[p. 39]to me to be cut.| This opinion of our author was no doubt founded on the erroneous notion regarding the distribution of the veins which prevailed in his time, and which we find advocated in the tract "on the Nature of Man," and elsewhere. (See Aristot., H. N., iii., 3.) Coray strives hard, in his annotations on this passage, to make out that the fact may be as he stated by his ancient countryman, although the hypothesis by which he explained it be false. It is singular, however, that, after the lapse of more than two thousand years, Phrenology should have come to the assistance of Hippocrates in this case. I need scarcely remark that Gall and his followers hold that the cerebellum is the seat o the animal appetites, so that, if this be really the fact, a close sympathy between the back of the head and the genital organs may be very legitimately inferred. At all events, this coincidence between ancient observation and modern hypothesis must be admitted to be very remarkable. |
Such persons afterwards, when
they go in to women and cannot have connection with them, at first
do not think much about it, but remain quiet; but when, after making
the attempt two, three, or more times, they succeed no better, fancying
they have committed some offence against the god whom they blame for
the affection, they put on female attire, reproach themselves for
effeminacy, play the part of women, and perform the same work as women
do. This the rich among the Scythians endure, not the basest, but
the most noble and powerful, owing to their riding on horseback; for
the poor are less affected, as they do not ride on horses. And yet,
if this disease had been more divine than the others, it ought not
to have befallen the most noble and the richest of the Scythians alone,
but all alike, or rather those who have little, as not being able
to pay honors to the gods, if, indeed, they delight in being thus
rewarded by men, and grant favors in return; for it is likely that
the rich sacrifice more to the gods, and dedicate more votive offerings,
inasmuch as they have wealth, and worship the gods; whereas the poor,
from want, do less in this way, and, moreover, upbraid the gods for
not giving them wealth, so that those who have few possessions were
more likely to bear the punishments of these offences than the rich.
But, as I formerly said, these affections are divine just as much
as others, for each springs from a natural cause, and this disease
arises among the Scythians from such a cause as I have stated. But
it attacks other men in like manner, for whenever men ride much and
very frequently on horseback, then many are affected with rheums in
the joints, sciatica, and gout,
|
