Book 2
Κεφ. α′. περὶ Ὕδρωπος.
1
ὕδρωψ ἀτερπὲς μὲν ἐσιδεῖν πάθος, χαλεπὸν δὲ καὶ παθεῖν. διαδιδρήσκουσι γὰρ τόδε πάγχυ παῦροι ὑπʼ εὐτυχίης, καὶ θεῶν μᾶλλον ἢ τέχνης· τὰ γὰρ μέζονα πάντα ἰῶνται μοῦνοι θεοί. ἢ γὰρ ἐν σπλάγχνῳ καιρίῳ νόσημα φωλεῦσαν ἔτρεψε ἐς καχεξίην τὸ πᾶν, ἢ τὸ ξύμπαν σκῆνος λοιμοῦ κατάρξαντος ἐς κακοχυμίην ἤμειψε τὰ σπλάγχνα· εὖτε ἀλλήλοισι ἄμφω ἐς τὸ κακὸν ξυντιμωρέει, ἀσινὲς δὲ οὐδὲν, ἐξ οὗπερ καὶ σμικρὴ τῇ φύσι γίγνοιτο ἂν ἐπικουρίη· ἔστι δὲ ἐς ἐπομβρίην Ῥεῦμα ψυχρὸν, παχὺ, ὁκοῖον ἡ ὀμίχλη τῷ παντί.Petit and Wigan suggest πνεῦμα instead of Ῥεῦμα; but the former reading is defended by Ermerins. Though the general import of the passage be obvious, there is still something unsatisfactory in the language. Of course, reference is here made by our author to the saying of Heraclitus, as told by Diogenes Laertius. The philosopher having become dropsical, proposed a riddle to his physicians: — if from rainy weather they could make dryness — εἰ δύναιντο ἐξ ἑπομβρίης αὐχμὸν ποιῆσαι. ἢ τροπὴ ὑγρῆς καὶ ψυχρῆς αἰτίης, ἐς τοιήνδε ἕξιν ἑτεροιούσης τὸν ἄνθρωπον. οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἐν τῇ κολίῃ τῇ κάτω ἁλιζόμενον ὑγρὸν ὕδρωπα καλέομεν, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τὸ πάθος τῇδέ ἐστι, ἀλλʼ ὅτε ξυμπαρομαρτέει τῇ νούσῳ ὁ ὄγκος, τὸ οἶδος, ἡ χροιὴ, ἠδὲ ἐς τὸ ὕδωρ ξυντήκουσα ἕξις, ὕδρωψτέ ἐστι καὶ καλέεται. κἢν γὰρ ἐκραγῇ κοτε τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτομάτως ἔξω, ἢ ταμών τις τὸ ὑποχόνδριον ἐκχέῃ, ἐφʼ ἕδρης ἔασι οἱ ὑδρωπιώδεες. ἡ μὲν οὖν πρωτίστη αἰτίη καχεξίη.
