Book 2
12
Ἐγχρίμπτεται δὲ ἡ ἀρθρῖτις ἄλλοτε ἐς ἄλλα ἄρθρα, τοῖς μὲν ἐς ἰσχία, καὶ τὰ πολλὰ τῇδε ἐπιμίμνει γυιὸς,In the common editions, and I believe in all the MSS., we find γύϊος, which is obviously at fault, at least as regards accentuation. Ermerins, accordingly, does not hesitate to expunge the term altogether. But to γυιὸς I can see no objection. It is thus explained in the Lexicon of Hesychius: Γυιὸς, χωλὸς, νοσώδης, πηρώδης. This is sufficient authority for the word, although it is not in common use. See also Liddel and Scott’s Lexicon, under the term. There are other difficulties in the remaining part of the sentence, which I cannot bring myself to remove by expunging all the difficult words, after the example of Ermerins. ἅσσα τε μέλεά κοτε μικρὸν, εὖτε οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τὰ σμικρὰ φοιτῇ, πόδας τε καὶ χεῖρας. ἢν γὰρ μειζόνων λάβηται μελέων χωρῆσαι τὴν νοῦσον δυναμένων, οὐχ ὑπερβαίνει τὰ ὄργανα· ἢν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ σμικροῦ ἄρξηται, ἔστι εὐήθης καὶ ἀδόκητος ἡ εἰσβολή. ἰσχιάδος μὲν ἀπὸ μηροῦκατόπιν, ἢ ἰγνύος, ἢ κνήμης, ἡ ἀρχή. ἄλλοτε δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ κοτύλῃ τὸ ἄλγημα φαίνεται, αὖθις ἐς γλουτὸν ἢ ὀσφὺν ὀκέλλει, καὶ πάντα μᾶλλόν ἐστιν ἢ δόκησις ἰσχίου. ἀτὰρ καὶ τὰ ἄρθρα ὧδέ πως ἄρχεται· τοῦ ποδὸς τὸν μέγαν δάκτυλον ὰλγέει, αὖθις τὴν ἐπιπρόσω πτέρνην, ᾗ ποτε στηριζόμεθα· ἔπειτα ἐς τὸ κοῖλον ἧκε· τὸ δὲ σφυρὸν ἐξῴδησε ὕστατον. πρόφασιν δὲ αἰτιῶνται ἀναίτιον, οἱ μὲν κρηπῖδος καινῆς τρίβον, οἱ δὲ μακρὴν περίοδον· ἄλλος δὲ πληγὴν ἢ πάτημα· οὐδεὶς δὲ φράσει τὴν οἴκοθεν οὖσαν, ἀτὰρ καὶ ἀκούσασι τοῖσι πάσχουσι τὸ ἀτρεκὲς ἔδοξε ἄπιστον· διὰ τόδε ἐς ἀνήκεστον ἐτράπη, ὅτιπερ τῇσι ἀρχῇσι ὁκότε ἀσθενεστάτη ἐστὶ ἡ νοῦσος, ὁ ἰητρὸς οὐκ ἐνίσταται· ἢν δὲ χρόνῳ κρατυνθῇ, ἀνόνητος ἡ μελέτη. τισὶ μὲν οὖν ἐς ποδῶν ἄρθρα μίμνει μέσφι θανάτου, τισὶ δὲ νέμεται ἐς τὴν τοῦ παντὸς σκήνεος περίοδον· τὰ πολλὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ποδῶν ἐς χεῖρας ἤϊξε. οὐ γὰρ μεγάλα τὰ ὅρια τῇ νούσῳ χειρῶν τε καὶ ποδῶν, ὅτι ἄμφω ὁμοφυέα, ἰσχνὰ καὶ ἄσαρκα καὶ ἐγγυτάτω τοῦ ἔξω ψύχεος· ἀπωτάτω δὲ τοῦ ἔσω θάλπεος. αὖθις ἀγκὼν καὶ γόνυ· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖσι κοτύλαι, περίστροφος ἥδε μετάβασις ἐς νώτου μύας καὶ θώρηκος. Though the text be not in quite a satisfactory state, I prefer leaving it as it stands, rather than adopt the slashing alterations made in it by Ermerins. He reads the last clause thus: ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖσι κοτύλῃσι περίστροφος· ἤδη μετάβασις ἐς νώτου μύας καὶ θώρηκος. Wigan merely proposes to read περίστροφοι ἠδὲ. ἄπιστον εἰς ὅσον ἕρπει τὸ κακόν. σπόνδυλοι ἀλγέουσι Ῥάχεός τε καὶ αὐχένος, καὶ ἐς ἄκρον ἐρείδει τοῦ ἱεροῦ ὀστέου· καὶ ξυμπάντων τοῦ βουβῶνος καὶ ἰδίῃ ἡ ἑκάστου ὀδύνη.The following most extraordinary reading occurs in all the MSS.: καὶ ξυμπάντω ν τε ὁ βοῦς, ὄνος, καὶ ἡ ἰδέη (ἰδίη, Harl.) ἑκάστου ὀδύνη which words, in the old translation of Crassus, are rendered literally, — Simulque omnium bos, asinus, et proprius cujusque dolor. What can an ox or an ass have to do with an attack of Schiatica? Fortunately the Askew MS. belonging to the Medical Society of London, has guided me to what I do not hesitate to pronounce the true reading. In the margin of this MS., opposite the corrupted words, stand the following characters, apparently in the handwriting of the amanuensis: — ἴσ βουβῶν That is to say, ἴσως, βουβῶνος. Now, that pain of the groinis a constant attendant of Schiatica, every practical physician is well aware; and, in fact, this is one of the symptoms enumerated in the best descriptions of the disease furnished by the ancient authorities. For example, Caelius Aurelianus has the following words in his chapter on Schiatica and Lumbago: Et primo, in vertebra dolor sentitur, dehinc partis suae penetrans loca usque ad mediam natem, ac superius ad inguen, etc. Tard. Pass. v. 1. In like manner, Aetius describes the symptoms as follows:πολλοῖς δὲ ἡ ὀδύνη ἐρείδεται κατὰ τοῦ βουβῶνος ὅτε καὶ ἡ κύστις μεταλαμβάνουσα τῆς δυσκολίας δυσουρίαν ἐπιφέρει. Ex. MS. in Bibl. Bodl. Cod. Canon. Graec. cix. In a word, the substitution of τοῦ βουβῶνος for τε ὁ βοῦς, ὄνος, is so natural, that I feel persuaded no reasonable critic will demur to adopt it. Some other slight changes, however, are requisite in this passage, which might be effected in two or three different ways. I subjoin a few of my own attempts, some of which may perhaps be thought superior to the reading I have adopted: — 1. καὶ ξυμπάντων τοῦ βουβῶνος [ τόπων] καὶ ἡ ἰδίη ἑκάστου ὀδύνη. 2. καὶ ξυμπάντων τε βουβῶνος καὶ ἰδίῃ ἡ ἑκάστου ὀδύνη. 3. καὶ ξύμπαντος τοῦ βουβῶνος καὶ ἡ ἰδίῃ ἑκάστου ὀδύνη. 4. καὶ ἐς ξύμπαντῶν τοῦ βουβῶνος καὶ ἰδίη ἑκάστου ὀδύνη. Every one of these specimens of an emended text brings out an appropriate meaning; namely, that there is a general pain of the whole inguinal region, and a particular pain of every part situated therein. I have now to state briefly the emendations of this passage proposed by preceding editors and commentators. Wigan, while he retains the vitiated reading of the MSS., adds in a note at the end: Cert legendum ὁμοῦ πόνος. Ita eleganter vehementia doloris describitur, Vertebroe et dolore torquentur, qui omnes oequ.occupare proecipitur, et alium etiam insuper sentiunt, qui singulis suus et proprius videtur. Petit’s emendation is very nearly the same: καὶ ξυμπάντων τε ὁμοῦ πόνος, καὶ ἡ ἰδίη ἑκάστου ὀδύνη. It is adopted by Ermerins with a slight change: καὶ ξυμπάντων τε ὁμοῦ πόνος καὶ ἰδίῃ ἑκάστου ὀδύνη. ἀτὰρ οἱ δὲ τένοντες ἠδὲ μύες ξὺν ἐντάσι ἀλγέουσι. γνάθων καὶ κροτάφων μύες· νεφρῶν καὶ κύστιος ἡ διαδοχή. ὢ τοῦ θώματος, ἐπὶ πᾶσι πάσχει Ῥῖνας, καὶ ὦτα, καὶ χείλεα, πάντη γὰρ νεῦρα καὶ μύες· τῆς κεφαλῆς ἤλγεέ τις Ῥαφὰς, οὐκ εἰδὼς μὲν ὅ τι πονέει, ἐδείκνυε τῶν Ῥαφῶν τὰ εἴδεα, λοξὴν, εὐθείην, ἐπικάρσιον , ὀπίσω τε καὶ πρόσω· ἰσχνὴν δὲ τὴν ὀδύνην καὶ τοῖσι ὀστέοισι ἐμπεπαρμένην. πᾶσαν γὰρ ὀστέων ξυμβολὴν νέμεται ἡ νοῦσος, ὅκως ποδὸς ἢ χειρὸς ἄρθρον. γίγνονται δὲ τῶν ἄρθρων καὶ ἐπιπωρώσιες· τὰ πρῶτα μὲν ὁκοῖον ἀποστάσιες ἴσχουσι· ἐπὶ δὲ μᾶλλον πυκνοῦνται, καὶ πηγνυμένου τοῦ ὑγροῦ ἀπηνέες αἱ ἀφέσιες· τέλος δὲ πῶροι στερροὶ, λευκοὶ ξυνίστανται· ἐς δὲ πᾶν ὄγκοι σμικροὶ ὁκοῖον ἴονθοι καὶ μέζονες· ὑγρὸν δὲ παχὺ, λευκὸν, χαλαζῶδες. καὶ γὰρ τοῦ παντὸς ἡ νοῦσος ψυχρὴ ὅκως χάλαζα· δοκέει δὲ θέρμης ἢ ψύξιος ἴσχειν διαφορήν. καὶ γάρ τισι τῶν αὖ βδελυκτῶν ἡδονή·The common reading, καὶ γὰρ οἷσι τῶν εὖ βδελυκτέων ἡδονή, has evidently no meaning. Petit and Ermerins try their hands at conjectural emendations, but in such a style as I cannot approve. Petit suggests the following as a probable substitute for the vitiated text: καὶ γὰρ οἶσι τῶν θερμῶν, εὔτε δὲ ψυκτικῶν ἡδονή. Ermerins boldly substitutes the following sentence for the words he expunges: καὶ γὰρ οἱ μέν τινα τουτέων φεύγουσι, τοῖσι δὲ αὖ ἐκ τῶν ἄλλοισι βδελυκτῶν ἡδονή. ἐμοὶ δὲ ἁνδάνει μίην μὲν αἰτίην τὴν ἔμφυτον ψύξιν ἔμμεναι, μίην δὲ καὶ πάθην· ἀλλʼ ἢν μὲν εὐθέως ἐπιδώῃ καὶ θέρμη φανῇ, ἐμψύξιος χρέος καὶ τοῖσι τέρπεται. ὀνομάζουσι δὲ θέρμην τήνδε· ἢν δὲ ὁ πόνος ἐν τοῖσι νεύροισι εἴσω μίμνῃ, ξυμπεπτώκῃ δὲ τὸ ἄρθρον ἄθερμον, μηδὲ ἐποιδέῃ, ψυχρὴν τήνδε φαίην ἔμμεναι, ἐφʼ ἧς θερμῶν φαρμάκων ἐς ἀνάκλησιν θέρμης χρέος. χρὴ δὲ τάδε πολλὰ τῶν κάρτα δριμέων, θερμασίη γὰρ τά τε ξυμπεπτωκότα μέρεα εἰς ὄγκον ἤγειρε, καὶ τὴν ἔσω θέρμην ἐς ἀνάκλησιν ἤγαγε· εὖτε τῶν ψυχρῶν χρέος. πίστις· τοῖσι γὰρ αὐτέοισι οὐ τὰ αὐτὰ ξυμφέρει· καὶ γὰρ ὅ κοτε ξυνήνεγκε, τοῦτʼ ἔβλαψεν ἄλλοτε· ὡς δὲ ἔπος εἰπεῖν, θέρμης ἐπὶ τῇ ἀρχῇ, ψύξιος δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ τέλει χρέος. ξυνεχὴς μὲν οὖν ποδάγρη οὐ Ῥηϊδίως γίγνεται, διαλείπει δὲ ἔσθʼ ὅπη χρόνον μακρόν, λεπτὴ γάρ· καὶ Ὀλυμπίασι ἐνίκησε ποδαγρὸς ἐπʼ ἀνέσι δρόμον.
