Hippocrates, "Airs, Waters, Places"
Feb. 17th, 2014 06:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hawkwing_lbἰητρικὴν ὅστις βούλεται ὀρθῶς ζητεῖν, τάδε χρὴ ποιεῖν: πρῶτον μὲν ἐνθυμεῖσθαι τὰς ὥρας τοῦ ἔτεος, ὅ τι δύναται ἀπεργάζεσθαι ἑκάστη: οὐ γὰρ ἐοίκασιν ἀλλήλοισιν οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ πολὺ διαφέρουσιν αὐταί τε ἐφ᾽ ἑωυτέων καὶ ἐν τῇσι μεταβολῇσιν: ἔπειτα δὲ τὰ πνεύματα τὰ θερμά τε καὶ τὰ ψυχρά, μάλιστα μὲν τὰ κοινὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποισιν, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐν ἑκάστῃ χώρῃ ἐπιχώρια ἐόντα. δεῖ δὲ καὶ τῶν ὑδάτων ἐνθυ μεῖσθαι [10] τὰς δυνάμιας: ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τῷ στόματι διαφέρουσι καὶ ἐν τῷ σταθμῷ, οὕτω καὶ ἡ δύναμις διαφέρει πολὺ ἑκάστου. ὥστε ἐς πόλιν ἐπειδὰν ἀφίκηταί τις, ἧς ἄπειρός ἐστι, διαφροντίσαι χρὴ τὴν θέσιν αὐτῆς, ὅκως κεῖται καὶ πρὸς τὰ πνεύματα καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἀνατολὰς τοῦ ἡλίου.
Whoever wishes to inquire into medical matters rightly, these things he must do: first it is necessary to reflect on the periods of the year, which thing each can produce, for none [of them] is ever like the others, but they differ greatly both in their own natures and in their changes: next [it is necessary to reflect on] the winds, both the warm and the cold, especially the [winds] common to all peoples, and next those winds which are particular to each place. And it is also necessary to reflect on the properties of the waters: for just as they are different in the mouth and in weight, likewise the property of each differs greatly. Just as as whenever someone goes to a city of which he is ignorant, it is necessary [for him] to think through its situation, in what manner it is laid out both towards the winds and towards the risings of the sun.
(Translated in conjunction withfadeaccompli.)
Whoever wishes to inquire into medical matters rightly, these things he must do: first it is necessary to reflect on the periods of the year, which thing each can produce, for none [of them] is ever like the others, but they differ greatly both in their own natures and in their changes: next [it is necessary to reflect on] the winds, both the warm and the cold, especially the [winds] common to all peoples, and next those winds which are particular to each place. And it is also necessary to reflect on the properties of the waters: for just as they are different in the mouth and in weight, likewise the property of each differs greatly. Just as as whenever someone goes to a city of which he is ignorant, it is necessary [for him] to think through its situation, in what manner it is laid out both towards the winds and towards the risings of the sun.
(Translated in conjunction with
fadeaccompli.)