nourishes and increases them through and through, not on the outside only. For Praxiteles and Phidias and all the other statuaries used merely to decorate their material on the outside, in so far as they were able to touch it; but its inner parts they left unembellished, unwrought, unaffected by art or forethought, since they were unable to penetrate therein and to reach and handle all portions of the material. It is not so, however, with Nature. Every part of a bone she makes bone, every part of the flesh she makes flesh, and so with fat and all the rest; there is no part which she has not touched, elaborated, and embellished. Phidias, on the other hand, could not turn wax into ivory and gold, nor yet gold into wax: for each of these remains as it was at the commencement, and becomes a perfect statue simply by being clothed externally in a form and artificial shape. But Nature does not preserve the original character of any kind of matter; if she did so, then all parts of the animal would be blood — that blood, namely, which flows to the semen from the impregnated female and which is, so to speak, like the statuary's wax, a single uniform matter, subjected to the artificer. From this blood there arises no part of the animal which is as red and moist [as blood is], for bone, artery, vein, nerve, cartilage, fat, gland, membrane, and marrow are not blood, though they arise from it.

I would then ask Erasistratus himself to inform me what the altering, coagulating, and shaping agent is. He would doubtless say, Either Nature or the semen, meaning the same thing in both cases, but explaining it by different devices. For that which was previously semen, when it begins to procreate and to shape the animal, becomes, so to say, a special nature.²¹ For in the same way that Phidias possessed the faculties of his art even before touching his material, and then activated these in connection with this material (for every faculty remains inoperative in the absence of its proper material), so it is with the semen: its faculties it possessed from the beginning,²² while its activities it does not receive from its material, but it manifests them in connection therewith.

And, of course, if it were to be overwhelmed with a great quantity of blood, it would perish, while if it were to be entirely deprived of blood it would remain inoperative and would not turn into a nature. Therefore, in order that it may not perish, but may become a nature in place of semen, there must be an afflux to it of a little blood — or, rather, one should not say a little, but a quantity commensurate with that of the semen. What is it then that measures the quantity of this afflux? What prevents more from coming? What ensures against a deficiency? What is this third overseer of animal generation that we are to look for, which will furnish the semen with a due amount of blood? What would Erasistratus have said if he had been alive, and had been asked this question? Obviously, the semen itself. This, in fact, is the artificer analogous with Phidias, whilst the blood corresponds to the statuary's wax.

Now, it is not for the wax to discover for itself how much of it is required; that is the business of Phidias. Accordingly the artificer will draw to itself as much blood as it needs. Here, however, we must pay attention and take care not unwittingly to credit the semen with reason and intelligence; if we were to do this, we would be making neither semen nor a nature, but an actual living animal.²³ And if we retain these two principles — that of proportionate attraction,²⁴ and that of the non-participation of intelligence — we shall ascribe to the semen a faculty for attracting blood similar to that possessed by the lodestone for iron.²⁵ Here, then, again, in the case of the semen, as in so many previous instances, we have been compelled to acknowledge some kind of attractive faculty. And what is the semen? Clearly the active principle of the animal, the material principle being the menstrual blood.²⁶ Next, seeing that the active principle employs this faculty primarily, therefore, in order that any one of the things fashioned by it may come into existence, it [the principle] must necessarily be possessed of its own faculty. How, then, was Erasistratus unaware of it, if the primary function of the semen be to draw to itself a due proportion of blood? Now, this fluid would be in due proportion if it were so thin and vaporous, that, as soon as it was drawn like dew into every part of the semen, it would everywhere cease to display its own particular character; for so the semen will easily dominate and quickly assimilate it — in fact, will use it as food. It will then, I imagine, draw to itself a second and a third quantum, and thus by feeding it acquires for itself considerable bulk and quantity.²⁷ In fact, the alterative faculty has now been discovered as well, although about this also has not written a word. And, thirdly the shaping²⁸faculty will become evident, by virtue of which the semen firstly surrounds itself with a thin membrane like a kind of superficial condensation; this is what was described by Hippocrates in the sixth-day birth, which, according to his statement, fell from the singing-girl and resembled the pellicle of an egg. And following this all the other stages will occur, such as are described by him in his work On the Child's Nature.

But if each of the parts formed were to remain as small as when it first came into existence, of what use would that be? They have, then, to grow. Now, how will they grow? By becoming extended in all directions and at the same time receiving nourishment. And if you will recall what I previously said about the bladder which the children blew up and rubbed,²⁹ you will also understand my meaning better as expressed in what I am now about to say.

Imagine the heart to be, at the beginning, so small as to differ in no respect from a millet-seed, or, if you will, a bean; and consider how otherwise it is to become large than by being extended in all directions and acquiring nourishment throughout its whole substance, in the way that, as I showed a short while ago, the semen is nourished. But even this was unknown to Erasistratus — the man who sings the artistic skill of Nature! He imagines that animals grow like webs, ropes, sacks, or baskets, each of which has, woven on to its end or margin, other material similar to that of which it was originally composed.

But this, most sapient sir, is not growth, but genesis! For a bag, sack, garment, house, ship, or the like is said to be still coming into existence [undergoing genesis] so long as the appropriate form for the sake of which it is being constructed by the artificer is still incomplete. Then, when does it grow? Only when the basket, being complete, with a bottom, a mouth, and a belly, as it were, as well as the intermediate parts, now becomes larger in all these respects. And how can this happen? someone will ask. Only by our basket suddenly becoming an animal or a plant; for growth belongs to living things alone. Possibly you imagine that a house grows when it is being built, or a basket when being plated, or a garment when being woven? It is not so, however. Growth belongs to that which has already been completed in respect to its form, whereas the process by which that which is still becoming attains its form is termed not growth but genesis. That which is, grows, while that which is not, becomes.

PART 4

This also was unknown to Erasistratus, whom nothing escaped, if his followers speak in any way truly in maintaining that he was familiar with the Peripatetic philosophers. Now, in so far as he acclaims Nature as being an artist in construction, even I recognize the Peripatetic teachings, but in other respects he does not come near them. For if anyone will make himself acquainted with the writings of Aristotle and Theophrastus, these will appear to him to consist of commentaries on the Nature-lore [physiology]³⁰ of Hippocrates — according to which the principles of heat, cold, dryness and moisture act upon and are acted upon by one another, the hot principle being the most active, and the cold coming next to it in power; all this was stated in the first place by Hippocrates and secondly by Aristotle.³¹ Further, it is at once the Hippocratic and the Aristotelian teaching that the parts which receive that nourishment throughout their whole substance, and that, similarly, processes of mingling and alteration involve the entire substance.³² Moreover, that digestion is a species of alteration — a transmutation of the nutriment into the proper quality of the thing receiving it; that blood-production also is an alteration, and nutrition as well; that growth results from extension in all directions, combined with nutrition; that alteration is effected mainly by the warm principle, and that therefore digestion, nutrition, and the generation of the various humours, as well as the qualities of the surplus substances, result from the innate heat;³³ all these and many other points besides in regard to the aforesaid faculties, the origin of diseases, and the discovery of remedies, were correctly stated first by Hippocrates of all writers whom we know, and were in the second place correctly expounded by Aristotle. Now, if all these views meet with the approval of the Peripatetics, as they undoubtedly do, and if none of them satisfy Erasistratus, what can the Erasistrateans possibly mean by claiming that their leader was associated with these philosophers? The fact is, they revere him as a god, and think that everything he says is true. If this be so, then we must suppose the Peripatetics to have strayed very far from truth, since they approve of none of the ideas of Erasistratus. And, indeed, the disciples of the latter produce his connection with the Peripatetics in order to furnish his Nature-lore with a respectable pedigree.

Now, let us reverse our argument and put it in a different way from that which we have just employed. For if the Peripatetics were correct in their teaching about Nature, there could be nothing more absurd than the contentions of Erasistratus. And, I will leave it to the Erasistrateans themselves to decide; they must either advance the one proposition or the other. According to the former one the Peripatetics had no accurate acquaintance with Nature, and according to the second, Erasistratus. It is my task, then, to point out the opposition between the two doctrines, and theirs to make the choice....

But they certainly will not abandon their reverence for Erasistratus. Very well, then; let them stop talking about the Peripatetic philosophers. For among the numerous physiological teachings regarding the genesis and destruction of animals, their health, their diseases, and the methods of treating these, there will be found one only which is common to Erasistratus and the Peripatetics — namely, the view that Nature does everything for some purpose, and nothing in vain.

But even as regards this doctrine their agreement is only verbal; in practice Erasistratus makes havoc of it a thousand times over. For, according to him, the spleen was made for no purpose, as also the omentum; similarly, too, the arteries which are inserted into kidneys — although these are practically the largest of all those that spring from the great artery [aorta]! And to judge by the Erasistratean argument, there must be countless other useless structures; for, if he knows nothing at all about these structures, he has little more anatomical knowledge than a butcher, while, if he is acquainted with them and yet does not state their use, he clearly imagines that they were made for no purpose, like the spleen. Why, however, should I discuss these structures fully, belonging as they do to the treatise On the Use of Parts, which I am personally about to complete?

Let us, then, sum up again this same argument, and, having said a few words more in answer to the Erasistrateans, proceed to our next topic. The fact is, these people seem to me to have read none of Aristotle's writings, but to have heard from others how great an authority he was on Nature, and that those of the Porch³⁴ follow in the steps of his Nature-lore; apparently they then discovered a single one of the current ideas which is common to Aristotle and Erasistratus, and made up some story of a connection between Erasistratus and these people.³⁵ That Erasistratus, however, has no share in the Nature-lore of Aristotle is shown by an enumeration of the aforesaid doctrines, which emanated first from Hippocrates, secondly from Aristotle, thirdly from the Stoics (with a single modification, namely, that for them the qualities are bodies ).³⁶

Perhaps, however, they will maintain that it was in the matter of logic that Erasistratus associated himself with the Peripatetic philosophers? Here they show ignorance of the fact that these philosophers never brought forward false or inconclusive arguments, while the Erasistratean books are full of them.

So perhaps somebody may already be asking, in some surprise, what possessed Erasistratus that he turned so completely from the doctrines of Hippocrates, and why it is that he takes away the attractive faculty from the biliary³⁷ passages in the liver — for we have sufficiently discussed the kidneys — alleging [as the cause of bile-secretion] a favourable situation, the narrowness of vessels, and a common space into which the veins from the gateway [of the liver]³⁸ conduct the unpurified blood, and from which, in the first place, the [biliary] passages take over the bile, and secondly, the [branches] of the vena cava take over the purified blood. For it would not only have done him no harm to have mentioned the idea of attraction, but he would thereby have been able to get rid of countless other disputed questions.

PART 5

At the actual moment, however, the Erasistrateans are engaged in a considerable battle, not only with others but also amongst themselves, and so they cannot explain the passage from the first book of the General Principles, in which Erasistratus says, Since there are two kinds of vessels opening³⁹ at the same place, the one kind extending to the gall-bladder and the other to the vena cava, the result is that, of the nutriment carried up from the alimentary canal, that part which fits both kinds of stomata is received into both kinds of vessels, some being carried into the gall-bladder, and the rest passing over into the vena cava. For it is difficult to say what we are to understand by the words opening at the same place which are written at the beginning of this passage. Either they mean there is a junction⁴⁰ between the termination of the vein which is on the concave surface of the liver⁴¹ and two other vascular terminations (that of the vessel on the convex surface of the liver⁴² and that of the bile-duct), or, if not, then we must suppose that there is, as it were, a common space for all three vessels, which becomes filled from the lower vein,⁴³ and empties itself both into the bile-duct and into the branches of the vena cava. Now, there are many difficulties in both of these explanations, but if I were to state them all, I should find myself inadvertently writing an exposition of the teaching of Erasistratus, instead of carrying out my original undertaking. There is, however, one difficulty common to both these explanations, namely, that the whole of the blood does not become purified. For it ought to fall into the bile-duct as into a kind of sieve, instead of going (running, in fact, rapidly) past it, into the larger stoma, by virtue of the impulse of anadosis.

Are these, then, the only inevitable difficulties in which the argument of Erasistratus becomes involved through his disinclination to make any use of the attractive faculty, or is it that the difficulty is greatest here, and also so obvious that even a child could not avoid seeing it?

PART 6

And if one looks carefully into the matter one will find that even Erasistratus' reasoning on the subject of nutrition, which he takes up in the second book of his General Principles, fails to escape this same difficulty. For, having conceded one premise to the principle that matter tends to fill a vacuum, as we previously showed, he was only able to draw a conclusion in the case of the veins and their contained blood.⁴⁴That is to say, when blood is running away through the stomata of the veins, and is being dispersed, then, since an absolutely empty space cannot result, and the veins cannot collapse (for this was what he overlooked), it was therefore shown to be necessary that the that the adjoining quantum of fluid should flow in and fill the place of the fluid evacuated. It is in this way that we may suppose the veins to be nourished; they get the benefit of the blood which they contain. But how about the nerves?⁴⁵ For they do not also contain blood. One might obviously say that they draw their supply from the veins.⁴⁶ But Erasistratus will not have it so. What further contrivance, then, does he suppose? He says that a nerve has within itself veins and arteries, like a rope woven by Nature out of three different strands. By means of this hypothesis he imagined that his theory would escape from the idea of attraction. For if the nerve contain within itself a blood-vessel it will no longer need the adventitious flow of other blood from the real vein lying adjacent; this fictitious vessel, perceptible only in theory,⁴⁷will suffice it for nourishment.

But this, again, is succeeded by another similar difficulty. For this small vessel will nourish itself, but it will not be able to nourish this adjacent simple nerve or artery, unless these possess some innate proclivity for attracting nutriment. For how could the nerve, being simple, attract its nourishment, as do the composite veins, by virtue of the tendency of a vacuum to become refilled? For, although according to Erasistratus, it contains within itself a cavity of sorts, this is not occupied with blood, but with psychic pneuma,⁴⁸ and we are required to imagine the nutriment introduced, not into this cavity, but into the vessel containing it, whether it needs merely to be nourished, or to grow as well. How, then, are we to imagine it introduced? For this simple vessel [ i.e.. nerve] is so small — as are also the other two — that if you prick it at any part with the finest needle you will tear the whole three of them at once. Thus there could never be in it a perceptible space entirely empty. And an emptied space which merely existed in theory could not compel the adjacent fluid to come and fill it.

At this point, again, I should like Erasistratus himself to answer regarding this small elementary nerve, whether it is actually one and definitely continuous, or whether it consists of many small bodies, such as those assumed by Epicurus, Leucippus, and Democritus.⁴⁹ For I see that the Erasistrateans are at variance on this subject. Some of them consider it one and continuous, for otherwise, as they say, he would not have called it simple; and some venture to resolve it into yet other elementary bodies. But if it be one and continuous, then what is evacuated from it in the so-called insensible transpiration of the physicians will leave no empty space in it; otherwise it would not be one body but many, separated by empty spaces. But if it consists of many bodies, then we have escaped by the back door, as the saying is, to Asclepiades, seeing that we have postulated certain inharmonious elements. Once again, then, we must call Nature inartistic; for this necessarily follows the assumption of such elements.

For this reason some of the Erasistrateans seem to me to have done very foolishly in reducing the simple vessels to elements such as these. Yet it makes no difference to me, since the theory of both parties regarding nutrition will be shown to be absurd. For in these minute simple vessels constituting the large perceptible nerves, it is impossible, according to the theory of those who would keep the former continuous, that any refilling of a vacuum should take place, since no vacuum can occur in a continuum even if anything does run away; for the parts left come together (as is seen in the case of water) and again become one, taking up the whole space of that which previously separated them. Nor will any refilling occur if we accept the argument of the other Erasistrateans, since none of their elements need it. For this principle only holds of things which are perceptible, and not of those which exist merely in theory; this Erasistratus expressly acknowledges, for he states that it is not a vacuum such as this, interspersed in small portions among the corpuscles, that his various treatises deal with, but a vacuum which is clear, perceptible, complete in itself, large in size, evident, or however else one cares to term it (for, what Erasistratus himself says is, that there cannot be a perceptible space which is entirely empty; while I, for my part, being abundantly equipped with terms which are equally elucidatory, at least in relation to the present topic of discussion, have added them as well).

Thus it seems to me better that we also should help the Erasistrateans with some contribution, since we are on the subject, and should advise those who reduce the vessel called primary and simple by Erasistratus into other elementary bodies to give up their opinion; for not only do they gain nothing by it, but they are also at variance with Erasistratus in this matter. That they gain nothing by it has been clearly demonstrated; for this hypothesis could not escape the difficulty regarding nutrition. And it also seems perfectly evident to me that this hypothesis is not in consonance with the view of Erasistratus, when it declares that what he calls simple and primary is composite, and when it destroys the principle of Nature's artistic skill.⁵⁰ For, if we do not grant a certain unity of substance⁵¹ to these simple structures as well, and if we arrive eventually at inharmonious and indivisible elements,⁵² we shall most assuredly deprive Nature of her artistic skill, as do all the physicians and philosophers who start from this hypothesis. For, according to such a hypothesis, Nature does not precede, but is secondary to the parts of the animal.⁵³ Now, it is not the province of what comes secondarily, but of what pre-exists, to shape and to construct. Thus we must necessarily suppose that the faculties of Nature, by which she shapes the animal, and makes it grow and receive nourishment, are present from the seed onwards; whereas none of these inharmonious and non-partite corpuscles contains within itself any formative, incremental,⁵⁴ nutritive, or, in a word, any artistic power; it is, by hypothesis, unimpressionable and untransformable,⁵⁵ whereas, as we have previously shown,⁵⁶ none of the processes mentioned takes place without transformation, alteration, and complete intermixture. And, owing to this necessity, those who belong to these sects are unable to follow out the consequences of their supposed elements, and they are all therefore forced to declare Nature devoid of art. It is not from us, however, that the Erasistrateans should have learnt this, but from those very philosophers who lay most stress on a preliminary investigation into the elements of all existing things.

Now, one can hardly be right in supposing that Erasistratus could reach such a pitch of foolishness as to be recognizing the logical consequences of this theory, and that, while assuming Nature to be artistically creative, he would at the same time break up substance into insensible, inharmonious, and untransformable elements. If, however, he will grant that there occurs in the elements a process of alteration and transformation, and that there exists in them unity and continuity, then that simple vessel of his (as he himself names it) will turn out to be single and uncompounded. And the simple vein will receive nourishment from itself, and the nerve and artery from the vein. How, and in what way? For, when we were at this point before, we drew attention to the disagreement among the Erasistrateans,⁵⁷ and we showed that the nutrition of these simple vessels was impraticable according to the teachings of both parties, although we did not hesitate to adjudicate in their quarrel and to do Erasistratus the honour of placing him in the better sect.⁵⁸

Let our argument, then, be transferred again to the doctrine which assumes this elementary nerve⁵⁹ to be a single, simple, and entirely unified structure, and let us consider how it is to be nourished; for what is discovered here will at once be found to be common also to the school of Hippocrates.

It seems to me that our enquiry can be most rigorously pursued in subjects who are suffering from illness and have become very emaciated, since in these people all parts of the body are obviously atrophied and thin, and in need of additional substance and feeding-up; for the same reason the ordinary perceptible nerve, regarding which we originally began this discussion, has become thin, and requires nourishment. Now, this contains within itself various parts, namely, a great many of these primary, invisible, minute nerves, a few simple arteries, and similarly also veins. Thus, all its elementary nerves have themselves also obviously become emaciated; for, if they had not, neither would the nerve as a whole; and of course, in such a case, the whole nerve cannot require nourishment without each of these requiring it too. Now, if on the one hand they stand in need of feeding-up, and if on the other the principle of the refilling of a vacuum⁶⁰ can give them no help — both by reason of the difficulties previously mentioned and the actual thinness, as I shall show — we must then seek another cause for nutrition.

How is it, then, that the tendency of a vacuum to become refilled is unable to afford nourishment to one in such a condition? Because its rule is that only so much of the contiguous matter should succeed as has flowed away. Now this is sufficient for nourishment in the case of those who are in good condition, for, in them, what is presented⁶¹ must be equal to what has flowed away. But in the case of those who are very emaciated and who need a great restoration of nutrition, unless what was presented were many times greater than what has been emptied out, they would never be able to regain their original habit. It is clear, therefore, that these parts will have to exert a greater amount of attraction, in so far as their requirements are greater. And I fail to understand how Erasistratus does not perceive that here again he is putting the cart before the horse. Because, in the case of the sick, there must be a large amount of presentation⁶² in order to feed them up, he argues that the factor of refilling must play an equally large part. And how could much presentation take place if it were not preceded by an abundant delivery of nutriment? And if he calls the conveyance of food through the veins delivery⁶³, and its assumption by each of these simple and visible nerves and arteries not delivery but distribution⁶⁴⁶⁵. For it has been shown that at least in relation to these there is no question of the refilling of a vacuum being in operation, and especially where the parts are very attenuated. It is worth while listening to what Erasistratus says about these cases in the second book of his General Principles: In the ultimate simple [vessels], which are thin and narrow, presentation takes place from the adjacent vessels, the nutriment being attracted through the sides of the vessels and deposited in the empty spaces left by the matter which has been carried away. Now, in this statement firstly I admit and accept the words through the sides. For, if the simple nerve were actually to take in the food through its mouth, it could not distribute it through its whole substance; for the mouth is dedicated to the psychic pneuma⁶⁶. It can, however, take it in through its sides from the adjacent simple vein. Secondly, I also accept in Erasistratus' statement the expression which precedes through the sides. What does this say? The nutriment being attracted through the sides of the vessels. Now I, too, agree that it is attracted, but it has been previously shown that this is not through the tendency of evacuated matter to be replaced.

PART 7

Let us, then, consider together how it is attracted. How else than in the way that iron is attracted by the lodestone, the latter having a faculty attractive of this particular quality [existing in iron]?⁶⁷ But if the beginning of anadosis depends on the squeezing action of the stomach,⁶⁸ and the whole movement thereafter on the peristalsis and propulsive action of the veins, as well as on the traction exerted by each of the parts which are undergoing nourishment, then we can abandon the principle of replacement of evacuated matter, as not being suitable for a man who assumes Nature to be a skilled artist; thus we shall also have avoided the contradiction of Asclepiades⁶⁹ though we cannot refute it: for the disjunctive argument used for the purposes of demonstration is, in reality, disjunctive not of two but of three alternatives; now, if we treat the disjunction as a disjunction of two alternatives, one of the two propositions assumed in constructing our proof must be false; and if as a disjunctive of three alternatives, no conclusion will be arrived at.

PART 8

Now Erasistratus ought not to have been ignorant of this if he had ever had anything to do with the Peripatetics — even in a dream. Nor, similarly, should he have been unacquainted with the genesis of the humours, about which, not having even anything moderately plausible to say, he thinks to deceive us by the excuse that the consideration of such matters is not the least useful. Then, in Heaven's name, is it useful to know how food is digested in the stomach, but unnecessary to know how bile comes into existence in the veins? Are we to pay attention merely to the evacuation of this humour, and not to its genesis? As though it were not far better to prevent its excessive development from the beginning than to give ourselves all the trouble of expelling it! ⁷⁰ And it is a strange thing to be entirely unaware as to whether its genesis is to be looked on as taking place in the body, or whether it comes from without and is contained in the food. For, if it was right to raise this problem, why should we not make investigations concerning the blood as well — whether it takes its origin in the body, or is distributed through the food as is maintained by those who postulate homoeomeries ?⁷¹ Assuredly it would be much more useful to investigate what kinds of food are suited, and what kinds unsuited, to the process of blood-production⁷² rather than to enquire into what articles of diet are easily mastered by the activity of the stomach, and what resist and contend with it. For the choice of the latter bears reference merely to digestion, while that of the former is of importance in regard to the generation of useful blood. For it is not equally important whether the aliment be imperfectly chylified⁷³ in the stomach or whether it fail to be turned into useful blood. Why is Erasistratus not ashamed to distinguish all the various kinds of digestive failure and all the occasions which give rise to them, whilst in reference to the errors of blood-production he does not utter a single word — nay, not a syllable? Now, there is certainly to be found in the veins both thick and thin blood; in some people it is redder, in others yellower, in some blacker, in others more of the nature of phlegm. And one who realizes that it may smell offensively not in one way only, but in a great many different respects (which cannot be put into words, although perfectly appreciable to the senses), would, I imagine, condemn in no measured terms the carelessness of Erasistratus in omitting a consideration so essential to the practice of our art.

Thus it is clear what errors in regard to the subject of dropsies logically follow this carelessness. For, does it not show the most extreme carelessness to suppose that the blood is prevented from going forward into the liver owing to the narrowness of the passages, and that dropsy can never occur in any other way? For, to imagine that dropsy is never caused by the spleen⁷⁴ or any other part, but always by induration of the liver,⁷⁵ is the standpoint of a man whose intelligence is perfectly torpid and who is quite out of touch with things that happen every day. For, not merely once or twice, but frequently, we have observed dropsy produced by chronic haemorrhoids which have been suppressed,⁷⁶ or which, through immoderate bleeding, have given the patient a severe chill; similarly, in women, the complete disappearance of the monthly discharge,⁷⁷or an undue evacuation such as is caused by violent bleeding from the womb, often provoke dropsy; and in some of them the so-called female flux ends in this disorder. I leave out of account the dropsy which begins in the flanks or in any other susceptible part; this clearly confutes Erasistratus' assumption, although not so obviously as does that kind of dropsy which is brought about by an excessive chilling of the whole constitution; this, which is the primary reason for the occurrence of dropsy, results from a failure of blood-production,⁷⁸ very much like the diarrhoea which follows imperfect digestion of food; certainly in this kind of dropsy neither the liver nor any other viscus becomes indurated.

The learned Erasistratus, however, overlooks — nay, despises — what neither Hippocrates, Diocles, Praxagoras, nor Philistion⁷⁹ despised, nor indeed any of the best philosophers, whether Plato, Aristotle, or Theophrastus; he passes by whole functions as though it were but a trifling and casual department of medicine which he was neglecting, without deigning to argue whether or not these authorities are right in saying that the bodily parts of all animals are governed by the Warm, the Cold, the Dry and the Moist, the one pair being active the other passive, and that among these the Warm has most power in connection with all functions, but especially with the genesis of the humours.⁸⁰ Now, one cannot be blamed for not agreeing with all these great men, nor for imagining that one knows more than they; but not to consider such distinguished teaching worthy either of contradiction or even mention shows an extraordinary arrogance.

Now, Erasistratus is thoroughly small-minded and petty to the last degree in all his disputations — when, for instance, in his treatise On Digestion,⁸¹ he argues jealously with those who consider that this is a process of putrefaction of the food; and, in his work On Anadosis,⁸² with those who think that the anadosis of blood through the veins results from the contiguity of the arteries; also, in his work On Respiration, with those who maintain that the air is forced along by contraction. Nay, he did not even hesitate to contradict those who maintain that the urine passes into the bladder in a vaporous state,⁸³ as also those who say that imbibed fluids are carried into the lung. Thus he delights to choose always the most valueless doctrines, and to spend his time more and more in contradicting these; whereas on the subject of the origin of blood (which is in no way less important than the chylification⁸⁴ of food in the stomach) he did not deign to dispute with any of the ancients, nor did he himself venture to bring forward any other opinion, despite the fact that at the beginning of his treatise on General Principles he undertook to say how all the various natural functions take place, and through what parts of the animal! Now, is it possible that, when the faculty which naturally digests food is weak, the animal's digestion fails, whereas the faculty which turns the digested food into blood cannot suffer any kind of impairment?⁸⁵ Are we to suppose this latter faculty alone to be as tough as steel and unaffected by circumstances? Or is it that weakness of this faculty will result in something else than dropsy? The fact, therefore, that Erasistratus, in regard to other matters, did not hesitate to attack even the most trivial views, whilst in this he neither dared to contradict his predecessors nor to advance any new view of his own, proves plainly that he recognized the fallacy of his own way of thinking.⁸⁶

For what could a man possibly say about blood who had no use for innate heat ? What could he say about yellow or black bile, or phlegm? Well, of course, he might say that the bile could come directly from without, mingled with the food! Thus Erasistratus practically says so in the following words: It is of no value in practical medicine to find out whether fluid of this kind⁸⁷ arises from the elaboration of food in the stomach-region, or whether it reaches the body because it is mixed with the food taken in from outside. But my very good Sir, you most certainly maintain also that this humour has to be evacuated from the animal, and that it causes great pain if it be not evacuated. How, then, if you suppose that no good comes from the bile, do you venture to say that an investigation into its origin is of no value in medicine?

Well, let us suppose that it is contained in the food, and not specifically secreted in the liver (for you hold these two things possible). In this case, it will certainly make a considerable difference whether the ingested food contains a minimum or a maximum of bile; for the one kind is harmless, whereas that containing a large quantity of bile, owing to the fact that it cannot be properly purified⁸⁸in the liver, will result in the various affections — particularly jaundice — which Erasistratus himself states to occur where there is much bile. Surely, then, it is most essential for the physician to know in the first place, that the bile is contained in the food itself from outside, and, secondly, that for example, beet contains a great deal of bile, and bread very little, while olive oil contains most, and wine least of all, and all the other articles of diet different quantities. Would it not be absurd for any one to choose voluntarily those articles which contain more bile, rather than those containing less?

What, however, if the bile is not contained in the food, but comes into existence in the animal's body? Will it not also be useful to know what state of the body is followed by a greater, and what by a smaller occurrence of bile?⁸⁹ For obviously it is in our power to alter and transmute morbid states of the body — in fact, to give them a turn for the better. But if we did not know in what respect they were morbid or in what way they diverged from the normal, how should we be able to ameliorate them?

Therefore it is not useless in treatment, as Erasistratus says, to know the actual truth about the genesis of bile. Certainly it is not impossible, or even difficult to discover that the reason why honey produces yellow bile is not that it contains a large quantity of this within itself, but because it [the honey] undergoes change, becoming altered and transmuted into bile. For it would be bitter to the taste if it contained bile from the outset, and it would produce an equal quantity of bile in every person who took it. The facts, however, are not so.⁹⁰ For in those who are in the prime of life, especially if they are warm by nature and are leading a life of toil, the honey changes entirely into yellow bile. Old people, however, it suits well enough, inasmuch as the alteration which it undergoes is not into bile, but into blood. Erasistratus, however, in addition to knowing nothing about this, shows no intelligence even in the division of his argument; he says that it is of no practical importance to investigate whether the bile is contained in the food from the beginning or comes into existence as a result of gastric digestion. He ought surely to have added something about its genesis in liver and veins, seeing that the old physicians and philosophers declare that it along with the blood is generated in these organs. But it is inevitable that people who, from the very outset, go astray, and wander from the right road, should talk such nonsense, and should, over and above this, neglect to search for the factors of most practical importance in medicine.

Having come to this point in the argument, I should like to ask those who declare that Erasistratus was very familiar with the Peripatetics, whether they know what Aristotle stated and demonstrated with regard to our bodies being compounded out of the Warm, the Cold, the Dry and the Moist, and how he says that among these the Warm is the most active, and that those animals which are by nature warmest have abundance of blood, whilst those that are colder are entirely lacking in blood, and consequently in winter lie idle and motionless, lurking in holes like corpses. Further, the question of the colour of the blood has been dealt with not only by Aristotle but also by Plato.⁹¹ Now I, for my part, as I have already said, did not set before myself the task of stating what has been so well demonstrated by the Ancients, since I cannot surpass these men either in my views or in my method of giving them expression. Doctrines, however, which they either stated without demonstration, as being self-evident (since they never suspected that there could be sophists so degraded as to contemn the truth in these matters), or else which they actually omitted to mention at all — these I propose to discover and prove.

Now in reference to the genesis of the humours, I do not know that any one could add anything wiser than what has been said by Hippocrates, Aristotle, Praxagoras, Philotimus⁹² and many other among the Ancients. These men demonstrated that when the nutriment becomes altered in the veins by the innate heat, blood is produced when it is in moderation, and the other humours when it is not in proper proportion. And all the observed facts⁹³ agree with this argument. Thus, those articles of food, which are by nature warmer are more productive of bile, while those which are colder produce more phlegm. Similarly of the periods of life, those which are naturally warmer tend more to bile, and the colder more to phlegm. Of occupations also, localities and seasons, and, above all, of natures⁹⁴ themselves, the colder are more phlegmatic, and the warmer more bilious. Also cold diseases result from and warmer ones from yellow bile. There is not a single thing to be found which does not bear witness to the truth of this account. How could it be otherwise? For, seeing that every part functions in its own special way because of the manner in which the four qualities are compounded, it is absolutely necessary that the function [activity] should be either completely destroyed, or, at least hampered, by any damage to the qualities, and that thus the animal should fall ill, either as a whole, or in certain of its parts.

Also the diseases which are primary and most generic are four in number, and differ from each other in warmth, cold, dryness and moisture. Now, Erasistratus himself confesses this, albeit unintentionally;⁹⁵ for when he says that the digestion of food becomes worse in fever, not because the innate heat has ceased to be in due proportion, as people previously supposed, but because the stomach, with its activity impaired, cannot contract and triturate as before — then, I say, one may justly ask him what it is that has impaired the activity of the stomach.

Thus, for example, when a bubo develops following an accidental wound⁹⁶ gastric digestion does not become impaired until the patient has become fevered; neither the bubo nor the sore of itself impedes in any way or damages the activity of the stomach. But if fever occurs, the digestion at once deteriorates, and we are also right in saying that the activity of the stomach at once becomes impaired. We must add, however, by what it has been impaired. For the wound was not capable of impairing it, nor yet the bubo, for, if they had been, then they would have caused this damage before the fever as well. If it was not these that caused it, then it was the excess of heat⁹⁷ (for these two symptoms occurred besides the bubo — an alteration in the arterial and cardiac movements⁹⁸ and an excessive development of natural heat). Now the alteration of these movements will not merely not impair the function of the stomach in any way: it will actually prove an additional help among those animals in which, according to Erasistratus, the pneuma, which is propelled through the arteries and into the alimentary canal, is of great service in digestion⁹⁹; there is only left, then, the disproportionate heat to account for the damage to the gastric activity. For the pneuma is driven in more vigorously and continuously, and in greater quantity now than before; thus in this case, the animal whose digestion is promoted by pneuma will digest more, whereas the remaining factor — abnormal heat — will give them indigestion. For to say, on the one hand, that the pneuma has a certain property by virtue of which it promotes digestion, and then to say that this property disappears in cases of fever, is simply to admit the absurdity. For when they are again asked what it is that has altered the pneuma, they will only be able to reply, the abnormal heat, and particularly if it be the pneuma in the food canal which is in question (since this does not come in any way near the bubo).

Yet why do I mention those animals in which the property of the pneuma plays an important part, when it is possible to base one's argument upon human beings, in whom it is either of no importance at all, or acts quite faintly and feebly?¹⁰⁰ But Erasistratus himself agrees that human beings digest badly in fevers, adding as the cause that the activity of the stomach has been impaired. He cannot, however, advance any other cause of this impairment than abnormal heat. But if it is not by accident that the abnormal heat impairs this activity, but by virtue of its own essence and power, then this abnormal heat must belong to the primary diseases. But, indeed, if disproportion of heat belongs to the primary diseases, it cannot but be that a proportionate blending [eucrasia] of the qualities produces the normal activity.¹⁰¹ For a disproportionate blend [dyscrasia] can only become a cause of the primary diseases through derangement of the eucrasia. That is to say, it is because the [normal] activities arise from the eucrasia that the primary impairments of these activities necessarily arise the from derangement.

I think, then, it has been proved to the satisfaction of those who are capable of seeing logical consequences, that, even according to Erasistratus' own argument, the cause of the normal functions is eucrasia of the Warm.¹⁰² Now, this being so, there is nothing further to prevent us from saying that, in the case of each function, eucrasia is followed by the more, and dyscrasia by the less favourable alternative. And, therefore, if this be the case, we must suppose blood to be the outcome of proportionate, and yellow bile of disproportionate heat. So we naturally find yellow bile appearing in greatest quantity in ourselves at the warm periods of life, in warm countries, at warm seasons of the year, and when we are in a warm condition; similarly in people of warm temperaments, and in connection with warm occupations, modes of life, or diseases.

And to be in doubt as to whether this humour has the genesis in the human body or is contained in the food is what you would expect from one who has — I will not say failed to see that, when those who are perfectly healthy have, under the compulsion of circumstances, to fast contrary to custom, their mouths become bitter and their urine bile-coloured, while they suffer from gnawing pains in the stomach — but has, as it were, just made a sudden entrance into the world, and is not yet familiar with the phenomena which occur there. Who, in fact, does not know that anything which is overcooked grows at first salt and afterwards bitter? And if you will boil honey itself, far the sweetest of all things, you can demonstrate that even this becomes quite bitter. For what may occur as a result of boiling in the case of other articles which are not warm by nature, exists naturally in honey; for this reason it does not become sweeter on being boiled, since exactly the same quantity of heat as is needed for the production of sweetness exists from beforehand in the honey. Therefore the external heat, which would be useful for insufficiently warm substances, becomes in the honey a source of damage, in fact an excess; and it is for this reason that honey, when boiled, can be demonstrated to become bitter sooner than the others. For the same reason it is easily transmuted into bile in those people who are naturally warm, or in their prime, since warm when associated with warm becomes readily changed into a disproportionate combination and turns into bile sooner than into blood. Thus we need a cold temperament and a cold period of life if we would have honey brought to the nature of blood.¹⁰³ Therefore Hippocrates not improperly advised those who were naturally bilious not to take honey, since they were obviously of too warm a temperament. So also, not only Hippocrates, but all physicians say that honey is bad in bilious diseases but good in old age; some of them having discovered this through the indications afforded by its nature, and others simply through experiment,¹⁰⁴ for the Empiricist physicians too have made precisely the same observation, namely, that honey is good for an old man and not for a young one, that it is harmful for those who are naturally bilious, and serviceable for those who are phlegmatic. In a word, in bodies which are warm either through nature, disease, time of life, season of the year, locality, or occupation, honey is productive of bile, whereas in opposite circumstances it produces blood. But surely it is impossible that the same article of diet can produce in certain persons bile and in others blood, if it be not that the genesis of these humours is accomplished in the body. For if all articles of food contained bile from the beginning and of themselves, and did not produce it by undergoing change in the animal body, then they would produce it similarly in all bodies; the food which was bitter to the taste would, I take it, be productive of bile, while that which tasted good and sweet would not generate even the smallest quantity of bile. Moreover, not only honey but all other sweet substances are readily converted into bile in the aforesaid bodies which are warm for any of the reasons mentioned.

Well, I have somehow or other been led into this discussion, — not in accordance with my plan, but compelled by the course of the argument. This subject has been treated at great length by Aristotle and Praxagoras, who have correctly expounded the view of Hippocrates and Plato.

PART 9

For this reason the things that we have said are not to be looked upon as proofs but rather as indications of the dullness¹⁰⁵ of those who think differently, and who do not even recognise what is agreed on by everyone and is a matter of daily observation. As for the scientific proofs of all this, they are to be drawn from these principles of which I have already spoken¹⁰⁶ — namely, that bodies act upon and are acted upon by each other in virtue of the Warm, Cold, Moist and Dry. And if one is speaking of any activity, whether it be exercised by vein, liver, arteries, heart, alimentary canal, or any part, one will be inevitably compelled to acknowledge that this activity depends upon the way in which the four qualities are blended. Thus I should like to ask the Erasistrateans why it is that the stomach contracts upon the food, and why the veins generate blood. There is no use in recognizing the mere fact of contraction, without also knowing the cause; if we know this, we shall also be able to rectify the failures of function. This is no concern of ours, they say; we do not occupy ourselves with such causes as these; they are outside the sphere of the practitioner,¹⁰⁷ and belong to that of the scientific investigator.¹⁰⁸ Are you, then, going to oppose those who maintain that the cause of the function of every organ is a natural eucrasia,¹⁰⁹ that the dyscrasia is itself known as a disease, and that it is certainly by this that the activity becomes impaired? Or, on the other hand, will you be convinced by the proofs which the ancient writers furnished? Or will you take a midway course between these two, neither perforce accepting these arguments as true nor contradicting them as false, but suddenly becoming sceptics — Pyrrhonists, in fact? But if you do this you will have to shelter yourselves behind the Empiricist teaching. For how are you going to be successful in treatment, if you do not understand the real essence of each disease? Why, then, did you not call yourselves Empiricists from the beginning? Why do you confuse us by announcing that you are investigating natural activities with a view to treatment? If the stomach is, in a particular case, unable to exercise its peristaltic and grinding functions, how are we going to bring it back to the normal if we do not know the cause of its disability? What I say is¹¹⁰ that we must cool the over-heated stomach and warm the warm the chilled one; so also we must moisten the one which has become dried up, and conversely; so, too, in combinations of these conditions; if the stomach becomes at the same time warmer and drier than normally, the first principle of treatment is at once to chill and moisten it; and if it become colder and moister, it must be warmed and dried; so also in other cases. But how on earth are the followers of Erasistratus going to act, confessing as they do that they make no sort of investigation into the cause of disease? For the fruit of the enquiry into activities is that by knowing the causes of the dyscrasiae one may bring them back to the normal, since it is of no use for the purposes of treatment merely to know what the activity of each organ is.

Now, it seems to me that Erasistratus is unaware of this fact also, that the actual disease is that condition of the body which, not accidentally, but primarily and of itself, impairs the normal function. How, then, is he going to diagnose or cure diseases if he is entirely ignorant of what they are, and of what kind and number? As regards the stomach, certainly, Erasistratus held that one should at least investigate how it digests the food. But why was not investigation also made as to the primary originative cause of this? And, as regards the veins and the blood, he omitted even to ask the question how?

Yet neither Hippocrates nor any of the other physicians or philosophers whom I mentioned a short while ago thought it right to omit this; they say that when the heat which exists naturally in every animal is well blended and moderately moist it generates blood; for this reason they also say that the blood is a virtually warm and moist humour, and similarly also that yellow bile is warm and dry, even though for the most part it appears moist. (For in them the apparently dry would seem to differ from the virtually dry.) Who does not know that brine and sea-water preserve meat and keep it uncorrupted¹¹¹, whilst all other water — the drinkable kind — readily spoils and rots it? And who does not know that when yellow bile is contained in large quantity in the stomach, we are troubled with an unquenchable thirst, and that when we vomit this up, we at once become much freer from thirst than if we had drunk very large quantities of fluid? Therefore this humour has been very properly termed warm, and also virtually dry. And, similarly, phlegm has been called cold and moist; for about this also clear proofs have been given by Hippocrates and the other Ancients.

Prodicus¹¹² also, when in his book On the Nature of Man he gives the name phlegm to that element in the humours which has been burned or, as it were, over-roasted, while using a different terminology, still keeps to the fact just as the others do; this man's innovations in nomenclature have also been amply done justice to by Plato.¹¹³ Thus, the white-coloured substance which everyone else calls phlegm, and which Prodicus calls blenna [mucus],¹¹⁴ is the well-known cold, moist humour which collects mostly in old people and in those who have been chilled¹¹⁵ in some way, and not even a lunatic could say that this was anything else than cold and moist.

If, then, there is a warm and moist humour, and another which is warm and dry, and yet another which is moist and cold, is there none which is virtually cold and dry ? Is the fourth combination of temperaments, which exists in all other things, non-existent in the humours alone? No; the black bile is such a humour. This, according to intelligent physicians and philosophers, tends to be in excess, as regards seasons, mainly in the fall of the year, and, as regards ages, mainly after the prime of life. And, similarly, also they say that there are cold and dry modes of life, regions, constitutions, and diseases. Nature, they suppose, is not defective in this single combination; like the three other combinations, it extends everywhere.

At this point, also, I would gladly have been able to ask Erasistratus whether his artistic Nature has not constructed any organ for clearing away a humour such as this. For whilst there are two organs for the excretion of urine, and another of considerable size for that of yellow bile, does the humour which is more pernicious than these wander about persistently in the veins mingled with the blood? Yet Hippocrates says, Dysentery is a fatal condition if it proceeds from black bile; while that proceeding from yellow bile is by no means deadly, and most people recover from it; this proves how much more pernicious and acrid in its potentialities is black than yellow bile. Has Erasistratus, then, not read the book, On the Nature of Man, any more than any of the rest of Hippocrates' writings, that he so carelessly passes over the consideration of the humours? Or, does the know it, and yet voluntarily neglect one of the finest studies¹¹⁶ in medicine? Thus he ought not to have said anything about the spleen,¹¹⁷ nor have stultified himself by holding that an artistic Nature would have prepared so large an organ for no purpose. As a matter of fact, not a matter of fact, not only Hippocrates and Plato — who are no less authorities on Nature than is Erasistratus — say that this viscus also is one of those which cleanse the blood, but there are thousands of the ancient physicians and philosophers as well who are in agreement with them. Now, all of these the high and mighty Erasistratus affected to despise, and he neither contradicted them nor even so much as mentioned their opinion. Hippocrates, indeed, says that the spleen wastes in those people in whom the body is in good condition, and all those physicians also who base themselves on experience¹¹⁸ agree with this. Again, in those cases in which the spleen is large and is increasing from internal suppuration, it destroys the body and fills it with evil humours;¹¹⁹ this again is agreed on, not only by Hippocrates, but also by Plato and many others, including the Empiric physicians. And the jaundice which occurs when the spleen is out of order is darker in colour, and the cicatrices of ulcers are dark. For, generally speaking, when the spleen is drawing the atrabiliary¹²⁰ humour into itself to a less degree than is proper, the blood is unpurified, and the whole body takes on a bad colour. And when does it draw this in to a less degree than proper? Obviously, when it [the spleen] is in a bad condition. Thus, just as the kidneys, whose function it is to attract the urine, do this badly when they are out or order, so also the spleen, which has in itself a native power of attracting an atrabiliary quality¹²¹,if it ever happens to be weak, must necessarily exercise this attraction badly, with the result that the blood becomes thicker and darker.

Now all these points, affording as they do the greatest help in the diagnosis and in the cure of disease were entirely passed over by Erasistratus, and he pretended to despise these great men — he who does not despise ordinary people, but always jealously attacks the most absurd doctrines. Hence, it was clearly because he had nothing to say against the statements made by the Ancients regarding the function and utility of the spleen, and also because he could discover nothing new himself, that he ended by saying nothing at all. I, however, for my part, have demonstrated, firstly from the causes by which everything throughout nature is governed (by the causes I mean the Warm, Cold, Dry and Moist) and secondly, from obvious bodily phenomena, that there must needs be a cold and dry humour.¹²² And having in the next place drawn attention to the fact that this humour is black bile [atrabiliary] and that the viscus which clears it away is the spleen — having pointed this out by help of as few as possible of the proofs given by ancient writers, I shall now proceed to what remains of the subject in hand.

What else, then, remains but to explain clearly what it is that happens in the generation of the humours, according to the belief and demonstration of the Ancients? This will be more clearly understood from a comparison. Imagine, then, some new wine which has been not long ago pressed from the grape, and which is fermenting and undergoing alteration through the agency of its contained heat.¹²³ Imagine next two residual substances produced during this process of alteration, the one tending to be light and air-like and the other to be heavy and more of the nature of earth; of these the one, as I understand, they call the flower and the other the lees. Now you may correctly compare yellow bile to the first of these, and black bile to the latter, although these humours have not the same appearance when the animal is in normal health as that which they often show when it is not so; for then the yellow bile becomes vitelline,¹²⁴ being so termed because it becomes like the yolk of an egg, both in colour and density; and again, even the black bile itself becomes much more malignant than when in its normal condition,¹²⁵ but no particular name has been given to [such a condition of] the humour, except that some people have called it corrosive or acetose, because it also becomes sharp like vinegar and corrodes the animal's body — as also the earth, if it be poured out upon it — and it produces a kind of fermentation and seething, accompanied by bubbles — an abnormal putrefaction having become added to the natural condition of the black humour. It seems to me also that most of the ancient physicians give the name black humour and not black bile to the normal portion of this humour, which is discharged from the bowel and which also frequently rises to the top [of the stomach-contents]; and they call black bile that part which, through a kind of combustion and putrefaction, has had its quality changed to acid. There is no need, however, to dispute about names, but we must realise the facts, which are as follow:-

In the genesis of blood, everything in the nutriment¹²⁶ which belongs naturally to the thick and earth-like part of the food, and which does not take on well the alteration produced by the innate heat — all this the spleen draws into itself. On the other hand, that part of the nutriment which is roasted, so to speak, or burnt (this will be the warmest and sweetest part of it, like honey and fat), becomes yellow bile, and is cleared away through the so-called biliary¹²⁷ vessels; now, this is thin, moist, and fluid, not like what it is when, having been roasted to an excessive degree, it becomes yellow, fiery, and thick, like the yolk of eggs; for this latter is already abnormal, while the previously mentioned state is natural. Similarly with the black humour: that which does not yet produce, as I say, this seething and fermentation on the ground, is natural, while that which has taken over this character and faculty is unnatural; it has assumed an acridity owing to the combustion caused by abnormal heat, and has practically become transformed into ashes.¹²⁸ In somewhat the same way burned lees differ from unburned. The former is a warm substance, able to burn, dissolve, and destroy the flesh. The other kind, which has not yet undergone combustion, one may find the physicians employing for the same purposes that one uses the so-called potter's earth and other substances which have naturally a combined drying and chilling action.

Now the vitelline bile also may take on the appearance of this combusted black bile, if ever it chance to be roasted, so to say, by fiery heat. And all the other forms of bile are produced, some the from blending of those mentioned, others being, as it were, transition-stages in the genesis of these or in their conversion into one another. And they differ in that those first mentioned are unmixed and unique, while the latter forms are diluted with various kinds of serum. And all the serums in the humours are waste substances, and the animal body needs to be purified from them. There is, however, a natural use for the humours first mentioned, both thick and thin; the blood is purified both by the spleen and by the bladder beside the liver, and a part of each of the two humours is put away, of such quantity and quality that, if it were carried all over the body, it would do a certain amount of harm. For that which is decidedly thick and earthy in nature, and has entirely escaped alteration in the liver, is drawn by the spleen into itself¹²⁹; the other part which is only moderately thick, after being elaborated [in the liver], is carried all over the body. For the blood in many parts of the body has need of a certain amount of thickening, as also, I take it, of the fibres which it contains. And the use of these has been discussed by Plato,¹³⁰ and it will also be discussed by me in such of my treatises as may deal with the use of parts. And the blood also needs, not least, the yellow humour, which has as yet not reached the extreme stage of combustion; in the treatises mentioned it will be pointed out what purpose is subserved by this.

Now Nature has made no organ for clearing away phlegm, this being cold and moist, and, as it were, half-digested nutriment; such a substance, therefore, does not need to be evacuated, but remains in the body and undergoes alteration there. And perhaps one cannot properly give the name of phlegm to the surplus-substance which runs down from the brain,¹³¹ but one should call it mucus [blenna] or coryza — as, in fact, it is actually termed; in any case it will be pointed out, in the treatise On the Use of Parts, how Nature has provided for the evacuation of this substance. Further, the device provided by Nature which ensures that the phlegm which forms in the stomach and intestines may be evacuated in the most rapid and effective way possible — this also will be described in that commentary. As to that portion of the phlegm which is carried in the veins, seeing that this is of service to the animal, it requires no evacuation. Here too, then, we must pay attention and recognise that, just as in the case of each of the two kinds of bile, there is one part which is useful to the animal and in accordance with its nature, while the other part is useless and contrary to nature, so also is it with the phlegm; such of it as is sweet is useful to the animal and according to nature, while, as to such of it as has become bitter or salt, that part which is bitter is completely undigested, while that part which is salt has undergone putrefaction. And the term complete indigestion refers of course to the second digestion — that which takes place in the veins; it is not a failure of the first digestion — that in the alimentary canal — for it would not have become a humour at the outset if it had escaped this digestion also.

It seems to me that I have made enough reference to what has been said regarding the genesis and destruction of humours by Hippocrates, Plato, Aristotle, Praxagoras, and Diocles, and many others among the Ancients; I did not deem it right to transport the whole of their final pronouncements into this treatise. I have said only so much regarding each of the humours as will stir up the reader, unless he be absolutely inept, to make himself familiar with the writings of the Ancients, and will help him to gain more easy access to them. In another treatise¹³² I have written on the humours according to Praxagoras, to Praxagoras, son of authority Nicarchus; although this authority makes as many as ten humours, not including the blood (the blood itself being an eleventh), this is not a departure from the teaching of Hippocrates; for Praxagoras divides into species and varieties the humours which Hippocrates first mentioned, with the demonstration proper to each.

Those, then, are to be praised who explain the points which have been duly mentioned, as also those who add what has been left out; for it is not possible for the same man to make both a beginning and an end. Those, on the other hand, deserve censure who are so impatient that they will not wait to learn any of the things which have been duly mentioned, as do also those who are so ambitious that, in their lust after novel doctrines, they are always attempting some fraudulent sophistry, either purposely neglecting certain subjects, as Erasistratus does in the case of the humours, or unscrupulously attacking other people, as does this same writer, as well as many of the more recent authorities.

But let this discussion come to an end here, and I shall add in the third book all that remains.

De naturalibus facultatibus. Galen. Arthur John Brock (Translator). London. 1916.

Funding provided by National Library of Medicine History of Medicine Division.

Current edition Perseus

On the Natural Faculties (English) (Galen. On the Natural Faculties. Brock, Arthur John, translator. London: William Heinemann Ltd.; Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press, 1916.)

Editions (2)

De naturalibus facultatibus First1KGreek (Galen. Claudii Galeni Opera Omnia, Volume 2. Kühn, Karl Gottlob, editor. Leipzig: Knobloch, 1821.) — 2 focus

ΓΑΛΗΝΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΔΥΝΑΜΕΩΝ ΦΥΣΙΚΩΝ
ΒΙΒΛΙΟΝ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΟΝ.

Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν οὐκ Ἐρασιστράτῳ
μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν, ὅσοι μέλλουσι
περὶ διακρίσεως οὔρων ἐρεῖν τι χρηστὸν, ὁμολογῆσαι,
δύναμίν τινα ὑπάρχειν τοῖς νεφροῖς ἕλκουσαν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς
ποιότητα τοιαύτην, οἵα ἐν τοῖς οὔροις ἐστὶ, διὰ τοῦ
πρόσθεν ἐπιδέδεικται γράμματος, ἀναμιμνησκόντων ἅμ’
αὐτῷ καὶ τοῦθ’ ἡμῶν, ὡς οὐκ ἄλλως μὲν εἰς τὴν κύστιν
τὰ οὖρα φέρεται διὰ τῶν νεφρῶν, ἄλλως δ’ εἰς ἅπαντα τὰ
μόρια τοῦ ζώου τὸ αἷμα, κατ’ ἄλλον δέ τινα τρόπον ἡ
ξανθὴ χολὴ διακρίνεται. δειχθείσης γὰρ ἐναργῶς ἐφ’ ἑνὸς οὑτινοσοῦν ὀργάνου τῆς ἑλκτικῆς τε καὶ ἐπισπαστικῆς ὀνομαζομένης
δυνάμεως, οὐδὲν ἔτι χαλεπὸν ἐπὶ τὰ λοιπὰ μεταφέρειν
αὐτήν. οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῖς μὲν νεφροῖς ἡ φύσις
ἔδωκέ τινα τοιαύτην δύναμιν, οὐχὶ δέ γε καὶ τοῖς τὸ χολῶδες
ὑγρὸν ἕλκουσιν ἀγγείοις· οὐδὲ τούτοις μὲν, οὐκέτι
98 δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων μορίων ἑκάστῳ. καὶ μὴν εἰ τοῦτ’
ἀληθές ἐστι, θαυμάζειν χρὴ τοῦ Ἐρασιστράτου ψευδεῖς
οὕτω λόγους ὑπὲρ ἀναδόσεως τροφῆς εἰπόντος, ὡς μηδ’
Ἀσκληπιάδην λαθεῖν. καί τοί γε οἴεται παντὸς μᾶλλον
ἀληθὲς ὑπάρχειν, ὡς, εἴπερ ἐκ τῶν φλεβῶν ἀποῤῥέοι τι,
δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ κενὸς ἔσται τόπος ἀθρόως, ἢ τὸ συνεχὲς
ἐπιῤῥυήσεται, τὴν βάσιν ἀναπληροῦν τοῦ κενουμένου.
33 ἀλλ’ ὅ γ’ Ἀσκληπιάδης οὐ δυοῖν θάτερόν φησιν,
ἀλλὰ τριῶν ἕν τι χρῆναι λέγειν ἐπὶ τοῖς κενουμένοις ἀγγείοις
ἕπεσθαι, ἢ κενὸν ἀθρόως τόπον, ἢ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀκολουθήσειν,
ἢ συσταλήσεσθαι τὸ ἀγγεῖον. ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν καλάμων
καὶ τῶν αὐλίσκων τῶν εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ καθιεμένων
ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, ὅτι, τοῦ περιεχομένου κενουμένου κατὰ τὴν εὐρυχωρίαν αὐτῶν ἀέρος, ἢ κενὸς ἀθρόως ἔσται τόπος, ἢ
ἀκολουθήσει τὸ συνεχές· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν φλεβῶν οὐκέτ’ ἐγχωρεῖ,
δυναμένου δὴ τοῦ χιτῶνος αὐτῶν εἰς ἑαυτὸν συνιζάνειν,
καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καταπίπτειν εἰς τὴν ἐντὸς εὐρυχωρίαν.
οὕτως μὲν δὴ ψευδὴς ἡ περὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίας,
οὐκ ἀπόδειξις μὰ τὸν Δία εἴποιμ’ ἂν, ἀλλ’ ὑπόθεσις
Ἐρασιστράτειος. καθ’ ἕτερον δ’ αὖ τρόπον, εἰ καὶ
ἀληθὴς εἴη, περιττὴ, τῆς μὲν κοιλίας ἐνθλίβειν ταῖς φλεψὶ
δυναμένης, ὡς αὐτὸς ὑπέθετο, τῶν φλεβῶν δ’ αὖ περιστέλλεσθαι
τῷ ἐνυπάρχοντι, καὶ προωθεῖν αὐτό. τά τε γὰρ
ἄλλα καὶ πλῆθος οὐκ ἂν ἐν τῷ σώματι γένοιτο, τῇ πρὸς
τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίᾳ μόνῃ τῆς ἀναδόσεως ἐπιτελουμένης.
εἰ μὲν οὖν ἡ τῆς γαστρὸς ἔνθλιψις ἐκλύεται προϊοῦσα,
καὶ μέχρι παντὸς ἀδύνατός ἐστιν ἐξικνεῖσθαι, καὶ διὰ
τοῦτο ἄλλης τινὸς δεῖ μηχανῆς εἰς τὴν πάντη φορὰν τοῦ
αἵματος, ἀναγκαία μὲν ἡ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθία
προσεξεύρηται· πλῆθος δ’ ἐν οὐδενὶ τῶν μεθ’ ἧπαρ ἔσται μορίων, ἢ, εἴπερ ἄρα, περὶ τὴν καρδίαν τε καὶ τὸν πνεύμονα.
μόνη γὰρ αὕτη τῶν μεθ’ ἧπαρ εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν
αὐτῆς κοιλίαν ἕλκει τὴν τροφὴν, εἶτα διὰ τῆς φλεβὸς τῆς
ἀρτηριώδους ἐκπέμπει τῷ πνεύμονι. τῶν δὲ ἄλλων οὐδὲν
οὐδ’ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος ἐκ καρδίας βούλεται τρέφεσθαι
διὰ τὴν τῶν ὑμένων ἐπίφυσιν. εἰ δέ γε, ἵνα πλῆθος γένηται,
φυλάξομεν ἄχρι παντὸς τὴν ῥώμην τῆς κατὰ τὴν κοιλίαν
ἐνθλίψεως, οὐδὲν ἔτι δεόμεθα τῆς πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον
ἀκολουθίας, μάλιστα εἰ καὶ τὴν τῶν φλεβῶν συνυπεθέμεθα
περιστολὴν, ὡς αὖ καὶ τοῦτ’ αὐτὸ πάλιν ἀρέσκει
τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον.

Ἀναμνηστέον οὖν αὖθις αὐτὸν, κᾂν μὴ βούληται,
τῶν νεφρῶν, καὶ λεκτέον, ὡς ἔλεγχός ἐστιν οὗτος φανερώτατος
ἁπάντων τῶν ἀποχωρούντων τῆς ὁλκῆς. οὐδεὶς γὰρ
οὐδὲν οὔτ’ εἶπε πιθανὸν, ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ἐξευρεῖν ἔχει κατ’ οὐδένα
τρόπον, ὡς ἔμπροσθεν ἐδείκνυμεν, ἕτερον αἴτιον οὔρων διακρίσεως,
ἀλλ’ ἀναγκαῖον, ἢ μαίνεσθαι δοκεῖν, εἰ φήσαιμεν ἀτμοειδῶς εἰς τὴν κύστιν ἰέναι τὸ οὖρον, ἢ ἀσχημονεῖν, τῆς πρὸς
τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίας μνημονεύοντας, ληρώδους μὲν
οὔσης κᾀπὶ τοῦ αἵματος, ἀδυνάτου δὲ καὶ ἠλιθίου παντάπασιν
ἐπὶ τῶν οὔρων. ἓν μὲν δὴ τοῦτο σφάλμα τῶν ἀποστάντων
τῆς ὁλκῆς. ἕτερον δὲ τὸ περὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ξανθὴν
χολὴν διακρίσεως. οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδ’ ἐκεῖ, παραῤῥέοντος
τοῦ αἵματος κατὰ τὰ στόματα τῶν χοληδόχων ἀγγείων, ἀκριβῶς
διακριθήσεται τὸ χολῶδες περίττωμα. καὶ μὴ διακρινέσθω,
φασὶν, ἀλλὰ συναναφερέσθω τῷ αἵματι πάντη τοῦ
σώματος. ἀλλ’, ὦ σοφώτατοι, προνοητικὴν τοῦ ζώου καὶ
τεχνικὴν αὐτὸς ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος ὑπέθετο τὴν φύσιν. ἀλλὰ
καὶ τὸ χολῶδες ὑγρὸν ἄχρηστον εἶναι παντάπασι τοῖς ζώοις
ἔφασκεν. οὐ συμβαίνει δ’ ἀλλήλοις ἄμφω ταῦτα. πῶς γὰρ
ἂν ἔτι προνοεῖσθαι τοῦ ζώου δόξειεν, ἐπιτρέπουσα συναναφέρεσθαι
τῷ αἵματι μοχθηρὸν οὕτω χυμόν; 34 ἀλλὰ
ταῦτα μὲν σμικρά. τὸ δὲ μέγιστον καὶ σαφέστατον πάλιν
ἐνταῦθ’ ἁμάρτημα καὶ δὴ φράσω. εἴπερ γὰρ δι’ οὐδὲν
ἄλλο, ἢ ὅτι παχύτερον μέν ἐστι τὸ αἷμα, λεπτοτέρα δ’ ἡ ξανθὴ χολὴ, καὶ τὰ μὲν τῶν φλεβῶν εὐρύτερα στόματα,
τὰ δὲ τῶν χοληδόχων ἀγγείων στενότερα, διὰ τοῦθ’ ἡ μὲν
χολὴ τοῖς στενοτέροις ἀγγείοις τε καὶ στόμασιν ἐναρμόττει,
τὸ δ’ αἷμα τοῖς εὐρυτέροις, δῆλον, ὡς καὶ τὸ ὑδατῶδες
τοῦτο καὶ ὀῤῥῶδες περίττωμα τοσούτῳ πρότερον εἰσρυήσεται
τοῖς χοληδόχοις ἀγγείοις, ὅσῳ λεπτότερόν ἐστι τῆς χολῆς.
πῶς οὖν οὐκ εἰσρεῖ; ὅτι παχύτερόν ἐστι νὴ Δία τὸ οὖρον
τῆς χολῆς. τοῦτο γὰρ ἐτόλμησέ τις εἰπεῖν τῶν καθ’ ἡμᾶς
Ἐρασιστρατείων, ἀποστὰς δηλονότι τῶν αἰσθήσεων, αἷς
ἐπίστευσεν ἐπί τε τῆς χολῆς καὶ τοῦ αἵματος. εἴτε γὰρ,
ὅτι μᾶλλον ἡ χολὴ τοῦ αἵματος ῥεῖ, διὰ τοῦτο λεπτοτέραν
αὐτὴν ἡμῖν ἐστι νομιστέον, εἴθ’, ὅτι δι’ ὀθόνης ἢ ῥάκους
ἤ τινος ἠθμοῦ ῥᾷον διεξέρχεται καὶ ταύτης τὸ ὀῤῥῶδες
περίττωμα, καὶ κατὰ ταῦτα τὰ γνωρίσματα παχυτέρα τῆς
ὑδατώδους ὑγρότητος καὶ αὕτη γενήσεται. πάλιν γὰρ οὐδ’
ἐνταῦθα λόγος οὐδείς ἐστιν, ὃς ἀποδείξει λεπτοτέραν τὴν
χολὴν τῶν ὀῤῥωδῶν περιττωμάτων. ἀλλ’ ὅταν τις ἀναισχυντῇ
περιπλέκων τε καὶ μήπω καταπεπτωκέναι συγχωρῶν, ὅμοιος ἔσται τοῖς ἰδιώταις τῶν παλαιστῶν, οἳ καταβληθέντες
ὑπὸ τῶν παλαιστρικῶν, καὶ κατὰ τῆς γῆς ὕπτιοι
κείμενοι, τοσοῦτον δέουσι τὸ πτῶμα γνωρίζειν, ὥστε καὶ
κρατοῦσι τῶν αὐχένων αὐτοὺς τοὺς καταβάλλοντας, οὐκ
ἐῶντες ἀπαλλάττεσθαι, κᾀν τούτῳ νικᾷν ὑπολαμβάνουσι.

Λῆρος οὖν μακρός ἐστιν ἅπασα τῶν πόρων
ὑπόθεσις εἰς φυσικὴν ἐνέργειαν. εἰ μὴ γὰρ δύναμίς τις
σύμφυτος ἑκάστῳ τῶν ὀργάνων ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως εὐθὺς
ἐξαρχῆς δοθείη, διαρκεῖν οὐ δυνήσεται τὰ ζῶα, μὴ ὅτι
τοσοῦτον ἐτῶν ἀριθμὸν, ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ἡμερῶν ὀλιγίστων. ἀνεπιτρόπευτα
γὰρ ἐάσαντες αὐτὰ, καὶ τέχνης καὶ προνοίας
ἔρημα, μόναις δὲ ταῖς τῶν ὑλῶν οἰακιζόμενα ῥοπαῖς, οὐδαμοῦ
δυνάμεως οὐδεμιᾶς τῆς μὲν ἑλκούσης τὸ προσῆκον
ἑαυτῇ, τῆς δ’ ἀπωθούσης τὸ ἀλλότριον, τῆς δ’ ἀλλοιούσης
τε καὶ προσφυούσης τὸ θρέψον, οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅπως οὐκ ἂν
εἴημεν καταγέλαστοι, περί τε τῶν φυσικῶν ἐνεργειῶν διαλεγόμενοι,
καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἔτι περὶ τῶν ψυχικῶν καὶ συμπάσης γε τῆς ζωῆς. οὐδὲ γὰρ ζῇν, οὐδὲ διαμένειν οὐδενὶ
τῶν ζώων οὐδ’ εἰς ἐλάχιστον χρόνον ἔσται δυνατὸν,
εἰ τοσαῦτα κεκτημένον ἐν ἑαυτῷ μόρια, καὶ οὕτω διαφέροντα,
μήθ’ ἑλκτικῇ τῶν οἰκείων χρήσεται δυνάμει, μήτ’
ἀποκριτικῇ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, μήτ’ ἀλλοιωτικῇ τῶν θρεψόντων.
καὶ μὴν εἰ ταύτας ἔχοιμεν, οὐδὲν ἔτι πόρων μικρῶν
ἢ μεγάλων ἐξ ὑποθέσεως ἀναποδείκτου λαμβανομένων εἰς
οὔρου καὶ χολῆς διάκρισιν δεόμεθα καί τινος ἐπικαίρου
θέσεως, ἐν ᾧ μόνῳ σωφρονεῖν ἔοικεν ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος,
ἅπαντα καλῶς τεθῆναί τε καὶ διαπλασθῆναι τὰ μόρια τοῦ
σώματος ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως οἰόμενος. ἀλλ’ εἰ παρακολουθήσειεν
ἑαυτῷ, φύσιν ὀνομάζοντι τεχνικὴν, εὐθὺς μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς
ἅπαντα καλῶς διαπλάσασάν τε καὶ διαθεῖσαν εὑρήσει
τοῦ ζώου τὰ μόρια, μετὰ δὲ τὴν τοιαύτην ἐνέργειαν, ὡς
οὐδὲν ἔλειπεν, ἔτι προαγαγοῦσαν εἰς φῶς αὐτὸ σύν τισι
δυνάμεσιν, ὧν ἄνευ ζῇν οὐκ ἠδύνατο, 35 καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα
κατὰ βραχὺ προσαυξήσασαν μέχρι τοῦ πρέποντος μεγέθους,
οὐκ οἶδα πῶς ὑπο 99 μένει πόρων σμικρότησιν ἢ μεγέθεσιν ἤ τισιν ἄλλαις οὕτω ληρώδεσιν ὑποθέσεσι
φυσικὰς ἐνεργείας ἐπιτρέπειν. ἡ γὰρ διαπλάττουσα τὰ
μόρια φύσις ἐκείνη καὶ καταβραχὺ προσαύξουσα πάντως
δήπου καὶ δι’ ὅλων αὐτῶν ἐκτέταται, καὶ γὰρ ὅλα δι’
ὅλων, οὐκ ἔξωθεν μόνον, αὐτὰ διαπλάττει τε καὶ τρέφει
καὶ προσαύξει. Πραξιτέλης μὲν γὰρ, ἢ Φειδίας, ἤ τις ἄλλος
ἀγαλματοποιὸς ἔξωθεν μόνον ἐκόσμουν τὰς ὕλας, καθὰ καὶ
ψαύειν αὐτῶν ἠδύναντο, τὸ βάθος δ’ ἀκόσμητον, καὶ ἀργὸν,
καὶ ἄτεχνον, καὶ ἀπρονόητον ἀπέλιπον, ὡς ἂν μὴ δυνάμενοι
κατελθεῖν εἰς αὐτὸ, καὶ καταδῦναι, καὶ θιγεῖν ἁπάντων
τῆς ὕλης τῶν μερῶν. ἡ φύσις δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν
ὀστοῦ μέρος ἅπαν ὀστοῦν ἀποτελεῖ, τὸ δὲ σαρκὸς σάρκα,
τὸ δὲ πιμελῆς πιμελὴν, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἕκαστον. οὐδὲν γάρ
ἐστιν ἄψαυστον αὐτῇ μέρος, οὐδ’ ἀνεξέργαστον, οὐδ’ ἀκόσμητον.
ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν κηρὸν ὁ Φειδίας οὐκ ἠδύνατο ποιεῖν
ἐλέφαντα καὶ χρυσὸν, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ τὸν χρυσὸν κηρόν·
ἕκαστον γὰρ αὐτῶν μένον, οἷον ἦν ἐξαρχῆς, ἔξωθεν μόνον
ἠμφιεσμένον εἶδός τι καὶ σχῆμα τεχνικὸν, ἄγαλμα τέλειον γέγονεν. ἡ φύσις δὲ οὐδὲ μιᾶς ἔτι φυλάττει τῶν ὑλῶν τὴν
ἀρχαίαν ἰδέαν. αἷμα γὰρ ἂν ἦν οὕτως ἅπαντα τοῦ ζώου
τὰ μόρια, τὸ παρὰ τῆς κυούσης ἐπιῤῥέον τῷ σπέρματι δίκην
κηροῦ τινος, ὕλης μιᾶς καὶ μονοειδοῦς ὑποβεβλημένης
τῷ τεχνίτῃ. γίνεται δ’ ἐξ αὐτῆς οὐδὲν τῶν τοῦ ζώου μορίων
οὔτ’ ἐρυθρὸν οὕτως, οὔθ’ ὑγρόν. ὀστοῦν γοῦν καὶ
χόνδρος, καὶ ἀρτηρία, καὶ φλὲψ, καὶ νεῦρον, καὶ πιμελὴ,
καὶ ἀδὴν, καὶ ὑμὴν, καὶ μυελὸς, ἄναιμα μὲν, ἐξ αἵματος
δὲ γέγονε. τίνος δ’ ἀλλοιώσαντος, καὶ τίνος πήξαντος αὐτὸ,
καὶ τίνος διαπλάσαντος, ἐδεόμην ἄν μοι τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον
αὐτὸν ἀποκρίνασθαι. πάντως γὰρ ἂν εἶπεν, ἤτοι τὴν φύσιν,
ἢ τὸ σπέρμα, ταὐτὸν μὲν λέγων καθ’ ἑκάτερου, διαφόροις
δ’ ἐπινοίαις ἑρμηνεύων. ὃ γὰρ ἦν πρότερον σπέρμα,
τοῦθ’, ὅταν ἄρξηται φύειν τε καὶ διαπλάττειν τὸ ζῶον,
φύσις τις γίνεται. καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ Φειδίας, εἶχε μὲν τὰς
δυνάμεις τῆς τέχνης, καὶ πρὶν ψαύειν τῆς ὕλης, ἐνήργει δ’
αὖ ἐν αὐταῖς περὶ τὴν ὕλην. ἅπασα γὰρ δύναμις ἀργεῖ,
ἀποροῦσα τῆς οἰκείας ὕλης. οὕτω καὶ τὸ σπέρμα τὰς μὲν δυνάμεις οἴκοθεν ἐκέκτητο, τὰς δ’ ἐνεργείας οὐκ ἐκ τῆς
ὕλης ἔλαβεν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τὴν ὕλην ἐπεδείξατο. καὶ μὴν εἰ
πολλῷ μὲν ἐπικλύζοιτο τῷ αἵματι τὸ σπέρμα, διαφθείροιτ’
ἄν· εἰ δ’ ὅλως ἀποροίη, παντάπασιν ἀργοῦν, οὐκ ἂν
γίγνοιτο φύσις. ἵν’ οὖν μήτε φθείρηται, καὶ γένηται φύσις
ἀντὶ σπέρματος, ὀλίγον ἐπιῤῥεῖν ἀναγκαῖον αὐτῷ τοῦ αἵματος.
μᾶλλον δ’ οὐκ ὀλίγον αὐτὸ χρὴ λέγειν, ἀλλὰ σύμμετρον
τῷ πλήθει τοῦ σπέρματος. τίς οὖν ὁ μετρῶν αὐτοῦ
τὸ ποσὸν τῆς ἐπιῤῥοῆς; τίς ὁ κωλύων ἰέναι πλέον; τίς ὁ
προτρέπων, ἵν’ ἐνδεέστερον μὴ εἴη; τίνα ζητήσομεν ἐνταῦθα
τρίτον ἐπιστάτην τοῦ ζώου τῆς γενέσεως, ὃς χορηγήσει τὸ
σύμμετρον αἷμα τῷ σπέρματι; τί ἂν εἶπεν Ἐρασίστρατος, εἰ
ζῶν ταῦτ’ ἠρωτήθη; τὸ σπέρμα αὐτὸ δηλονότι. τοῦτο γάρ
ἐστιν ὁ τεχνίτης, ὁ ἀναλογῶν τῷ Φειδίᾳ· τὸ δ’ αἷμα τῷ
κηρῷ προσέοικεν. οὔκουν ἐπιτρέπει τὸν κηρὸν αὐτὸν ἑαυτῷ
τὸ μέτρον ἐξευρίσκειν, ἀλλὰ τὸν Φειδίαν. ἕλξει δ’ αἷμα
τοσοῦτον ὁ τεχνίτης εἰς ἑαυτὸν, ὁπόσου δεῖται. ἀλλ’ ἐνταῦθα χρὴ προσέχειν ἤδη τὸν νοῦν, καὶ σκοπεῖν, μή πως
λάθωμεν τῷ σπέρματι λογισμόν τινα καὶ νοῦν χαρισάμενοι·
οὕτω γὰρ ἂν 36 οὔτε σπέρμα ποιήσαιμεν, οὔτε φύσιν,
ἀλλ’ ἤδη ζῶον αὐτό. καὶ μὴν εἰ φυλάξομεν ἀμφότερα, τήν
θ’ ὁλκὴν τοῦ συμμέτρου, καὶ χωρὶς λογισμοῦ δύναμίν τινα,
καθάπερ ἡ λίθος ἑλκτικὴν εἶχε τοῦ σιδήρου, καὶ τῷ σπέρματι
φήσομεν ἐνυπάρχειν αἵματος ἐπισπαστικήν. ἠναγκάσθημεν
οὖν πάλιν κᾀνταῦθα, καθάπερ ἤδη πολλάκις ἔμπροσθεν,
ἑλκτικήν τινα δύναμιν ὁμολογῆσαι κατὰ τὸ σπέρμα·
τί δ’ ἦν τὸ σπέρμα; ἡ ἀρχὴ τοῦ ζώου ἡ δραστική. ἡ γὰρ
δὴ ὑλικὴ τὸ καταμήνιόν ἐστιν. εἶτα αὐτῆς τῆς ἀρχῆς
πρώτῃ ταύτῃ τῇ δυνάμει χρωμένης, ἵνα γένηται τῶν ὑπ’
αὐτῆς τι δεδημιουργημένων, ἄμοιρον εἶναι τῆς οἰκείας δυνάμεως
οὐκ ἐνδέχεται. πῶς οὖν Ἐρασίστρατος αὐτὴν οὐκ οἶδεν,
εἰ δὴ πρώτη μὲν αὕτη τοῦ σπέρματος ἐνέργεια, σύμμετρον
αἵματος ἐπισπᾶσθαι πρὸς ἑαυτό; σύμμετρον δ’ ἂν
εἴη τὸ λεπτὸν οὕτω καὶ ἀτμῶδες, ὥστ’ εὐθὺς εἰς πᾶν
μόριον ἑλκόμενον τοῦ σπέρματος δροσοειδῶς μηδαμοῦ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρεμφαίνειν ἰδέαν. οὕτω γὰρ αὐτοῦ καὶ κρατήσει
ῥᾳδίως τὸ σπέρμα, καὶ ταχέως ἐξομοιώσει, καὶ τροφὴν
ἑαυτῷ ποιήσεται, κᾄπειτ’, οἶμαι, δεύτερον ἐπισπάσεται
καὶ τρίτον, ὡς ὄγκον ἑαυτῷ καὶ πλῆθος ἀξιόλογον ἐργάσασθαι
τραφέντι. καὶ μὴν ἤδη καὶ ἡ ἀλλοιωτικὴ δύναμις
ἐξεύρηται, μηδ’ αὐτὴ πρὸς Ἐρασιστράτου γεγραμμένη. τρίτη
δ’ ἂν ἡ διαπλαστικὴ φανείη, καθ’ ἣν πρῶτον μὲν οἷον
ἐπίπαγόν τινα λεπτὸν ὑμένα περιτίθησιν ἑαυτῷ τὸ σπέρμα,
τὸν ὑφ’ Ἱπποκράτους ἐπὶ τῆς ἑκταίας γονῆς, ἣν ἐκπεσεῖν
ἔλεγε τῆς μουσουργοῦ, τῷ τῶν ὠῶν εἰκασθέντα χιτῶνι· μετὰ
δὲ τοῦτον ἤδη καὶ τἄλλ’, ὅσα πρὸς ἐκείνου λέγεται διὰ τοῦ
περὶ φύσεως παιδίου γράμματος. ἀλλ’ εἰ τῶν διαπλασθέντων
ἕκαστον οὕτω μείνειε σμικρὸν, ὡς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγένετο, τί
ἂν εἴη πλέον; αὐξάνεσθαι τοίνυν αὐτὰ χρή. πῶς οὖν
αὐξηθήσεται; πάντη διατεινόμενά τε ἅμα καὶ τρεφόμενα.
καί μοι τῶν ἔμπροσθεν εἰρημένων ἐπὶ τῆς κύστεως, ἣν οἱ
παῖδες ἐμφυσῶντες ἔτριβον, ἀναμνησθεὶς μαθήσῃ μᾶλλον κᾀκ τῶν νῦν ῥηθησομένων. ἐννόησον γὰρ δὴ, τὴν καρδίαν
οὕτω σμικρὰν εἶναι κατ’ ἀρχὰς, ὡς κέγχρου μηδὲν διαφέρειν,
ἢ, εἰ βούλει, κυάμου. καὶ ζήτησον, ὅπως ἂν ἄλλως
αὕτη γένοιτο μεγάλη, χωρὶς τοῦ πάντη διατεινομένην τρέφεσθαι
δι’ ὅλης αὐτῆς, ὡς ὀλίγον ἔμπροσθεν ἐδείκνυτο τὸ
σπέρμα τρεφόμενον. ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ τοῦτο Ἐρασίστρατος οἶδεν,
ὁ τὴν τέχνην τῆς φύσεως ὑμνῶν, ἀλλ’ οὕτως αὐξάνεσθαι
τὰ ζῶα νομίζει, καθάπερ τινὰ κρησέραν, ἢ σειρὰν, ἢ σάκκον,
ἢ τάλαρον, ὧν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὸ πέρας ἐπιπλεκομένων
ὁμοίων ἑτέρων τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς αὐτὰ συντιθεῖσιν, ἡ πρόσθεσις
γίνεται. ἀλλὰ τούτου γ’ οὐκ αὔξησίς ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ γένεσις,
ὦ σοφώτατε. γίνεται γὰρ ὁ θύλακος, καὶ ὁ σάκκος,
καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον, καὶ ἡ οἰκία, καὶ τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων
ἕκαστον, ὅταν μηδέπω τὸ προσῆκον εἶδος, οὗ χάριν
ὑπὸ τοῦ τεχνίτου δημιουργεῖται, συμπεπληρωμένον ἔχῃ.
πότ’ οὖν αὐξάνεται; ὅταν ἤδη τέλειος ὢν ὁ τάλαρος, ὡς
ἔχειν πυθμένα τινὰ, καὶ στόμα, καὶ οἷον γαστέρα, καὶ τὰ
τούτων μεταξὺ, μείζων ἅπασι τούτοις γένηται. καὶ πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο; φήσει τις. πῶς δ’ ἄλλως, ἢ εἰ ζῶον ἐξαίφνης
ἢ φυτὸν ὁ τάλαρος ἡμῖν γένοιτο; μόνων γὰρ τῶν ζώντων
ἡ αὔξησις. σὺ δ’ ἴσως οἴει τὴν οἰκοδομουμένην οἰκίαν αὐξάνεσθαι,
καὶ τὸν τάλαρον πλεκόμενον, καὶ θοιμάτιον
ὑφαινόμενον. ἀλλ’ οὐχ ὧδ’ ἔχει. τοῦ μὲν γὰρ ἤδη συμπεπληρωμένου
κατὰ τὸ εἶδος ἡ αὔξησις· τοῦ ἔτι γινομένου
ἡ εἰς τὸ εἶδος ὁδὸς, οὐκ αὔξησις, ἀλλὰ γένεσις ὀνομάζεται·
αὐξάνεται μὲν γὰρ τὸ ὂν, γίνεται δὲ τὸ μὴ ὄν.

37 Καὶ ταῦτ’ Ἐρασίστρατος οὐκ οἶδεν, ὃν
οὐδὲν λαν 100 θάνει, εἴπερ ὅλως ἀληθεύουσιν οἱ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ
φάσκοντες ὡμιληκέναι τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ Περιπάτου φιλοσόφοις
αὐτόν. ἄχρι μὲν οὖν τοῦ τὴν φύσιν ὑμνεῖν ὡς τεχνικὴν,
κᾀγὼ γνωρίζω τὰ τοῦ Περιπάτου δόγματα, τῶν δ’ ἄλλων
οὐδὲν οὐδ’ ἐγγύς. εἰ γάρ τις ὁμιλήσειε τοῖς Ἀριστοτέλους καὶ.
Θεοφράστου γράμμασι, τῆς Ἱπποκράτους ἂν αὐτὰ δόξειε φυσιολογίας
ὑπομνήματα συγκεῖσθαι, τὸ θερμὸν, καὶ τὸ ψυχρὸν, καὶ τὸ ξηρὸν, καὶ τὸ ὑγρὸν εἰς ἄλληλα δρῶντα καὶ πάσχοντα·
καὶ τούτων αὐτῶν δραστικώτατον μὲν τὸ θερμὸν, δεύτερον
δὲ τῇ δυνάμει τὸ ψυχρὸν, Ἱπποκράτους ταῦτα σύμπαντα
πρώτου, δευτέρου δ’ Ἀριστοτέλους εἰπόντος. τρέφεσθαι δὲ
δι’ ὅλων αὐτῶν τὰ τρεφόμενα, καὶ κεράννυσθαι δι’ ὅλων
τὰ κεραννύμενα, καὶ ἀλλοιοῦσθαι δι’ ὅλων τὰ ἀλλοιούμενα,
καὶ ταῦτ’ Ἱπποκράτειά τε ἅμα καὶ Ἀριστοτέλεια.
καὶ τὴν πέψιν ἀλλοίωσίν τινα ὑπάρχειν καὶ μεταβολὴν
τοῦ τρέφοντος εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν τοῦ τρεφομένου ποιότητα,
τὴν δ’ ἐξαιμάτωσιν ἀλλοίωσιν εἶναι, καὶ τὴν θρέψιν
ὡσαύτως, καὶ τὴν αὔξησιν ἐκ τῆς πάντη διατάσεως τοῦ
σώματος καὶ θρέψεως γίνεσθαι. τὴν δ’ ἀλλοίωσιν ὑπὸ
τοῦ θερμοῦ μάλιστα συντελεῖσθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν
θρέψιν, καὶ τὴν πέψιν, καὶ τὴν τῶν χυμῶν ἁπάντων γένεσιν.
ἤδη δὲ καὶ τοῖς περιττώμασι τὰς ποιότητας ὑπὸ τῆς ἐμφύτου
θερμασίας ἐγγίνεσθαι. ταῦτα σύμπαντα, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις
ἕτερα πολλὰ, τά τε τῶν προειρημένων δυνάμεων, καὶ τὰ τῶν νοσημάτων τῆς γενέσεως, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἰαμάτων τῆς εὑρέσεως,
Ἱπποκράτης μὲν πρῶτος ἁπάντων ὧν ἴσμεν ὀρθῶς
εἶπεν, Ἀριστοτέλης δὲ δεύτερος ὀρθῶς ἐξηγήσατο. καὶ μὴν
καὶ εἰ ταῦτα σύμπαντα τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ Περιπάτου δοκεῖ, καθάπερ
οὖν δοκεῖ, μηδὲν δ’ αὐτὸν ἀρέσκει τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον,
τί ποτε βούλεται τοῖς Ἐρασιστρατείοις ἡ πρὸς τοὺς
φιλοσόφους ἐκείνους τοῦ τῆς αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν ἡγεμόνος ὁμιλία;
θαυμάζουσι μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ὡς θεὸν, καὶ πάντ’ ἀληθεύειν
νομίζουσιν. εἰ δ’ οὕτως ἔχοι ταῦτα, πάμπολυ
δήπου τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσφάλθαι χρὴ νομίζειν τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ
Περιπάτου φιλοσόφους, οἷς μηδὲν ὧν Ἐρασίστρατος ὑπελάμβανεν
ἀρέσκει. καὶ μὴν ὥσπερ τιν’ εὐγένειαν αὐτῷ
τῆς φυσιολογίας τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους συνουσίαν
ἐκπορίζουσι. πάλιν οὖν ἀναστρέψωμεν τὸν λόγον ἑτέρως, ἢ
ὡς ὀλίγῳ πρόσθεν ἐτύχομεν εἰπόντες. εἴπερ γὰρ οἱ ἐκ τοῦ
Περιπάτου καλῶς ἐφυσιολόγησαν, οὐδὲν ἂν εἴη ληρωδέστερον
Ἐρασιστράτου. καὶ δίδωμι τοῖς Ἐρασιστρατείοις αὐτοῖς
τὴν αἵρεσιν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν πρότερον λόγον, ἢ τοῦτον προσοίσονται. λέγει δ’ ὁ μὲν πρῶτος, οὐδὲν ὀρθῶς ἐγνωκέναι
περὶ φύσεως τοὺς Περιπατητικοὺς, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος, Ἐρασίστρατον.
ἐμὸν μὲν οὖν ὑπομνῆσαι τῶν δογμάτων τὴν
μάχην, ἐκείνων δ’ ἡ αἵρεσις. ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἂν ἀποσταῖεν τοῦ
μὴ θαυμάζειν τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον. οὐκοῦν σιωπησάτωσαν περὶ
τῶν ἐκ τοῦ Περιπάτου φιλοσόφων. παμπόλλων γὰρ ὄντων
δογμάτων φυσικῶν περί τε γενέσεως καὶ φθορᾶς τῶν ζώων,
καὶ ὑγιείας, καὶ νόσου, καὶ τῆς θεραπείας αὐτῶν, ἓν μόνον
εὑρεθήσεται ταὐτὸν Ἐρασιστράτῳ κᾀκείνοις τοῖς ἀνδράσι,
τὸ τινὸς ἕνεκα πάντα ποιεῖν τὴν φύσιν, καὶ μάτην
μηδέν. ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο μέχρι λόγου κοινὸν, 38 ἔργῳ δὲ
μυριάκις Ἐρασίστρατος αὐτὸ διαφθείρει. μάτην γὰρ ὁ σπλὴν
ἐγένετο, μάτην δὲ τὸ ἐπίπλοον, μάτην δὲ εἰς τοὺς νεφροὺς
ἀρτηρίαι καταφυόμεναι, σχεδὸν ἁπασῶν τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς μεγάλης
ἀρτηρίας βλαστανουσῶν οὖσαι μέγισται, μάτην δ’ ἄλλα
μυρία κατά γε τὸν Ἐρασιστράτειον λόγον. ἅπερ εἰ μὲν οὐδ’
ὅλως γινώσκει, βραχὺ μαγείρου σοφώτερός ἐστιν ἐν ταῖς
ἀνατομαῖς· εἰ δ’ εἰδὼς οὐ λέγει τὴν χρείαν αὐτῶν, οἴεται δηλονότι παραπλησίως τῷ σπληνὶ μάτην αὐτὰ γεγονέναι.
καίτοι τί ταῦτ’ ἐπεξέρχομαι, τῆς περὶ χρείας μορίων ὄντα
πραγματείας μελλούσης ἡμῖν ἰδίᾳ περαίνεσθαι; πάλιν οὖν
ἀναλάβωμεν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον, εἰπόντες τέ τι βραχὺ πρὸς
τοὺς Ἐρασιστρατείους ἔτι, τῶν ἐφεξῆς ἐχώμεθα. δοκοῦσι γάρ
μοι μηδὲν ἀνεγνωκέναι τῶν Ἀριστοτέλους οὗτοι συγγραμμάτων,
ἀλλ’ ἄλλων ἀκούοντες, ὡς δεινὸς ἦν περὶ φύσιν ὁ
ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ὡς οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς στοᾶς κατ’ ἴχνη τῆς ἐκείνου
φυσιολογίας βαδίζουσιν, εἷθ’ εὑρόντες ἕν τι τῶν περιφερομένων
δογμάτων κοινὸν αὐτῷ πρὸς Ἐρασίστρατον, ἀναπλάσαι
τινὰ συνουσίαν αὐτῷ πρὸς ἐκείνους τοὺς ἄνδρας. ἀλλ’
ὅτι μὲν τῆς Ἀριστοτέλους φυσιολογίας οὐδὲν Ἐρασιστράτῳ
μέτεστιν, ὁ κατάλογος τῶν προειρημένων ἐνδείκνυται δογμάτων·
ἃ πρώτου μὲν Ἱπποκράτους ἦν, δευτέρου δ’ Ἀριστοτέλους,
τρίτων δὲ τῶν Στωϊκῶν, ἑνὸς μόνου μετατιθεμένου,
τοῦ τὰς ποιότητας εἶναι σώματα. τάχα δ’ ἂν τῆς λογικῆς
ἕνεκα θεωρίας ὡμιληκέναι φαῖεν τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον τοῖς ἐκ
τοῦ περιπάτου φιλοσόφοις· οὐκ εἰδότες, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ψευδεῖς δεῖς καὶ ἀπεράντους οὐκ ἔγραψαν λόγους, τὰ δ’ Ἐρασιστράτεια
βιβλία παμπόλλους ἔχει τοὺς τοιούτους. τάχ’ ἂν
οὖν ἤδη τις θαυμάζοι καὶ διαποροίη, τί παθὼν ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος
εἰς τοσοῦτον τῶν Ἱπποκράτους δογμάτων ἀπετράπετο,
καὶ διὰ τί τῶν ἐν ἥπατι πόρων τῶν χοληδόχων,
ἅλις γὰρ ἤδη νεφρῶν, ἀφελόμενος τὴν ἑλκτικὴν δύναμιν,
ἐπίκαιρον αἰτιᾶται θέσιν, καὶ στομάτων στενότητα, καὶ
χώραν τινὰ κοινὴν, εἰς ἣν παράγουσι μὲν αἱ ἀπὸ τῶν πυλῶν
τὸ ἀκάθαρτον αἷμα, μεταλαμβάνουσι δὲ πρότεροι μὲν
οἱ πόροι τὴν χολὴν, δεύτεραι δ’ αἱ ἀπὸ τῆς κοίλης φλεβὸς
τὸ καθαρὸν αἷμα. πρὸς γὰρ τῷ μηδὲν ἂν βλαβῆναι τὴν
ὁλκὴν εἰπὼν, ἄλλων μυρίων ἔμελλεν ἀμφισβητουμένων ἀπαλλάξασθαι
λόγων.

Ὡς νῦν γε πόλεμος οὐ σμικρός ἐστι τοῖς
Ἐρασιστρατείοις, οὐ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους μόνους, ἀλλὰ καὶ
πρὸς ἀλλήλους, καὶ οὐκ ἔχουσιν ὅπως ἐξηγήσωνται τὴν ἐκ
τοῦ πρώτου τῶν καθόλου λόγων λέξιν, ἐν ᾗ φησιν· Εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ δ’ ἀνεστομωμένων ἑτέρων δύο ἀγγείων, τῶν τ’ ἐπὶ
τὴν χοληδόχον τεινόντων καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ τὴν κοίλην φλέβα,
συμβαίνει τῆς ἀναφερομένης ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας τροφῆς τὰ ἐναρμόζοντα
ἑκατέροις τῶν στομάτων εἰς ἑκάτερα τῶν ἀγγείων
μεταλαμβάνεσθαι, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν χοληδόχον φέρεσθαι,
τὰ δ’ ἐπὶ τὴν κοίλην φλέβα περαιοῦσθαι. τὸ γὰρ εἰς τὸ
αὐτὸ ἀνεστομωμένον, ὃ κατ’ ἀρχὰς τῆς λέξεως γέγραπται,
τί ποτε χρὴ νοῆσαι, χαλεπὸν εἰπεῖν. ἤτοι γὰρ οὕτως εἰς
ταὐτὸν, ὥστε τῷ τῆς ἐν τοῖς σιμοῖς φλεβὸς πέρατι συνάπτειν
δύο ἕτερα πέρατα, τό τ’ ἐν τοῖς κυρτοῖς καὶ τὸ τοῦ χοληδόχου
πόρου, ἢ, εἰ μὴ οὕτως, χώραν τινὰ κοινὴν ἐπινοῆσαι
χρὴ τῶν τριῶν ἀγγείων ἄλλην, 39 οἶον δεξαμενήν τινα,
πληρουμένην μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς κάτω φλεβὸς, ἐκκενουμένην δὲ
εἴς τε τοὺς χοληδόχους πόρους καὶ τὰς τῆς κοίλης ἀποσχίδας.
καθ’ ἑκατέραν δὲ τῶν ἐξηγήσεων ἄτοπα πολλὰ, περὶ
ὧν εἰ πάντα λέγοιμι, λάθοιμ’ ἂν ἐμαυτὸν ἐξηγήσεις Ἐρασιστράτου
γράφων, οὐχ, ὅπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς προὐθέμην, περαίνων.
κοινὸν δ’ ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς ἐξηγήσεσιν ἄτοπον, τὸ μὴ καθαίρεσθαι τὸ πᾶν αἷμα. χρὴ γὰρ ὡς εἰς ἠθμόν τινα τὸ
χοληδόχον ἀγγεῖον ἐμπίπτειν αὐτὸ, οὐ παρ 101 έρχεσθαι
καὶ παραῤῥεῖν ὠκέως εἰς τὸ μεῖζον στόμα, τῇ ῥύμῃ τῆς
ἀναδόσεως φερόμενον. ἆρ’ οὖν ἐν τούτοις μόνοις ἀπορίαις
ἀφύκτοις ὁ Ἐρασιστράτου λόγος ἐνέχεται, μὴ βουλομένου χρήσασθαι
ταῖς ἑλκτικαῖς δυνάμεσιν εἰς μηδὲν, ἢ σφοδρότατα
μὲν ἐν τούτοις καὶ σαφῶς οὕτως, ὡς ἂν μηδὲ παῖδα
λαθεῖν;

Εἰ δ’ ἐπισκοποῖτό τις ἐπιμελῶς, οὐδ’ ὁ περὶ
θρέψεως αὐτοῦ λόγος, ὃν ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ τῶν καθόλου λόγων
διεξέρχεται, τὰς αὐτὰς ἀπορίας ἐκφεύγει τῇ γὰρ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον
ἀκολουθίᾳ συγχωρηθέντος ἑνὸς λήμματος, ὡς πρόσθεν
ἐδείκνυμεν, ἐπέραινέ τι περὶ φλεβῶν μόνων καὶ τοῦ κατ’ αὐτὰς
αἵματος. ἐκρέοντος γάρ τινος κατὰ τὰ στόματα αὐτῶν, καὶ διαφορουμένου,
καὶ μήτ’ ἀθρόον τόπου κενοῦ δυναμένου γενέσθαι,
μήτε τῶν φλεβῶν συμπεσεῖν, τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν τὸ παραλειπόμενον,
ἀναγκαῖον ἦν ἕπεσθαι τὸ συνεχὲς, ἀναπληροῦν τοῦ κενουμένου τὴν βάσιν. αἱ μὲν δὴ φλέβες ἡμῖν οὕτω θρέψονται,
τοῦ περιεχομένου κατ’ αὐτὰς αἵματος ἀπολαύουσαι. τὰ δὲ
νεῦρα πῶς; οὐ γὰρ δὴ κᾀν τούτοις ἐστὶν αἷμα. πρόχειρον
μὲν γὰρ ἦν εἰπεῖν, ἕλκοντα παρὰ τῶν φλεβῶν. ἀλλ’ οὐ
βούλεται τί ποτ’ οὖν κᾀνταῦθα ἐπιτεχνᾶται; φλέβας
ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ καὶ ἀρτηρίας τὸ νεῦρον, ὥσπερ τινὰ σειρὰν
ἐκ τριῶν ἱμάντων διαφερόντων τῇ φύσει πεπλεγμένην. ᾠήθη
γὰρ ἐκ ταύτης τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἐκφεύξεσθαι τῷ λόγῳ τὴν
ὁλκήν· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἔτι δεήσεσθαι τὸ νεῦρον, ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιέχον
αἵματος ἀγγεῖον, ἐπιῤῥύτου τινὸς ἔξωθεν ἐκ τῆς
παρακειμένης φλεβὸς τῆς ἀληθινῆς αἵματος ἑτέρου, ἀλλ’
ἱκανὸν αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν θρέψιν ἔσεσθαι τὸ κατεψευσμένον
ἀγγεῖον ἐκεῖνο, τῷ λόγῳ θεωρητόν. ἀλλὰ κᾀνταῦθα πάλιν
αὐτὸν ὁμοία τις ἀπορία διεδέξατο. τουτὶ γὰρ τὸ σμικρὸν
ἀγγεῖον ἑαυτὸ μὲν θρέψει· τὸ παρακείμενον δὲ νεῦρον
ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἁπλοῦν ἢ τὴν ἀρτηρίαν οὐχ οἷόν τε ἔσται τρέφειν
ἄνευ τοῦ σύμφυτόν τιν’ ὑπάρχειν αὐτοῖς ὁλκὴν τῆς τροφῆς. τῇ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίᾳ πῶς ἄν
ἔτι δύναιτο τὴν τροφὴν ἐπισπάσασθαι τὸ ἁπλοῦν νεῦρον,
ὥσπερ αἱ φλέβες αἱ σύνθετοι; κοιλότης μὲν γάρ τίς
ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῷ κατ’ αὐτόν. ἀλλ’ οὐχ αἵματος αὕτη γε,
ἀλλὰ πνεύματος ψυχικοῦ μεστή. δεόμεθα δ’ ἡμεῖς οὐκ
εἰς τὴν κοιλότητα ταύτην εἰσάγειν τῷ λόγῳ τὴν τροφὴν,
ἀλλ’ εἰς τὸ περιέχον αὐτὴν ἀγγεῖον, εἴτ’ οὖν τρέφεσθαι
μόνον, εἴτε καὶ αὔξεσθαι δέοιτο. πῶς οὖν εἰσάξομεν; οὕτω
γάρ ἐστι μικρὸν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἁπλοῦν ἀγγεῖον, καὶ μέντοι καὶ
τῶν ἄλλων ἑκάτερον, ὥστ’, εἰ τῇ λεπτοτάτῃ βελόνῃ νύξειάς
τι μέρος, ἅμα διαιρήσεις τὰ τρία. τόπος οὖν αἰσθητὸς
ἀθρόος κενὸς οὐκ ἂν ποτ’ ἐν αὐτῷ γένοιτο· λόγῳ δὲ
θεωρητὸς τόπος κενούμενος οὐκ ἦν ἀναγκαστικὸς τῆς τοῦ
συνεχοῦς ἀκολουθίας. ἐβουλόμην δ’ αὖ πάλιν μοι κᾀνταῦθα
τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον αὐτὸν ἀποκρίνεσθαι περὶ τοῦ στοιχειώδους
40 ἐκείνου νεύρου τοῦ σμικροῦ, πότερον ἔν τι καὶ συνεχές
ἐστιν ἀκριβῶς, ἤ ἐκ πολλῶν καὶ μικρῶν σωμάτων, ὧν Ἐπίκουρος
καὶ Λεύκιππος καὶ Δημόκριτος ὑπετίθεντο, σύγκειται. καὶ γὰρ καὶ περὶ τούτου τοὺς Ἐρασιστρατείους ὁρῶ
διαφερομένους. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἕν τι καὶ συνεχὲς αὐτὸ νομίζουσιν,
ἢ οὐκ ἂν ἁπλοῦν εἰρῆσθαι πρὸς αὐτοῦ φασι· τινὲς
δὲ καὶ τοῦτο διαλύειν εἰς ἕτερα στοιχειώδη τολμῶσιν. ἀλλ’
εἰ μὲν ἕν τι καὶ συνεχές ἐστι, τὸ κενούμενον ἐξ αὐτοῦ
κατὰ τὴν ἄδηλον ὑπὸ τῶν ἰατρῶν ὀνομαζομένην διαπνοὴν
οὐδεμίαν ἐν ἑαυτῷ καταλείψει χώραν κενήν. οὕτω γὰρ οὐχ
ἓν, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ γενήσεται, διειργόμενα δήπου ταῖς κεναῖς
χώραις. εἰ δ’ ἐκ πολλῶν σύγκειται, τῇ κηπαίᾳ, κατὰ τὴν
παροιμίαν, πρὸς Ἀσκληπιάδην ἀπεχωρήσαμεν, ἄναρμά τινα
στοιχεῖα τιθέμενοι. πάλιν οὖν ἄτεχνος ἡμῖν ἡ φύσις γενέσθω·
τοῖς γὰρ τοιούτοις ἐξ ἀνάγκης στοιχείοις τοῦθ’
ἕπεται. διὸ δή μοι καὶ δοκοῦσιν ἀμαθῶς πάνυ τὴν εἰς τὰ
τοιαῦτα στοιχεῖα τῶν ἁπλῶν ἀγγείων εἰσάγειν διάλυσιν ἔνιοι
τῶν Ἐρασιστρατείων. ἐμοὶ γοῦν οὐδὲν διαφέρει. καθ’
ἑκατέρους γὰρ ἄτοπος ὁ τῆς θρέψεως ἔσται λόγος, ἐκείνοις
τοῖς ἁπλοῖς ἀγγείοις τοῖς μικροῖς, τοῖς συντιθεῖσι τὰ μεγάλα τε καὶ αἰσθητὰ νεῦρα, κατὰ μὲν τοὺς συνεχῆ φυλάττοντας
αὐτὰ, μὴ δυναμένης γενέσθαι τῆς πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίας,
ὅτι μηδὲν ἐν τῷ συνεχεῖ γίνεται κενὸν, κᾂν ἀποῤῥέῃ
τι, συνέρχεταί γε πρὸς ἄλληλα τὰ καταλειπόμενα μόρια,
καθάπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος ὁρᾶται, καὶ πάλιν ἓν γίγνεται
πάντη, τὴν χώραν τοῦ διαφορηθέντος αὐτῷ καταλαμβάνοντα·
κατὰ δὲ τοὺς ἑτέρους, ὅτι τῶν στοιχείων ἐκείνων οὐδὲν δεῖται
τῆς πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίας, ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν αἰσθητῶν
μόνων, οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν λόγῳ θεωρητῶν, ἔχει τὴν δύναμιν,
ὡς αὐτὸς Ἐρασίστρατος ὁμολογεῖ διαῤῥήδην, οὐ περὶ
τοιούτου κενοῦ φάσκων ἑκάστοτε ποιεῖσθαι τὸν λόγον, ὃ
κατὰ βραχὺ παρέσπαρται τοῖς σώμασιν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ σαφοῦς,
καὶ αἰσθητοῦ, καὶ ἀθρόου, καὶ μεγάλου, καὶ ἐναργοῦς,
καὶ ὅπως ἂν ἄλλως ὀνομάζειν ἐθέλοις. Ἐρασίστρατος
μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς αἰσθητὸν ἀθρόον οὔ φησι δύνασθαι γενέσθαι
κενόν. ἐγὼ δ’ ἐκ περιουσίας εὐπορήσας ὀνομάτων,
ταὐτὸν δηλοῦν ἔν γε τῷ νῦν προκειμένῳ λόγῳ δυναμένων,
καὶ τἄλλα προσέθηκα. κάλλιον οὖν μοι δοκεῖ τι καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς συνεισενέγκασθαι τοῖς Ἐρασιστρατείοις, ἐπειδὴ κατὰ
τοῦτο γεγόναμεν, καὶ συμβουλεῦσαι τοῖς τὸ πρῶτον ἐκεῖνο
καὶ ἁπλοῦν ὑπὸ Ἐρασιστράτου καλούμενον ἀγγεῖον εἰς ἕτερ’
ἄττα σώματα στοιχειώδη διαλύουσιν, ἀποστῆναι τῆς ὑπολήψεως,
ὡς πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν ἔχειν πλέον ἔτι καὶ διαφερομένους
Ἐρασιστράτῳ. ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν ἔχει πλέον, ἐπιδέδεικται
σαφῶς· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἠδυνήθη διαφυγεῖν τὴν περὶ τῆς
θρέψεως ἀπορίαν ἡ ὑπόθεσις· ὅτι δ’ οὐδ’ Ἐρασιστράτῳ
σύμφωνός ἐστιν, ὃ ἐκεῖνος ἁπλοῦν καὶ πρῶτον ὀνομάζει,
σύνθετον ἀποφαίνουσα, καὶ τὴν τῆς φύσεως τέχνην ἀναιροῦσα,
πρόδηλον καὶ τοῦτ’ εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ. εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἐν
τοῖς ἁπλοῖς τούτοις ἕνωσίν τινα τῆς οὐσίας ἀπολείψομεν,
ἀλλ’ εἰς ἄναρμα καὶ ἀμέριστα καταβησόμεθα στοιχεῖα, παντάπασιν
ἀναιρήσομεν τὴν τῆς φύσεως τέχνην, ὥσπερ καὶ πάντες
οἱ ἐκ ταύτης ὁρμώμενοι τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἰατροὶ καὶ φιλόσοφοι.
δευτέρα γὰρ τῶν τοῦ ζώου μορίων κατὰ τὴν τοιαύτην
ὑπόθεσιν ἡ φύσις, οὐ πρώτη γίγνεται. διαπλάττειν δὲ καὶ δημιουργεῖν, οὐ τοῦ δευτέρου γεγονότος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ
προϋπάρχοντός ἐστιν. ὥστ’ ἀναγκαῖον εὐθὺς ἐκ σπέρματος
ὑποθέσθαι τὰς δυνάμεις τῆς φύσεως, αἷς διαπλάττει τε καὶ
αὐξάνει καὶ τρέφει τὸ ζῶον. 41 ἀλλ’ ἐκείνων ἕκαστον
τῶν σωμάτων τῶν ἀνάρμων καὶ ἀμερῶν οὐδὲν ἐν ἑαυτῷ
διαπλαστικὴν ἔχει δύναμιν, ἢ αὐξητικὴν, ἢ θρεπτικὴν, ἢ
ὅλως τεχνικήν· ἀπαθὲς γὰρ καὶ ἀμετάβλητον ὑπόκειται.
τῶν δ’ εἰρημένων οὐδὲν ἄνευ μεταβολῆς καὶ ἀλλοιώσεως
καὶ τῆς δι’ ὅλων κράσεως γίνεται, καθάπερ καὶ διὰ τῶν
ἔμπροσθεν ἐνεδειξάμεθα. καὶ διὰ ταύτην τὴν ἀνάγκην οὐκ
ἔχοντες, ὅπως τὰ ἀκόλουθα τοῖς στοιχείοις, οἷς ὑπέθεντο,
φυλάττοιεν οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων αἱρέσεων ἅπαντες, ἄτεχνον
ἠναγκάσθησαν ἀποφῄνασθαι τὴν φύσιν. καίτοι ταῦτά
γ’ οὐ παρ’ ἡμῶν ἐχρῆν μανθάνειν τοὺς Ἐρασιστρα 102 τείους,
ἀλλὰ παρ’ αὐτῶν τῶν φιλοσόφων, οἶς μάλιστα δοκεῖ πρῶτον
ἐπισκοπεῖσθαι τὰ στοιχεῖα τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων. οὔκουν οὐδ’
Ἐρασίστρατον ἄν τις ὀρθῶς ἄχρι τοσαύτης ἀμαθίας νομίζοι
προήκειν, ὡς μηδὲ ταύτην γνωρίσαι δυνηθῆναι τὴν ἀκολουθίαν, ἀλλ’ ἅμα μὲν ὑποθέσθαι τεχνικὴν τὴν φύσιν, ἅμα
δ’ εἰς ἀπαθῆ καὶ ἄναρμα καὶ ἀμετάβλητα στοιχεῖα καταθραῦσαι
τὴν οὐσίαν. καὶ μὴν εἰ δώσει τινὰ ἐν τοῖς στοιχείοις
ἀλλοίωσίν τε καὶ μεταβολὴν καὶ ἕνωσιν καὶ συνέχειαν,
ἓν καὶ ἀσύνθετον αὐτῷ ἁπλοῦν ἀγγεῖον ἐκεῖνο, καθάπερ
καὶ αὐτὸς ὀνομάζει, γενήσεται. ἀλλ’ ἡ μὲν ἁπλῆ
φλὲψ ἐξ αὑτῆς τραφήσεται, τὸ νεῦρον δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀρτηρία
παρὰ τῆς φλεβός. πῶς καὶ τίνα τρόπον; ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ δὴ
καὶ πρόσθεν γενόμενοι τῷ λόγῳ τῆς τῶν Ἐρασιστρατείων
διαφωνίας ἐμνημονεύσαμεν, ἐπεδείξαμεν δὲ καὶ καθ’ ἑτέρους
μὲν ἄπορον εἶναι τὴν τῶν ἁπλῶν ἐκείνων ἀγγείων θρέψιν·
ἀλλὰ καὶ κρῖναι τὴν μάχην αὐτῶν οὐκ ὠκνήσαμεν, καὶ τιμῆσαι
τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον, εἰς τὴν βελτίονα μεταστήσαντες
αἵρεσιν. αὖθις οὖν ἐπὶ τὴν ἓν καὶ ἁπλοῦν καὶ ἡνωμένον
ἑαυτῷ πάντη τὸ στοιχειῶδες ἐκεῖνο νεῦρον ὑποτιθεμένην
αἵρεσιν ὁ λόγος μεταβὰς ἐπισκοπείσθω, πῶς τραφήσεται.
τὸ γὰρ εὑρεθὲν ἐνταῦθα κοινὸν ἂν ἤδη καὶ τῆς Ἱπποκράτους
αἱρέσεως γένοιτο. κάλλιον δ’ ἄν μοι δοκῶ τὸ ζητούμενον ἐπὶ τῶν νενοσηκότων καὶ σφόδρα καταλελεπτυσμένων
βασανισθῆναι. πάντα γὰρ ἐναργῶς τούτοις φαίνεται τὰ μόρια
τοῦ σώματος ἄτροφα, καὶ λεπτὰ, καὶ πολλῆς προσθήκης
τε καὶ ἀναθρέψεως δεόμενα. καὶ τοίνυν καὶ τὸ νεῦρον
τοῦτο τὸ αἰσθητὸν, ἐφ’ ᾧπερ ἐξαρχῆς ἐποιησάμην τὸν λόγον,
ἰσχνὸν μὲν ἱκανῶς γέγονε, δεῖται δὲ θρέψεως. ἔχει
δ’ ἐν αὑτῷ μέρη πάμπολλα μὲν ἐκεῖνα τὰ πρῶτα καὶ
ἀόρατα νεῦρα τὰ σμικρὰ, καί τινας ἀρτηρίας ἁπλᾶς ὀλίγας,
καὶ φλέβας ὁμοίως. ἅπαντα οὖν αὐτοῦ τὰ νεῦρα τὰ στοιχειώδη
καταλελέπτυνται δηλονότι καὶ αὐτά· ἢ, εἰ μηδ’
ἐκεῖνα, οὐδὲ τὸ ὅλον. καὶ τοίνυν καὶ θρέψεως οὕτω μὲν
ὅλον δεῖται νεῦρον, ἕκαστον δ’ ἐκείνων οὐ δεῖται. καὶ μὴν
εἰ δεῖται μὲν θρέψεως, οὐδὲν δ’ ἡ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον
ἀκολουθία βοηθεῖν αὐτοῖς δύναται διά τε τὰς ἔμπροσθεν
εἰρημένας ἀπορίας καὶ διὰ τὴν ὑπόγυιον ἰσχνότητα, καθάπερ
δείξω, ζητητέον ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἑτέραν αἰτίαν θρέψεως.
πῶς οὖν ἡ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθία τρέφειν ἀδύνατός
ἐστι τὸν οὕτω διακείμενον; ὅτι τοσοῦτον ἀκολουθεῖν ἀναγκάζει τῶν συνεχῶν, ὅσον ἀποῤῥεῖ. τοῦτο δ’ ἐπὶ μὲν
τῶν εὐεκτούντων ἱκανόν ἐστιν εἰς τὴν θρέψιν, ἴσα γὰρ ἐπ’
αὐτῶν εἶναι χρὴ τοῖς ἀποῤῥέουσι τὰ προστιθέμενα· ἐπὶ δὲ
τῶν ἐσχάτως ἰσχνῶν καὶ πολλῆς ἀναθρέψεως δεομένων εἰ
μὴ πολλαπλάσιον εἴη τὸ προστιθέμενον τοῦ κενουμένου, τὴν
ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἕξιν ἀναλαβεῖν οὐκ ἄν ποτε δύναιντο. δῆλον οὖν,
ὡς ἕλκειν αὐτὰ δεήσει τοσούτῳ πλεῖον, ὅσῳ καὶ δεῖται
πλείονος. 42 Ἐρασίστρατος δὲ κᾀνταῦθα πρότερον ποιήσας
τὸ δεύτερον οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅπως οὐκ αἰσθάνεται. διότι γὰρ,
φησὶ, πολλὴ πρόσθεσις εἰς ἀνάθρεψιν γίνεται τοῖς νενοσηκόσι,
διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ πρὸς ταύτην ἀκολουθία πολλή. πῶς
δ’ ἂν πολλὴ πρόσθεσις γένοιτο, μὴ προηγουμένης ἀναδόσεως
δαψιλοῦς; εἰ δὲ τὴν διὰ τῶν φλεβῶν φορὰν τῆς τροφῆς
ἀνάδοσιν καλεῖ, τὴν δ’ εἰς ἕκαστον τῶν ἁπλῶν καὶ
ἀοράτων ἐκείνων νεύρων καὶ ἀρτηριῶν μετάληψιν οὐκ
ἀνάδοσιν, ἀλλὰ διάδοσιν, ὥς τινες ὀνομάζειν ἠξίωσαν, εἶτα τὴν διὰ τῶν φλεβῶν μόνῃ τῇ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίᾳ
φασὶ γίγνεσθαι, τὴν εἰς τὰ λόγῳ θεωρητὰ μετάληψιν
ἡμῖν ἐξηγησάσθωσαν. ὅτι μὲν γὰρ οὐκέτ’ ἐπὶ τούτων ἡ
πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθία λέγεσθαι δύναται, καὶ μάλιστ’
ἐπὶ τῶν ἐσχάτως ἰσχνῶν, ἀποδέδεικται. τί δέ φησιν ἐπ’ αὐτῶν
ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ τῶν καθόλου λόγων ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος, ἄξιον
ἐπακοῦσαι τῆς λέξεως· Τοῖς ἐσχάτοις τε καὶ ἁπλοῖς, λεπτοῖς τε
καὶ στενοῖς οὖσιν, ἐκ τῶν παρακειμένων ἀγγείων ἡ πρόσθεσις
συμβαίνει εἰς τὰ κενώματα τῶν ἀπενεχθέντων, κατὰ τὰ
πλάγια τῶν ἀγγείων ἑλκομένης τῆς τροφῆς καὶ καταχωριζομένης.
ἐκ ταύτης τῆς λέξεως πρῶτον μὲν τὸ κατὰ τὰ
πλάγια προσίεμαί τε καὶ ἀποδέχομαι. κατὰ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸ
τὸ στόμα τὸ ἁπλοῦν νεῦρον οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο δεχόμενον τὴν
τροφὴν οὕτως εἰς ὅλον ἑαυτὸ διανέμειν· ἀνάκειται γὰρ
ἐκεῖνο τῷ ψυχικῷ πνεύματι· κατὰ δὲ τὸ πλάγιον ἐκ τῆς
παρακειμένης φλεβὸς τῆς ἁπλῆς ἐγχωρεῖ λαβεῖν αὐτό.
δεύτερον δ’ ἀποδέχομαι τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἐρασιστράτου λέξεως
ὀνομάτων τὸ γεγραμμένον ἐφεξῆς τῷ κατὰ τὰ πλάγια. τί γάρ φησι; κατὰ τὰ πλάγια τῶν ἀγγείων ἑλκομένης τῆς
τροφῆς. ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἕλκεται, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμολογοῦμεν·
ὅτι δ’ οὐ τῇ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίᾳ, δέδεικται
πρόσθεν.

Ἐξεύρωμεν οὖν κοινῇ, πῶς ἕλκεται. πῶς
δ’ ἄλλως, ἢ ὡς σίδηρος ὑπὸ τῆς ἡρακλείας λίθου, δύναμιν
ἐχούσης ἑλκτικὴν τοιαύτης ποιότητος; ἀλλ’ εἰ τὴν μὲν ἀρχὴν
τῆς ἀναδόσεως ἡ τῆς κοιλίας ἔκθλιψις παρέχεται, τὴν
δὲ μετ’ αὐτὴν φορὰν ἅπασαν αἵ τε φλέβες περιστελλόμεναι
καὶ προωθοῦσαι, καὶ τῶν τρεφομένων ἕκαστον ἐπισπώμενον
εἰς ἑαυτὸ, τῆς πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίας
ἀποστάντες, ὡς οὐ πρεπούσης ἀνδρὶ τεχνικὴν ὑποθεμένῳ
τὴν φύσιν, οὕτως ἂν ἤδη καὶ τὴν ἀντιλογίαν εἴημεν πεφευγότες
τὴν Ἀσκληπιάδου, μὴ δυνάμενοί γε λύειν αὐτήν.
τὸ γὰρ εἰς τὴν ἀπόδειξιν παραλαμβανόμενον λῆμμα τὸ διεζευγμένον
οὐκέτ’ ἐκ δυοῖν, ἀλλ’ ἐκ τριῶν ἐστι κατά γε τὴν
ἀλήθειαν διεζευγμένον. εἰ μὲν οὖν ὡς ἐκ δυοῖν αὐτῇ χρησαίμεθα, ψεῦδος ἔσται τι τῶν εἰς τὴν ἀπόδειξιν παρειλημμένων·
εἰ δ’ ὡς ἐκ τριῶν, ἀπέραντος ὁ λόγος γενήσεται.
καὶ ταῦτ’ οὐκ ἐχρῆν ἀγνοεῖν τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον, εἴπερ κᾂν
κατ’ ὄναρ ποτὲ τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου συνέτυχεν.

43 Ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ τὰ περὶ τῆς γενέσεως
τῶν χυμῶν, ὑπὲρ ὧν οὐδὲν ἔχων εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ μέχρι
τοῦ μετρίου πιθανὸν, οἴεται παρακρούεσθαι σκηπτόμενος,
ὡς οὐδὲ χρήσιμος ὅλως ἐστὶν ἡ τῶν τοιούτων ἐπίσκεψις.
εἶτα, ὦ πρὸς Διὸς, ὅπως μὲν τὰ σιτία κατὰ τὴν γαστέρα
πέττεται, χρήσιμον ἐπίστασθαι, πῶς δ’ ἐν ταῖς φλεψὶν ἡ
χολὴ γίνεται, περιττόν; καὶ τῆς κενώσεως ἄρα φροντιστέον
αὐτῆς μόνης, ἀμελητέον δὲ τῆς γενέσεως; ὥσπερ οὐκ ἄμεινον
ὑπάρχον μακρῷ τὸ κωλύειν εὐθὺς ἐξαρχῆς γεννᾶσθαι
πλείονα, τοῦ πράγματα ἔχειν ἐκκενοῦντας. θαυμαστὸν δὲ καὶ
τὸ διαπορεῖν, εἴτ’ ἐν τῷ σώματι τὴν γένεσιν αὐτῆς ὑποθετέον,
εἴτ’ εὐθὺς ἔξωθεν ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις περιέχεσθαι
φατέον. εἰ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο καλῶς ἠπόρηται, τί οὐχὶ καὶ
περὶ τοῦ αἵματος ἐπισκεψόμεθα, πότερον ἐν τῷ σώματι λαμβάνει τὴν γένεσιν, ἢ ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις παρέσπαρται, καθάπερ
οἱ τὰς ὁμοιομερείας ὑποτιθέμενοί φασι; καὶ μὴν
πολλῷ γε ἦν χρησιμώτερον ζητεῖσθαι, ποῖα τῶν σιτίων ὁμολογεῖ
τῇ τῆς αἱματώσεως ἐνεργείᾳ, καὶ ποῖα διαφέρεται,
τοῦ ζητεῖν, τίνα μὲν τῇ τῆς γαστρὸς ἐνεργείᾳ νικᾶται ῥᾳδίως,
τίνα δ’ ἀντιβαίνει καὶ μάχεται. τούτων μὲν γὰρ ἡ
ἔκλεξις εἰς πέψιν μόνην, ἐκείνων δ’ εἰς αἵματος χρηστοῦ
διαφέρει γένεσιν. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἴσον ἐστὶν, ἢ μὴ χρηστὸν
αἷμα γεννηθῆναι, ἢ μὴ 103 καλῶς ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ χυλωθῆναι
τὴν τροφήν. πῶς δ’ οὐκ αἰδεῖται, τὰς μὲν τῆς
πέψεως ἀποτυχίας διαιρούμενος, ὡς πολλαί τέ εἰσι καὶ
κατὰ πολλὰς γίνονται προφάσεις, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῶν τῆς αἱματώσεως
σφαλμάτων οὐδ’ ἄχρι ῥήματος ἑνὸς, οὐδ’ ἄχρι
συλλαβῆς μιᾶς φθεγξάμενος; καὶ μὴν εὑρίσκεταί γε καὶ
παχὺ καὶ λεπτὸν ἐν ταῖς φλεψὶν αἷμα, καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἐρυθρότερον,
τοῖς δὲ ξανθότερον, τοῖς δὲ μελάντερον, τοῖς δὲ
φλεγματωδέστερον. εἰ δ’, ὅτι καὶ δυσῶδες οὐχ ἕνα τρόπον,
ἀλλ’ ἐν πολλαῖς πάνυ διαφοραῖς, ἀῤῥήτοις μὲν λόγῳ, σαφεστάταις δ’ αἰσθήσεσι φαίνεται γιγνόμενον, εἰδείη τις,
οὐκ οἶμαι μετρίως ἔτι καταγνώσεσθαι τῆς Ἐρασιστράτου
ῥᾳθυμίας αὐτὸν, οὕτω γ’ ἀναγκαίαν εἰς τὰ ἔργα τῆς
τέχνης θεωρίαν παραλιπόντος. ἐναργῆ γὰρ δὴ καὶ τὰ περὶ
τῶν ὑδέρων ἁμαρτήματα, τῇ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ ταύτῃ κατὰ λόγον
ἠκολουθηκότα. τό τε γὰρ τῇ στενοχωρίᾳ τῶν ὁδῶν κωλύεσθαι
νομίζειν πρόσω τοῦ ἥπατος ἰέναι τὸ αἷμα, καὶ μηδέποτ’ ἂν
ἄλλως ὕδερον δύνασθαι συστῆναι, πῶς οὐκ ἐσχάτην ἐνδείκνυται
ῥᾳθυμίαν; τό τε μὴ διὰ τὸν σπλῆνα, μήτε δι’ ἄλλο
τι μόριον, ἀλλ’ ἀεὶ διὰ τὸν ἐν ἥπατι σκίῤῥον ὕδερον
οἴεσθαι γίγνεσθαι, τελέως ἀργοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν ἀνθρώπου
καὶ μηδενὶ τῶν ὁσημέραι γιγνομένων παρακολουθοῦντος.
ἐπὶ μέν γε χρονίαις αἱμοῤῥοΐσιν ἐπισχεθείσαις, ἢ διὰ κένωσιν
ἄμετρον εἰς ψύξιν ἐσχάτην ἀγούσαις τὸν ἄνθρωπον, οὐχ
ἅπαξ, οὐδὲ δὶς, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἤδη τεθεάμεθα συστάντας
ὑδέρους· ὥσπερ γε καὶ γυναιξὶν ἥ τε τῆς ἐφ’ ἑκάστῳ μηνὶ
καθάρσεως ἀπώλεια παντελὴς, καὶ ἄμετρος κένωσις, ὅταν
αἱμοῤῥαγήσωσί ποτε αἱ μῆτραι σφοδρῶς, ἐπεκαλέσαντο πολλάκις ὕδερον, καί τισιν αὐτῶν ὁ γυναικεῖος ὀνομαζόμενος
ῥοῦς εἰς τοῦτ’ ἐτελεύτησε τὸ πάθος· ἵνα τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν
κενεώνων ἀρχομένους ἢ ἄλλου τινὸς τῶν ἐπικαίρων μορίων
ὑδέρους παραλίπω, σαφῶς μὲν καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐξελέγχοντας
τὴν Ἐρασιστράτειον ὑπόληψιν, ἀλλ’ οὐχ οὕτως 44 ἐναργῶς,
ὡς οἱ διὰ κατάψυξιν σφοδρὰν τῆς ὅλης ἕξεως ἀποτελούμενοι.
πρώτη γὰρ αὕτη γενέσεως ὑδέρων αἰτία,
διὰ τὴν ἀποτυχίαν τῆς αἱματώσεως γιγνομένη, τρόπον
ὁμοιότατον ταῖς ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν σιτίων ἀπεψίᾳ διαῤῥοίαις. οὐ
μὴν ἐσκίῤῥωταί γε κατὰ τοὺς τοιούτους ὑδέρους οὐδ’ ἄλλο
τι σπλάγχνον, οὐδὲ τὸ ἧπαρ. ἀλλ’ Ἐρασίστρατος ὁ σοφὸς
ὑπεριδὼν καὶ καταφρονήσας, ὧν οὔθ’ Ἱπποκράτης, οὔτε
Διοκλῆς, οὔτε Πραξαγόρας, οὔτε Φιλιστίων, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ τῶν
ἀρίστων φιλοσόφων οὐδεὶς κατεφρόνησεν, οὔτε Πλάτων, οὔτ’
Ἀριστοτέλης, οὔτε Θεόφραστος, ὅλας ἐνεργείας ὑπερβαίνει,
καθάπερ τι σμικρὸν καὶ τὸ τυχὸν τῆς τέχνης παραλιπὼν
μέρος, οὐδ’ ἀντειπεῖν ἀξιώσας, εἴτ’ ὀρθῶς, εἴτε καὶ μὴ σύμπαντες οὗτοι θερμῷ, ψυχρῷ, ξηρῷ καὶ ὑγρῷ, τοῖς μὲν
ὡς δρῶσι, τοῖς δ’ ὡς πάσχουσι, τὰ κατὰ τὸ σῶμα τῶν
ζώων ἁπάντων διοικεῖσθαί φασι, καὶ ὡς τὸ θερμὸν ἐν
αὐτοῖς εἴς τε τὰς ἄλλας ἐνεργείας καὶ μάλιστα εἰς τὴν τῶν
χυμῶν γένεσιν τὸ πλεῖστον δύναται. ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν μὴ πείθεσθαι
τοσούτοις τε καὶ τηλικούτοις ἀνδράσι καὶ πλεῖον
αὐτὸν οἴεσθαί τι γινώσκειν ἀνεμέσητον· τὸ δὲ μήτ’ ἀντιλογίας
ἀξιῶσαι μήτε μνήμης οὕτως ἔνδοξον δόγμα θαυμαστήν
τινα τὴν ὑπεροψίαν ἐνδείκνυται. καίτοι σμικρότατός
ἐστι τὴν γνώμην καὶ ταπεινὸς ἐσχάτως ἐν ἁπάσαις ταῖς
ἀντιλογίαις, ἐν μὲν τοῖς περὶ τῆς πέψεως λόγοις τοῖς
σήπεσθαι τὰ σιτία νομίζουσι φιλοτίμως ἀντιλέγων, ἐν δὲ
τοῖς περὶ τῆς ἀναδόσεως τοῖς διὰ τὴν παράθεσιν τῶν ἀρτηριῶν
ἀναδίδοσθαι τὸ διὰ τῶν φλεβῶν αἷμα νομίζουσιν,
ἐν δὲ τοῖς περὶ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς τοῖς περιωθεῖσθαι τὸν ἀέρα
φάσκουσιν. οὐκ ὤκνησε δὲ οὐδὲ τοῖς ἀτμοειδῶς εἰς τὴν
κύστιν ἰέναι τὰ οὖρα νομίζουσιν ἀντειπεῖν, οὐδὲ τοῖς εἰς τὸν πνεύμονα φέρεσθαι τὸ ποτόν. οὕτως ἐν ἅπασι τὰς
χειρίστας ἐπιλεγόμενος δόξας ἀγάλλεται διατρίβων ἐπὶ πλέον
ταῖς ἀντιλογίαις· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς τοῦ αἵματος γενέσεως, οὐδὲν
ἀτιμοτέρας οὔσης τῆς ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ χυλώσεως τῶν σιτίων,
οὔτ’ ἀντειπεῖν τινι τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἠξίωσεν, οὔτ’ αὐτὸς
εἰσηγήσασθαί τινα ἑτέραν γνώμην ἐτόλμησεν, ὁ περὶ πασῶν
τῶν φυσικῶν ἐνεργειῶν ἐν ἀρχῇ τῶν καθόλου λόγων ὑποσχόμενος
ἐρεῖν, ὅπως τε γίνονται καὶ δι’ ὧν τινων τοῦ
ζώου μορίων. ἢ τῆς μὲν πέπτειν τὰ σιτία πεφυκυίας δυνάμεως
ἀῤῥωστούσης, ἀπεπτήσει τὸ ζῶον, τῆς δ’ αἱματούσης
τὰ πεφθέντα, οὐδὲν ἔσται πάθημα τὸ παράπαν, ἀλλ’ ἀδαμαντίνη
τις ἡμῖν αὕτη μόνη καὶ ἀπαθής ἐστιν; ἢ ἄλλο
τι τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας αὐτῆς ἔκγονον ὑπάρξει, καὶ οὐχ ὕδερος;
δῆλος οὖν ἐναργῶς ὁ Ἐρασίστρατός ἐστιν, ἐξ ὧν ἐν μὲν
τοῖς ἄλλοις οὐδὲ ταῖς φαυλοτάταις δόξαις ἀντιλέγειν ὤκνησεν,
ἐνταυθοῖ δ’ οὐδ’ ἀντειπεῖν τοῖς πρόσθεν, οὐδ’ αὐτὸς
εἰπεῖν τι καινὸν ἐτόλμησε, τὸ σφάλμα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γνωρίζων
αἱρέσεως. τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ λέγειν ἔσχεν ὑπὲρ αἵματος, ἄνθρωπος εἰς μηδὲν τῷ συμφύτῳ θερμῷ χρώμενος; τί δὲ
περὶ ξανθῆς χολῆς, ἢ μελαίνης, ἢ φλέγματος; ὅτι νὴ Δία
δυνατόν ἐστιν, ἀναμεμιγμένην τοῖς σιτίοις εὐθὺς ἔξωθεν
παραγίνεσθαι τὴν χολήν. λέγει γοῦν ᾧδέ πως αὐτοῖς ὀνόμασι·
Πότερον δ’ ἐν τῇ περὶ τὴν κοιλίαν κατεργασία τῆς
τροφῆς γεννᾶται τοιαύτη ὑγρασία, ἢ μεμιγμένη τοῖς ἔξωθεν
προσφερομένοις παραγίνεται, οὐδὲν χρήσιμον πρὸς τὴν ἰατρικὴν
ἐπεσκέφθαι. καὶ μὴν, ὦ γενναιότατε, καὶ κενοῦσθαι
χρῆναι φάσκεις τὸν χυμὸν τοῦτον ἐκ τοῦ ζώου, καὶ μεγάλως
λυπεῖν, εἰ μὴ κενωθείη. πῶς οὖν οὐδὲν ἐξ αὐτοῦ χρηστὸν
ὑπολαμβάνων γίνεσθαι τολμᾷς ἄχρηστον λέγειν εἰς ἰατρικὴν
εἶναι 45 τὴν περὶ τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ σκέψιν; ὑποκείσθω
γὰρ, ἐν μὲν τοῖς σιτίοις περιέχεσθαι, μὴ διακρίνεσθαι
δ’ ἀκριβῶς ἐν ἥπατι· ταῦτα γὰρ ἀμφότερα νομίζεις
εἶναι δυνατά. καὶ μὴν οὐ σμικρὸν ἐνταῦθα τὸ διαφέρον, ἢ
ἐλαχίστην, ἢ παμπόλλην χολὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς περιέχοντα προσάρασθαι
τὰ σιτία. τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἀκίνδυνα πάντη, τὰ δὲ
παμπόλλην περιέχοντα, τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι πᾶσαν αὐτὴν ἐν ἥπατι καθαρθῆναι καλῶς, αἴτια καταστήσεται τῶν τ’ ἄλλων
παθῶν, ὧν αὐτὸς Ἐρασίστρατος ἐπὶ πλήθει χολῆς γίνεσθαί
φησι, καὶ τῶν ἰκτερικῶν οὐχ ἥκιστα. πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἀναγκαιότατον
ἰατρῷ γινώσκειν, πρῶτον μὲν, ὡς ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις
αὐτοῖς ἔξωθεν ἡ χολὴ περιέχεται· δεύτερον δ’, ὡς τὸ μὲν
τεῦτλον, εἰ τύχοι, παμπόλλην, ὁ δ’, ἄρτος ἐλαχίστην, καὶ
τὸ μὲν ἔλαιον πλείστην, ὁ δ’ οἶνος ἐλαχίστην, ἕκαστόν τε
τῶν ἄλλων ἄνισον τῷ πλήθει περιέχει τὴν χολήν. πῶς γὰρ
οὐκ ἂν εἴη γελοιότατος, ὃς ἂν ἑκὼν αἱρῆται τὰ πλείονα
χολὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς περιέχοντα πρὸ τῶν ἐναντίων; τί δ’ εἰ
μὴ περιέχεται μὲν ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις ἡ χολὴ, γίνεται δ’ ἐν
τοῖς τῶν ζώων σώμασιν; ἢ οὐχὶ καὶ τοῦτο χρήσιμον ἐπίστασθαι,
τίνι μὲν καταστάσει σώματος ἕπεται πλείων αὐτῆς ἡ
γένεσις, τίνι δ’ ἐλάττων; ἀλλοιοῦν γὰρ δήπου καὶ μεταβάλλειν
οἷοί τ’ ἐσμὲν καὶ τρέπειν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον ἀεὶ τὰς
μοχθηρὰς καταστάσεις τοῦ σώματος. ἀλλ’ εἰ μὴ γιγνώσκοιμεν,
καθότι μοχθηρά ἐστι, καὶ πῇ τῆς δεούσης ἐξίσταται,
104 πῶς ἂν αὐτὴν ἐπανάγειν οἷοί τε εἴημεν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον; οὔκουν ἄχρηστόν ἐστιν εἰς τὰς ἰάσεις, ὡς Ἐρασίστρατός
φησιν, ἐπίστασθαι τἀληθὲς αὐτὸ περὶ γενέσεως χολῆς.
οὐ μὴν οὐδ’ ἀδύνατον οὐδ’ ἀσαφὲς ἐξευρεῖν, ὅτι μὴ τῷ πλείστην
ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιέχειν τὸ μέλι τὴν ξανθὴν χολὴν, ἀλλ’ ἐν
τῷ σώματι μεταβαλλόμενον, εἰς αὐτὴν ἀλλοιοῦταί τε καὶ τρέπεται.
πικρὸν γὰρ ἂν ἦν γευομένοις, εἰ χολὴν ἔξωθεν εὐθὺς
ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιεῖχεν, ἅπασί τ’ ἂν ὡσαύτως τοῖς ἀνθρώποις
ἴσον αὐτῆς ἐγέννα τὸ πλῆθος. ἀλλ’ οὐχ ᾧδ’ ἔχει
τἀληθές. ἐν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ἀκμάζουσι, καὶ μάλιστ’ εἰ
φύσει θερμότεροι, καὶ βίον εἶεν βιοῦντες ταλαίπωρον, ἅπαν
εἰς ξανθὴν χολὴν μεταβάλλει τὸ μέλι· τοῖς γέρουσι δ’ ἱκανῶς
ἐστιν ἐπιτήδειον, ὡς ἂν οὐκ εἰς χολὴν, ἀλλ’ εἰς αἷμα
τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν ἐκείνοις λαμβάνον. Ἐρασίστρατος δὲ, πρὸς τῷ
μηδὲν τούτων γινώσκειν, οὐδὲ περὶ τὴν διαίρεσιν τοῦ λόγου
σωφρονεῖ, πότερον ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις ἡ χολὴ περιέχεται εὐθὺς
ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ἢ κατὰ τὴν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ κατεργασίαν ἐγένετο,
μηδὲν εἶναι χρήσιμον εἰς ἰατρικὴν ἐπεσκέφθαι λέγων. ἐχρῆν γὰρ δήπου προσθεῖναί τι καὶ περὶ τῆς ἐν ἥπατι καὶ φλεψὶ
γενέσεως αὐτῆς, ἐν τοῖσδε τοῖς ὀργάνοις γεννᾶσθαι τὴν χολὴν
ἅμα τῷ αἵματι, τῶν παλαιῶν ἰατρῶν τε καὶ φιλοσόφων
ἀποφῃναμένων. ἀλλὰ τοῖς εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς σφαλεῖσι καὶ
διαμαρτάνουσι τῆς ὀρθῆς ὁδοῦ τοιαῦτά τε ληρεῖν ἀναγκαῖόν
ἐστι, καὶ προσέτι τῶν χρησιμωτάτων εἰς τὴν τέχνην παραλιπεῖν
τὴν ζήτησιν. ἡδέως οὖν, ἐνταῦθα τοῦ λόγου γεγονὼς,
ἠρόμην τοὺς ὁμιλῆσαι φάσκοντας αὐτὸν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τοῖς
ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου φιλοσόφοις, εἰ γινώσκουσιν, ὅσα περὶ
τοῦ κεκρᾶσθαι τὰ σώματα ἡμῶν ἐκ θερμοῦ καὶ ψυχροῦ
καὶ ξηροῦ καὶ ὑγροῦ πρὸς Ἀριστοτέλους εἴρηταί τε καὶ
ἀποδέδεικται· καὶ ὡς τὸ θερμὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐστι τὸ δραστικώτατον,
καὶ ὡς τῶν ζώων ὅσα μὲν θερμότερα φύσει, ταῦτα
πάντως ἔναιμα, τὰ δ’ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ψυχρότερα πάντως
ἄναιμα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τοῦ χειμῶνος, ἀργὰ καὶ ἀκίνητα
κεῖται, φωλεύοντα δίκην νεκρῶν. 46 εἴρηται δὲ καὶ περὶ
τῆς χροιᾶς τοῦ αἵματος οὐκ Ἀριστοτέλει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ
Πλάτωνι. καὶ ἡμεῖς νῦν, ὅπερ ἤδη καὶ πρόσθεν εἴπομεν, οὐ τὰ καλῶς ἀποδεδειγμένα τοῖς παλαιοῖς λέγειν προὐθέμεθα,
μήτε τῇ γνώμῃ, μήτε τῇ λέξει τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους
ὑπερβαλέσθαι δυνάμενοι· τὰ δ’ ἤτοι χωρὶς ἀποδείξεως ὡς
ἐναργῆ πρὸς αὐτῶν εἰρημένα, τῷ μηδ’ ὑπονοῆσαι μοχθηροὺς
οὕτως ἔσεσθαί τινας σοφιστὰς, οἳ καταφρονήσουσι τῆς ἐν
αὐτοῖς ἀληθείας, ἢ καὶ παραλελειμμένα τελέως ὑπ’ ἐκείνων,
ἀξιοῦμεν εὑρίσκειν τε καὶ ἀποδεικνύναι. περὶ δὲ τῆς τῶν
χυμῶν γενέσεως οὐκ οἶδ’ εἴ τις ἔχει προσθεῖναί τι σοφώτερον,
ὧν Ἱπποκράτης εἶπε, καὶ Ἀριστοτέλης, καὶ Πραξαγόρας,
καὶ Φιλότιμος, καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ τῶν παλαιῶν.
ἀποδέδεικται γὰρ ἐκείνοις τοῖς ἀνδράσιν, ἀλλοιουμένης τῆς
τροφῆς ἐν ταῖς φλεψὶν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐμφύτου θερμασίας, αἷμα
μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς συμμετρίας τῆς κατ’ αὐτὴν, οἱ δ’ ἄλλοι χυμοὶ
διὰ τὰς ἀμετρίας γινόμενοι. καὶ τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ πάνθ’
ὁμολογεῖ τὰ φαινόμενα. καὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων ὅσα μέν
ἐστι θερμότερα φύσει, χολωδέστερα, τὰ δὲ ψυχρότερα
φλεγματωδέστερα. καὶ τῶν ἡλικιῶν ὡσαύτως χολωδέστεραι μὲν αἱ θερμότεραι φύσει, φλεγματωδέστεραι δ’ αἱ ψυχρότεραι.
καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων δὲ, καὶ τῶν χωρῶν, καὶ
τῶν ὡρῶν, καὶ πολὺ δὴ πρότερον ἔτι τῶν φύσεων αὐτῶν
αἱ μὲν ψυχρότεραι φλεγματωδέστεραι, χολωδέστεραι δὲ αἱ
θερμότεραι. καὶ νοσήματα τὰ μὲν ψυχρὰ τοῦ φλέγματος
ἔκγονα, τὰ δὲ θερμὰ τῆς ξανθῆς χολῆς. καὶ ὅλως οὐδέν
ἐστιν εὑρεῖν τῶν ἁπάντων, ὃ μὴ τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ μαρτυρεῖ.
πῶς δ’ οὐ μέλλει; διὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐκ τῶν τεττάρων ποιοτήτων
ποιὰν κρᾶσιν ἑκάστου τῶν μορίων ὡδί πως ἐνεργοῦντος,
ἀνάγκη πᾶσα καὶ διὰ τὴν βλάβην αὐτῶν ἢ διαφθείρεσθαι
τελέως, ἢ ἐμποδίζεσθαί γε τὴν ἐνέργειαν, καὶ οὕτως
νοσεῖν τὸ ζῶον, ἢ ὅλον, ἢ κατὰ μόρια. καὶ πρῶτά γε καὶ
γενικώτατα νοσήματα τέτταρα τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὑπάρχει, θερμότητι
καὶ ψυχρότητι καὶ ξηρότητι καὶ ὑγρότητι διαφέροντα.
τοῦτο δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος ὁμολογεῖ, καίτοι
μὴ βουλόμενος. ὅταν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς πυρετοῖς χείρους τῶν σιτίων
τὰς πέψεις γίγνεσθαι λέγῃ, μὴ διότι τῆς ἐμφύτου θερμασίας ἡ συμμετρία διέφθαρται, καθάπερ οἱ πρόσθεν
ὑπελάμβανον, ἀλλ’ ὅτι περιστέλλεσθαι καὶ τρίβειν ἡ γαστὴρ
οὐχ ὁμοίως δύναται βεβλαμμένη τὴν ἐνέργειαν, ἐρέσθαι
δίκαιον αὐτὸν, ὑπὸ τίνος ἡ τῆς γαστρὸς ἐνέργεια βέβλαπται.
γενομένου γὰρ, εἰ τύχοι, βουβῶνος ἐπὶ προσπταίσματι, πρὶν μὲν
πυρέξαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, οὐκ ἂν χεῖρον ἡ γαστὴρ πέψειεν· οὐ
γὰρ ἱκανὸν ἦν οὐδέτερον αὐτῶν, οὔθ’ ὁ βουβὼν, οὔτε τὸ ἕλκος,
ἐμποδίσαι τι καὶ βλάψαι τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς γαστρός. εἰ δὲ
πυρέξειεν, εὐθὺς μὲν αἱ πέψεις γίνονται χείρους, εὐθὺς δὲ
καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς γαστρὸς βεβλάφθαι φαμὲν, ὀρθῶς λέγοντες.
ἀλλ’ ὑπὸ τίνος ἐβλάβη, προσθεῖναι χρὴ τῷ λόγῳ.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἕλκος οὐχ οἶόν τ’ ἦν αὐτὴν βλάπτειν, ὥσπερ
οὐδ’ ὁ βουβών· ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἔβλαπτε καὶ πρὸ τοῦ πυρετοῦ.
εἰ δὲ μὴ ταῦτα, δῆλον ὡς ἡ τῆς θερμασίας πλεονεξία.
δύο γὰρ ταῦτα προσεγένετο τῷ βουβῶνι, ἡ τῆς κατὰ τὰς
ἀρτηρίας τε καὶ τὴν καρδίαν κινήσεως ἀλλοίωσις, καὶ ἡ τῆς
κατὰ φύσιν θερμασίας πλεονεξία. ἀλλ’ ἡ μὲν τῆς κινήσεως
ἀλλοίωσις οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν βλάψει τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς γαστρὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσωφελήσει κατ’ ἐκεῖνα τῶν ζώων, ἐν οἶς
εἰς τὴν πέψιν ὑπετίθετο πλεῖστον δύνασθαι τὸ διὰ τῶν
ἀρτηριῶν εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν ἐμπίπτον πνεῦμα. 47 διὰ λοιπὴν
οὖν ἔτι καὶ μόνην τὴν ἄμετρον θερμασίαν ἡ βλάβη
τῆς ἐνεργείας τῇ γαστρί. τὸ μὲν γὰρ πνεῦμα σφοδρότερόν
τε καὶ συνεχέστερον καὶ πλέον ἐμπίπτει νῦν ἢ πρότερον.
ὥστε ταύτῃ μὲν μᾶλλον πέψει τὰ διὰ τὸ πνεῦμα καλῶς
πέττοντα ζῶα· διὰ λοιπὴν δ’ ἔτι τὴν παρὰ φύσιν θερμασίαν
ἀπεπτήσει. τὸ γὰρ καὶ τῷ πνεύματι φάναι τιν’ ὑπάρχειν
ἰδιότητα, καθ’ ἣν πέπτει, κᾄπειτα ταύτην πυρεττόντων
διαφθείρεσθαι, καθ’ ἕτερον τρόπον ἐστὶν ὁμολογῆσαι τὸ
ἄτοπον. ἐρωτηθέντες γὰρ αὖθις, ὑπὸ τίνος ἠλλοιώθη τὸ πνεῦμα,
μόνην ἕξουσιν ἀποκρίνεσθαι τὴν παρὰ φύσιν θερμασίαν,
καὶ μάλιστ’ ἐπὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν κοιλίαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ πλησιάζει
κατ’ οὐδὲν τούτων τῷ βουβῶνι. καὶ τί τῶν ζώων ἐκείνων,
ἐν οἷς ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος ἰδιότης μέγα δύναται, μνημονεύω,
παρὸν ἐπ’ ἀνθρώποις, ἐν οἷς ἢ οὐδὲν, ἢ παντάπασιν ἀμυδρόν τι καὶ μικρὸν ὠφελεῖ, ποιεῖσθαι τὸν λόγον; ἀλλ’ ὅτι
μὲν ἐν τοῖς πυρετοῖς οὗτοι κακῶς πέπτουσιν, ὁμολογεῖ καὶ
αὐτὸς, καὶ τήν γε αἰτίαν προστιθεὶς βεβλάφθαι φησὶ τῆς
γαστρὸς τὴν ἐνέργειαν. οὐ μὴν ἄλλην γέ τινα πρόφασιν
τῆς βλάβης εἰπεῖν ἔχει πλὴν τῆς παρὰ φύσιν θερμασίας.
ἀλλ’ εἰ βλάπτει τὴν ἐνέργειαν ἡ παρὰ φύσιν θερμασία, μὴ
κατά τι συμβεβηκὸς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν αὑτῆς οὐσίαν τε καὶ
δύναμιν, ἐκ τῶν πρώτων ἂν εἴη νοσημάτων. καὶ μὴν οὐκ
ἐνδέχεται τῶν πρώτων μὲν εἶναι νοσημάτων 105 τὴν ἀμετρίαν
τῆς θερμασίας, τὴν δ’ ἐνέργειαν ὑπὸ τῆς εὐκρασίας
μὴ γίγνεσθαι. οὐδὲ γὰρ δι’ ἄλλο δυνατὸν γίνεσθαι τὴν
δυσκρασίαν αἰτίαν τῶν πρώτων νοσημάτων, ἀλλ’ ἢ διὰ
τὴν εὐκρασίαν διαφθειρομένην. τῷ γὰρ ὑπὸ ταύτης γίνεσθαι
τὰς ἐνεργείας, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὰς πρώτας αὐτῶν βλάβας διαφθειρομένης
γίνεσθαι. ὅτι μὲν οὖν καὶ κατ’ αὐτὸν τὸν
Ἐρασίστρατον ἡ εὐκρασία τοῦ θερμοῦ τῶν ἐνεργειῶν αἰτία,
τοῖς θεωρεῖν τὸ ἀκόλουθον δυναμένοις ἱκανῶς ἀποδεδεῖχθαι
νομίζω. τούτου δ’ ὑπάρχοντος ἡμῖν, οὐδὲν ἔτι χαλεπὸν ἐφ’ ἑκάστης ἐνεργείας τῇ μὲν εὐκρασίᾳ τὸ βέλτιον ἕπεσθαι
λέγειν, τῇ δὲ δυσκρασίᾳ τὰ χείρω. καὶ τοίνυν, εἴπερ ταῦθ’
οὕτως ἔχει, τὸ μὲν αἷμα τῆς συμμέτρου θερμασίας, τὴν δὲ
ξανθὴν χολὴν τῆς ἀμέτρου νομιστέον ὑπάρχειν ἔγγονον.
οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἡμῖν ἔν τε ταῖς θερμαῖς ἡλικίαις, καὶ τοῖς
θερμοῖς χωρίοις, καὶ ταῖς θερμαῖς ὥραις τοῦ ἔτους, καὶ
ταῖς θερμαῖς καταστάσεσιν, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ταῖς θερμαῖς
κράσεσι τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασί τε καὶ τοῖς
διαιτήμασι καὶ τοῖς νοσήμασι τοῖς θερμοῖς, εὐλόγως ἡ
ξανθὴ χολὴ πλείστη φαίνεται γιγνομένη. τὸ δ’ ἀπορεῖν,
εἴτ’ ἐν τοῖς σώμασι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ χυμὸς οὗτος ἔχει τὴν
γένεσιν, εἴτ’ ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις περιέχεται, μηδ’, ὅτι τοῖς
ὑγιαίνουσιν ἀμέμπτως, ὅταν ἀσιτήσωσι παρὰ τὸ ἔθος ὑπό
τινος περιστάσεως πραγμάτων ἀναγκασθέντες, ἐφ’ ὧν μὲν
πικρὸν τὸ στόμα γίνεται, χολώδη δὲ τὰ οὖρα, δάκνεται
δ’ ἡ γαστὴρ, ἑωρακότος ἐστὶν, ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ ἐξαίφνης νῦν
εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐληλυθότος, καὶ μήπω τὰ κατ’ αὐτὸν φαινόμενα
γινώσκοντος. ἐπεὶ τίς οὐκ οἶδεν, ὡς ἕκαστον τῶν
ἑψομένων ἐπὶ πλέον ἁλυκώτερον μὲν τὸ πρῶτον, ὕστερον δὲ πικρότερον γίγνεται; κᾂν εἰ τὸ μέλι δὲ βουληθείης αὐτὸ
τὸ πάντων γλυκύτατον ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἕψειν, ἀποδείξεις καὶ
τοῦτο πικρότατον· ὃ γὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅσα μὴ φύσει θερμὰ
παρὰ τῆς ἑψήσεως ἐγγίνεται, τοῦτ’ ἐκ φύσεως ὑπάρχει τῷ
μέλιτι. διὰ τοῦτ’ οὖν ἑψόμενον οὐ γίνεται γλυκύτερον· ὅσον
γὰρ ἐχρῆν εἶναι θερμότητος εἰς γένεσιν γλυκύτητος, ἀκριβῶς
αὐτῷ τοῦτο πᾶν οἴκοθεν ὑπάρχει. ὃ τοίνυν ἔξωθεν
τοῖς ἐλλιπῶς θερμοῖς ἦν ὠφέλιμον, τοῦτ’ ἐκείνῳ βλάβη τε
καὶ ἀμετρία γίγνεται· 48 καὶ διὰ τοῦτο θᾶττον τῶν ἄλλων
ἑψόμενον ἀποδείκνυται πικρόν. δι’ αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο
καὶ τοῖς θερμοῖς φύσει καὶ τοῖς ἀκμάζουσιν ἑτοίμως εἰς
χολὴν μεταβάλλεται· θερμὸν γὰρ θερμῷ πλησιάζον εἰς
ἀμετρίαν κράσεως ἑτοίμως ἐξίσταται, καὶ φθάνει χολὴ γιγνόμενον,
οὐχ αἷμα. δεῖται τοίνυν ψυχρᾶς μὲν κράσεως ἀνθρώπου,
ψυχρᾶς δ’ ἡλικίας, ἵν’ εἰς αἵματος ἄγηται φύσιν.
οὔκουν ἄπο τρόπου συνεβούλευσεν Ἱπποκράτης, μὴ συμφέρον
τὸ μέλι τοῖς φύσει πικροχόλοις, ὡς ἂν θερμοτέρας δηλονότι κράσεως ὑπάρχουσιν. οὕτω δὲ τοῖς νοσήμασι τοῖς
πικροχόλοις πολέμιον εἶναι τὸ μέλι, καὶ τῇ τῶν γερόντων
ἡλικίᾳ φίλιον, οὐχ Ἱπποκράτης μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες
ἰατροὶ λέγουσιν, οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῆς φύσεως αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν
ἐνδειξαμένης εὑρόντες, οἱ δ’ ἐκ τῆς πείρας μόνης. οὐδὲ γὰρ
οὐδὲ τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐμπειρίας ἰατροῖς ἕτερόν τι παρὰ ταῦτα
τετήρηται γιγνόμενον, ἀλλὰ χρηστὸν μὲν γέροντι, νέῳ δ’ οὐ
χρηστὸν, καὶ τῷ μὲν φύσει πικροχόλῳ βλαβερὸν, ὠφέλιμον
δὲ τῷ φλεγματώδει· καὶ τῶν νοσημάτων ὡσαύτως τοῖς μὲν
πικροχόλοις ἐχθρὸν, τοῖς δὲ φλεγματώδεσι φίλον· ἑνὶ δὲ
λόγῳ, τοῖς μὲν θερμοῖς σώμασιν, ἢ διὰ φύσιν, ἢ διὰ νόσον,
ἢ δι’ ἡλικίαν, ἢ δι’ ὥραν, ἢ διὰ χώραν, ἢ δι’ ἐπιτήδευμα,
χολῆς γεννητικὸν, αἵματος δὲ τοῖς ἐναντίοις. καὶ
μὴν οὐκ ἐνδέχεται ταὐτὸν ἔδεσμα τοῖς μὲν χολὴν γεννᾷν,
τοῖς δ’ αἷμα, μὴ οὐκ ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς γενέσεως αὐτῶν
ἐπιτελουμένης. εἰ γὰρ δὴ οἴκοθέν γε καὶ παρ’ ἑαυτοῦ τῶν
ἐδεσμάτων ἕκαστον ἔχον, καὶ οὐκ ἐν τοῖς τῶν ζώων σώμασι μεταβαλλόμενον ἐγέννα τὴν χολὴν, ἐν ἅπασιν ἂν ὁμοίως
αὐτοῖς τοῖς σώμασιν ἐγέννα, καὶ τὸ μὲν πικρὸν ἔξω γευομένοις
ἦν ἂν, οἶμαι, χολῆς ποιητικὸν, εἰ δέ τι γλυκὺ καὶ
χρηστὸν, οὐκ ἂν οὐδὲ τὸ βραχύτατον ἐξ αὐτοῦ χολῆς ἐγεννᾶτο.
καὶ μὴν οὐ τὸ μέλι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων
ἕκαστον τῶν γλυκέων τοῖς προειρημένοις σώμασι, τοῖς δι’
ὁτιοῦν τῶν εἰρημένων θερμοῖς οὖσιν, εἰς χολὴν ἑτοίμως ἐξίσταται.
καίτοι ταῦτ’ οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅπως ἐξηνέχθην εἰπεῖν οὐ
προελόμενος, ἀλλ’ ὑπ’ αὐτῆς τοῦ λόγου τῆς ἀκολουθίας
ἀναγκασθείς. εἴρηται δ’ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν Ἀριστοτέλει
τε καὶ Πραξαγόρᾳ, τὴν Ἱπποκράτους καὶ Πλάτωνος
γνώμην ὀρθῶς ἐξηγησαμένοις.

Μὴ τοίνυν ὡς ἀποδείξεις ὑφ’ ἡμῶν εἰρῆσθαι
νομίζειν τὰ τοιαῦτα μᾶλλον, ἢ περὶ τῆς τῶν ἄλλως
γινωσκόντων ἀναισθησίας ἐνδείξεις, οἳ μηδὲ τὰ πρὸς ἁπάντων
ὁμολογούμενα καὶ καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν φαινόμενα γινώσκουσι·
τὰς δ’ ἀποδείξεις αὐτῶν κατ’ ἐπιστήμην ἐξ
ἐκείνων δεῖ λαμβάνειν τῶν ἀρχῶν, ὧν ἤδη καὶ πρόσθεν εἴπομεν, ὡς τὸ δρᾷν καὶ τὸ πάσχειν εἰς ἄλληλα τοῖς σώμασιν
ὑπάρχει κατὰ τὸ θερμὸν καὶ ψυχρὸν καὶ ξηρὸν καὶ ὑγρόν.
καὶ εἴτε φλέβας, εἴθ’ ἧπαρ, εἴτ’ ἀρτηρίας, εἴτε καρδίαν, εἴτε
κοιλίαν, εἴτ’ ἄλλο μόριον ἐνεργεῖν τις φήσειεν ἡντιναοῦν ἐνέργειαν,
ἀφύκτοις ἀνάγκαις ἀναγκασθήσεται διὰ τὸ τὴν ἐκ
τῶν τεττάρων ποιὰν κρᾶσιν ὁμολογῆσαι τὴν ἐνέργειαν ὑπάρχειν
αὐτῷ. διὰ τί γὰρ ἡ γαστὴρ περιστέλλεται τοῖς σιτίοις,
διὰ τί δ’ αἱ φλέβες αἷμα γεννῶσι, παρὰ τῶν Ἐρασιστρατείων
ἐδεόμην ἀκοῦσαι. τὸ γὰρ, ὅτι περιστέλλεται μόνον
αὐτὸ καθ’ ἑαυτὸ, γινώσκειν οὐδέπω χρηστὸν, εἰ μὴ καὶ
τὴν αἰτίαν εἰδείημεν· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν, οἶμαι, καὶ τὰ σφάλματα
θεραπεύσαιμεν. οὐ μέλει, φασὶν, ἡμῖν, 49 οὐδὲ
πολυπραγμονοῦμεν ἔτι τὰς τοιαύτας αἰτίας, ὑπὲρ ἰατρὸν γάρ
εἰσι καὶ τῷ φυσικῷ προσήκουσι. πότερον οὖν οὐδ’ ἀντερεῖτε
τῷ φάσκοντι, τὴν μὲν εὐκρασίαν τὴν κατὰ φύσιν αἰτίαν
εἶναι τῆς ἐνεργείας ἑκάστῳ τῶν ὀργάνων, τὴν δ’ αὖ
δυσκρασίαν νόσον τ’ ἤδη καλεῖσθαι, καὶ πάντως ὑπ’ αὐτῆς βλάπτεσθαι τὴν ἐνέργειαν; ἢ πεισθήσεσθε ταῖς τῶν
παλαιῶν ἀποδείξεσιν; ἢ τρίτον τι καὶ μέσον ἑκατέρου τούτων
πράξετε, μήθ’ ὡς ἀληθέσι τοῖς λόγοις ἐξ ἀνάγκης πειθόμενοι,
μήτ’ ἀντιλέγοντες ὡς ψευδέσιν, ἀλλ’ ἀπορηματικοί
τινες ἐξαίφνης καὶ Πυῤῥώνειοι γενήσεσθε; καὶ μὴν, εἰ τοῦτο
δράσετε, τὴν ἐμπειρίαν ἀναγκαῖον ἡμῖν προστήσασθαι. τῷ
γὰρ ἂν ἔτι τρόπῳ καὶ τῶν ἰαμάτων εὐποροίητε, τὴν οὐσίαν
ἑκάστου τῶν νοσημάτων ἀγνοοῦννες; τί οὖν οὐκ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐμπειρικοὺς
ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐκαλέσατε; τί δὲ πράγματα ἡμῖν παρέχετε,
φυσικὰς ἐνεργείας ἐπαγγελλόμενοι ζητεῖν ἰάσεως
ἕνεκα; εἴπερ γὰρ ἀδύνατος ἡ γαστήρ ἐστί τινι περιστέλλεσθαι
καὶ τρίβειν, πῶς αὐτὴν εἰς τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἐπανάξομεν,
ἀγνοοῦντες τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἀδυναμίας; ἐγὼ μὲν γάρ
φημι, τὴν μὲν ὑπερτεθερμασμένην ἐμψυκτέον ἡμῖν εἶναι,
τὴν δ’ ἐψυγμένην θερμαντέον· οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐξηραμμένην
ὑγραντέον, τὴν δ’ ὑγρασμένην ξηραντέον. ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὴν συζυγίαν, εἰ θερμοτέρα τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ἅμα καὶ
ξηροτέρα τύχοι γεγενημένη, κεφάλαιον εἶναι τῆς ἰάσεως,
ἐμψύχειν τε ἅμα καὶ ὑγραίνειν· εἰ δ’ αὖ ψυχροτέρα τε
ἅμα καὶ ὑγροτέρα, θερμαίνειν τε 106 καὶ ξηραίνειν, κᾀπὶ
τῶν ἄλλων ὡσαύτως. οἱ δ’ ἀπ’ Ἐρασιστράτου τί ποτε καὶ
πράξουσιν, οὐδ’ ὅλως ζητεῖν τῶν ἐνεργειῶν τὰς αἰτίας ὁμολογοῦντες;
ὁ γάρ τοι καρπὸς τῆς περὶ τῶν ἐνεργειῶν ζητήσεως
οὗτός ἐστι, τὸ, τὰς αἰτίας τῶν δυσκρασιῶν εἰδότα,
εἰς τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἐπανάγειν αὐτὰς, ὡς αὐτό γε τοῦτο μόνον,
τὸ γνῶναι τὴν ἑκάστου τῶν ὀργάνων ἐνέργειαν, ἥ τίς
ἐστιν, οὕτω χρηστὸν εἰς τὰς ἰάσεις. Ἐρασίστρατος δέ μοι
δοκεῖ καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτ’ ἀγνοεῖν, ὡς, εἴ τις ἐν τῷ σώματι
διάθεσις βλάπτει τὴν ἐνέργειαν, μὴ κατά τι συμβεβηκὸς,
ἀλλὰ πρώτως καὶ καθ’ ἑαυτὴν, αὕτη τὸ νόσημά ἐστιν
αὐτό. πῶς οὖν ἔτι διαγνωστικός τε καὶ ἰατρὸς τῶν νοσημάτων
ἔσται, ἀγνοῶν ὅλως αὐτὰ, τίνα τέ ἐστι καὶ πόσα
καὶ ποῖα; κατὰ μὲν δὴ τὴν γαστέρα τό γε τοσοῦτον Ἐρασίστρατος
ἠξίωσεν ζητεῖσθαι, τὸ πῶς πέττεται τὰ σιτία· τὸ δ’, ἥτις πρώτη τε καὶ ἀρχηγὸς αἰτία τούτου, πῶς οὐκ
ἐπεσκέψατο; κατὰ δὲ τὰς φλέβας καὶ τὸ αἷμα καὶ αὐτὸ
τοῦτο πῶς παρέλιπεν; ἀλλ’ οὐθ’ Ἱπποκράτης, οὔτ’ ἄλλος
τις ὧν ὀλίγῳ πρόσθεν ἐμνημόνευσα φιλοσόφων ἢ ἰατρῶν
ἄξιον ᾤετο εἶναι παραλιπεῖν· ἀλλὰ τὴν κατὰ φύσιν ἑκάστῳ
ζώῳ θερμασίαν εὔκρατόν τε καὶ μετρίως ὑγρὰν οὖσαν αἵματος
εἶναί φασι γεννητικὴν, καὶ δι’ αὑτό γε τοῦτο καὶ
τὸ αἷμα θερμὸν καὶ ὑγρὰν εἶναί φασι τῇ δυνάμει χυμὸν,
ὥσπερ τὴν ξανθὴν χολὴν θερμὴν καὶ ξηρὰν εἶναι, εἰ καὶ ὅτι
μάλισθ’ ὑγρὰ φαίνεται. διαφέρειν γὰρ αὐτοῖς δοκεῖ τὸ κατὰ
φαντασίαν ὑγρὸν τοῦ κατὰ δύναμιν. ἢ τίς οὐκ οἶδεν, ὡς
ἅλμη μὲν καὶ θάλασσα ταριχεύει τὰ κρέα καὶ ἄσηπτα
διαφυλάττει, τὸ δ’ ἄλλο πᾶν ὕδωρ τὸ πότιμον ἑτοίμως
διαφθείρει τε καὶ σήπει; τίς δ’ οὐκ οἶδεν, ὡς ξανθῆς χολῆς
ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ περιεχομένης πολλῆς ἀπαύστῳ δίψει
συνεχόμεθα, καὶ ὡς ἐμέσαντες αὐτὴν εὐθὺς ἄδιψοι γιγνόμεθα
μᾶλλον, ἢ εἴπερ πάμπολυ ποτὸν προσηράμεθα; 50 θερμὸς οὖν εὐλόγως ὁ χυμὸς οὗτος εἴρηται καὶ ξηρὸς
κατὰ δύναμιν, ὥσπερ γε καὶ τὸ φλέγμα ψυχρὸν καὶ ὑγρόν.
ἐναργεῖς γὰρ καὶ περὶ τούτου πίστεις Ἱπποκράτει τε καὶ
τοῖς ἄλλοις εἴρηνται παλαιοῖς. Πρόδικος δ’ ἐν τῷ περὶ
φύσεως ἀνθρώπου γράμματι τὸ συγκεκαυμένον καὶ οἷον
ὑπερωπτημένον ἐν τοῖς χυμοῖς ὀνομάζει φλέγμα παρὰ τὸ
πεφλέχθαι. τῇ λέξει μὲν ἑτέρως χρῆται, φυλάττει μέντοι
τὸ πρᾶγμα κατὰ ταὐτὸ τοῖς ἄλλοις. τὴν δ’ ἐν τοῖς ὀνόμασι
τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τούτου καινοτομίαν ἱκανῶς ἐνδείκνυται καὶ
Πλάτων. ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γε τὸ πρὸς ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων ὀνομαζόμενον
φλέγμα, τὸ λευκὸν τὴν χρόαν, ὃ βλένναν ὀνομάζει
Πρόδικος, ὁ ψυχρὸς καὶ ὑγρὸς χυμός ἐστιν οὗτος, καὶ
πλεῖστος τοῖς τε γέρουσι καὶ τοῖς ὅπως δή ποτε ψυχθεῖσιν
ἀθροίζεται, καὶ οὐδεὶς οὐδὲ μαινόμενος ἂν ἄλλο τι ἢ
ψυχρὸν καὶ ὑγρὸν εἴποι ἂν αὐτόν. ἆρ’ οὖν θερμὸς μέν
τίς ἐστι καὶ ὑγρὸς χυμὸς, καὶ θερμὸς ἕτερος καὶ ξηρὸς,
καὶ ὑγρὸς καὶ ψυχρὸς ἄλλος, οὐδεὶς δέ ἐστι ψυχρὸς καὶ
ξηρὸς τὴν δύναμιν, ἀλλ’ ἡ τετάρτη συζυγία τῶν κράσεων, ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑπάρχουσα, μόνοις τοῖς χυμοῖς οὐχ
ὑπάρχει; καὶ μὴν ἥ γε μέλαινα χολὴ τοιοῦτός ἐστι χυμὸς,
ἣν οἱ σωφρονοῦντες ἰατροὶ καὶ φιλόσοφοι πλεονεκτεῖν ἔφασαν
τῶν μὲν ὡρῶν τοῦ ἔτους ἐν φθινοπώρῳ μάλιστα, τῶν
δ’ ἡλικιῶν ἐν ταῖς μετὰ τὴν ἀκμήν. οὕτω δὲ καὶ διαιτήματα
καὶ χωρία καὶ καταστάσεις καὶ νόσους τινὰς
ψυχρὰς καὶ ξηρὰς εἶναί φασιν. οὐ γὰρ δὴ χωλὴν ἐν ταύτῃ
μόνῃ τῇ συζυγίᾳ τὴν φύσιν εἶναι νομίζουσιν, ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ
τὰς ἄλλας τρεῖς, οὕτω καὶ τήνδε διὰ πάντων ἐκτετάσθαι.
ηὐξάμην οὖν κᾀνταῦθ’ ἐρωτῆσαι δύνασθαι τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον,
εἰ μηδὲν ὄργανον ἡ τεχνικὴ φύσις ἐδημιούργησε καθαρτικὸν
τοῦ τοιούτου χυμοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν οὔρων ἄρα
τῆς διακρίσεώς ἐστιν ὄργανα δύο, καὶ τῆς ξανθῆς χολῆς
ἕτερον οὐ σμικρὸν, ὁ δὲ τούτων κακοηθέστερος χυμὸς ἀλᾶται
διὰ παντὸς ἐν ταῖς φλεψὶν ἀναμεμιγμένος τῷ αἵματι.
καίτοι δυσεντερίη, φησί που Ἱπποκράτης, ἢν ἀπὸ χολῆς
μελαίνης ἄρξηται, θανάσιμον. οὐ μὴν ἥ γ’ ἀπὸ τῆς ξανθῆς χολῆς ἀρξαμένη πάντως ὀλέθριος, ἀλλ’ οἱ πλείους ἐξ
αὐτῆς διασώζονται. τοσούτῳ κακοηθεστέρα τε καὶ δριμυτέρα
τὴν δύναμιν ἡ μέλαινα χολὴ τῆς ξανθῆς ἐστιν. ἆρ’ οὖν
οὔτε τῶν ἄλλων ἀνέγνω τι τῶν Ἱπποκράτους γραμμάτων
Ἐρασίστρατος οὐδὲν, οὔτε τὸ περὶ φύσεως ἀνθρώπου βιβλίον,
ἵν’ οὕτως ἀργῶς παρέλθοι τὴν περὶ τῶν χυμῶν ἐπίσκεψιν,
ἢ γιγνώσκει μὲν, ἑκὼν δὲ παραλείπει καλλίστην τῆς
τέχνης θεωρίαν; ἐχρῆν οὖν αὐτὸν μηδὲ περὶ τοῦ σπληνὸς
εἰρηκέναι τι, μηδ’ ἀσχημονεῖν ὑπὸ τῆς τεχνικῆς φύσεως
ὄργανον τηλικοῦτον μάτην ἡγούμενον κατεσκευάσθαι. καὶ
μὴν οὐχ Ἱπποκράτης μόνον ἢ Πλάτων, οὐδέν τι χείρους
Ἐρασιστράτου περὶ φύσιν ἄνδρες, ἕν τι τῶν ἐκκαθαιρόντων
τὸ αἷμα καὶ τοῦτ’ εἶναί φασι τὸ σπλάγχνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μύριοι
σὺν αὐτοῖς ἄλλοι τῶν παλαιῶν ἰατρῶν τε καὶ φιλοσόφων,
ὧν ἁπάντων προσποιησάμενος ὑπερφρονεῖν ὁ γενναῖος
Ἐρασίστρατος, οὔτ’ ἀντεῖπεν, οὔθ’ ὅλως τῆς γνώμης αὐτῶν
ἐμνημόνευσε. καὶ μὴν ὅσοις γε τὸ σῶμα θάλλει, τούτοις
ὁ σπλὴν φθίνει, φησὶν Ἱπποκράτης, καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐμπειρίας ὁρμώμενοι πάντες ὁμολογοῦσιν ἰατροί· καὶ ὅσοις
γ’ αὖ μέγας καὶ ὕπουλος αὐξάνεται, τούτοις καταφθίνει,
καὶ κακοχύμους τὰ σώματα τίθησιν. ὡς καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν
οὐχ Ἱπποκράτης μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Πλάτων, ἄλλοι τε πολλοὶ,
καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐμ 51 πειρίας ὁμολογοῦσιν ἰατροί. καὶ ἀπὸ
σπληνὸς δὲ κακοπραγοῦντος ἴκτεροι μελάντεροι, καὶ τῶν
ἑλκῶν αἱ οὐλαὶ μέλαιναι. καθόλου γὰρ, ὅταν ἐνδεέστερον
ἢ προσῆκεν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἕλκῃ τὸν μελαγχολικὸν χυμὸν, ἀκάθαρτον
μὲν τὸ αἷμα, κακόχρουν δὲ τὸ πᾶν γίνεται σῶμα.
πότε δ’ ἐνδεέστερον ἕλκει, ἢ δηλονότι κακῶς διακείμενος;
ὥσπερ οὖν ἐν τοῖς νεφροῖς ἐνεργείας οὔσης ἕλκειν τὰ οὖρα,
εἰ κακῶς ἕλκειν ὑπάρχει, κακοπραγοῦσιν, οὕτω καὶ τῷ σπληνὶ
ποιότητος μελαγχολικῆς ἑλκτικὴν ἑαυτῷ δύναμιν ἔχοντι σύμφυτον,
ἀῤῥωστήσαντί ποτε, ταύτην ἀναγκαῖον ἕλκειν κακῶς,
κᾀν τῷδε παχύτερον ἤδη καὶ μελάντερον γίγνεσθαι τὸ
αἷμα. ταῦτ’ οὖν ἅπαντα, πρός τε τὰς διαγνώσεις τῶν νοσημάτων
καὶ τὰς ἰάσεις μεγίστην παρεχόμενα χρείαν, ὑπερεπήδησε τελέως ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος, καὶ καταφρονεῖν προσεποιήσατο
τηλικούτων ἀνδρῶν, ὁ μηδὲ τῶν τυχόντων καταφρονῶν,
ἀλλ’ ἀεὶ φιλοτίμως ἀντιλέγων ταῖς ἠλιθιωτάταις
δόξαις. ᾧ δῆλον, ὡς οὐδὲν ἔχων οὔτ’ ἀντειπεῖν τοῖς
πρεσβυτέροις, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἀπεφῄναντο περὶ σπληνὸς ἐνεργείας
τε καὶ χρείας, οὔτ’ αὐτὸς ἐξευρίσκων τι καινὸν, εἰς τὸ μηδὲν
ὅλως εἰπεῖν ἀφίκετο. ἀλλ’ ἡμεῖς γε πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τῶν
αἰτίων, οἶς ἅπαντα διοικεῖται τὰ κατὰ τὰς φύσεις, τοῦ θερμοῦ
λέγω, καὶ ψυχροῦ, καὶ ξηροῦ, καὶ ὑγροῦ, δεύτερον δ’
ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐναργῶς φαινομένων κατὰ τὸ σῶμα ψυχρὸν καὶ
ξηρὸν εἶναί τινα χρῆναι χυμὸν ἀπεδείξαμεν. ἑξῆς δὲ, ὅτι
μελαγχολικὸς οὗτος ὑπάρχει, καὶ τὸ καθαῖρον αὐτὸ σπλάγχνον
ὁ σπλήν ἐστιν, διὰ βραχέων ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα τῶν τοῖς
παλαιοῖς ἀποδεδειγμένων ἀναμνήσαντες, ἐπὶ τὸ 107 λεῖπον
ἔτι τοῖς παροῦσι λόγοις ἀφιξόμεθα. τί δ’ ἂν εἴη λεῖπον
ἄλλο γε, ἢ ἐξηγήσασθαι σαφῶς, οἷόν τι βούλονταί τε καὶ ἀποδεικνύουσι περὶ τὴν τῶν χυμῶν γένεσιν οἱ παλαιοὶ
συμβαίνειν. ἐναργέστερον δ’ ἂν γνωσθείη διὰ παραδείγματος.
οἶνον δή μοι νόει γλυκὺν, οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ τῶν
σταφυλῶν ἐκτεθλιμμένον, ζέοντά τε καὶ ἀλλοιούμενον ὑπὸ
τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ θερμασίας· ἔπειτα κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ μεταβολὴν
δύο γεννώμενα περιττώματα, τὸ μὲν κουφότερόν τε καὶ
ἀερωδέστερον, τὸ δὲ βαρύτερόν τε καὶ γεωδέστερον, ὧν τὸ
μὲν ἄνθος, οἶμαι, τὸ δὲ τρύγα καλοῦσι. τούτων τῷ μὲν
ἑτέρῳ τὴν ξανθὴν χολὴν, τῷ δ’ ἑτέρῳ τὴν μέλαιναν εἰκάζων
οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις, οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐχόντων ἰδέαν τῶν
χυμῶν τούτων ἐν τῷ κατὰ φύσιν διοικεῖσθαι τὸ ζῶον, οἵαν
καὶ τὸ παρὰ φύσιν ἔχοντες ἐπιφαίνονται πολλάκις. ἡ μὲν
γὰρ ξανθὴ λεκιθώδης γίνεται· καὶ γὰρ ὀνομάζουσιν οὕτως
αὐτὴν, ὅτι ταῖς τῶν ὠῶν λεκίθοις ὁμοιοῦται κατά τε χρόαν
καὶ πάχος· ἡ δ’ αὖ μέλαινα κακοηθεστέρα μὲν πολὺ καὶ
αὕτη τῆς κατὰ φύσιν· ὄνομα δ’ οὐδὲν ἴδιον κεῖται τῷ
τοιούτῳ χυμῷ, πλὴν εἴπου τινὲς ἢ ξυστικὸν, ἢ ὀξώδη κεκλήκασιν
αὐτὸν, ὅτι καὶ δριμὺς ὁμοίως ὄξει γίγνεται, καὶ ξύει γε τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ζώου καὶ τὴν γῆν, εἰ κατ’ αὐτῆς ἐκχυθείη,
καὶ τινα μετὰ πομφολύγων οἷον ζύμωσίν τε καὶ ζέσιν
ἐργάζεται, σηπεδόνος ἐπικτήτου προσελθούσης ἐκείνῳ
τῷ κατὰ φύσιν ἔχοντι χυμῷ τῷ μέλανι. καί μοι δοκοῦσιν
οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν παλαιῶν ἰατρῶν αὐτὸ μὲν τὸ κατὰ φύσιν
ἔχον τοῦ τοιούτου χυμοῦ, καὶ διαχωροῦν κάτω, καὶ πολλάκις
ἐπιπολάζον ἄνω, μέλανα καλεῖν χυμὸν, οὐ μέλαιναν χολήν·
τὸ δ’ ἐκ συγκαύσεώς τινος καὶ σηπεδόνος εἰς τὴν
ὀξεῖαν μεθιστάμενον ποιότητα μέλαιναν ὀνομάζειν χολήν.
52 ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τῶν ὀνομάτων οὐ χρὴ διαφέρεσθαι, τὸ
δ’ ἀληθὲς ᾦδ’ ἔχον εἰδέναι. κατὰ τὴν τοῦ αἵματος γένεσιν,
ὅσον ἄν ἱκανῶς παχὺ καὶ γεῶδες ἐκ τῆς τῶν σιτίων
φύσεως ἐμφερόμενον τῇ τροφῇ μὴ δέξηται καλῶς τὴν ἐκ
τῆς ἐμφύτου θερμασίας ἀλλοίωσιν, ὁ σπλὴν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἕλκει
τοῦτο. τὸ δ’ ὀπτηθὲν, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, καὶ συγκαυθὲν
τῆς τροφῆς (εἴη δ’ ἄν τοῦτο τὸ θερμότατον ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ
γλυκύτατον, οἷον τό τε μέλι καὶ ἡ πιμελὴ) ξανθὴ γενόμενον
χολὴ διὰ τῶν χοληδόχων ὀνομαζομένων ἀγγείων ἐκκαθαίρεται. λεπτὸν δέ ἐστι τοῦτο, καὶ ὑγρὸν, καὶ ῥυτὸν, οὐχ ὥσπερ
ὅταν ὑπεροπτηθὲν ἐσχάτως ξανθὸν καὶ πυρῶδες καὶ παχὺ
γένηται ταῖς τῶν ὠῶν ὅμοιον λεκίθοις. τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ ἤδη
παρὰ φύσιν· θάτερον δὲ τὸ πρότερον εἰρημένον κατὰ φύσιν
ἐστίν· ὥσπερ γε καὶ τοῦ μέλανος χυμοῦ τὸ μὲν μήπω
τὴν οἰκείαν ζέσιν τε καὶ ζύμωσιν τῆς γῆς ἐργαζόμενον κατὰ
φύσιν ἐστὶ, τὸ δ’ εἰς τοιαύτην μεθιστάμενον ἰδέαν τε καὶ
δύναμιν ἤδη παρὰ φύσιν, ὡς ἂν τὴν ἐκ τῆς συγκαύσεως
τοῦ παρὰ φύσιν θερμοῦ προσειληφὸς δριμύτητα, καὶ οἷον
τέφρα τις ἤδη γεγονός. ᾧδέ πως καὶ ἡ κεκαυμένη τρὺξ τῆς
ἀκαύστου διήνεγκε. θερμὸν γάρ τοι χρῆμα αὕτη ἱκανῶς
ἐστιν, ὥστε καίειν καὶ τήκειν καὶ διαφθείρειν τὴν σάρκα.
τῇ δ’ ἑτέρᾳ, τῇ μήπω κεκαυμένῃ, τοὺς ἰατρούς ἐστιν εὑρεῖν
χρωμένους, εἰς ὅσα περ καὶ τῇ γῇ τῇ καλουμένῃ κεραμίτιδι,
καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅσα ξηραίνειν τε καὶ ψύχειν ἅμα πέφυκεν.
εἰς τὴν τῆς οὕτω συγκαυθείσης μελαίνης χολῆς ἰδέαν καὶ
ἡ λεκιθώδης ἐκείνη μεθίσταται πολλάκις, ὅταν καὶ αὐτή
ποθ’ οἷον ὀπτηθεῖσα τύχῃ πυρώδει θερμασίᾳ. τὰ δ’ ἄλλα τῶν χολῶν εἴδη ξύμπαντα, τὰ μὲν ἐκ τῆς τῶν εἰρημένων
κράσεως γίγνεται, τὰ δ’ οἷον ὁδοί τινές εἰσι τῆς τούτων
γενέσεώς τε καὶ εἰς ἄλληλα μεταβολῆς. διαφέρουσι δὲ τῷ
τὰς μὲν ἀκράτους εἶναι καὶ μόνας, τὰς δ’ οἷον ὀῤῥοῖς τισιν
ἐξυγρασμένας. ἀλλ’ οἱ μὲν ὀῤῥοὶ τῶν χυμῶν ἅπαντες περιττώματα,
καὶ καθαρὸν αὐτῶν εἶναι δεῖται τοῦ ζώου τὸ
σῶμα. τῶν δ’ εἰρημένων ἐστί τις χρεία τῇ φύσει, καὶ τοῦ
παχέος, καὶ τοῦ λεπτοῦ. καὶ καθαίρεται πρός τε τοῦ σπληνὸς
καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τῷ ἥπατι κύστεως τὸ αἷμα, καὶ ἀποτίθεται
τοσοῦτόν τε καὶ τοιοῦτον ἑκατέρου μέρος, ὅσον καὶ οἷον,
εἴπερ εἰς ὅλον ἠνέχθη τοῦ ζώου τὸ σῶμα, βλάβην ἡντιναοῦν
εἰργάσατο. τὸ γὰρ ἱκανῶς παχὺ καὶ γεῶδες καὶ τελέως
διαπεφευγὸς τὴν ἐν τῷ ἥπατι μεταβολὴν ὁ σπλὴν εἰς ἑαυτὸν
ἕλκει· τὸ δ’ ἄλλο τὸ μετρίως παχὺ σὺν τῷ κατειργάσθαι
πάντη φέρεται. δεῖται γὰρ ἐν πολλοῖς τοῦ ζώου μορίοις
παχύτητός τινος τὸ αἷμα, καθάπερ, οἶμαι, καὶ τῶν ἐμφερομένων ἰνῶν. καὶ εἴρηται μὲν καὶ Πλάτωνι περὶ τῆς
χρείας αὐτῶν· εἰρήσεται δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς γράμμασιν,
ἐν οἷς ἂν τὰς χρείας τῶν μορίων διεξερχώμεθα.
δεῖται δὲ οὐχ ἥκιστα καὶ τοῦ ξανθοῦ χυμοῦ, μήπω πυρώδους
ἐσχάτως γεγενημένου, τὸ αἷμα. τοῦ καὶ τίς αὐτῷ
καὶ ἡ παρὰ τοῦδε χρεία, δι’ ἐκείνων εἰρήσεται. φλέγματος
δ’ οὐδὲν ἐποίησεν ἡ φύσις ὄργανον καθαρτικὸν, ὅτι ψυχρὸν
καὶ ὑγρόν ἐστι, καὶ οἷον ἡμίπεπτός τις τροφή. δεῖται
τοίνυν οὐ κενοῦσθαι τὸ τοιοῦτον, ἀλλ’ ἐν τῷ σώματι
μένον ἀλλοιοῦσθαι. τὸ δ’ ἐξ ἐγκεφάλου καταῤῥέον περίττωμα
τάχα μὲν ἂν οὐδὲ φλέγμα τις ὀρθῶς, ἀλλὰ βλένναν
τε καὶ κόρυζαν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὀνομάζεται, καλοίη· εἰ
δὲ μὴ, ἀλλ’ ὅτι γε τῆς τούτου κενώσεως ὀρθῶς ἡ φύσις
προὐνοήσατο, καὶ τοῦτ’ ἐν τοῖς περὶ χρείας μορίων εἰρήσεται.
καὶ γὰρ οὖν καὶ τὸ κατὰ τὴν γαστέρα τε καὶ τὰ ἔντερα
συνιστάμενον φλέγμα ὅπως ἂν ἐκκενῷτο καὶ αὐτὸ
μάλιστά τε καὶ τάχιστα, παρεσκευασμένον τῇ 53 φύσει
μηχάνημα δι’ ἐκείνων εἰρήσεται καὶ αὐτὸ τῶν ὑπομνημάτων. ὅσον οὖν ἐμφέρεται ταῖς φλεψὶ φλέγμα, χρήσιμον
ὑπάρχον τοῖς ζώοις, οὐδὲ μιᾶς δεῖται κενώσεως. προσέχειν
δὲ χρὴ κᾀνταῦθα τὸν νοῦν καὶ γινώσκειν, ὥσπερ τῶν χολῶν
ἑκατέρας τὸ μὲν χρήσιμον καὶ κατὰ φύσιν ἐν τοῖς
ζώοις, τὸ δ’ ἄχρηστόν τε καὶ παρὰ φύσιν, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ
φλέγματος, ὅσον μὲν ἂν ᾖ γλυκὺ, χρηστὸν μὲν εἶναι τοῦτο
τῷ ζώῳ καὶ κατὰ φύσιν, ὅσον δ’ ὀξὺ καὶ ἁλμυρὸν ἐγένετο,
τὸ μὲν ὀξὺ τελέως ἠπεπτῆσθαι, τὸ δ’ ἁλμυρὸν διασεσῆφθαι.
τελείαν δ’ ἀπεψίαν φλέγματος ἀκούειν χρὴ τῆς
δευτέρας πέψεως, δηλονότι τῆς ἐν φλεψίν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῆς
γε πρώτης, τῆς κατὰ τὴν κοιλίαν, ἢ οὐδ’ ἂν ἐγεγένητο τὴν
ἀρχὴν χυμὸς, εἰ καὶ ταύτην διεπεφεύγει. ταῦτ’ ἀρκεῖν μοι
δοκεῖ περὶ γενέσεώς τε καὶ διαφθορᾶς χυμῶν ὑπομνήματα
εἶναι τῶν Ἱπποκράτει τε καὶ Πλάτωνι, καὶ Ἀριστοτέλει,
καὶ Πραξαγόρᾳ, καὶ Διοκλεῖ, καὶ πολλοῖς ἄλλοις τῶν παλαιῶν
εἰρημένων. οὐ γὰρ ἐδικαίωσα πάντα μεταφέρειν εἰς
τόνδε τὸν λόγον τὰ τελέως ἐκείνοις γεγραμμένα. τοσοῦτον
δὲ μόνον ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου εἶπον, ὅσον ἐξορμήσει τε τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας, εἰ μὴ παντάπασιν εἶεν σκαιοὶ, τοῖς τῶν
παλαιῶν ἀνδρῶν ὁμιλῆσαι γράμμασι, καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸ ῥᾷον
αὐτοῖς συνεῖναι βοήθειαν παρέξει. γέγραπται δέ που καὶ
δι’ ἑτέρου λόγου περὶ τῶν κατὰ Πραξαγόραν τὸν Νικάρχου
χυμῶν. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα δέκα ποιεῖ χωρὶς
τοῦ αἵματος, ἑνδέκατος γὰρ ἂν εἴη χυμὸς αὐτὸ τὸ αἷμα,
τῆς Ἱπποκράτους οὐκ ἀποχωρεῖ διδασκαλίας. ἀλλ’ εἰς εἴδη
τινὰ 108 καὶ διαφορὰς τέμνει τοὺς ὑπ’ ἐκείνου πρῶτον
πάντας ἅμα ταῖς οἰκείαις ἀποδείξεσιν εἰρημένους χυμούς.
ἐπαινεῖν μὲν οὖν χρὴ τούς τ’ ἐξηγησαμένους τὰ καλῶς
εἰρημένα, καὶ τοὺς, εἴ τι παραλέλειπται, προστιθέντας· οὐ
γὰρ οἶόν τε τὸν αὐτὸν ἄρξασθαι καὶ τελειῶσαι· μέμφεσθαι
δὲ τοὺς οὕτως ἀταλαιπώρους, ὡς μηδὲν ὑπομένειν
μαθεῖν τῶν ὀρθῶς εἰρημένων, καὶ τοὺς εἰς τοσοῦτον φιλοτίμους,
ὥστ’ ἐπιθυμίᾳ νεωτέρων δογμάτων ἀεὶ πανουργεῖν
τι καὶ σοφίζεσθαι, τὰ μὲν ἑκοντὶ παραλιπόντας,
ὥσπερ Ἐρασίστρατος ἐπὶ τῶν χυμῶν ἐποίησε, τὰ δὲ πανούργως ἀντιλέγοντας, ὥσπερ οὗτός τ’ αὐτὸς καὶ ἄλλοι
πολλοὶ τῶν νεωτέρων. ἀλλ’ οὗτος μὲν ὁ λόγος ἐνταυθοῖ
τελευτάτω, τὸ δ’ ὑπόλοιπον ἅπαν ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ
προσθήσω.

Περί φυσικῶν δυνάμεων Perseus (Galen. On the Natural Faculties. Brock, Arthur John, editor. London: William Heinemann Ltd.; Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press, 1916.) — 2 focus

Β

[1] k.v.2.p.74 Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν οὐκ Ἐρασιστράτῳ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν, ὅσοι μέλλουσι περὶ διακρίσεως οὔρων ἐρεῖν τι χρηστόν, ὁμολογῆσαι δύναμίν τινʼ ὑπάρχειν τοῖς νεφροῖς ἕλκουσαν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ποιότητα τοιαύτην, οἵα ἐν τοῖς οὔροις ἐστί, διὰ τοῦ πρόσθεν ἐπιδέδεικται γράμματος, ἀναμιμνησκόντων ἅμʼ αὐτῷ καὶ τοῦθʼ ἡμῶν, ὡς οὐκ ἄλλως μὲν εἰς τὴν κύστιν φέρεται τὰ οὖρα διὰ τῶν νεφρῶν, ἄλλως δʼ εἰς ἅπαντα τοῦ ζῴου τὰ μόρια τὸ αἷμα, κατʼ ἄλλον δέ τινα τρόπον ἡ ξανθὴ χολὴ διακρίνεται. k.v.2.p.75 δειχθείσης γὰρ ἐναργῶς ἐφʼ ἑνὸς οὑτινοσοῦν ὀργάνου τῆς ἑλκτικῆς τε καὶ ἐπισπαστικῆς ὀνομαζομένης δυνάμεως οὐδὲν ἔτι χαλεπὸν ἐπὶ τὰ λοιπὰ μεταφέρειν αὐτήν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῖς μὲν νεφροῖς ἡ φύσις ἔδωκέ τινα τοιαύτην δύναμιν, οὐχὶ δέ γε καὶ τοῖς τὸ χολῶδες ὑγρὸν ἕλκουσιν ἀγγείοις οὐδὲ τούτοις μέν, οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων μορίων ἑκάστῳ. καὶ μὴν εἰ τοῦτʼ ἀληθές ἐστι, θαυμάζειν χρὴ τοῦ Ἐρασιστράτου ψευδεῖς οὕτω λόγους ὑπὲρ ἀναδόσεως τροφῆς εἰπόντος, ὡς μηδʼ Ἀσκληπιάδην λαθεῖν. καίτοι γʼ οἴεται παντὸς μᾶλλον ἀληθὲς ὑπάρχειν, ὡς, εἴπερ ἐκ τῶν φλεβῶν ἀπορρέοι τι, δυοῖν θάτερον ἢ κενὸς ἔσται τόπος ἀθρόως ἢ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐπιρρυήσεται τὴν βάσιν ἀναπληροῦν τοῦ κενουμένου. ἀλλʼ ὅ γʼ Ἀσκληπιάδης οὐ δυοῖν θάτερόν φησιν, ἀλλὰ τριῶν ἕν τι χρῆναι λέγειν ἐπὶ τοῖς κενουμένοις ἀγγείοις ἕπεσθαι ἢ κενὸν ἀθρόως τόπον ἢ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀκολουθήσειν ἢ συσταλήσεσθαι τὸ ἀγγεῖον. ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν καλάμων καὶ τῶν αὐλίσκων τῶν εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ καθιεμένων ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, ὅτι κενουμένου τοῦ k.v.2.p.76 περιεχομένου κατὰ τὴν εὐρυχωρίαν αὐτῶν ἀέρος ἢ κενὸς ἀθρόως ἔσται τόπος ἢ ἀκολουθήσει τὸ συνεχές· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν φλεβῶν οὐκέτʼ ἐγχωρεῖ, δυναμένου δὴ τοῦ χιτῶνος αὐτῶν εἰς ἑαυτὸν συνιζάνειν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καταπίπτειν εἰς τὴν ἐντὸς εὐρυχωρίαν. οὕτω μὲν δὴ ψευδὴς ἡ περὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίας οὐκ ἀπόδειξις μὰ Διʼ εἴποιμʼ ἂν ἀλλʼ ὑπόθεσις Ἐρασιστράτειος.

καθʼ ἕτερον δʼ αὖ τρόπον, εἰ καὶ ἀληθὴς εἴη, περιττή, τῆς μὲν κοιλίας ἐνθλίβειν ταῖς φλεψὶ δυναμένης, ὡς αὐτὸς ὑπέθετο, τῶν φλεβῶν δʼ αὖ περιστέλλεσθαι τῷ ἐνυπάρχοντι καὶ προωθεῖν αὐτό. τά τε γὰρ ἄλλα καὶ πλῆθος οὐκ ἂν ἐν τῷ σώματι γένοιτο, τῇ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίᾳ μόνῃ τῆς ἀναδόσεως ἐπιτελουμένης. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἡ τῆς γαστρὸς ἔνθλιψις ἐκλύεται προϊοῦσα καὶ μέχρι παντὸς ἀδυνατός ἐστιν ἐξικνεῖσθαι καὶ διὰ τοῦτʼ ἄλλης τινὸς δεῖ μηχανῆς εἰς τὴν πάντη φορὰν τοῦ αἵματος, ἀναγκαία μὲν ἡ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθία προσεξεύρηται· πλῆθος δʼ k.v.2.p.77 ἐν οὐδενὶ τῶν μεθʼ ἧπαρ ἔσται μορίων, ἤ, εἴπερ ἄρα, περὶ τὴν καρδίαν τε καὶ τὸν πνεύμονα. μόνη γὰρ αὕτη τῶν μεθʼ ἧπαρ εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν αὑτῆς κοιλίαν ἕλκει τὴν τροφήν, εἶτα διὰ τῆς φλεβὸς τῆς ἀρτηριώδους ἐκπέμπει τῷ πνεύμονι· τῶν γὰρ ἄλλων οὐδὲν οὐδʼ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος ἐκ καρδίας βούλεται τρέφεσθαι διὰ τὴν τῶν ὑμένων ἐπίφυσιν. εἰ δέ γʼ, ἵνα πλῆθος γένηται, φυλάξομεν ἄχρι παντὸς τὴν Ῥώμην τῆς κατὰ τὴν κοιλίαν ἐνθλίψεως, οὐδὲν ἔτι δεόμεθα τῆς πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίας, μάλιστʼ εἰ καὶ τὴν τῶν φλεβῶν συνυποθοίμεθα περιστολήν, ὡς αὖ καὶ τοῦτʼ αὐτῷ πάλιν ἀρέσκει τῷ Ἐρασιστράτῳ.

[2] Ἀναμνηστέον οὖν αὖθις αὐτόν, κἂν μὴ βούληται, τῶν νεφρῶν καὶ λεκτέον, ὡς ἔλεγχος οὗτοι φανερώτατος ἁπάντων τῶν ἀποχωρούντων τῆς ὁλκῆς· οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὐδὲν οὔτʼ εἶπε πιθανόν, ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἐξευρεῖν εἶχε κατʼ οὐδένα τρόπον, ὡς ἔμπροσθεν ἐδείκνυμεν, ἕτερον αἴτιον οὔρων διακρίσεως, ἀλλʼ ἀναγκαῖον ἢ μαίνεσθαι δοκεῖν, εἰ k.v.2.p.78 φήσαιμεν ἀτμοειδῶς εἰς τὴν κύστιν ἴέναι τὸ οὖρον ἢ ἀσχημονεῖν τῆς πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίας μνημονεύοντας, ληρώδους μὲν οὔσης κἀπὶ τοῦ αἵματος, ἀδυνάτου δὲ καὶ ἠλιθίου παντάπασιν ἐπὶ τῶν οὔρων.

Ν̔ μὲν δὴ τοῦτο σφάλμα τῶν ἀποστάντων τῆς ὁλκῆς· ἕτερον δὲ τὸ περὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ξανθὴν χολὴν διακρίσεως. οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἐκεῖ παραρρέοντος τοῦ αἵματος τὰ στόματα τῶν χοληδόχων ἀγγείων ἀκριβῶς διακριθήσεται τὸ χολῶδες περίττωμα. καὶ μὴ διακρινέσθω, φασίν, ἀλλὰ συναναφερέσθω τῷ αἵματι πάντη τοῦ σώματος. ἀλλʼ, ὦ σοφώτατοι, προνοητικὴν τοῦ ζῴου καὶ τεχνικὴν αὐτὸς ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος ὑπέθετο τὴν φυσιν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ χολῶδες ὑγρὸν ἄχρηστον εἶναι πανταπάσι τοῖς ζῴοις ἔφασκεν. οὐ συμβαίνει δʼ ἀλλήλοις ἄμφω ταῦτα. πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἔτι προνοεῖσθαι τοῦ ζῴου δόξειεν ἐπιτρέπουσα συναναφέρεσθαι τῷ αἵματι μοχθηρὸν οὕτω χυμόν;

ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν σμικρά· τὸ δὲ μέγιστον καὶ σαφέστατον πάλιν ἐνταῦθʼ ἁμάρτημα καὶ δὴ φράσω. εἴπερ γὰρ διʼ οὐδὲν ἄλλʼ ἢ ὅτι παχύτερον k.v.2.p.79 μέν ἐστι τὸ αἷμα, λεπτοτέρα δʼ ἡ ξανθὴ χολὴ καὶ τὰ μὲν τῶν φλεβῶν εὐρύτερα στόματα, τὰ δὲ τῶν χοληδόχων ἀγγείων στενότερα, διὰ τοῦθʼ ἡ μὲν χολὴ τοῖς στενοτέροις ἀγγείοις τε καὶ στόμασιν ἐναρμόττει, τὸ δʼ αἷμα τοῖς εὐρυτέροις, δῆλον, ὡς καὶ τὸ ὑδατῶδες τοῦτο καὶ ὀρρῶδες περίττωμα τοσούτῳ πρότερον εἰσρυήσεται τοῖς χοληδόχοις ἀγγείοις, ὅσῳ λεπτότερόν ἐστι τῆς χολῆς. πῶς οὖν οὐκ εἰσρεῖ; ὅτι παχύτερόν ἐστι νὴ Δία τὸ οὖρον τῆς χολῆς· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐτόλμησέ τις εἰπεῖν τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς Ἐρασιστρατείων ἀποστὰς δηλονότι τῶν αἰσθήσεων, αἷς ἐπίστευσεν ἐπί τε τῆς χολῆς καὶ τοῦ αἵματος. εἴτε γὰρ ὅτι μᾶλλον ἡ χολὴ τοῦ αἵματος Ῥεῖ, διὰ τοῦτο λεπτοτέραν αὐτὴν ἡμῖν ἐστι νομιστέον, εἴθʼ ὅτι διʼ ὀθόνης ἢ Ῥάκους ἤ τινος ἠθμοῦ Ῥᾷον διεξέρχεται καὶ ταύτης τὸ ὀρρῶδες περίττωμα, κατὰ ταῦτα τὰ γνωρίσματα παχυτέρα τῆς ὑδατώδους ὑγρότητος καὶ αὕτη γενήσεται. πάλιν γὰρ οὐδʼ ἐνταῦθα λόγος οὐδείς ἐστιν, ὃς ἀποδείξει λεπτὸτέραν τὴν χολὴν τῶν ὀρρωδῶν περιττωμάτων.

ἀλλʼ ὅταν τις ἀναισχυντῇ περιπλέκων τε καὶ k.v.2.p.80 μήπω καταπεπτωκέναι συγχωρῶν, ὅμοιος ἔσται τοῖς ἰδιώταις τῶν παλαιστῶν, οἳ καταβληθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν παλαιστρικῶν καὶ κατὰ τῆς γῆς ὕπτιοι κείμενοι τοσούτου δέουσι τὸ πτῶμα γνωρίζειν, ὥστε καὶ κρατοῦσι τῶν αὐχένων αὐτοὺς τοὺς καταβαλόντας οὐκ ἐῶντες ἀπαλλάττεσθαι, κἀν τούτῳ νικᾶν ὑπολαμβάνουσι.

[3] λῆρος οὖν μακρὸς ἅπασα πόρων ὑπόθεσις εἰς φυσικὴν ἐνέργειαν. εἰ μὴ γὰρ δύναμίς τις σύμφυτος ἑκάστῳ τῶν ὀργάνων ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς δοθείη, διαρκεῖν οὐ δυνήσεται τὰ ζῷα, μὴ ὅτι τοσοῦτον ἀριθμὸν ἐτῶν ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἡμερῶν ὀλιγίστων· ἀνεπιτρόπευτα γὰρ ἐάσαντες αὐτὰ καὶ τέχνης καὶ προνοίας ἔρημα μόναις ταῖς τῶν ὑλῶν οἰακιζόμενα Ῥοπαῖς, οὐδαμοῦ δυνάμεως οὐδεμιᾶς τῆς μὲν ἑλκούσης τὸ προσῆκον ἑαυτῇ, τῆς δʼ ἀπωθούσης τὸ ἀλλότριον, τῆς δʼ ἀλλοιούσης τε καὶ προσφυούσης τὸ θρέψον, οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως οὐκ ἂν εἴημεν καταγέλαστοι περί τε τῶν φυσικῶν ἐνεργειῶν διαλεγόμενοι καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἔτι περὶ k.v.2.p.81 τῶν ψυχικῶν καὶ συμπάσης γε τῆς ζωῆς.

οὐδὲ γὰρ ζῆν οὐδὲ διαμένειν οὐδενὶ τῶν ζῴων οὐδʼ εἰς ἐλάχιστον χρόνον ἔσται δυνατόν, εἰ τοσαῦτα κεκτημένον ἐν ἑαυτῷ μόρια καὶ οὕτω διαφέροντα μήθʼ ἑλκτικῇ τῶν οἰκείων χρήσεται δυνάμει μήτʼ ἀποκριτικῇ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων μήτʼ ἀλλοιωτικῇ τῶν θρεψόντων. καὶ μὴν εἰ ταύτας ἔχοιμεν, οὐδὲν ἔτι πόρων μικρῶν ἢ μεγάλων ἐξ ὑποθέσεως ἀναποδείκτου λαμβανομένων εἰς οὔρου καὶ χολῆς διάκρισιν δεόμεθα καί τινος ἐπικαίρου θέσεως, ἐν ᾧ μόνῳ σωφρονεῖν ἔοικεν ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος ἅπαντα καλῶς τεθῆναί τε καὶ διαπλας θῆναι τὰ μόρια τοῦ σώματος ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως οἰόμενος.

ἀλλʼ εἰ παρακολουθήσειεν ἑαυτῷ φύσιν ὀνομάζοντι τεχνικήν, εὐθὺς μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἅπαντα καλῶς διαπλάσασάν τε καὶ διαθεῖσαν τοῦ ζῴου τὰ μόρια, μετὰ δὲ τὴν τοιαύτην ἐνέργειαν, ὡς οὐδὲν ἔλειπεν, ἔτι προαγαγοῦσαν εἰς φῶς αὐτὸ σύν τισι δυνάμεσιν, ὧν ἄνευ ζῆν οὐκ ἠδύνατο, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα κατὰ βραχὺ προσαυξήσασαν ἄχρι τοῦ πρέποντος μεγέθους, οὐκ οἶδα πῶς ὑπομένει k.v.2.p.82 πόρων σμικρότησιν ἢ μεγέθεσιν ἤ τισιν ἄλλαις οὕτω ληρώδεσιν ὑποθέσεσι φυσικὰς ἐνεργείας ἐπιτρέπειν. ἡ γὰρ διαπλάττουσα τὰ μόρια φύσις ἐκείνη καὶ κατὰ βραχὺ προσαύξουσα πάντως δήπου διʼ ὅλων αὐτῶν ἐκτέταται· καὶ γὰρ ὅλα διʼ ὅλων οὐκ ἔξωθεν μόνον αὐτὰ διαπλάττει τε καὶ τρέφει καὶ προσαύξει. Πραξιτέλης μὲν γὰρ ἢ Φειδίας ἤ τις ἄλλος ἀγαλματοποιὸς ἔξωθεν μόνον ἐκόσμουν τὰς ὕλας, καθὰ καὶ ψαύειν αὐτῶν ἠδύναντο, τὸ βάθος δʼ ἀκόσμητον καὶ ἀργὸν καὶ ἄτεχνον καὶ ἀπρονόητον ἀπέλιπον, ὡς ἂν μὴ δυνάμενοι κατελθεῖν εἰς αὐτὸ καὶ καταδῦναι καὶ θιγεῖν ἁπάντων τῆς ὕλης τῶν μερῶν. ἡ φύσις δʼ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ὀστοῦ μέρος ἅπαν ὀστοῦν ἀποτελεῖ, τὸ δὲ σαρκὸς σάρκα, τὸ δὲ πιμελῆς πιμελὴν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἕκαστον· οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἄψαυστον αὐτῇ μέρος οὐδʼ ἀνεξέργαστον οὐδʼ ἀκόσμητον. ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν κηρὸν ὁ Φειδίας οὐκ ἠδύνατο ποιεῖν ἐλέφαντα καὶ χρυσόν, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τὸν χρυσὸν κηρόν· ἕκαστον γὰρ αὐτῶν μένον, οἷον ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ἔξωθεν μόνον ἠμφιεσμένον εἶδός τι k.v.2.p.83 καὶ σχῆμα τεχνικόν, ἄγαλμα τέλειον γέγονεν. ἡ φύσις δʼ οὐδεμιᾶς ἔτι φυλάττει τῶν ὑλῶν τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἰδέαν· αἷμα γὰρ ἂν ἦν οὕτως ἅπαντα τοῦ ζῴου τὰ μόρια, τὸ παρὰ τῆς κυούσης ἐπιρρέον τῷ σπέρματι, δίκην κηροῦ τινος ὕλη μία καὶ μονοειδὴς ὑποβεβλημένη τῷ τεχνίτῃ. γίγνεται δʼ ἐξ αὐτῆς οὐδὲν τῶν τοῦ ζῴου μορίων οὔτʼ ἐρυθρὸν οὕτως οὔθʼ ὑγρόν. ὀστοῦν γὰρ καὶ ἀρτηρία καὶ φλὲψ καὶ νεῦρον καὶ χόνδρος καὶ πιμελὴ καὶ ἀδὴν καὶ ὑμὴν καὶ μυελὸς ἄναιμα μέν, ἐξ αἵματος δὲ γέγονε.

τίνος ἀλλοιώσαντος καὶ τίνος πήξαντος καὶ τίνος διαπλάσαντος ἐδεόμην ἄν μοι τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον αὐτὸν ἀποκρίνασθαι. πάντως γὰρ ἂν εἶπεν ἤτοι τὴν φύσιν ἢ τὸ σπέρμα, ταὐτὸν μὲν λέγων καθʼ ἑκάτερον, διαφόροις δʼ ἐπινοίαις ἑρμηνεύων· ὃ γὰρ ἦν πρότερον σπέρμα, τοῦθʼ, ὅταν ἄρξηται φύειν τε καὶ διαπλάττειν τὸ ζῷον, φύσις τις γίγνεται. καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ Φειδίας εἶχε μὲν τὰς δυνάμεις τῆς τέχνης καὶ πρὶν ψαύειν τῆς ὕλης, ἐνήργει δʼ αὐταῖς περὶ τὴν ὕλην--ἅπασα γὰρ δύναμις ἀργεῖ ἀποροῦσα τῆς οἰκείας ὕλησ--, οὕτω k.v.2.p.84 καὶ τὸ σπέρμα τὰς μὲν δυνάμεις οἴκοθεν ἐκέκτητο, τὰς δʼ ἐνεργείας οὐκ ἐκ τῆς ὕλης ἔλαβεν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τὴν ὕλην ἐπεδείξατο.

καὶ μὴν εἰ πολλῷ μὲν ἐπικλύζοιτο τῷ αἵματι τὸ σπέρμα, διαφθείροιτʼ ἄν· εἰ δʼ ὅλως ἀποροίη παντάπασιν ἀργοῦν, οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο φύσις. ἵνʼ οὖν μήτε φθείρηται καὶ γίγνηται φύσις ἀντὶ σπέρματος, ὀλίγον ἐπιρρεῖν ἀναγκαῖον αὐτῷ τοῦ αἵματος, μᾶλλον δʼ οὐκ ὀλίγον λέγειν χρή, ἀλλὰ σύμμετρον τῷ πλήθει τοῦ σπέρματος. τίς οὖν ὁ μετρῶν αὐτοῦ τὸ ποσὸν τῆς ἐπιρροῆς; τίς ὁ κωλύων ἰέναι πλέον; τίς ὁ προτρέπων, ἵνʼ ἐνδεέστερον μὴ ἴῃ; τίνα ζητήσομεν ἐνταῦθα τρίτον ἐπιστάτην τοῦ ζῴου τῆς γενέσεως, ὃς χορηγήσει τῷ σπέρματι τὸ σύμμετρον αἷμα; τί ἂν εἶπεν Ἐρασίστρατος, εἰ ζῶν ταῦτʼ ἠρωτήθη; τὸ σπέρμα αὐτὸ δηλονότι· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τεχνίτης ὁ ἀναλογῶν τῷ Φειδίᾳ, τὸ δʼ αἷμα τῷ κηρῷ προσέοικεν.

οὔκουν πρέπει τὸν κηρὸν αὐτὸν ἑαυτῷ τὸ μέτρον ἐξευρίσκειν, ἀλλὰ τὸν Φειδίαν. ἕλξει δὴ τοσοῦτον αἵματος ὁ τεχνίτης εἰς ἑαυτόν, ὁπόσου k.v.2.p.85 δεῖται. ἀλλʼ ἐνταῦθα χρὴ προσέχειν ἤδη τὸν νοῦν καὶ σκοπεῖν, μή πως λάθωμεν τῷ σπέρματι λογισμόν τινα καὶ νοῦν χαρισάμενοι· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν οὔτε σπέρμα ποιήσαιμεν οὔτε φύσιν ἀλλʼ ἤδη ζῷον αὐτό. καὶ μὴν εἰ φυλάξομεν ἀμφότερα, τήν θʼ ὁλκὴν τοῦ συμμέτρου καὶ τὸ χωρὶς λογισμοῦ, δύναμίν τινα, καθάπερ ἡ λίθος ἑλκτικὴν εἶχε τοῦ σιδήρου, καὶ τῷ σπέρματι φήσομεν ὑπάρχειν αἵματος ἐπισπαστικήν. ἠναγκάσθημεν οὖν πάλιν κἀνταῦθα, καθάπερ ἤδη πολλάκις ἔμπροσθεν, ἑλκτικήν τινα δύναμιν ὁμολογῆσαι κατὰ τὸ σπέρμα.

τί δʼ ἦν τὸ σπέρμα; ἡ ἀρχὴ τοῦ ζῴου δηλονότι ἡ δραστική· ἡ γὰρ ὑλικὴ τὸ καταμήνιόν ἐστιν. εἶτʼ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀρχῆς πρώτῃ ταύτῃ τῇ δυνάμει χρωμένης, ἵνα γένηται τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτῆς τι δεδημιουργημένων, ἄμοιρον εἶναι τῆς οἰκείας δυνάμεως οὐκ νδέχεται. πῶς οὖν Ἐρασίστρατος αὐτὴν οὐκ οἶδεν, εἰ δὴ πρώτη μὲν αὕτη τοῦ σπέρματος ἐνέργ ια τὸ σύμμετρον αἵματος ἐπισπᾶσθαι πρὸς ἑαυτό; σύμμετρον δʼ ἂν εἴη τὸ λεπτὸν οὕτω καὶ ἀτμῶδες, ὥστʼ εὐθὺς εἰς πᾶν μόριον ἑλκόμενον τοῦ k.v.2.p.86 σπέρματος δροσοειδῶς μηδαμοῦ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρεμφαίνειν ἰδέαν. οὕτω γὰρ αὐτοῦ καὶ κρατήσει Ῥαδίως τὸ σπέρμα καὶ ταχέως ἐξομοιώσει καὶ τροφὴν ἑαυτῷ ποιήσεται κἄπειτʼ οἶμαι δεύτερον ἐπισπάσεται καὶ τρίτον, ὡς ὄγκον ἑαυτῷ καὶ πλῆθος ἀξιόλογον ἐργάσασθαι τραφέντι. καὶ μὴν ἤδη καὶ ἡ ἀλλοιωτικὴ δύναμις ἐξεύρηται μηδʼ αὐτὴ πρὸς Ἐρασιστράτου γεγραμμένη. τρίτη δʼ ἂν ἡ διαπλαστικὴ φανείη, καθʼ ἣν πρῶτον μὲν οἷον ἐπίπαγόν τινα λεπτὸν ὑμένα περιτίθησιν ἑαυτῷ τὸ σπέρμα, τὸν ὑφʼ Ἱπποκράτους ἐπὶ τῆς ἑκταίας γονῆς, ἣν ἐκπεσεῖν ἔλεγε τῆς μουσουργοῦ, τῷ τῶν ὠῶν εἰκασθέντα χιτῶνι· μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ἤδη καὶ τἆλλʼ, ὅσα πρὸς ἐκείνου λέγεται διὰ τοῦ περὶ φύσιος παιδίου συγγράμματος.

ἀλλʼ εἰ τῶν διαπλασθέντων ἕκαστον οὕτω μείνειε σμικρόν, ὡς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγένετο, τί ἂν εἴη πλέον; αὐξάνεσθαι τοίνυν αὐτὰ χρή. πῶς οὖν αὐξηθήσεται; πάντη διατεινόμενα θʼ ἅμα καὶ τρεφόμενα. καί μοι τῶν ἔμπροσθεν εἰρημένων ἐπὶ τῆς κύστεως, ἣν οἱ παῖδες ἐμφυσῶντες k.v.2.p.87 ἔτριβον, ἀναμνησθεὶς μαθήσῃ μᾶλλον κἀκ τῶν νῦν Ῥηθησομένων.

ἐννόησον γὰρ δὴ τὴν καρδίαν οὕτω μὲν μικρὰν εἶναι κατʼ ἀρχάς, ὡς κέγχρου μηδὲν διαφέρειν ἤ, εἰ βούλει, κυάμου, καὶ ζήτησον, ὅπως ἂν ἄλλως αὕτη γένοιτο μεγάλη χωρὶς τοῦ πάντη διατεινομένην τρέφεσθαι διʼ ὅλης ἑαυτῆς, ὡς ὀλίγῳ πρόσθεν ἐδείκνυτο τὸ σπέρμα τρεφόμενον. ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τοῦτʼ Ἐρασίστρατος οἶδεν ὁ τὴν τέχνην τῆς φύσεως ὑμνῶν, ἀλλʼ οὕτως αὐξάνεσθαι τὰ ζῷα νομίζει καθάπερ τινὰ κρησέραν ἢ σειρὰν ἢ σάκκον ἢ τάλαρον, ὧν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὸ πέρας ἐπιπλεκομένων ὁμοίων ἑτέρων τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς αὐτὰ συντιθεῖσιν ἡ πρόσθεσις γίγνεται.

ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γʼ οὐκ αὔξησίς ἐστιν ἀλλὰ γένεσις, ὦ σοφώτατε· γίγνεται γὰρ ὁ θύλακος ἔτι καὶ ὁ σάκκος καὶ θοἰμάτιον καὶ ἡ οἰκία καὶ τὸ πλοῖον καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἕκαστον, ὅταν μηδέπω τὸ προσῆκον εἶδος, οὗ χάριν ὑπὸ τοῦ τεχνίτου δημιουργεῖται, συμπεπληρωμένον ᾖ. πότʼ οὖν αὐξάνεται; ὅταν ἤδη τέλειος ὢν ὁ τάλαρος, ὡς ἔχειν πυθμένα τέ τινα καὶ στόμα καὶ οἷον γαστέρα καὶ τὰ τούτων μεταξύ, μείζων ἅπασι τούτοις γένηται. k.v.2.p.88 καὶ πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο; φήσει τις. πῶς δʼ ἄλλως ἢ εἰ ζῷον ἐξαίφνης ἢ φυτὸν ὁ τάλαρος ἡμῖν γένοιτο; μόνων γὰρ τῶν ζώντων ἡ αὔξησις. σὺ δʼ ἴσως οἴει τὴν οἰκίαν οἰκοδομουμένην αὐξάνεσθαι καὶ τὸν τάλαρον πλεκόμενον καὶ θοἰμάτιον ὑφαινόμενον. ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὧδʼ ἔχει· τοῦ μὲν γὰρ ἤδη συμπεπληρωμένου κατὰ τὸ εἶδος ἡ αὔξησις, τοῦ δʼ ἔτι γιγνομένου ἡ εἰς τὸ εἶδος ὁδὸς οὐκ αὔξησις ἀλλὰ γένεσις ὀνομάζεται· αὐξάνεται μὲν γὰρ τὸ ὄν, γίγνεται δὲ τὸ οὐκ ὄν.

[4] καὶ ταῦτʼ Ἐρασίστρατος οὐκ οἶδεν, ὃν οὐδὲν λανθάνει, εἴπερ ὅλως ἀληθεύουσιν οἱ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ φάσκοντες ὡμιληκέναι τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου φιλοσόφοις αὐτόν. ἄχρι μὲν οὖν τοῦ τὴν φύσιν ὑμνεῖν ὡς τεχνικὴν κἀγὼ γνωρίζω τὰ τοῦ περιπάτου δόγματα, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων οὐδὲν οὐδʼ ἐγγύς. εἰ γάρ τις ὁμιλήσειε τοῖς Ἀριστοτέλους καὶ Θεοφράστου γράμμασι, τῆς Ἱπποκράτους ἂν αὐτὰ δόξειε φυσιολογίας ὑπομνήματα συγκεῖσθαι, k.v.2.p.89 τὸ θερμὸν καὶ τὸ ψυχρὸν καὶ τὸ ξηρὸν καὶ τὸ ὑγρὸν εἰς ἄλληλα δρῶντα καὶ πάσχοντα καὶ τούτων αὐτῶν δραστικώτατον μὲν τὸ θερμόν, δεύτερον δὲ τῇ δυνάμει τὸ ψυχρὸν Ἱπποκράτους ταῦτα σύμπαντα πρώτου, δευτέρου δʼ Ἀριστοτέλους εἰπόντος. τρέφεσθαι δὲ διʼ ὅλων αὑτῶν τὰ τρεφόμενα καὶ κεράννυσθαι διʼ ὅλων τὰ κεραννύμενα καὶ ἀλλοιοῦσθαι διʼ ὅλων τὰ ἀλλοιούμενα, καὶ ταῦθʼ Ἱπποκράτειά θʼ ἅμα καὶ Ἀριστοτέλεια. καὶ τὴν πέψιν ἀλλοίωσίν τινʼ ὑπάρχειν καὶ μεταβολὴν τοῦ τρέφοντος εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν τοῦ τρεφομένου ποιότητα, τὴν δʼ ἐξαιμάτωσιν ἀλλοίωσιν εἶναι καὶ τὴν θρέψιν ὡσαύτως καὶ τὴν αὔξησιν ἐκ τῆς πάντη διατάσεως καὶ θρέψεως γίγνεσθαι, τὴν δʼ ἀλλοίωσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ θερμοῦ μάλιστα συντελεῖσθαι καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν πέψιν καὶ τὴν θρέψιν καὶ τὴν τῶν χυμῶν ἁπάντων γένεσιν, ἤδη δὲ καὶ τοῖς περιττώμασι τὰς ποιότητας ὑπὸ τῆς ἐμφύτου θερμασίας ἐγγίγνεσθαι, ταῦτα σύμπαντα καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἕτερα πολλὰ τά τε τῶν προειρημένων δυνάμεων καὶ k.v.2.p.90 τὰ τῶν νοσημάτων τῆς γενέσεως καὶ τὰ τῶν ἰαμάτων τῆς εὑρέσεως Ἱπποκράτης μὲν πρῶτος ἁπάντων ὧν ἴσμεν ὀρθῶς εἶπεν, Ἀριστοτέλης δὲ δεύτερος ὀρθῶς ἐξηγήσατο. καὶ μὴν εἰ ταῦτα σύμπαντα τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου δοκεῖ, καθάπερ οὖν δοκεῖ, μηδὲν δʼ αὐτῶν ἀρέσκει τῷ Ἐρασιστράτῳ, τί ποτε βούλεται τοῖς Ἐρασιστρατείοις ἡ προς τοὺς φιλοσόφους ἐκείνους τοῦ τῆς αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν ἡγεμόνος ὁμιλία; θαυμάζουσι μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ὡς θεὸν καὶ πάντʼ ἀληθεύειν νομίζουσιν. εἰ δʼ οὕτως ἔχει ταῦτα, πάμπολυ δήπου τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσφάλθαι χρὴ νομίζειν τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου φιλοσόφους, οἷς μηδὲν ὧν Ἐρασίστρατος ὑπελάμβανεν ἀρέσκει. καὶ μὴν ὥσπερ τινʼ εὐγένειαν αὐτῷ τῆς φυσιολογίας τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους συνουσίαν ἐκπορίζουσι.

πάλιν οὖν ἀναστρέψωμεν τὸν λόγον ἑτέρως ἢ ὡς ὀλίγῳ πρόσθεν ἐτύχομεν εἰπόντες. εἴπερ γὰρ οἱ ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου καλῶς ἐφυσιολόγησαν, οὐδὲν ἂν εἴη ληρωδέστερον Ἐρασιστράτου καὶ δίδωμι τοῖς Ἐρασιστρατείοις αὐτοῖς τὴν αἵρεσιν·

k.v.2.p.91 ἢ γὰρ τὸν πρότερον λόγον ἢ τοῦτον προσήσονται. λέγει δʼ ὁ μὲν πρότερος οὐδὲν ὀρθῶς ἐγνωκέναι περὶ φύσεως τοὺς περιπατητικούς, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος Ἐρασίστρατον. ἐμὸν μὲν οὖν ὑπομνῆσαι τῶν δογμάτων τὴν μάχην, ἐκείνων δʼ ἡ αἵρεσις.

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἀποσταῖεν τοῦ θαυμάζειν Ἐρασίστρατον· οὐκοῦν σιωπάτωσαν περὶ τῶν ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου φιλοσόφων. παμπόλλων γὰρ ὄντων δογμάτων φυσικῶν περί τε γένεσιν καὶ φθορὰν τῶν ζῴων καὶ ὑγίειαν καὶ νόσους καὶ τὰς θεραπείας αὐτῶν ἓν μόνον εὑρεθήσεται ταὐτὸν Ἐρασιστράτῳ κἀκείνοις τοῖς ἀνδράσι, τό τινος ἕνεκα πάντα ποιεῖν τὴν φύσιν καὶ μάτην μηδέν.

ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο μέχρι λόγου κοινόν, ἔργῳ δὲ μυριάκις Ἐρασίστρατος αὐτὸ διαφθείρει· μάτην μὲν γὰρ ὁ σπλὴν ἐγένετο, μάτην δὲ τὸ ἐπίπλοον, μάτην δʼ αἱ εἰς τοὺς νεφροὺς ἀρτηρίαι καταφυόμεναι, σχεδὸν ἁπασῶν τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς μεγάλης ἀρτηρίας ἀποβλαστανουσῶν οὖσαι μέγισται, μάτην δʼ ἄλλα μυρία κατά γε τὸν Ἐρασιστράτειον λόγον· ἅπερ εἰ μὲν οὐδʼ ὅλως γιγνώσκει, βραχεῖ μαγείρου σοφώτερός ἐστιν ἐν ταῖς ἀνατομαῖς, εἰ δʼ εἰδὼς οὐ λέγει τὴν χρείαν k.v.2.p.92 αὐτῶν, οἴεται δηλονότι παραπλησίως τῷ σπληνὶ μάτην αὐτὰ γεγονέναι. καίτοι τί ταῦτʼ ἐπεξέρχομαι τῆς περὶ χρείας μορίων πραγματείας ὄντα μελλούσης ἡμῖν ἰδίᾳ περαίνεσθαι;

πάλιν οὖν ἀναλάβωμεν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον εἰπόντες τέ τι βραχὺ πρὸς τοὺς Ἐρασιστρατείους ἔτι τῶν ἐφεξῆς ἐχώμεθα. δοκοῦσι γάρ μοι μηδὲν ἀνεγνωκέναι τῶν Ἀριστοτέλους οὗτοι συγγραμμάτων, ἀλλʼ ἄλλων ἀκούοντες, ὡς δεινὸς ἦν περὶ φύσιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ὡς οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς στοᾶς κατʼ ἴχνη τῆς ἐκείνου φυσιολογίας βαδίζουσιν, εἶθʼ εὑρόντες ἕν τι τῶν περιφερομένων δογμάτων κοινὸν αὐτῷ πρὸς Ἐρασίστρατον ἀναπλάσαι τινὰ συνουσίαν αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἐκείνους τοὺς ἄνδρας. ἀλλʼ ὅτι μὲν τῆς Ἀριστοτέλους φυσιολογίας οὐδὲν Ἐρασιστράτῳ μέτεστιν, ὁ κατάλογος τῶν προειρημένων ἐνδείκνυται δογμάτων, ἃ πρώτου μὲν Ἱπποκράτους ἦν, δευτέρου δʼ Ἀριστοτέλους, τρίτων δὲ τῶν Στωϊκῶν, ἑνὸς μόνου μετατιθεμένου τοῦ τὰς ποιότητας εἶναι σώματα.

τάχα δʼ ἂν τῆς λογικῆς ἕνεκα θεωρίας ὡμιληκέναι φαῖεν τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου φιλοσόφοις, οὐκ εἰδότες, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι k.v.2.p.93 μὲν ψευδεῖς καὶ ἀπεράντους οὐκ ἔγραψαν λόγους, τὰ δʼ Ἐρασιστράτεια βιβλία παμπόλλους ἔχει τοὺς τοιούτους.

τάχʼ ἂν οὖν ἤδη τις θαυμάζοι καὶ διαποροίη, τί παθὼν ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος εἰς τοσοῦτον τῶν Ἱπποκράτους δογμάτων ἀπετράπετο καὶ διὰ τί τῶν ἐν ἥπατι πόρων τῶν χοληδόχων, ἅλις γὰρ ἤδη νεφρῶν, ἀφελόμενος τὴν ἑλκτικὴν δύναμιν ἐπίκαιρον αἰτιᾶται θέσιν καὶ στομάτων στενότητα καὶ χώραν τινὰ κοινήν, εἰς ἣν παράγουσι μὲν αἱ ἀπὸ τῶν πυλῶν τὸ ἀκάθαρτον αἷμα, μεταλαμβάνουσι δὲ πρότεροι μὲν οἱ πόροι τὴν χολήν, δεύτεραι δʼ αἱ ἀπὸ τῆς κοίλης φλεβὸς τὸ καθαρὸν αἷμα. πρὸς γὰρ τῷ μηδὲν ἂν βλαβῆναι τὴν ὁλκὴν εἰπὼν ἄλλων μυρίων ἔμελλεν ἀμφισβητουμένων ἀπαλλάξεσθαι λόγων.

[5] ὡς νῦν γε πόλεμος οὐ σμικρός ἐστι τοῖς Ἐρασιστρατείοις οὐ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους, οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ὅπως ἐξηγήσωνται τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πρώτου τῶν καθόλου k.v.2.p.94 λόγων λέξιν, ἐν ᾗ φησιν· "Εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ δʼ ἀνεστομωμένων ἑτέρων δύο ἀγγείων τῶν τʼ ἐπὶ τὴν χοληδόχον τεινόντων καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ τὴν κοίλην φλέβα συμβαίνει τῆς ἀναφερομένης ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας τροφῆς τὰ ἐναρμόζοντα ἑκατέροις τῶν στομάτων εἰς ἑκάτερα τῶν ἀγγείων μεταλαμβάνεσθαι καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν χοληδόχον φέρεσθαι, τὰ δʼ ἐπὶ τὴν κοίλην φλέβα περαιοῦσθαι." τὸ γὰρ "εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ ἀνεστομωμένων," ὃ κατʼ ἀρχὰς τῆς λέξεως γέγραπται, τί ποτε χρὴ νοῆσαι, χαλεπὸν εἰπεῖν. ἤτοι γὰρ οὕτως εἰς ταὐτόν, ὥστε τῷ τῆς ἐν τοῖς σιμοῖς φλεβὸς πέρατι συνάπτειν δύο ἕτερα πέρατα, τό τʼ ἐν τοῖς κυρτοῖς καὶ τὸ τοῦ χοληδόχου πόρου, ἤ, εἰ μὴ οὕτω, χώραν τινὰ κοινὴν ἐπινοῆσαι χρὴ τῶν τριῶν ἀγγείων οἷον δεξαμενήν τινα, πληρουμένην μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς κάτω φλεβός, ἐκκενουμένην δʼ εἴς τε τοὺς χοληδόχους πόρους καὶ τὰς τῆς κοίλης ἀποσχίδας· καθʼ ἑκατέραν δὲ τῶν ἐξηγήσεων ἄτοπα πολλά, περὶ ὧν εἰ πάντων λέγοιμι, λάθοιμʼ ἂν ἐμαυτὸν ἐξηγήσεις Ἐρασιστράτου γράφων, οὐχ, ὅπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς προὐθέμην, περαίνων. κοινὸν δʼ ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς ἐξηγήσεσιν ἄτοπον τὸ μὴ k.v.2.p.95 καθαίρεσθαι πᾶν τὸ αἷμα. χρὴ γὰρ ὡς εἰς ἠθμόν τινα τὸ χοληδόχον ἀγγεῖον ἐμπίπτειν αὐτό, οὐ παρέρχεσθαι καὶ παραρρεῖν ὠκέως εἰς τὸ μεῖζον στόμα τῇ Ῥύμῃ τῆς ἀναδόσεως φερόμενον.

ἆρʼ οὖν ἐν τούτοις μόνον ἀπορίαις ἀφύκτοις ὁ Ἐρασιστράτου λόγος ἐνέχεται μὴ βουληθέντος χρήσασθαι ταῖς ἑλκτικαῖς δυνάμεσιν εἰς μηδέν, ἢ σφοδρότατα μὲν ἐν τούτοις καὶ σαφῶς οὕτως, ὡς ἂν μηδὲ παῖδα λαθεῖν;

[6] εἰ δʼ ἐπισκοποῖτό τις ἐπιμελῶς, οὐδʼ ὁ περὶ θρέψεως αὐτοῦ λόγος, ὃν ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ τῶν καθόλου λόγων διεξέρχεται, τὰς αὐτὰς ἀπορίας ἐκφεύγει. τῇ γὰρ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίᾳ συγχωρηθέντος ἑνὸς λήμματος, ὡς πρόσθεν ἐδείκνυμεν, ἐπέραινέ τι περὶ φλεβῶν μόνων καὶ τοῦ κατʼ αὐτὰς αἵματος. ἐκρέοντος γάρ τινος κατὰ τὰ στόματʼ αὐτῶν καὶ διαφορουμένου καὶ μήτʼ ἀθρόως τόπου κενοῦ δυναμένου γενέσθαι μήτε τῶν φλεβῶν συμπεσεῖν, τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν τὸ παραλειπόμενον, ἀναγκαῖον ἦν ἕπεσθαι τὸ συνεχὲς k.v.2.p.96 ἀναπληροῦν τοῦ κενου μένου τὴν βάσιν. αἱ μὲν δὴ φλέβες ἡμῖν οὕτω θρέψονται τοῦ περιεχομένου κατʼ αὐτὰς αἵματος ἀπολαύουσαι· τὰ δὲ νεῦρα πῶς; οὐ γὰρ δὴ κἀν τούτοις ἐστὶν αἷμα. πρόχειρον μὲν γὰρ ἦν εἰπεῖν, ἕλκοντα παρὰ τῶν φλεβῶν· ἀλλʼ οὐ βούλεται. τί ποτʼ οὖν κἀνταῦθα ἐπιτεχνᾶται; φλέβας ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ καὶ ἀρτηρίας τὸ νεῦρον ὥσπερ τινὰ σειρὰν ἐκ τριῶν ἱμάντων διαφερόντων τῇ φύσει πεπλεγμένην. ὠήθη γὰρ ἐκ ταύτης τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἐκφεύξεσθαι τῷ λόγῳ τὴν ὁλκήν· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἔτι δεήσεσθαι τὸ νεῦρον ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιέχον αἵματος ἀγγεῖον ἐπιρρύτου τινὸς ἔξωθεν ἐκ τῆς παρακειμένης φλεβὸς τῆς ἀληθινῆς αἵματος ἑτέρου, ἀλλʼ ἱκανὸν αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν θρέψιν ἔσεσθαι τὸ κατεψευσμένον ἀγγεῖον ἐκεῖνο τὸ λόγῳ θεωρητόν.

ἀλλὰ κἀνταῦθα πάλιν αὐτὸν ὁμοία τις ἀπορία διεδέξατο. τουτὶ γὰρ τὸ σμικρὸν ἀγγεῖον ἑαυτὸ μὲν θρέψει, τὸ παρακείμενον μέντοι νεῦρον ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἁπλοῦν ἢ τὴν ἀρτηρίαν οὐχ οἷόν τʼ ἔσται τρέφειν ἄνευ τοῦ σύμφυτόν τινʼ ὑπάρχειν αὐτοῖς k.v.2.p.97 ὁλκὴν τῆς τροφῆς. τῇ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίᾳ πῶς ἂν ἔτι δύναιτο τὴν τροφὴν ἐπισπᾶσθαι τὸ ἁπλοῦν νεῦρον, ὥσπερ αἱ φλέβες αἱ σύνθετοι; κοιλότης μὲν γάρ τίς ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῷ κατʼ αὐτόν, ἀλλʼ οὐχ αἵματος αὕτη γʼ ἀλλὰ πνεύματος ψυχικοῦ μεστή. δεόμεθα δʼ ἡμεῖς οὐκ εἰς τὴν κοιλότητα ταύτην εἰσάγειν τῷ λόγῳ τὴν τροφὴν ἀλλʼ εἰς τὸ περιέχον αὐτὴν ἀγγεῖον, εἴτʼ οὖν τρέφεσθαι μόνον εἴτε καὶ αὔξεσθαι δέοιτο. πῶς οὖν εἰσάξομεν; οὕτω γάρ ἐστι σμικρὸν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἁπλοῦν ἀγγεῖον καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἑκάτερον, ὥστʼ, εἰ τῇ λεπτοτάτῃ βελόνῃ νύξειάς τι μέρος, ἅμα διαιρήσεις τὰ τρία. τόπος οὖν αἰσθητὸς ἀθρόως κενὸς οὐκ ἄν ποτʼ ἐν αὐτῷ γένοιτο· λόγῳ δὲ θεωρητὸς τόπος κενούμενος οὐκ ἦν ἀναγκαστικὸς τῆς τοῦ συνεχοῦς ἀκολουθίας.

ἠβουλόμην δʼ αὖ πάλιν μοι κἀνταῦθα τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον αὐτὸν ἀποκρίνασθαι περὶ τοῦ στοιχειώδους ἐκείνου νεύρου τοῦ σμικροῦ, πότερον ἕν τι καὶ συνεχὲς ἀκριβῶς ἐστιν ἢ ἐκ πολλῶν καὶ σμικρῶν σωμάτων, ὧν Ἐπίκουρος καὶ k.v.2.p.98 Λεύκιππος καὶ Δημόκριτος ὑπέθεντο, σύγ κειται. καὶ γὰρ καὶ περὶ τούτου τοὺς Ἐρασιστρατείους ὁρῶ διαφερομένους. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἕν τι καὶ συνεχὲς αὐτὸ νομίζουσιν ἢ οὐκ ἂν ἁπλοῦν εἰρῆσθαι πρὸς αὐτοῦ φασι· τινὲς δὲ καὶ τοῦτο διαλύειν εἰς ἕτερα στοιχειώδη τολμῶσιν. ἀλλʼ εἰ μὲν ἕν τι καὶ συνεχές ἐστι, τὸ κενούμενον ἐξ αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἄδηλον ὑπὸ τῶν ἰατρῶν ὀνομαζομένην διαπνοὴν οὐδεμίαν ἐν ἑαυτῷ καταλείψει χώραν κενήν. οὕτω γὰρ οὐχ ἓν ἀλλὰ πολλὰ γενήσεται, διειργόμενα δήπου ταῖς κεναῖς χώραις. εἰ δʼ ἐκ πολλῶν σύγκειται, τῇ κηπαίᾳ κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν πρὸς Ἀσκληπιάδην ἀπεχωρήσαμεν ἄναρμά τινα στοιχεῖα τιθέμενοι. πάλιν οὖν ἄτεχνος ἡμῖν ἡ φύσις λεγέσθω· τοῖς γὰρ τοιούτοις στοιχείοις ἐξ ἀνάγκης τοῦθʼ ἕπεται.

διὸ δή μοι καὶ δοκοῦσιν ἀμαθῶς πάνυ τὴν εἰς τὰ τοιαῦτα στοιχεῖα τῶν ἁπλῶν ἀγγείων εἰσάγειν διάλυσιν ἔνιοι τῶν Ἐρασιστρατείων. ἐμοὶ γοῦν οὐδὲν διαφέρει. καθʼ ἑκατέρους γὰρ ἄτοπος ὁ τῆς θρέψεως ἔσται λόγος, ἐκείνοις τοῖς ἁπλοῖς ἀγγείοις τοῖς σμικροῖς τοῖς συντιθεῖσι τὰ μεγάλα k.v.2.p.99 τε καὶ αἰσθητὰ νεῦρα κατὰ μὲν τοὺς συνεχῆ φυλάττοντας αὐτὰ μὴ δυναμένης γενέσθαι τῆς πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίας, ὅτι μηδὲν ἐν τῷ συνεχεῖ γίγνεται κενόν, κἂν ἀπορρέῃ τι· συνέρχεται γὰρ πρὸς ἄλληλα τὰ καταλειπόμενα μόρια, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος ὁρᾶται, καὶ πάλιν ἓν γίγνεται πάντα τὴν χώραν τοῦ διαφορηθέντος αὐτὰ καταλαμβάνοντα· κατὰ δὲ τοὺς ἑτέρους, ὅτι τῶν στοιχείων ἐκείνων οὐδὲν δεῖται τῆς πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίας. ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν αἰσθητῶν μόνων, οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν λόγῳ θεωρητῶν ἔχει δύναμιν, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος ὁμολογεῖ διαρρήδην, οὐ περὶ τοῦ τοιούτου κενοῦ φάσκων ἑκάστοτε ποιεῖσθαι τὸν λόγον, ὃ κατὰ βραχὺ παρέσπαρται τοῖς σώμασιν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ σαφοῦς καὶ αἰσθητοῦ καὶ ἀθρόου καὶ μεγάλου καὶ ἐναργοῦς καὶ ὅπως ἂν ἄλλως ὀνομάζειν ἐθέλῃς. Ἐρασίστρατος μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς αἰσθητὸν ἀθρόως οὔ φησι δύνασθαι γενέσθαι κενόν· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐκ περιουσίας εὐπορήσας ὀνομάτων ταὐτὸν δηλοῦν ἔν γε τῷ νῦν προκειμένῳ λόγῳ δυναμένων καὶ τἆλλα προσέθηκα.

k.v.2.p.100 Κάλλιον οὖν μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ἡμᾶς τι συνεισενέγκασθαι τοῖς Ἐρασιστρατείοις, ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τοῦτο γεγόναμεν, καὶ συμβουλεῦσαι τοῖς τὸ πρῶτον ἐκεῖνο καὶ ἁπλοῦν ὑπʼ Ἐρασιστράτου καλούμενον ἀγγεῖον εἰς ἕτερʼ ἄττα σώματα στοιχειώδη διαλύουσιν ἀποστῆναι τῆς ὑπολήψεως, ὡς πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν ἔχειν πλέον ἔτι καὶ διαφερομένοις Ἐρασιστράτῳ. ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν ἔχει πλέον, ἐπιδέδεικται σαφῶς· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἠδυνήθη διαφυγεῖν τὴν περὶ τῆς θρεψεως ἀπορίαν ἡ ὑπόθεσις· ὅτι δʼ οὐδʼ Ἐρασιστράτῳ σύμφωνός ἐστιν, ὃ ἐκεῖνος ἁπλοῦν καὶ πρῶτον ὀνομάζει, σύνθετον ἀποφαίνουσα, καὶ τὴν τῆς φύσεως τέχνην ἀναιροῦσα, πρόδηλον καὶ τοῦτʼ εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ. εἰ μὴ γὰρ κἀν τοῖς ἁπλοῖς τούτοις ἕνωσίν τινα τῆς οὐσίας ἀπολείψομεν, ἀλλʼ εἰς ἄναρμα καὶ ἀμέριστα καταβησόμεθα στοιχεῖα, παντάπασιν ἀναιρήσομεν τῆς φύσεως τὴν τέχνην, ὥσπερ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐκ ταύτης ὁρμώμενοι τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἰατροὶ καὶ φιλόσοφοι. δευτέρα γὰρ τῶν τοῦ ζῴου μορίων κατὰ τὴν τοιαύτην ὑπόθεσιν ἡ φύσις, οὐ πρώτη k.v.2.p.101 γίγνεται. διαπλάττειν δὲ καὶ δημιουργεῖν οὐ τοῦ δευτέρου γεγονότος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ προϋπάρχοντός ἐστιν· ὥστʼ ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν εὐθὺς ἐκ σπερμάτων ὑποθέσθαι τὰς δυνάμεις τῆς φύσεως, αἷς διαπλάττει τε καὶ αὐξάνει καὶ τρέφει τὸ ζῷον· ἀλλʼ ἐκείνων τῶν σωμάτων τῶν ἀνάρμων καὶ ἀμερῶν οὐδὲν ἐν ἑαυτῷ διαπλαστικὴν ἔχει δύναμιν ἢ αὐξητικὴν ἢ θρεπτικὴν ἢ ὅλως τεχνικήν· ἀπαθὲς γὰρ καὶ ἀμετάβλητον ὑπόκειται. τῶν δʼ εἰρημένων οὐδὲν ἄνευ μεταβολῆς καὶ ἀλλοιώσεως καὶ τῆς διʼ ὅλων κράσεως γίγνεται, καθάπερ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἐνεδειξάμεθα. καὶ διὰ ταύτην τὴν ἀνάγκην οὐκ ἔχοντες, ὅπως τὰ ἀκόλουθα τοῖς στοιχείοις, οἷς ὑπέθεντο, φυλάττοιεν, οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων αἱρέσεων ἅπαντες ἄτεχνον ἠναγκάσθησαν ἀποφήνασθαι τὴν φύσιν. καίτοι ταῦτά γʼ οὐ παρʼ ἡμῶν ἐχρῆν μανθάνειν τοὺς Ἐρασιστρατείους, ἀλλὰ παρʼ αὐτῶν τῶν φιλοσόφων, οἷς μάλιστα δοκεῖ πρῶτον ἐπισκοπεῖσθαι τὰ στοιχεῖα τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων.

οὔκουν οὐδʼ Ἐρασίστρατον ἄν τις ὀρθῶς ἄχρι τοσαύτης ἀμαθίας νομίζοι προήκειν, ὡς μηδὲ k.v.2.p.102 ταύτην γνωρίσαι δυνηθῆναι τὴν ἀκολου θίαν, ἀλλʼ ἅμα μὲν ὑποθέσθαι τεχνικὴν τὴν φύσιν, ἅμα δʼ εἰς ἀπαθῆ καὶ ἄναρμα καὶ ἀμετάβλητα στοιχεῖα καταθραῦσαι τὴν οὐσίαν. καὶ μὴν εἰ δώσει τινʼ ἐν τοῖς στοιχείοις ἀλλοίωσίν τε καὶ μεταβολὴν καὶ ἕνωσιν καὶ συνέχειαν, ἓν ἀσύνθετον αὐτῷ τὸ ἁπλοῦν ἀγγεῖον ἐκεῖνο, καθάπερ καὶ αὐτὸς ὀνομάζει, γενήσεται. ἀλλʼ ἡ μὲν ἁπλῆ φλὲψ ἐξ αὑτῆς τραφήσεται, τὸ νεῦρον δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀρτηρία παρὰ τῆς φλεβός.

πῶς καὶ τίνα τρόπον; ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ δὴ καὶ πρόσθεν γενόμενοι τῷ λόγῳ τῆς τῶν Ἐρασιστρατείων διαφωνίας ἐμνημονεύσαμεν, ἐπεδείξαμεν δὲ καὶ καθʼ ἑκατέρους μὲν ἄπορον εἶναι τὴν τῶν ἁπλῶν ἐκείνων ἀγγείων θρέψιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κρῖναι τὴν μάχην αὐτῶν οὐκ ὠκνήσαμεν καὶ τιμῆσαι τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον εἰς τὴν βελτίονα μεταστήσαντες αἵρεσιν.

αὖθις οὖν ἐπὶ τὴν ἓν ἁπλοῦν ἡνωμένον ἑαυτῷ πάντη τὸ στοιχειῶδες ἐκεῖνο νεῦρον ὑποτιθεμένην αἵρεσιν ὁ λόγος μεταβὰς ἐπισκοπείσθω, πῶς τραφήσεται· τὸ γὰρ εὑρεθὲν ἐνταῦθα κοινὸν ἂν ἤδη καὶ τῆς Ἱπποκράτους αἱρέσεως γένοιτο.

k.v.2.p.103 Κάλλιον δʼ ἄν μοι δοκῶ τὸ ζητού μενον ἐπὶ τῶν νενοσηκότων καὶ σφόδρα καταλελεπτυσμένων βασανισθῆναι. πάντα γὰρ τούτοις ἐναργῶς φαίνεται τὰ μόρια τοῦ σώματος ἄτροφα καὶ λεπτὰ καὶ πολλῆς προσθήκης τε καὶ ἀναθρέψεως δεόμενα. καὶ τοίνυν καὶ τὸ νεῦρον τοῦτο τὸ αἰσθητόν, ἐφʼ οὗπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐποιησάμην τὸν λόγον, ἰσχνὸν μὲν ἱκανῶς γέγονε, δεῖται δὲ θρέψεως. ἔχει δʼ ἐν ἑαυτῷ μέρη πάμπολλα μὲν ἐκεῖνα τὰ πρῶτα καὶ ἀόρατα νεῦρα τὰ σμικρὰ καί τινας ἀρτηρίας ἁπλᾶς ὀλίγας καὶ φλέβας ὁμοίως. ἅπαντʼ οὖν αὐτοῦ τὰ νεῦρα τὰ στοιχειώδη καταλελέπτυνται δηλονότι καὶ αὐτά, ἤ, εἰ μηδʼ ἐκεῖνα, οὐδὲ τὸ ὅλον. καὶ τοίνυν καὶ θρέψεως οὐ τὸ μὲν ὅλον δεῖται νεῦρον, ἕκαστον δʼ ἐκείνων οὐ δεῖται. καὶ μὴν εἰ δεῖται μὲν ἀναθρέψεως, οὐδὲν δʼ ἡ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθία βοηθεῖν αὐτοῖς δύναται διά τε τὰς ἔμπροσθεν εἰρημένας ἀπορίας καὶ διὰ τὴν ὑπόγυιον ἰσχνότητα, καθάπερ δείξω, ζητητέον ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἑτέραν αἰτίαν θρέψεως.

πῶς οὖν ἡ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθία τρέφειν ἀδύνατός ἐστι τὸν οὕτω διακείμενον; k.v.2.p.104 ὅτι τοσοῦτον ἀκολουθεῖν ἀναγκάζει τῶν συνεχῶν, ὅσον ἀπορρεῖ. τοῦτο δʼ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν εὐεκτούντων ἱκανόν ἐστιν εἰς τὴν θρέψιν, ἴσα γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτῶν εἶναι χρὴ τοῖς ἀπορρέουσι τὰ προστιθέμενα· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἐσχάτως ἰσχνῶν καὶ πολλῆς ἀναθρέψεως δεομένων εἰ μὴ πολλαπλάσιον εἴη τὸ προστιθέμενον τοῦ κενουμένου, τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἕξιν ἀναλαβεῖν οὐκ ἄν ποτε δύναιντο. δῆλον οὖν, ὡς ἕλκειν αὐτὰ δεήσει τοσούτῳ πλεῖον, ὅσῳ καὶ δεῖται πλείονος. Ἐρασίστρατος δὲ κἀνταῦθα πρότερον ποιήσας τὸ δεύτερον οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως οὐκ αἰσθάνεται. διότι γάρ, φησί, πολλὴ πρόσθεσις εἰς ἀνάθρεψιν γίγνεται τοῖς νενοσηκόσι, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ πρὸς ταύτην ἀκολουθία πολλή. πῶς δʼ ἂν πολλὴ πρόσθεσις γένοιτο μὴ προηγουμένης ἀναδόσεως δαψιλοῦς; εἰ δὲ τὴν διὰ τῶν φλεβῶν φορὰν τῆς τροφῆς ἀνάδοσιν καλεῖ, τὴν δʼ εἰς ἕκαστον τῶν ἁπλῶν καὶ ἀοράτων ἐκείνων νεύρων καὶ ἀρτηριῶν μετάληψιν οὐκ ἀνάδοσιν ἀλλὰ διάδοσιν, ὥς τινες ὀνομάζειν k.v.2.p.105 ἠξίωσαν, εἶτα τὴν διὰ τῶν φλεβῶν μόνῃ τῇ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίᾳ φησὶ γίγνεσθαι, τὴν εἰς τὰ λόγῳ θεωρητὰ μετάληψιν ἡμῖν ἐξηγησάσθω. ὅτι μὲν γὰρ οὐκέτʼ ἐπὶ τούτων ἡ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθία λέγεσθαι δύναται καὶ μάλιστʼ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐσχάτως ἰσχνῶν, ἀποδέδεικται. τί δέ φησιν ἐπʼ αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ τῶν καθόλου λόγων ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος, ἄξιον ἐπακοῦσαι τῆς λέξεως· "Τοῖς δʼ ἐσχάτοις τε καὶ ἁπλοῖς, λεπτοῖς τε καὶ στενοῖς οὖσιν, ἐκ τῶν παρακειμένων ἀγγείων ἡ πρόσθεσις συμβαίνει εἰς τὰ κενώματα τῶν ἀπενεχθέντων κατὰ τὰ πλάγια τῶν ἀγγείων ἑλκομένης τῆς τροφῆς καὶ καταχωριζομένης." ἐκ ταύτης τῆς λέξεως πρῶτον μὲν τὸ κατὰ τὰ πλάγια προσίεμαί τε καὶ ἀποδέχομαι· κατὰ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸ τὸ στόμα τὸ ἁπλοῦν νεῦρον οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο δεχόμενον τὴν τροφὴν οὕτως εἰς ὅλον ἑαυτὸ διανέμειν· ἀνάκειται γὰρ ἐκεῖνο τῷ ψυχικῷ πνεύματι· κατὰ δὲ τὸ πλάγιον ἐκ τῆς παρακειμένης φλεβὸς τῆς ἁπλῆς ἐγχωρεῖ λαβεῖν αὐτό. δεύτερον δʼ ἀποδέχομαι τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἐρασιστράτου λέξεως ὀνομάτων τὸ k.v.2.p.106 γεγραμμένον ἐφεξῆς τῷ κατὰ τὰ πλάγια. τί γάρ φησι; "Κατὰ τὰ πλάγια τῶν ἀγγείων ἑλκομένης τῆς τροφῆς." ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἕλκεται, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμολογοῦμεν, ὅτι δʼ οὐ τῇ πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίᾳ, δέδεικται πρόσθεν.

[7] Ἐξεύρωμεν οὖν κοινῇ, τῶς ἕλκεται. πῶς δʼ ἄλλως ἢ ὡς ὁ σίδηρος ὑπὸ τῆς ἡρακλείας λίθου δύναμιν ἐχούσης ἑλκτικὴν τοιαύτης ποιότητος; ἀλλʼ εἰ τὴν μὲν ἀρχὴν τῆς ἀναδόσεως ἡ τῆς κοιλίας ἔνθλιψις παρέχεται, τὴν δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα φορὰν ἅπασαν αἵ τε φλέβες περιστελλόμεναι καὶ προωθοῦσαι καὶ τῶν τρεφομένων ἕκαστον ἐπισπώμενον εἰς ἑαυτό, τῆς πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον ἀκολουθίας ἀποστάντες, ὡς οὐ πρεπούσης ἀνδρὶ τεχνικὴν ὑποθεμένῳ τὴν φύσιν, οὕτως ἂν ἤδη καὶ τὴν ἀντιλογίαν εἴημεν πεφευγότες τὴν Ἀσκληπιάδου μὴ δυνάμενοί γε λύειν αὐτήν. τὸ γὰρ εἰς τὴν ἀπόδειξιν παραλαμβανόμενον λῆμμα τὸ διεζευγμένον οὐκ ἐκ δυοῖν ἀλλʼ ἐκ τριῶν ἐστι κατά γε τὴν ἀλήθειαν διεζευγμένον. εἰ μὲν οὖν k.v.2.p.107 ὡς ἐκ δυοῖν αὐτῷ χρησαίμεθα, ψεῦδος ἔσται τι τῶν εἰς τὴν ἀπόδειξιν παρειλημμένων· εἰ δʼ ὡς ἐκ τριῶν, ἀπέραντος ὁ λόγος γενήσεται.

[8] καὶ ταῦτʼ οὐκ ἐχρῆν ἀγνοεῖν τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον, εἴπερ κἂν ὄναρ ποτὲ τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου συνέτυχεν, ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ τὰ περὶ τῆς γενέσεως τῶν χυμῶν, ὑπὲρ ὧν οὐδὲν ἔχων εἰπεῖν οὐδὲ μέχρι τοῦ μετρίου πιθανὸν οἴεται παρακρούεσθαι σκηπτόμενος, ὡς οὐδὲ χρήσιμος ὅλως ἐστὶν ἡ τῶν τοιούτων ἐπίσκεψις. εἶτʼ, ὦ πρὸς θεῶν, ὅπως μὲν τὰ σιτία κατὰ τὴν γαστέρα πέττεται χρήσιμον ἐπίστασθαι, πῶς δʼ ἐν ταῖς φλεψὶν ἡ χολὴ γίγνεται, περιττόν; καὶ τῆς κενώσεως ἄρα φροντιστέον αὐτῆς μόνης, ἀμελητέον δὲ τῆς γενέσεως; ὥσπερ οὐκ ἄμεινον ὑπάρχον μακρῷ τὸ κωλύειν εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς γεννᾶσθαι πλείονα τοῦ πράγματʼ ἔχειν ἐκκενοῦντας. θαυμαστὸν δὲ καὶ τὸ διαπορεῖν, εἴτʼ ἐν τῷ σώματι τὴν γένεσιν αὐτῆς ὑποθετέον εἴτʼ εὐθὺς ἔξωθεν ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις περιέχεσθαι φατέον, εἰ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο καλῶς ἠπόρηται, τί οὐχὶ καὶ περὶ τοῦ αἵματος k.v.2.p.108 ἐπισκεψόμεθα, πότερον ἐν τῷ σώματι λαμβάνει τὴν γένεσιν ἢ τοῖς σιτίοις παρέσπαρται, καθάπερ οἱ τὰς ὁμοιομερείας ὑποτιθέμενοί φασι; καὶ μὴν πολλῷ γʼ ἦν χρησιμώτερον ζητεῖσθαι, ποῖα τῶν σιτίων ὁμολογεῖ τῇ τῆς αἱματώσεως ἐνεργείᾳ καὶ ποῖα διαφέρεται, τοῦ ζητεῖν, τίνα μὲν τῇ τῆς γαστρὸς ἐνεργείᾳ νικᾶται Ῥᾳδίως, τίνα δʼ ἀντιβαίνει καὶ μάχεται. τούτων μὲν γὰρ ἡ ἔκλεξις εἰς πέψιν μόνην, ἐκείνων δʼ εἰς αἵματος χρηστοῦ διαφέρει γένεσιν. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἴσον ἐστὶν ἢ μὴ καλῶς ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ χυλωθῆναι τὴν τροφὴν ἢ μὴ χρηστὸν αἷμα γεννηθῆναι. πῶς δʼ οὐκ αἰδεῖται τὰς μὲν τῆς πέψεως ἀποτυχίας διαιρούμενος, ὡς πολλαί τʼ εἰσὶ καὶ κατὰ πολλὰς γίγνονται προφάσεις, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῶν τῆς αἱματώσεως σφαλμάτων οὐδʼ ἄχρι Ῥήματος ἑνὸς οὐδʼ ἄχρι συλλαβῆς μιᾶς φθεγξάμενος; καὶ μὴν εὑρίσκεταί γε καὶ παχὺ καὶ λεπτὸν ἐν ταῖς φλεψὶν αἷμα καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἐρυθρότερον, τοῖς δὲ ξανθότερον, τοῖς δὲ μελάντερον, τοῖς δὲ φλεγματωδέστερον. εἰ δʼ ὅτι καὶ δυσῶδες οὐχ ἕνα τρόπον ἀλλʼ ἐν πολλαῖς k.v.2.p.109 πάνυ διαφοραῖς ἀρρήτοις μὲν λόγῳ, σαφεστάταις δʼ αἰσθήσεσι φαίνεται γιγνόμενον, εἰδείη τις, οὐκ ἂν οἶμαι μετρίως ἔτι καταγνώσεσθαι τῆς Ἐρασιστράτου Ῥᾳθυμίας αὐτὸν οὕτω γʼ ἀναγκαίαν εἰς τὰ ἔργα τῆς τέχνης θεωρίαν παραλιπόντος.

ἐναργῆ γὰρ δὴ καὶ τὰ περὶ τῶν ὑδέρων ἁμαρτήματα τῇ Ῥᾳθυμίᾳ ταύτῃ κατὰ λόγον ἠκολουθηκότα. τό τε γὰρ τῇ στενοχωρίᾳ τῶν ὁδῶν κωλύεσθαι νομίζειν πρόσω τοῦ ἥπατος ἰέναι τὸ αἷμα καὶ μηδέποτʼ ἂν ἄλλως ὕδερον δύνασθαι συστῆναι πῶς οὐκ ἐσχάτην ἐνδείκνυται Ῥᾳθυμίαν; τό τε μὴ διὰ τὸν σπλῆνα μηδὲ διʼ ἄλλο τι μόριον, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ διὰ τὸν ἐν τῷ ἥπατι σκίρρον ὕδερον οἴεσθαι γίγνεσθαι τελέως ἀργοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν ἀνθρώπου καὶ μηδενὶ τῶν ὁσημέραι γιγνομένων παρακολουθοῦντος. ἐπὶ μέν γε χρονίαις αἱμορροΐσιν ἐπισχεθείσαις ἢ διὰ κένωσιν ἄμετρον εἰς ψῦξιν ἐσχάτην ἀγαγούσαις τὸν ἄνθρωπον οὐχ ἅπαξ οὐδὲ δὶς ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἤδη τεθεάμεθα συστάντας ὑδέρους, ὥσπερ γε καὶ γυναιξὶν ἥ τε τῆς ἐφʼ ἑκάστῳ μηνὶ καθάρσεως ἀπώλεια παντελὴς καὶ ἄμετρος κένωσις, ὅταν αἱμορραγήσωσί k.v.2.p.110 ποθʼ αἱ μῆτραι σφοδρῶς, ἐπεκαλέσαντο πολλάκις ὕδερον καί τισιν αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ γυναικεῖος ὀνομαζόμενος Ῥοῦς εἰς τοῦτʼ ἐτελεύτησε τὸ πάθος, ἵνα τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν κενεώνων ἀρχομένους ἢ ἄλλου τινὸς τῶν ἐπικαίρων μορίων ὑδέρους παραλίπω, σαφῶς μὲν καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐξελέγχοντας τὴν Ἐρασιστράτειον ὑπόληψιν, ἀλλʼ οὐχ οὕτως ἐναργῶς ὡς οἱ διὰ κατάψυξιν σφοδρὰν τῆς ὅλης ἕξεως ἀποτελούμενοι. πρώτη γὰρ αὕτη γενέσεως ὑδέρων αἰτία διὰ τὴν ἀποτυχίαν τῆς αἱματώσεως γιγνομένη τρόπον ὁμοιότατον ταῖς ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν σιτίων ἀπεψίᾳ διαρροίαις. οὐ μὴν ἐσκίρρωταί γε κατὰ τοὺς τοιούτους ὑδέρους οὐδʼ ἄλλο τι σπλάγχνον οὐδὲ τὸ ἧπαρ.

ἀλλʼ Ἐρασίστρατος ὁ σοφὸς ὑπεριδὼν καὶ καταφρονήσας, ὧν οὔθʼ Ἱπποκράτης οὔτε Διοκλῆς οὔτε Πραξαγόρας οὔτε Φιλιστίων ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρίστων φιλοσόφων οὐδεὶς κατεφρόνησεν οὔτε Πλάτων οὔτʼ Ἀριστοτέλης οὔτε Θεόφραστος, ὅλας ἐνεργείας ὑπερβαίνει καθάπερ τι σμικρὸν καὶ τὸ τυχὸν τῆς τέχνης παραλιπὼν μέρος οὐδʼ k.v.2.p.111 ἀντειπεῖν ἀξιώσας, εἴτʼ ὀρθῶς εἴτε καὶ μὴ σύμπαντες οὗτοι θερμῷ καὶ ψυχρῷ καὶ ξηρῷ καὶ ὑγρῷ, τοῖς μὲν ὡς δρῶσι, τοῖς δʼ ὡς πάσχουσι, τὰ κατὰ τὸ σῶμα τῶν ζῴων ἁπάντων διοικεῖσθαί φασι καὶ ὡς τὸ θερμὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς εἴς τε τὰς ἄλλας ἐνεργείας καὶ μάλιστʼ εἰς τὴν τῶν χυμῶν γένεσιν τὸ πλεῖστον δύναται. ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν μὴ πείθεσθαι τοσούτοις τε καὶ τηλικούτοις ἀνδράσι καὶ πλέον αὐτῶν οἴεσθαί τι γιγνώσκειν ἀνεμέσητον, τὸ δὲ μήτʼ ἀντιλογίας ἀξιῶσαι μήτε μνήμης οὕτως ἔνδοξον δόγμα θαυμαστήν τινα τὴν ὑπεροψίαν ἐνδείκνυται.

καὶ μὴν σμικρότατός ἐστι τὴν γνώμην καὶ ταπεινὸς ἐσχάτως ἐν ἁπάσαις ταῖς ἀντιλογίαις ἐν μὲν τοῖς περὶ τῆς πέψεως λόγοις τοῖς σήπεσθαι τὰ σιτία νομίζουσι φιλοτίμως ἀντιλέγων, ἐν δὲ τοῖς περὶ τῆς ἀναδόσεως τοῖς διὰ τὴν παράθεσιν τῶν ἀρτηριῶν ἀναδίδοσθαι τὸ διὰ τῶν φλεβῶν αἷμα νομίζουσιν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς περὶ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς τοῖς περιωθεῖσθαι τὸν ἀέρα φάσκουσιν. οὐκ ὤκνησε δʼ οὐδὲ τοῖς ἀτμοειδῶς εἰς τὴν κύστιν ἰέναι τὰ οὖρα νομίζουσιν ἀντειπεῖν οὐδὲ τοῖς εἰς k.v.2.p.112 τὸν πνεύμονα φέρεσθαι τὸ ποτόν. οὕτως ἐν ἅπασι τὰς χειρίστας ἐπιλεγόμενος δόξας ἀγάλλεται διατρίβων ἐπὶ πλέον ἐν ταῖς ἀντιλογίαις· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς τοῦ αἵματος γενέσεως οὐδὲν ἀτιμοτέρας οὔσης τῆς ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ χυλώσεως τῶν σιτίων οὔτʼ ἀντειπεῖν τινι τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἠξίωσεν οὔτʼ αὐτὸς εἰσηγήσασθαί τινʼ ἑτέραν γνώμην ἐτόλμησεν, ὁ περὶ πασῶν τῶν φυσικῶν ἐνεργειῶν ἐν ἀρχῇ τῶν καθόλου λόγων ὑποσχόμενος ἐρεῖν, ὅπως τε γίγνονται καὶ διʼ ὧντινων τοῦ ζῴου μορίων. ἢ τῆς μὲν πέττειν τὰ σιτία πεφυκυίας δυνάμεως ἀρρωστούσης ἀπεπτήσει τὸ ζῷον, τῆς δʼ αἱματούσης τὰ πεφθέντα οὐδὲν ἔσται πάθημα τὸ παράπαν, ἀλλʼ ἀδαμαντίνη τις ἡμῖν αὕτη μόνη καὶ ἀπαθής ἐστιν; ἢ ἄλλο τι τῆς ἀρρωστίας αὐτῆς ἔκγονον ὑπάρξει καὶ οὐχ ὕδερος; δῆλος οὖν ἐναργῶς ἐστιν ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος ἐξ ὧν ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἄλλοις οὐδὲ ταῖς φαυλοτάταις δόξαις ἀντιλέγειν ὤκνησεν, ἐνταυθοῖ δʼ οὔτʼ ἀντειπεῖν τοῖς πρόσθεν οὔτʼ αὐτὸς εἰπεῖν τι καινὸν ἐτόλμησε, τὸ σφάλμα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γνωρίζων αἱρέσεως.

τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ λέγειν ἔσχεν ὑπὲρ αἵματος k.v.2.p.113 ἄνθρωπος εἰς μηδὲν τῷ συμφύτῳ θερμῷ χρώμενος; τί δὲ περὶ ξανθῆς χολῆς ἢ μελαίνης ἢ φλέγματος; ὅτι νὴ Δία δυνατόν ἐστιν ἀναμεμιγμένην τοῖς σιτίοις εὐθὺς ἔξωθεν παραγίγνεσθαι τὴν χολήν. λέγει γοῦν ὧδέ πως αὐτοῖς ὀνόμασι· "Πότερον δʼ ἐν τῇ περὶ τὴν κοιλίαν κατεργασίᾳ τῆς τροφῆς γεννᾶται τοιαύτη ὑγρασία ἢ μεμιγμένη τοῖς ἔξωθεν προσφερομένοις παραγίγνεται, οὐδὲν χρήσιμον πρὸς ἰατρικὴν ἐπεσκέφθαι." καὶ μήν, ὦ γενναιότατε, καὶ κενοῦσθαι χρῆναι φάσκεις ἐκ τοῦ ζῴου τὸν χυμὸν τοῦτον καὶ μεγάλως λυπεῖν, εἰ μὴ κενωθείη. πῶς οὖν οὐδὲν ἐξ αὐτοῦ χρηστὸν ὑπολαμβάνων γίγνεσθαι τολμᾷς ἄχρηστον λέγειν εἰς ἰατρικὴν εἶναι τὴν περὶ τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ σκέψιν;

ὑποκείσθω γὰρ ἐν μὲν τοῖς σιτίοις περιέχεσθαι, μὴ διακρίνεσθαι δʼ ἀκριβῶς ἐν ἥπατι· ταῦτα γὰρ ἀμφότερα νομίζεις εἶναι δυνατά. καὶ μὴν οὐ σμικρὸν ἐνταῦθα τὸ διαφέρον ἢ ἐλαχίστην ἢ παμπόλλην χολὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς περιέχοντα προσάρασθαι σιτία. τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἀκίνδυνα, τὰ δὲ παμπόλλην περιέχοντα τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι πᾶσαν k.v.2.p.114 αὐτὴν ἐν ἥπατι καθαρθῆναι καλῶς αἴτια καταστήσεται τῶν τʼ ἄλλων παθῶν, ὧν αὐτὸς ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος ἐπὶ πλήθει χολῆς γίγνεσθαί φησι, καὶ τῶν ἰκτέρων οὐχ ἥκιστα. πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἀναγκαιότατον ἰατρῷ γιγνώσκειν, πρῶτον μέν, ὡς ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις αὐτοῖς ἔξωθεν ἡ χολὴ περιέχεται, δεύτερον δʼ, ὡς τὸ μὲν τεῦτλον, εἰ τύχοι, παμπόλλην, ὁ δʼ ἄρτος ἐλαχίστην καὶ τὸ μὲν ἔλαιον πλείστην, ὁ δʼ οἶνος ὀλιγίστην ἕκαστόν τε τῶν ἄλλων ἄνισον τῷ πλήθει περιέχει τὴν χολήν; πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἂν εἴη γελοιότατος, ὃς ἂν ἑκὼν αἱρῆται τὰ πλείονα χολὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς περιέχοντα πρὸ τῶν ἐναντίων;

τί δʼ εἰ μὴ περιέχεται μὲν ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις ἡ χολή, γίγνεται δʼ ἐν τοῖς τῶν ζῴων σώμασιν; ἢ οὐχὶ καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο χρήσιμον ἐπίστασθαι, τίνι μὲν καταστάσει σώματος ἕπεται πλείων αὐτῆς ἡ γένεσις, τίνι δʼ ἐλάττων; ἀλλοιοῦν γὰρ δήπου καὶ μεταβάλλειν οἷοί τʼ ἐς μὲν καὶ τρέπειν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον ἀεὶ τὰς μοχθηρὰς καταστάσεις τοῦ σώματος. ἀλλʼ εἰ μὴ γιγνώσκοιμεν, καθότι μοχθηραὶ καὶ ὅπῃ τῆς δεούσης ἐξίστανται, πῶς ἂν αὐτὰς k.v.2.p.115 ἐπανάγειν οἷοί τʼ εἴημεν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον;

οὔκουν ἄχρηστόν ἐστιν εἰς τὰς ἰάσεις, ὡς Ἐρασίστρατός φησιν, ἐπίστασθαι τἀληθὲς αὐτὸ περὶ γενέσεως χολῆς. οὐ μὴν οὐδʼ ἀδύνατον οὐδʼ ἀσαφὲς ἐξευρεῖν, ὅτι μὴ τῷ πλείστην ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιέχειν τὸ μέλι τὴν ξανθὴν χολὴν ἀλλʼ ἐν τῷ σώματι μεταβαλλόμενον εἰς αὐτὴν ἀλλοιοῦταί τε καὶ τρέπεται. πικρόν τε γὰρ ἂνͅ ἦν γευομένοις, εἰ χολὴν ἔξωθεν εὐθὺς ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιεῖχεν ἅπασί τʼ ἂν ὡσαύτως τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἴσον αὐτῆς ἐγέννα τὸ πλῆθος. ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὧδʼ ἔχει τἀληθές. ἐν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ἀκμάζουσι καὶ μάλιστʼ εἰ φύσει θερμότεροι καὶ βίον εἶεν βιοῦντες ταλαίπωρον, ἅπαν εἰς ξανθὴν χολὴν μεταβάλλει τὸ μέλι· τοῖς γέρουσι δʼ ἱκανῶς ἐστιν ἐπιτήδειον, ὡς ἂν οὐκ εἰς χολὴν ἀλλʼ εἰς αἷμα τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν ἐν ἐκείνοις λαμβάνον. Ἐρασίστρατος δὲ πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν τούτων γιγνώσκειν οὐδὲ περὶ τὴν διαίρεσιν τοῦ λόγου σωφρονεῖ, πότερον ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις ἡ χολὴ περιέχεται εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἢ κατὰ τὴν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ κατεργασίαν ἐγένετο, μηδὲν εἶναι k.v.2.p.116 χρήσιμον εἰς ἰατρικὴν ἐπεσκέφθαι λέγων. ἐχρῆν γὰρ δήπου προσθεῖναί τι καὶ περὶ τῆς ἐν ἥπατι καὶ φλεψὶ γενέσεως αὐτῆς, ἐν τοῖσδε τοῖς ὀργάνοις γεννᾶσθαι τὴν χολὴν ἅμα τῷ αἵματι τῶν παλαιῶν ἰατρῶν τε καὶ φιλοσόφων ἀποφηναμένων. ἀλλὰ τοῖς εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς σφαλεῖσι καὶ διαμαρτάνουσι τῆς ὀρθῆς ὁδοῦ τοιαῦτά τε ληρεῖν ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι καὶ προσέτι τῶν χρησιμωτάτων εἰς τὴν τέχνην παραλιπεῖν τὴν ζήτησιν.

ἡδέως δʼ ἂν ἐνταῦθα τοῦ λόγου γεγονὼς ἠρόμην τοὺς ὁμιλῆσαι φάσκοντας αὐτὸν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου φιλοσόφοις, εἰ γιγνώσκουσιν, ὅσα περὶ τοῦ κεκρᾶσθαι τὰ σώμαθʼ ἡμῶν ἐκ θερμοῦ καὶ ψυχροῦ καὶ ξηροῦ καὶ ὑγροῦ πρὸς Ἀριστοτέλους εἴρηταί τε καὶ ἀποδέδεικται, καὶ ὡς τὸ θερμὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐστι τὸ δραστικώτατον καὶ ὡς τῶν ζῴων ὅσα μὲν θερμότερα φύσει, ταῦτα πάντως ἔναιμα, τὰ δʼ ἐπὶ πλέον ψυχρότερα πάντως ἄναιμα καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τοῦ χειμῶνος ἀργὰ καὶ ἀκίνητα κεῖται φωλεύοντα δίκην νεκρῶν. εἴρηται δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς χροιᾶς τοῦ αἵματος οὐκ Ἀριστοτέλει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Πλάτωνι. καὶ k.v.2.p.117 ἡμεῖς νῦν, ὅπερ ἤδη καὶ πρόσθεν εἶπον, οὐ τὰ καλῶς ἀποδεδειγμένα τοῖς παλαιοῖς λέγειν προὐθέμεθα, μήτε τῇ γνώμῃ μήτε τῇ λέξει τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους ὑπερβαλέσθαι δυνάμενοι· τὰ δʼ ἤτοι χωρὶς ἀποδείξεως ὡς ἐναργῆ πρὸς αὐτῶν εἰρημένα διὰ τὸ μηδʼ ὑπονοῆσαι μοχθηροὺς οὕτως ἔσεσθαί τινας σοφιστάς, οἳ καταφρονήσουσι τῆς ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀληθείας, ἢ καὶ παραλελειμμένα τελέως ὑπʼ ἐκείνων ἀξιοῦμεν εὑρίσκειν τε καὶ ἀποδεικνύναι.

περὶ δὲ τῆς τῶν χυμῶν γενέσεως οὐκ οἶδʼ, εἰ ἔχει τις ἕτερον προσθεῖναι σοφώτερον ὧν Ἱπποκράτης εἶπε καὶ Ἀριστοτέλης καὶ Πραξαγόρας καὶ Φιλότιμος καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ τῶν παλαιῶν. ἀποδέδεικται γὰρ ἐκείνοις τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἀλλοιουμένης τῆς τροφῆς ἐν ταῖς φλεψὶν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐμφύτου θερμασίας αἷμα μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς συμμετρίας τῆς κατʼ αὐτήν, οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι χυμοὶ διὰ τὰς ἀμετρίας γιγνόμενοι· καὶ τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ πάνθʼ ὁμολογεῖ τὰ φαινόμενα. καὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων ὅσα μέν ἐστι θερμότερα φύσει, χολωδέστερα, τὰ δὲ ψυχρότερα φλεγματικώτερα· καὶ τῶν ἡλικιῶν ὡσαύτως k.v.2.p.118 χολωδέστεραι μὲν αἱ θερμότεραι φύσει, φλεγματωδέστεραι δʼ αἱ ψυχρότεραι· καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων δὲ καὶ τῶν χωρῶν καὶ τῶν ὡρῶν καὶ πολὺ δὴ πρότερον ἔτι τῶν φύσεων αὐτῶν αἱ μὲν ψυχρότεραι φλεγματωδέστεραι, χολωδέστεραι δʼ αἱ θερμότεραι· καὶ νοσημάτων τὰ μὲν ψυχρὰ τοῦ φλέγματος ἔκγονα, τὰ δὲ θερμὰ τῆς ξανθῆς χολῆς· καὶ ὅλως οὐδὲν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν τῶν πάντων, ὃ μὴ τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ μαρτυρεῖ. πῶς δʼ οὐ μέλλει; διὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐκ τῶν τεττάρων ποιὰν κρᾶσιν ἑκάστου τῶν μορίων ὡδί πως ἐνεργοῦντος ἀνάγκη πᾶσα καὶ διὰ τὴν βλάβην αὐτῶν ἢ διαφθείρεσθαι τελέως ἢ ἐμποδίζεσθαί γε τὴν ἐνέργειαν καὶ οὕτω νοσεῖν τὸ ζῷον ἢ ὅλον ἢ κατὰ τὰ μόρια.

καὶ τὰ πρῶτά γε καὶ γενικώτατα νοσήματα τέτταρα τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὑπάρχει θερμότητι καὶ ψυχρότητι καὶ ξηρότητι καὶ ὑγρότητι διαφέροντα. τοῦτο δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος ὁμολογεῖ καίτοι μὴ βουλόμενος. ὅταν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς πυρετοῖς χείρους τῶν σιτίων τὰς πέψεις γίγνεσθαι λέγῃ, k.v.2.p.119 μὴ διότι τῆς ἐμφύτου θερμασίας ἡ συμμετρία διέφθαρται, καθάπερ οἱ πρόσθεν ὑπελάμβανον, ἀλλʼ ὅτι περιστέλλεσθαι καὶ τρίβειν ἡ γαστὴρ οὐχ ὁμοίως δύναται βεβλαμμένη τὴν ἐνέργειαν, ἐρέσθαι δίκαιον αὐτόν, ὑπὸ τίνος ἡ τῆς γαστρὸς ἐνέργεια βέβλαπται.

γενομένου γάρ, εἰ τύχοι, βουβῶνος ἐπὶ προσπταίσματι, πρὶν μὲν πυρέξαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, οὐκ ἂν χεῖρον ἡ γαστὴρ πέψειεν· οὐ γὰρ ἱκανὸν ἦν οὐδέτερον αὐτῶν οὔθʼ ὁ βουβὼν οὔτε τὸ ἕλκος ἐμποδίσαι τι καὶ βλάψαι τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς κοιλίας· εἰ δὲ πυρέξειεν, εὐθὺς μὲν αἱ πέψεις γίγνονται χείρους, εὐθὺς δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς γαστρὸς βεβλάφθαι φαμὲν ὀρθῶς λέγοντες. ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ τίνος ἐβλάβη, προσθεῖναι χρὴ τῷ λόγῳ. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἕλκος οὐχ οἷόν τʼ ἦν αὐτὴν βλάπτειν, ὥσπερ οὐδʼ ὁ βουβών· ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἔβλαψε καὶ πρὸ τοῦ πυρετοῦ. εἰ δὲ μὴ ταῦτα, δῆλον, ὡς ἡ τῆς θερμασίας πλεονεξία. δύο γὰρ ταῦτα προσεγένετο τῷ βουβῶνι, ἡ τῆς κατὰ τὰς ἀρτηρίας τε καὶ τὴν καρδίαν κινήσεως ἀλλοίωσις καὶ ἡ τῆς κατὰ φύσιν θερμασίας πλεονεξία. ἀλλʼ ἡ μὲν τῆς κινήσεως ἀλλοίωσις οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν k.v.2.p.120 βλάψει τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς γαστρός, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσωφελήσει κατʼ ἐκεῖνα τῶν ζῴων, ἐν οἷς εἰς τὴν πέψιν ὑπέθετο πλεῖστον δύνασθαι τὸ διὰ τῶν ἀρτηριῶν εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν ἐμπῖπτον πνεῦμα. διὰ λοιπὴν οὖν ἔτι καὶ μόνην τὴν ἄμετρον θερμασίαν ἡ βλάβη τῆς ἐνεργείας τῇ γαστρί. τὸ μὲν γὰρ πνεῦμα σφοδρότερόν τε καὶ συνεχέστερον καὶ πλέον ἐμπίπτει νῦν ἢ πρότερον. ὥστε ταύτῃ μὲν μᾶλλον πέψει τὰ διὰ τὸ πνεῦμα καλῶς πέττοντα ζῷα, διὰ λοιπὴν δʼ ἔτι τὴν παρὰ φύσιν θερμασίαν ἀπεπτήσει. τὸ γὰρ καὶ τῷ πνεύματι φάναι τινʼ ὑπάρχειν ἰδιότητα, καθʼ ἣν πέττει, κἄπειτα ταύτην πυρεττόντων διαφθείρεσθαι καθʼ ἕτερον τρόπον ἐστὶν ὁμολογῆσαι τὸ ἄτοπον. ἐρωτηθέντες γὰρ αὖθις, ὑπὸ τίνος ἠλλοιώθη τὸ πνεῦμα, μόνην ἕξουσιν ἀποκρίνεσθαι τὴν παρὰ φύσιν θερμασίαν καὶ μάλιστʼ ἐπὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν κοιλίαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ πλησιάζει κατʼ οὐδὲν τοῦτο τῷ βουβῶνι.

καίτοι τί τῶν ζῴων ἐκείνων, ἐν οἷς ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος ἰδιότης μέγα δύναται, μνημονεύω, παρὸν ἐπʼ ἀνθρώποις, ἐν οἷς ἢ οὐδὲν ἢ παντάπασιν k.v.2.p.121 ἀμυδρόν τι καὶ μικρὸν ὠφελεῖ, ποιεῖσθαι τὸν λόγον; ἀλλʼ ὅτι μὲν ἐν τοῖς πυρετοῖς οὗτοι κακῶς πέττουσιν, ὁμολογεῖ καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ τήν γʼ αἰτίαν προστιθεὶς βεβλάφθαι φησὶ τῆς γαστρὸς τὴν ἐνέργειαν. οὐ μὴν ἄλλην γέ τινα πρόφασιν τῆς βλάβης εἰπεῖν ἔχει πλὴν τῆς παρὰ φύσιν θερμασίας. ἀλλʼ εἰ βλάπτει τὴν ἐνέργειαν ἡ παρὰ φύσιν θερμασία μὴ κατά τι συμβεβηκός, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν αὑτῆς οὐσίαν τε καὶ δύναμιν, ἐκ τῶν πρώτων ἂν εἴη νοσημάτων· καὶ μὴν οὐκ ἐνδέχεται τῶν πρώτων μὲν εἶναι νοσημάτων τὴν ἀμετρίαν τῆς θερμασίας, τὴν δʼ ἐνέργειαν ὑπὸ τῆς εὐκρασίας μὴ γίγνεσθαι. οὐδὲ γὰρ διʼ ἄλλο τι δυνατὸν γίγνεσθαι τὴν δυσκρασίαν αἰτίαν τῶν πρώτων νοσημάτων ἀλλʼ ἢ διὰ τὴν εὐκρασίαν διαφθειρομένην. τῷ γὰρ ὑπὸ ταύτης γίγνεσθαι τὰς ἐνεργείας ἀνάγκη καὶ τὰς πρώτας αὐτῶν βλάβας διαφθειρομένης γίγνεσθαι.

ὅτι μὲν οὖν καὶ κατʼ αὐτὸν τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον ἡ εὐκρασία τοῦ θερμοῦ τῶν ἐνεργειῶν αἰτία, τοῖς θεωρεῖν τὸ ἀκόλουθον δυναμένοις ἱκανῶς ἀποδεδεῖχθαι νομίζω. τούτου δʼ ὑπάρχοντος k.v.2.p.122 ἡμῖν οὐδὲν ἔτι χαλεπὸν ἐφʼ ἑκάστης ἐνεργείας τῇ μὲν εὐκρασία τὸ βέλτιον ἕπεσθαι λέγειν, τῇ δὲ δυσκρασίᾳ τὰ χείρω. καὶ τοίνυν εἴπερ ταῦθʼ οὕτως ἔχει, τὸ μὲν αἷμα τῆς συμμέτρου θερμασίας, τὴν δὲ ξανθὴν χολὴν τῆς ἀμέτρου νομιστέον ὑπάρχειν ἔγγονον. οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἡμῖν ἔν τε ταῖς θερμαῖς ἡλικίαις καὶ τοῖς θερμοῖς χωρίοις καὶ ταῖς ὥραις τοῦ ἔτους ταῖς θερμαῖς καὶ ταῖς θερμαῖς καταστάσεσιν, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ταῖς θερμαῖς κράσεσι τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασί τε καὶ τοῖς διαιτήμασι καὶ τοῖς νοσήμασι τοῖς θερμοῖς εὐλόγως ἡ ξανθὴ χολὴ πλείστη φαίνεται γιγνομένη.

τὸ δʼ ἀπορεῖν, εἴτʼ ἐν τοῖς σώμασι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ χυμὸς οὗτος ἔχει τὴν γένεσιν εἴτʼ ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις περιέχεται, μηδʼ ὅτι τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσιν ἀμέμπτως, ὅταν ἀσιτήσωσι παρὰ τὸ ἔθος ὑπό τινος περιστάσεως πραγμάτων ἀναγκασθέντες, πικρὸν μὲν τὸ στόμα γίγνεται, χολώδη δὲ τὰ οὖρα, δάκνεται δʼ ἡ γαστήρ, ἑωρακότος ἐστὶν ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἐξαίφνης νῦν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐληλυθότος καὶ μήπω τὰ κατʼ αὐτὸν φαινόμενα γιγνώσκοντος. ἐπεὶ τίς οὐκ οἶδεν, ὡς ἕκαστον τῶν ἑψομένων ἐπὶ πλέον ἁλυκώτερον μὲν τὸ k.v.2.p.123 πρῶτον, ὕστερον δὲ πικρότερον γίγνεται; κἂν εἰ τὸ μέλι βουληθείης αὐτὸ τὸ πάντων γλυκύτατον ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἕψειν, ἀποδείξεις καὶ τοῦτο πικρότατον· ὃ γὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅσα μὴ φύσει θερμά, παρὰ τῆς ἑψήσεως ἐγγίγνεται, τοῦτʼ ἐκ φύσεως ὑπάρχει τῷ μέλιτι. διὰ τοῦτʼ οὖν ἑψόμενον οὐ γίγνεται γλυκύτερον· ὅσον γὰρ ἐχρῆν εἶναι θερμότητος εἰς γένεσιν γλυκύτητος, ἀκριβῶς αὐτῷ τοῦτο πᾶν οἴκοθεν ὑπάρχει. ὃ τοίνυν ἔξωθεν τοῖς ἐλλιπῶς θερμοῖς ἦν ὠφέλιμον, τοῦτʼ ἐκείνῳ βλάβη τε καὶ ἀμετρία γίγνεται καὶ διὰ τοῦτο θᾶττον τῶν ἄλλων ἑψόμενον ἀποδείκνυται πικρόν. διʼ αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς θερμοῖς φύσει καὶ τοῖς ἀκμάζουσιν εἰς χολὴν ἑτοίμως μεταβάλλεται. θερμῷ γὰρ θερμὸν πλησιάζον εἰς ἀμετρίαν κράσεως ἑτοίμως ἐξίσταται καὶ φθάνει χολὴ γιγνόμενον, οὐχ αἷμα. δεῖται τοίνυν ψυχρᾶς μὲν κράσεως ἀνθρώπου, ψυχρᾶς δʼ ἡλικίας, ἵνʼ εἰς αἵματος ἄγηται φύσιν. οὔκουν ἄπο τρόπου συνεβούλευσεν Ἱπποκράτης τοῖς φύσει πικροχόλοις μὴ προσφέρειν τὸ μέλι, ὡς k.v.2.p.124 ἂν θερμοτέρας δηλονότι κράσεως ὑπάρχουσιν. οὕτω δὲ καὶ τοῖς νοσήμασι τοῖς πικροχόλοις πολέμιον εἶναι τὸ μέλι καὶ τῇ τῶν γερόντων ἡλικίᾳ φίλιον οὐχ Ἱπποκράτης μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες ἰατροὶ λέγουσιν, οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῆς φύσεως αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν ἐνδειξαμένης εὑρόντες, οἱ δʼ ἐκ τῆς πείρας μόνης. οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐμπειρίας ἰατροῖς ἕτερόν τι παρὰ ταῦτα τετήρηται γιγνόμενον, ἀλλὰ χρηστὸν μὲν γέροντι, νέῳ δʼ οὐ χρηστόν, καὶ τῷ μὲν φύσει πικροχόλῳ βλαβερόν, ὠφέλιμον δὲ τῷ φλεγματώδει· καὶ τῶν νοσημάτων ὡσαύτως τοῖς μὲν πικροχόλοις ἐχθρόν, τοῖς δὲ φλεγματώδεσι φίλιον· ἑνὶ δὲ λόγῳ τοῖς μὲν θερμοῖς σώμασιν ἢ διὰ φύσιν ἢ διὰ νόσον ἢ διʼ ἡλικίαν ἢ διʼ ὥραν ἢ διὰ χώραν ἢ διʼ ἐπιτήδευμα χολῆς γεννητικόν, αἵματος δὲ τοῖς ἐναντίοις.

καὶ μὴν οὐκ ἐνδέχεται ταὐτὸν ἔδεσμα τοῖς μὲν χολὴν γεννᾶν, τοῖς δʼ αἷμα μὴ οὐκ ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς γενέσεως αὐτῶν ἐπιτελουμένης. εἰ γὰρ δὴ οἴκοθέν γε καὶ παρʼ ἑαυτοῦ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων ἕκαστον ἔχον καὶ οὐκ ἐν τοῖς τῶν ζῴων σώμασι k.v.2.p.125 μεταβαλλόμενον ἐγέννα τὴν χολήν, ἐν ἅπασιν ἂν ὁμοίως αὐτὴν τοῖς σώμασιν ἐγέννα καὶ τὸ μὲν πικρὸν ἔξω γευομένοις ἦν ἂν οἶμαι χολῆς ποιητικόν, εἰ δέ τι γλυκὺ καὶ χρηστόν, οὐκ ἂν οὐδὲ τὸ βραχύτατον ἐξ αὐτοῦ χολῆς ἐγεννᾶτο. καὶ μὴν οὐ τὸ μέλι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἕκαστον τῶν γλυκέων τοῖς προειρημένοις σώμασι τοῖς διʼ ὁτιοῦν τῶν εἰρημένων θερμοῖς οὖσιν εἰς χολὴν ἑτοίμως ἐξίσταται.

καίτοι ταῦτʼ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως ἐξηνέχθην εἰπεῖν οὐ προελόμενος ἀλλʼ ὑπʼ αὐτῆς τοῦ λόγου τῆς ἀκολουθίας ἀναγκασθείς. εἴρηται δʼ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν Ἀριστοτέλει τε καὶ Πραξαγόρᾳ τὴν Ἱπποκράτους καὶ Πλάτωνος γνώμην ὀρθῶς ἐξηγησαμένοις.

[9] μὴ τοίνυν ὡς ἀποδείξεις ὑφʼ ἡμῶν εἰρῆσθαι νομίζειν τὰ τοιαῦτα μᾶλλον ἢ περὶ τῆς τῶν ἄλλως γιγνωσκόντων ἀναισθησίας ἐνδείξεις, οἳ μηδὲ τὰ πρὸς ἁπάντων ὁμολογούμενα καὶ καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν φαινόμενα γιγνώσκουσιν· τὰς δʼ ἀποδείξεις αὐτῶν τὰς κατʼ ἐπιστήμην ἐξ ἐκείνων χρὴ λαμβάνειν τῶν ἀρχῶν, ὧν ἤδη k.v.2.p.126 καὶ πρόσθεν εἴπομεν, ὡς τὸ δρᾶν καὶ πάσχειν εἰς ἄλληλα τοῖς σώμασιν ὑπάρχει κατὰ τὸ θερμὸν καὶ ψυχρὸν καὶ ξηρὸν καὶ ὑγρόν. καὶ εἴτε φλέβας εἴθʼ ἧπαρ εἴτʼ ἀρτηρίας εἴτε καρδίαν εἴτε κοιλίαν εἴτʼ ἄλλο τι μόριον ἐνεργεῖν τις φήσειεν ἡντινοῦν ἐνέργειαν, ἀφύκτοις ἀνάγκαις ἀναγκασθήσεται διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῶν τεττάρων ποιὰν κρᾶσιν ὁμολογῆσαι τὴν ἐνέργειαν ὑπάρχειν αὐτῷ. διὰ τί γὰρ ἡ γαστὴρ περιστέλλεται τοῖς σιτίοις, διὰ τί δʼ αἱ φλέβες αἷμα γεννῶσι, παρὰ τῶν Ἐρασιστρατείων ἐδεόμην ἀκοῦσαι. τὸ γὰρ ὅτι περιστέλλεται μόνον αὐτὸ καθʼ ἑαυτὸ γιγνώσκειν οὐδέπω χρηστόν, εἰ μὴ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν εἰδείημεν· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν οἶμαι καὶ τὰ σφάλματα θεραπεύσαιμεν. οὐ μέλει, φασίν, ἡμῖν οὐδὲ πολυπραγμονοῦμεν ἔτι τὰς τοιαύτας αἰτίας· ὑπὲρ ἰατρὸν γάρ εἰσι καὶ τῷ φυσικῷ προσήκουσι. πότερον οὖν οὐδʼ ἀντερεῖτε τῷ φάσκοντι τὴν μὲν εὐκρασίαν τὴν κατὰ φύσιν αἰτίαν εἶναι τῆς ἐνεργείας ἑκάστῳ τῶν ὀργάνων, τὴν δʼ αὖ δυσκρασίαν k.v.2.p.127 νόσον τʼ ἤδη καλεῖσθαι καὶ πάντως ὑπʼ αὐτῆς βλάπτεσθαι τὴν ἐνέργειαν; ἢ πεισθήσεσθε ταῖς τῶν παλαιῶν ἀποδείξεσιν; ἢ τρίτον τι καὶ μέσον ἑκατέρου τούτων πράξετε μήθʼ ὡς ἀληθέσι τοῖς λόγοις ἐξ ἀνάγκης πειθόμενοι μήτʼ ἀντιλέγοντες ὡς ψευδέσιν, ἀλλʼ ἀπορητικοί τινες ἐξαίφνης καὶ Πυρρώνειοι γενήσεσθε; καὶ μὴν εἰ τοῦτο δράσετε, τὴν ἐμπειρίαν ἀναγκαῖον ὑμῖν προστήσασθαι. τῷ γὰρ ἂν ἔτι τρόπῳ καὶ τῶν ἰαμάτων εὐποροίητε τὴν οὐσίαν ἑκάστου τῶν νοσημάτων ἀγνοοῦντες; τί οὖν οὐκ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐμπειρικοὺς ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐκαλέσατε; τί δὲ πράγμαθʼ ἡμῖν παρέχετε φυσικὰς ἐνεργείας ἐπαγγελλόμενοι ζητεῖν ἰάσεως ἕνεκεν; εἰ γὰρ ἀδύνατος ἡ γαστήρ ἐστί τινι περιστέλλεσθαι καὶ τρίβειν, πῶς αὐτὴν εἰς τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἐπανάξομεν ἀγνοοῦντες τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἀδυναμίας; ἐγὼ μέν φημι τὴν μὲν ὑπερτεθερμασμένην ἐμψυκτέον ἡμῖν εἶναι, τὴν δʼ ἐψυγμένην θερμαντέον· οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐξηρασμένην ὑγραντέον, τὴν δʼ ὑγρασμένην ξηραντέον. ἀλλὰ k.v.2.p.128 καὶ κατὰ συζυγίαν, εἰ θερμοτέρα τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ἅμα καὶ ξηροτέρα τύχοι γεγενημένη, κεφάλαιον εἶναι τῆς ἰάσεως ἐμψύχειν θʼ ἅμα καὶ ὑγραίνειν· εἰ δʼ αὖ ψυχροτέρα τε καὶ ὑγροτέρα, θερμαίνειν τε καὶ ξηραίνειν κἀπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὡσαύτως· οἱ δʼ ἀπʼ Ἐρασιστράτου τί ποτε καὶ πράξουσιν οὐδʼ ὅλως ζητεῖν τῶν ἐνεργειῶν τὰς αἰτίας ὁμολογοῦντες; ὁ γάρ τοι καρπὸς τῆς περὶ τῶν ἐνεργειῶν ζητήσεως οὗτός ἐστι, τὸ τὰς αἰτίας τῶν δυσκρασιῶν εἰδότα εἰς τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἐπανάγειν αὐτάς, ὡς αὐτό γε μόνον τὸ γνῶναι τὴν ἑκάστου τῶν ὀργάνων ἐνέργειαν ἥτις ἐστὶν οὔπω χρηστὸν εἰς τὰς ἰάσεις.

Ἐρασίστρατος δέ μοι δοκεῖ καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτʼ ἀγνοεῖν, ὡς, ἥτις ἂν ἐν τῷ σώματι διάθεσις βλάπτῃ τὴν ἐνέργειαν μὴ κατά τι συμβεβηκὸς ἀλλὰ πρώτως τε καὶ καθʼ ἑαυτήν, αὕτη τὸ νόσημά ἐστιν αὐτό. πῶς οὖν ἔτι διαγνωστικός τε καὶ ἰατικὸς ἔσται τῶν νοσημάτων ἀγνοῶν ὅλως αὐτὰ τίνα τʼ ἐστὶ καὶ πόσα καὶ ποῖα; κατὰ μὲν δὴ τὴν γαστέρα τό γε τοσοῦτον Ἐρασίστρατος ἠξίωσε k.v.2.p.129 ζητεῖσθαι τὸ πῶς πέττεται τὰ σιτία· τὸ δʼ ἥτις πρώτη τε καὶ ἀρχηγὸς αἰτία τούτου, πῶς οὐκ ἐπεσκέψατο; κατὰ δὲ τὰς φλέβας καὶ τὸ αἷμα καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ πῶς παρέλιπεν.

ἀλλʼ οὔθʼ Ἱπποκράτης οὔτʼ ἄλλος τις ὧν ὀλίγῳ πρόσθεν ἐμνημόνευσα φιλοσόφων ἢ ἰατρῶν ἄξιον ᾤετʼ εἶναι παραλιπεῖν· ἀλλὰ τὴν κατὰ φύσιν ἐν ἑκάστῳ ζῴῳ θερμασίαν εὔκρατόν τε καὶ μετρίως ὑγρὰν οὖσαν αἵματος εἶναί φασι γεννητικὴν καὶ διʼ αὐτό γε τοῦτο καὶ τὸ αἷμα θερμὸν καὶ ὑγρὸν εἶναί φασι τῇ δυνάμει χυμόν, ὥσπερ τὴν ξανθὴν χολὴν θερμὴν καὶ ξηρὰν εἶναι, εἰ καὶ ὅτι μάλισθʼ ὑγρὰ φαίνεται. διαφέρειν γὰρ αὐτοῖς δοκεῖ τὸ κατ φαντασίαν ὑγρὸν τοῦ κατὰ δύναμιν. ἢ τίς οὐκ οἶδεν, ὡς ἅλμη μὲν καὶ θάλαττα ταριχεύει τὰ κρέα καὶ ἄσηπτα διαφυλάττει, τὸ δʼ ἄλλο πᾶν ὕδωρ τὸ πότιμον ἑτοίμως διαφθείρει τε καὶ σήπει; τίς δʼ οὐκ οἶδεν, ὡς ξανθῆς χολῆς ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ περιεχομένης πολλῆς ἀπαύστῳ δίψει συνεχόμεθα καὶ ὡς ἐμέσαντες αὐτὴν εὐθὺς ἄδιψοι γιγνόμεθα μᾶλλον ἢ εἰ k.v.2.p.130 πάμπολυ ποτὸν προσηράμεθα; θερμὸς οὖν εὐλόγως ὁ χυμὸς οὗτος εἴρηται καὶ ξηρὸς κατὰ δύναμιν, ὥσπερ γε καὶ τὸ φλέγμα ψυχρὸν καὶ ὑγρόν. ἐναργεῖς γὰρ καὶ περὶ τούτου πίστεις Ἱπποκράτει τε καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις εἴρηνται παλαιοῖς.

Πρόδικος δʼ ἐν τῷ περὶ φύσεως ἀνθρώπου γράμματι τὸ συγκεκαυμένον καὶ οἷον ὑπερωπτημένον ἐν τοῖς χυμοῖς ὀνομάζων φλέγμα παρὰ τὸ πεφλέχθαι τῇ λέξει μὲν ἑτέρως χρῆται, φυλάττει μέντοι τὸ πρᾶγμα κατὰ ταὐτὸ τοῖς ἄλλοις. τὴν δʼ ἐν τοῖς ὀνόμασι τἀνδρὸς τούτου καινοτομίαν ἱκανῶς ἐνδείκνυται καὶ Πλάτων. ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γε τὸ πρὸς ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων ὀνομαζόμενον φλέγμα τὸ λευκὸν τὴν χρόαν, ὃ βλένναν ὀνομάζει Πρόδικος, ὁ ψυχρὸς καὶ ὑγρὸς χυμός ἐστιν οὗτος καὶ πλεῖστος τοῖς τε γέρουσι καὶ τοῖς ὁπωσδήποτε ψυγεῖσιν ἀθροίζεται καὶ οὐδεὶς οὐδὲ μαινόμενος ἂν ἄλλο τι ἢ ψυχρὸν καὶ ὑγρὸν εἴποι ἂν αὐτόν.

ἆρʼ οὖν θερμὸς μέν τίς ἐστι καὶ ὑγρὸς χυμὸς καὶ θερμὸς καὶ ξηρὸς ἕτερος καὶ ὑγρὸς καὶ ψυχρὸς ἄλλος, οὐδεὶς δʼ ἐστὶ ψυχρὸς καὶ ξηρὸς τὴν δύναμιν, ἀλλʼ ἡ τετάρτη συζυγία τῶν k.v.2.p.131 κράσεων ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑπάρχουσα μόνοις τοῖς χυμοῖς οὐχ ὑπάρχει; καὶ μὴν ἥ γε μέλαινα χολὴ τοιοῦτός ἐστι χυμός, ὃν οἱ σωφρονοῦντες ἰατροὶ καὶ φιλόσοφοι πλεονεκτεῖν ἔφασαν τῶν μὲν ὡρῶν τοῦ ἔτους ἐν φθινοπώρῳ μάλιστα, τῶν δʼ ἡλικιῶν ἐν ταῖς μετὰ τὴν ἀκμήν. οὕτω δὲ καὶ διαιτήματα καὶ χωρία καὶ καταστάσεις καὶ νόσους τινὰς ψυχρὰς καὶ ξηρὰς εἶναί φασιν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ χωλὴν ἐν ταύτῃ μόνῃ τῇ συζυγίᾳ τὴν φύσιν εἶναι νομίζουσιν ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ τὰς ἄλλας τρεῖς οὕτω καὶ τήνδε διὰ πάντων ἐκτετάσθαι.

ηὐξάμην οὖν κἀνταῦθʼ ἐρωτῆσαι δύνασθαι τὸν Ἐρασίστρατον, εἰ μηδὲν ὄργανον ἡ τεχνικὴ φύσις ἐδημιούργησε καθαρτικὸν τοῦ τοιούτου χυμοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν οὔρων ἄρα τῆς διακρίσεώς ἐστιν ὄργανα δύο καὶ τῆς ξανθῆς χολῆς ἕτερον οὐ σμικρόν, ὁ δὲ τούτων κακοηθέστερος χυμὸς ἀλᾶται διὰ παντὸς ἐν ταῖς φλεψὶν ἀναμεμιγμένος τῷ αἵματι. καίτοι "Δυσεντερίη," φησί που Ἱπποκράτης, "ἢν ἀπὸ χολῆς μελαίνης k.v.2.p.132 ἄρξηται, θανάσιμον," οὐ μὴν ἥ γʼ ἀπὸ τῆς ξανθῆς χολῆς ἀρχομένη πάντως ὀλέθριος, ἀλλʼ οἱ πλείους ἐξ αὐτῆς διασῴζονται. τοσούτῳ κακοηθεστέρα τε καὶ δριμυτέρα τὴν δύναμιν ἡ μέλαινα χολὴ τῆς ξανθῆς ἐστιν. ἆρʼ οὖν οὔτε τῶν ἄλλων ἀνέγνω τι τῶν τοῦ Ἱπποκράτους γραμμάτων ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος οὐδὲν οὔτε τὸ περὶ φύσεως ἀνθρώπου βιβλίον, ἵνʼ οὕτως ἀργῶς παρέλθοι τὴν περὶ τῶν χυμῶν ἐπίσκεψιν, ἢ γιγνώσκει μέν, ἑκὼν δὲ παραλείπει καλλίστην τῆς τέχνης θεωρίαν; ἐχρῆν οὖν αὐτὸν μηδὲ περὶ τοῦ σπληνὸς εἰρηκέναι τι μηδʼ ἀσχημονεῖν ὑπὸ τῆς τεχνικῆς φύσεως ὄργανον τηλικοῦτον μάτην ἡγούμενον κατεσκευάσθαι. καὶ μὴν οὐχ Ἱπποκράτης μόνον ἢ Πλάτων, οὐδέν τι χείρους Ἐρασιστράτου περὶ φύσιν ἄνδρες, ἕν τι τῶν καθαιρόντων τὸ αἷμα καὶ τοῦτʼ εἶναί φασι τὸ σπλάγχνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μυρίοι σὺν αὐτοῖς ἄλλοι τῶν παλαιῶν ἰατρῶν τε καὶ φιλοσόφων, ὧν ἁπάντων προσποιησάμενος ὑπερφρονεῖν ὁ γενναῖος Ἐρασίστρατος οὔτʼ ἀντεῖπεν οὔθʼ ὅλως τῆς δόξης αὐτῶν ἐμνημόνευσε. καὶ μὴν ὅσοις γε τὸ σῶμα θάλλει, τούτοις ὁ σπλὴν φθίνει, φησὶν Ἱπποκράτης, καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ k.v.2.p.133 τῆς ἐμπειρίας ὁρμώμενοι πάντες ὁμολογοῦσιν ἰατροί. καὶ ὅσοις γʼ αὖ μέγας καὶ ὕπουλος αὐξάνεται, τούτοις καταφθείρει τε καὶ κακόχυμα τὰ σώματα τίθησιν, ὡς καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν οὐχ Ἱπποκράτης μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ Πλάτων ἄλλοι τε πολλοὶ καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐμπειρίας ὁμολογοῦσιν ἰατροί. καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ σπληνὸς δὲ κακοπραγοῦντος ἴκτεροι μελάντεροι καὶ τῶν ἑλκῶν αἱ οὐλαὶ μέλαιναι. καθόλου γάρ, ὅταν ἐνδεέστερον ἢ προσῆκεν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἕλκῃ τὸν μελαγχολικὸν χυμόν, ἀκάθαρτον μὲν τὸ αἷμα, κακόχρουν δὲ τὸ πᾶν γίγνεται σῶμα. πότε δʼ ἐνδεέστερον ἕλκει; ἢ δῆλον ὅτι κακῶς διακείμενος; ὥσπερ οὖν τοῖς νεφροῖς ἐνεργείας οὔσης ἕλκειν τὰ οὖρα κακῶς ἕλκειν ὑπάρχει κακοπραγοῦσιν, οὕτω καὶ τῷ σπληνὶ ποιότητος μελαγχολικῆς ἑλκτικὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ δύναμιν ἔχοντι σύμφυτον ἀρρωστήσαντί ποτε ταύτην ἀναγκαῖον ἕλκειν κακῶς κἀν τῷδε παχύτερον ἤδη καὶ μελάντερον γίγνεσθαι τὸ αἷμα.

ταῦτʼ οὖν ἅπαντα πρός τε τὰς διαγνώσεις τῶν νοσημάτων καὶ τὰς ἰάσεις μεγίστην k.v.2.p.134 παρεχόμενα χρείαν ὑπερεπήδησε τελέως ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος καὶ καταφρονεῖν προσεποιήσατο τηλικούτων ἀνδρῶν ὁ μηδὲ τῶν τυχόντων καταφρονῶν ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ φιλοτίμως ἀντιλέγων ταῖς ἤλιθιωτάταις δόξαις. ᾧ καὶ δῆλον, ὡς οὐδὲν ἔχων οὔτʼ ἀντειπεῖν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις ὑπὲρ ὧν ἀπεφήναντο περὶ σπληνὸς ἐνεργείας τε καὶ χρείας οὔτʼ αὐτὸς ἐξευρίσκων τι καινὸν εἰς τὸ μηδὲν ὅλως εἰπεῖν ἀφίκετο. ἀλλʼ ἡμεῖς γε πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τῶν αἰτίων, οἷς ἅπαντα διοικεῖται τὰ κατὰ τὰς φυσεις, τοῦ θερμοῦ λέγω καὶ ψυχροῦ καὶ ξηροῦ καὶ ὑγροῦ, δεύτερον δʼ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐναργῶς φαινομένων κατὰ τὸ σῶμα ψυχρὸν καὶ ξηρὸν εἶναί τινα χρῆναι χυμὸν ἀπεδείξαμεν. ἑξῆς δʼ, ὅτι καὶ μελαγχολικὸς οὗτος ὑπάρχει καὶ τὸ καθαῖρον αὐτὸν σπλάγχνον ὁ σπλήν ἐστιν, διὰ βραχέων ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα τῶν τοῖς παλαιοῖς ἀποδεδειγμένων ἀναμνήσαντες ἐπὶ τὸ λεῖπον ἔτι τοῖς παροῦσι λόγοις ἀφιξόμεθα.

τί δʼ ἂν εἴη λεῖπον ἄλλο γʼ ἢ ἐξηγήσασθαι k.v.2.p.135 σαφῶς, οἷόν τι βούλονταί τε καὶ ἀποδεικνύουσι περὶ τὴν τῶν χυμῶν γένεσιν οἱ παλαιοὶ συμβαίνειν. ἐναργέστερον δʼ ἂν γνωσθείη διὰ παραδείγματος. οἶνον δή μοι νόει γλεύκινον οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ τῶν σταφυλῶν ἐκτεθλιμμένον ζέοντά τε καὶ ἀλλοιούμενον ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ θερμασίας· ἔπειτα κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ μεταβολὴν δύο γεννώμενα περιττώματα τὸ μὲν κουφότερόν τε καὶ ἀερωδέστερον, τὸ δὲ βαρύτερόν τε καὶ γεωδέστερον, ὧν τὸ μὲν ἄνθος, οἶμαι, τὸ δὲ τρύγα καλοῦσι. τούτων τῷ μὲν ἑτέρῳ τὴν ξανθὴν χολήν, τῷ δʼ ἑτέρῳ τὴν μέλαιναν εἰκάζων οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις, οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐχόντων ἰδέαν τῶν χυμῶν τούτων ἐν τῷ κατὰ φύσιν διοικεῖσθαι τὸ ζῷον, οἵαν καὶ παρὰ φύσιν ἔχοντος ἐπιφαίνονται πολλάκις. ἡ μὲν γὰρ ξανθὴ λεκιθώδης γίγνεται· καὶ γὰρ ὀνομάζουσιν οὕτως αὐτήν, ὅτι ταῖς τῶν ὠῶν λεκίθοις ὁμοιοῦται κατά τε χρόαν καὶ πάχος. ἡ δʼ αὖ μέλαινα κακοηθέστερα μὲν πολὺ καὶ αὕτη τῆς κατὰ φύσιν· ὄνομα δʼ οὐδὲν ἴδιον κεῖται τῷ τοιούτῳ χυμῷ, πλὴν εἴ πού τινες ἢ ξυστικὸν ἢ ὀξώδη κεκλήκασιν αὐτόν, ὅτι καὶ δριμὺς ὁμοίως k.v.2.p.136 ὄξει γίγνεται καὶ ξύει γε τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ζῴου καὶ τὴν γῆν, εἰ κατʼ αὐτῆς ἐκχυθείη, καί τινα μετὰ πομφολύγων οἷον ζύμωσίν τε καὶ ζέσιν ἐργάζεται, σηπεδόνος ἐπικτήτου προσελθούσης ἐκείνῳ τῷ κατὰ φύσιν ἔχοντι χυμῷ τῷ μέλανι. καί μοι δοκοῦσιν οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν παλαιῶν ἰατρῶν αὐτὸ μὲν τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἔχον τοῦ τοιούτου χυμοῦ καὶ διαχωροῦν κάτω καὶ πολλάκις ἐπιπολάζον ἄνω μέλανα καλεῖν χυμόν, οὐ μέλαιναν χολήν, τὸ δʼ ἐκ συγκαύσεώς τινος καὶ σηπεδόνος εἰς τὴν ὀξεῖαν μεθιστάμενον ποιότητα μέλαιναν ὀνομάζειν χολήν. ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τῶν ὀνομάτων οὐ χρὴ διαφέρεσθαι, τὸ δʼ ἀληθὲς ὧδʼ ἔχον εἰδέναι.

κατὰ τὴν τοῦ αἵματος γένεσιν ὅσον ἂν ἱκανῶς παχὺ καὶ γεῶδες ἐκ τῆς τῶν σιτίων φύσεως ἐμφερόμενον τῇ τροφῇ μὴ δέξηται καλῶς τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἐμφύτου θερμασίας ἀλλοίωσιν, ὁ σπλὴν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἕλκει τοῦτο. τὸ δʼ ὀπτηθέν, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, καὶ συγκαυθὲν τῆς τροφῆς, εἴη δʼ ἂν τοῦτο τὸ θερμότατον ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ γλυκύτατον, οἷον τό τε μέλι καὶ ἡ πιμελή, ξανθὴ γενόμενον χολὴ διὰ τῶν χοληδόχων ὀνομαζομένων ἀγγείων k.v.2.p.137 ἐκκαθαίρεται. λεπτὸν δʼ ἐστὶ τοῦτο καὶ ὑγρὸν καὶ Ῥυτὸν οὐχ ὥσπερ ὅταν ὀπτηθὲν ἐσχάτως ξανθὸν καὶ πυρῶδες καὶ παχὺ γένηται ταῖς τῶν ὠῶν ὅμοιον λεκίθοις. τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ ἤδη παρὰ φύσιν· θάτερον δὲ τὸ πρότερον εἰρημένον κατὰ φύσιν ἐστίν· ὥσπερ γε καὶ τοῦ μέλανος χυμοῦ τὸ μὲν μήπω τὴν οἷον ζέσιν τε καὶ ζύμωσιν τῆς γῆς ἐργαζόμενον κατὰ φύσιν ἐστί, τὸ δʼ εἰς τοιαύτην μεθιστάμενον ἰδέαν τε καὶ δύναμιν ἤδη παρὰ φύσιν, ὡς ἂν τὴν ἐκ τῆς συγκαύσεως τοῦ παρὰ φύσιν θερμοῦ προσειληφὸς δριμύτητα καὶ οἷον τέφρα τις ἤδη γεγονός. ὧδέ πως καὶ ἡ κεκαυμένη τρὺξ τῆς ἀκαύστου διήνεγκε. θερμὸν γάρ τι χρῆμα αὕτη γʼ ἱκανῶς ἐστιν, ὥστε καίειν τε καὶ τήκειν καὶ διαφθείρειν τὴν σάρκα. τῇ δʼ ἑτέρᾳ τῇ μήπω κεκαυμένῃ τοὺς ἰατροὺς ἔστιν εὑρεῖν χρωμένους εἰς ὅσαπερ καὶ τῇ γῇ τῇ καλουμένῃ κεραμίτιδι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅσα ξηραίνειν θʼ ἅμα καὶ ψύχειν πέφυκεν.

εἰς τὴν τῆς οὕτω συγκαυθείσης μελαίνης χολῆς ἰδέαν καὶ ἡ λεκιθώδης ἐκείνη μεθίσταται πολλάκις, ὅταν καὶ αὐτή ποθʼ οἷον ὀπτηθεῖσα k.v.2.p.138 τύχῃ πυρώδει θερμασίᾳ. τὰ δʼ ἄλλα τῶν χολῶν εἴδη σύμπαντα τὰ μὲν ἐκ τῆς τῶν εἰρημένων κράσεως γίγνεται, τὰ δʼ οἷον ὁδοί τινές εἰσι τῆς τούτων γενέσεώς τε καὶ εἰς ἄλληλα μεταβολῆς. διαφέρουσι δὲ τῷ τὰς μὲν ἀκράτους εἶναι καὶ μόνας, τὰ δʼ οἷον ὀρροῖς τισιν ἐξυγρασμένας. ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν ὀρροὶ τῶν χυμῶν ἅπαντες περιττώματα καὶ καθαρὸν αὐτῶν εἶναι δεῖται τοῦ ζῴου τὸ σῶμα. τῶν δʼ εἰρημένων χυμῶν ἐστί τις χρεία τῇ φύσει καὶ τοῦ παχέος καὶ τοῦ λεπτοῦ καὶ καθαίρεται πρός τε τοῦ σπληνὸς καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τῷ ἥπατι κύστεως τὸ αἷμα καὶ ἀποτίθεται τοσοῦτόν τε καὶ τοιοῦτον ἑκατέρου μέρος, ὅσον καὶ οἷον, εἴπεο εἰς ὅλον ἠνέχθη τοῦ ζῴου τὸ σῶμα, βλάβην ἄν τινʼ εἰργάσατο. τὸ γὰρ ἱκανῶς παχὺ καὶ γεῶδες καὶ τελέως διαπεφευγὸς τὴν ἐν τῷ ἥπατι μεταβολὴν ὁ σπλὴν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἕλκει· τὸ δʼ ἄλλο τὸ μετρίως παχὺ σὺν τῷ κατειργάσθαι πάντη φέρεται. δεῖται γὰρ ἐν πολλοῖς τοῦ ζῴου μορίοις παχύτητός τινος k.v.2.p.139 τὸ αἷμα καθάπερ οἶμαι καὶ τῶν ἐμφερομένων ἰνῶν. καὶ εἴρηται μὲν καὶ Πλάτωνι περὶ τῆς χρείας αὐτῶν, εἰρήσεται δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς γράμμασιν, ἐν οἷς ἂν τὰς χρείας τῶν μορίων διερχώμεθα· δεῖται δʼ οὐχ ἥκιστα καὶ τοῦ ξανθοῦ χυμοῦ τοῦ μήπω πυρώδους ἐσχάτως γεγενημένου τὸ αἷμα καὶ τίς αὐτῷ καὶ ἡ παρὰ τοῦδε χρεία, διʼ ἐκείνων εἰρήσεται.

φλέγματος δʼ οὐδὲν ἐποίησεν ἡ φύσις ὄργανον καθαρτικόν, ὅτι ψυχρὸν καὶ ὑγρόν ἐστι καὶ οἷον ἡμίπεπτός τις τροφή. δεῖται τοίνυν οὐ κενοῦσθαι τὸ τοιοῦτον ἀλλʼ ἐν τῷ σώματι μένον ἀλλοιοῦσθαι. τὸ δʼ ἐξ ἐγκεφάλου καταρρέον περίττωμα τάχα μὲν ἂν οὐδὲ φλέγμα τις ὀρθῶς ἀλλὰ βλένναν τε καὶ κόρυζαν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὀνομάζεται, καλοίη. εἰ δὲ μή, ἀλλʼ ὅτι γε τῆς τούτου κενώσεως ὀρθῶς ἡ φύσις προὐνοήσατο, καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐν τοῖς περὶ χρείας μορίων εἰρήσεται. καὶ γὰρ οὖν καὶ τὸ κατά τε τὴν γαστέρα καὶ τὰ ἔντερα συνιστάμενον φλέγμα ὅπως ἂν ἐκκενωθῇ καὶ αὐτὸ τάχιστά τε καὶ κάλλιστα, τὸ παρεσκευασμένον τῇ φύσει μηχάνημα διʼ ἐκείνων εἰρήσεται καὶ αὐτὸ τῶν k.v.2.p.140 ὑπομνημάτων. ὅσον οὖν ἐμφέρεται ταῖς φλεψὶ φλέγμα χρήσιμον ὑπάρχον τοῖς ζῴοις, οὐδεμιᾶς δεῖται κενώσεως. προσέχειν δὲ χρὴ κἀνταῦθα τὸν νοῦν καὶ γιγνώσκειν, ὥσπερ τῶν χολῶν ἑκατέρας τὸ μέν τι χρήσιμόν ἐστι καὶ κατὰ φύσιν τοῖς ζῴοις, τὸ δʼ ἄχρηστόν τε καὶ παρὰ φύσιν, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ φλέγματος, ὅσον μὲν ἂν ᾖ γλυκύ, χρηστὸν εἶναι τοῦτο τῷ ζῴῳ καὶ κατὰ φύσιν, ὅσον δʼ ὀξὺ καὶ ἁλμυρὸν ἐγένετο, τὸ μὲν ὀξὺ τελέως ἠπεπτῆσθαι, τὸ δʼ ἁλμυρὸν διασεσῆφθαι. τελείαν δʼ ἀπεψίαν φλέγματος ἀκούειν χρὴ τὴν τῆς δευτέρας πέψεως δηλονότι τῆς ἐν φλεψίν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῆς γε πρώτης τῆς κατὰ τὴν κοιλίαν· ἢ οὐδʼ ἂν ἐγεγένητο τὴν ἀρχὴν χυμός, εἰ καὶ ταύτην διεπεφεύγει.

ταῦτʼ ἀρκεῖν μοι δοκεῖ περὶ γενέσεώς τε καὶ διαφθορᾶς χυμῶν ὑπομνήματʼ εἶναι τῶν Ἱπποκράτει τε καὶ Πλάτωνι καὶ Ἀριστοτέλει καὶ Πραξαγόρόρᾳ καὶ Διοκλεῖ καὶ πολλοῖς ἄλλοις τῶν παλαιῶν εἰρημένων· οὐ γὰρ ἐδικαίωσα πάντα μεταφέρειν εἰς τόνδε τὸν λόγον τὰ τελέως ἐκείνοις γεγραμμένα. τοσοῦτον δὲ μόνον ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου k.v.2.p.141 εἶπον, ὅσον ἐξορμήσει τε τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας, εἰ μὴ παντάπασιν εἶεν σκαιοί, τοῖς τῶν παλαιῶν ὁμιλῆσαι γράμμασι καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸ Ῥᾷον αὐτοῖς συνεῖναι βοήθειαν παρέξει. γέγραπται δέ που καὶ διʼ ἑτέρου λόγου περὶ τῶν κατὰ Πραξαγόραν τὸν Νικάρχου χυμῶν. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα δέκα ποιεῖ χωρὶς τοῦ αἵματος, ἑνδέκατος γὰρ ἂν εἴη χυμὸς αὐτὸ τὸ αἷμα, τῆς Ἱπποκράτους οὐκ ἀποχωρεῖ διδασκαλίας. ἀλλʼ εἰς εἴδη τινὰ καὶ διαφορὰς τέμνει τοὺς ὑπʼ ἐκείνου πρώτου πάντων ἅμα ταῖς οἰκείαις ἀποδείξεσιν εἰρημένους χυμούς.

ἐπαινεῖν μὲν οὖν χρὴ τούς τʼ ἐξηγησαμένους τὰ καλῶς εἰρημένα καὶ τοὺς εἴ τι παραλέλειπται προστιθέντας· οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε τὸν αὐτὸν ἄρξασθαί τε καὶ τελειῶσαι· μέμφεσθαι δὲ τοὺς οὕτως ἀταλαιπώρους, ὡς μηδὲν ὑπομένειν μαθεῖν τῶν ὀρθῶς εἰρημένων, καὶ τοὺς εἰς τοσοῦτον φιλοτίμους, ὥστʼ ἐπιθυμίᾳ νεωτέρων δογμάτων ἀεὶ πανουργεῖν τι καὶ σοφίζεσθαι, τὰ μὲν ἑκόντας παραλιπόντας, ὥσπερ Ἐρασίστρατος ἐπὶ τῶν k.v.2.p.142 χυμῶν ἐποίησε, τὰ δὲ πανούργως ἀντιλέγοντας, ὥσπερ αὐτός θʼ οὗτος καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ τῶν νεωτέρων.

ἀλλʼ οὗτος μὲν ὁ λόγος ἐνταυθοῖ τελευτάτω, τὸ δʼ ὑπόλοιπον ἅπαν ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ προσθήσω.

Notes on the current edition

On the Natural Faculties.

1. cf. p. 89.

2. This term is nowadays limited to the drawing action of a blister. cf. p. 223.

3. The radicles of the hepatic ducts in the liver were supposed to be the active agents in extracting bile from the blood. cf. pp. 145-149.

4. Anadosis; cf. p. 13, note 5.

5. The term κοιλία is used both specifically for the stomach proper and also (as probably here) in a somewhat wider sense for the stomach region, including the adjacent part of the small intestine; this was the part of the alimentary canal from which nutriment was believed to be absorbed by the mesenteric veins; cf. p. 309, note 2.

6. cf. p. 100, note 2; p. 167, note 2

7. A characteristic lesion in Erasistratus's pathology.

8. A certain subordinate place allowed to the horror vacui.

9. i.e.. the parts to which the veins convey blood after it leaves the liver — second stage of anadosis; cf. p. 91, note 2; p. 13, note 5.

10. What we now call the pulmonary artery. Galen believed that the right ventricle existed for the purpose of sending nutrient blood to the lungs.

11. Lit. owing to the ongrowth ( epiphysis ) of membranes; he means the tricuspid valve; cf. p. 314, note 2; p. 321, note 4.

12. Horror vacui

13. But Erasistratus had never upheld this in the case of urinary secretion. cf. p. 99.

14. This was the characteristically anatomical explanation of bile-secretion made by Erasistratus. cf. p. 170, note 2. Why, then says Galen, does not urine, rather than bile, enter the bile-ducts?

15. Urine, or more exactly, blood-serum.

16. Or ducts, canals, conduits, i.e. morphological factors.

17. Or artistic skill, artistry. cf. Book I., chap. xii.

18. Only; cf. Introd., p. xxviii.

19. Note how Galen, although he has not yet clearly differentiated physiological from physical processes (both are natural) yet separates them definitely from the psychical. cf. p. 2, footnote. A psychical function or activity is, in Latin, actio animalis (from anima = psyche ).

20. The stage of organogenesis or diaphasis; cf. p. 25, note 4.

21. The spermatozoon now becomes an organism proper.

22. Galen attributed to the sperma or semen what we should to the fertilized ovum: to him the maternal contribution is purely passive — mere food for the sperm. The epoch-making Ovum Theory was not developed till the seventeenth century. cf. p. 19, note 3.

23. i.e.. we should be talking psychology, not biology; cf. stomach, p. 307, note 3.

24. Attraction now described not merely as qualitative but also as quantitative. cf. p. 85, note 3.

25. He still tends either to biologize physics, or to physicize biology — whichever way we prefer to look at it. cf. Book I., chap. xiv.

26. Aristotelian and Stoic duality of an active and a passive principle.

27. Note that early embryonic development is described as a process of nutrition. cf. p. 130, note 2.

28. On the alterative and shaping of faculties cf. p. 18, note 1.

29. pp. 27-29.

30. cf. Introduction, p. xxvi.

31. cf. p. 15.

32. For definitions of alteration and mingling ( crasis), temperament) cf. Book I., chaps. ii. and iii.

33. i.e.. are associated with oxidation? cf. p. 41, note 3.

34. The Stoics.

35. The Peripatetics (Aristotelians).

36. Aristotle regarded the qualitative differences apprehended by our senses (the cold, the warm, the moist, and the dry) as fundamental, while the Stoics held the four coprporeal elements (earth, air, fire, and water) to be still more fundamental. cf. p. 8, note 3.

37. Lit. bile-receiving (choledochous).

38. Jecoris portae, the transverse fissure, by which the portal vein enters the liver.

39. Lit. anastomosing.

40. More literally, synapse.

41. The portal vein.

42. The hepatic vein or veins.

43. The portal vein.

44. cf. p. 120, note 1.

45. cf

46. i.e..one might assume an attraction.

47. i.e.. visible to the mind's eye as distinguished from the bodily eye. cf. p. 21, note 4. Theoreton without qualification means merely visibly, not theoretic. cf. p. 205, note 1.

48. According to the Pneumatist school, certain of whose ideas were accepted by Erasistratus, the air, breath, pneuma, or spirit was brought by inspiration into the left side of the heart, where it was converted into natural, vital, and psychic pneuma; the latter then went to the brain, whence it was distributed through the nervous system; practicallly this teaching involved the idea of a psyche, or conscious vital principle. Psychic pneuma is in Latin spiritus animalis (anima-psyche); cf. p. 126, note 4. Introduction, p. xxxiv.

49. Observe that Erasistratu's simple nerve may be almost looked on as an anticipation of the cell. The question Galen now asks is whether this vessel is a unit mass of living matter, or merely an agglomeration of atoms subject to mechanical law. cf Galen's fibres, p. 329.

50. cf. Book I., chap. xii.

51. i.e.. in biology we must begin with living substance — with something which is specifically alive — here with the unit mass of living matter. cf. p. 73, note 3.

52. Ad elementa quae nec coalescere possunt nec in partes dividi (Linacre). On the two contrasted schools cf. p. 45.

53. cf. loc. cit.

54. Auxetic. cf. p. 26, note 1.

55. At corporum quae nec una committi nec dividi possunt nullum in se formatricem, auctricem, nutricem, aut in summa artificem facultatem habet; quippe quod impatibile esse immutibileque praesumitur (Linacre).

56. Book I., chaps. v.-xi.

57. cf. p. 153.

58. On account of his idea of a simple tissue not susceptible of further analysis.

59. Or cell; cf. p. 153, note 2.

60. The horror vacui.

61. Prosthesis of nutriment; cf. p. 39, note 6.

62. Prosthesis of nutriment; cf. p. 39, note 6.

63. Anadosis, absorption; cf. p. 13, note 5.

64. Lit. diadosis, as some people have thought fit to name it, and then ascribes conveyance through the veins to the principle of vacuum refilling alone, let him explain to us the assumption of food by the hypothetical elements

65. i.e..let him explain the diadosis.

66. Spiritus animalis; cf. p. 152, note 1. The nutriment was for the walls of the vessels, not for their cavities. cf. p. 319, note 3

67. Specific attraction; cf. Book I., chap. xiv.

68. cf. p. 100, note 2.

69. In Book II., chap. i.

70. Prevention better than cure.

71. e.g. Anaxagoras; cf. p. 7, note 5; p. 20, note 3.

72. Lit. haematosis.

73. cf.p. 174, note 4.

74. Erasistratus held the spleen to be useless. cf. p. 143.

75. Induration: Gk. skirros, Lat. skirrhus. The condition is now commonly know by Laennec's term cirrhosis, from Gk. kirros, meaning yellow or tawny. Here again we have an example of Erasistratus's bias towards anatomical or structural rather than functional explanations of disease. cf. p. 124, note 1.

76. On the risks which were supposed to attend the checking of habitual bleeding from piles of cf. Celsus ( De Re Med. VI. xviii. 9), Atque in quiusdam parum tuto supprimitur, qui sanguinis profluvio imbecilliores noon fiunt; habent enim purgationem hanc, non morbum. ( i.e.. the habit was to be looked on as a periodical cleansing, not as a disease.)

77. Lit. catharsis.

78. Apparently some form of anaemia.

79. Philistion of Locri, a contemporary of Plato, was one of the chief representatives of the Sicilian school of medicine. For Diocles and Praxagoras see p. 51, note 1.

80. cf. Book I., chap. iii.

81. Gk. pepsis; otherwise rendered coction.

82. cf. p. 13, note 5.

83. e.g. Asclepiades.

84. Lit. chlosis; cf. p. 238, note 2.

85. That is to say, the haematopoietic function deserves consideration as much as the digestive processes which precede it.

86. i.e.. Erasistratus could obviously say nothing aobut any of the huours or their origins, since he had not postulated the four qualities (particularly the Warm-that is, innate heat).

87. i.e.. bile.

88. i.e.. deprived of its bile.

89. Here it is rather the living organism we consider than the particular food that is put into it.

90. Supreme importance of the soil. cf. Introduction, pp. xii. and xxxi.

91. Aristotle, Hist. Animal., iii. xix.; Plato, Timaeus, 80 E.

92. Philotimus succeeded Diocles and Praxagoras, who were successive leaders of the Hippocratic school. cf. p. 51, note 1.

93. Lit. phenomena.

94. i.e.. living organisms; cf. p. 47, note 1.

95. Erasistratus rejected the idea of innate heat; he held that the heat of the body was introduced from outside.

96. As a bubo is a swelling in the groin, we must suppose that the wound referred to would be in the leg or lower abdomen.

97. i.e.. fever as a cause of disease.

98. As we should say, circulatory changes

99. This is the vital spirit or pneuma which, according to Erasistratus and teh Pneumatist school, was elaborated in the left ventricle, and thereafter carried by the arteries all over the body, there to subserve circulatory processes. It has some analogy with oxygen, but this is also the case with the natural spirit or pneuma, whose seat was the liver and which was distributed by the veins through the body; it presided over the more vegetative processes. cf. p. 152, note 1; Introduction, p. xxxiv.

100. Even leaving the pneuma out of account, Galen claims that he can still prove his thesis.

101. In other words: if dyscrasia is a first principle in pathology, then eucrasia must be a first principle in physiology.

102. The above is a good instance of Galen's logical method as applied to medical questions; an appeal to those who are capable of following logical sequence. cf. p.l 209, note 1.

103. The aim of dietetics always being the production of moderate heat- i.e.. blood.

104. Note contrasted methods of Rationalists and Empiricists.

105. Lit. anaesthesia. Linacre renders it indocilitas.

106. p. 15

107. Iatros : lit. healer.

108. Lit. physicist or physiologist, the student of the physis. cf. p. 70, note 2.

109. That is, a blending of the four principles in their natural proportion; Lat. temperies. Dyscrasia= intemperies, distemper.

110. This is the orthodox Hippocratic treatment, that of opposites by opposites. Contrast the homoeopathic principle which is the basis of our modern methods of immunisation ( similia similibus curentur, Hahnemann).

111. Lit. aseptic.

112. Prodicus of Ceos, a Sophist, contemporary of Socrates.

113. Plato, Timaeus, 83-85, passim

114. cf. the term blennorrhoea, which is still used.

115. cf. the Scotch term colded for affected with a cold; Germ. erkältet.

116. The word theoria used here is not the same as our theory. It is rather a contemplation, the process by which a theory is arrived at. cf. p. 226, note 2.

117. Erasistratus on the uselessness of the spleen. cf. p. 143.

118. The Empirical school. cf. p. 193.

119. Enlargement and suppuration (?) of spllen associated with toxaemia or cacochymy.

120. Lit. melancholic.

121. i.e.. the combination of sensible qualities which we call black bile. cf. p. 8, note 3.

122. thus Galen has demonstrated the functions of the spleen both deductively and inductively. for another example of the combined method cf. Book III., chaps. i. and ii.; cf. also Introd. p. xxxii.

123. i.e.. its innate heat.

124. Lit. lecithoid.

125. Note that there can be normal blakc bile.

126. the term food here means the food as introduced into the stomach; the term nutriment ( trophé) means the same food in the digested condition, as it is conveyed to the tissues. cf. pp. 41-43. Note idea of imperfectly oxidized material being absorbed by the spleen. cf. p. 214, note 1.

127. Lit. choledochous, bile-receiving.

128. Thus over-roasting — shall we say excessive oxidation ? — produces the abnormal forms of both black and yellow bile.

129. cf. p. 277, note 2.

130. Timaeus, 82 C-D.

131. cf. p. 90, note 1. Ther term catarrh refers to this running down, which was supposed to take place through the pores of the cribriform plate of the ethmoid into the nose.

132. Now lost.

Galen De naturalibus facultatibus 2

Arthur John Brock (Translator)

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