Book 1
10
This, then, is one reason why there are so many organs concerned in the alteration of food. A second reason is the nature of the superfluities.Not quite our waste products, since these are considered as being partly synthetic, whereas the Greek perittomata were simply superfluous substances which could not be used and were thrown aside. For, as we are unable to draw any nourishment from grass, although this is possible for cattle, similarly we can derive nourishment from radishes, albeit not to the same extent as from meat; for almost the whole of the latter is mastered by our naturesNote our natures, cf. p. 12, note 4; p. 47, note 1.; it is transformed and altered and constituted useful blood; but, not withstanding, in the radish, what is appropriateTher term οἰκεῖος, here rendered appropriate, is explained on p. 33. cf. also footnote on same page. Linacre often translated it conveniens, and it may usually be rendered proper, peculiar, own special, or own particular in English. Sometimes it is almost equal to akin, cognate, related : cf. p. 319, note 2. With Galen's οἰκεῖος and ἀλλότριοv we may compare the German terms eigen and fremd used by Aberthalden in connection with his theory of defensive ferments in the blood-serum and capable of being altered (and that only with difficulty, and with much labour) is the very smallest part; almost the whole of it is surplus matter, and passes through the digestive organs, only a very little being taken up into the veins as blood — nor is this itself entirely utilisable blood. Nature, therefore, had need of a second process of separation for the superfluities in the veins. Moreover, these superfluities need, on the one hand, certain fresh routes to conduct them to the outlets, so that they may not spoil the useful substances, and they also need certain reservoirs, as it were, in which they are collected till they reach a sufficient quantity, and are then discharged.
