ΠΕΡΙ ΑΙΤΙΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΣΗΜΕΙΩΝ ΧΡΟΝΙΩΝ ΠΑΘΩΝ, ΒΙΒΛΙΟΝ Β'.
Ὕδρωψ
ἀτερπὲς μὲν ἐσιδεῖν πάθος, χαλεπὸν δὲ καὶ
παθεῖν. διαδιδρήσκουσι γὰρ τόδε πάγχυ παῦροι ὑπ' 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,
ἀλλ'
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