on the sacred disease-第4节

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untimely　wanderings；　and　cares　that　are　not　suitable；　and　ignorance　of

present　circumstances；　desuetude；　and　unskilfulness。　All　these

things　we　endure　from　the　brain；　when　it　is　not　healthy；　but　is　more

hot；　more　cold；　more　moist；　or　more　dry　than　natural；　or　when　it

suffers　any　other　preternatural　and　unusual　affection。　And　we　become

mad　from　its　humidity。　For　when　it　is　more　moist　than　natural；　it　is

necessarily　put　into　motion；　and　the　affection　being　moved；　neither

the　sight　nor　hearing　can　be　at　rest；　and　the　tongue　speaks　in

accordance　with　the　sight　and　hearing。



　　As　long　as　the　brain　is　at　rest；　the　man　enjoys　his　reason；　but

the　depravement　of　the　brain　arises　from　phlegm　and　bile；　either　of

which　you　may　recognize　in　this　manner：　Those　who　are　mad　from

phlegm　are　quiet；　and　do　not　cry　out　nor　make　a　noise；　but　those

from　bile　are　vociferous；　malignant；　and　will　not　be　quiet；　but　are

always　doing　something　improper。　If　the　madness　be　constant；　these　are

the　causes　thereof。　But　if　terrors　and　fears　assail；　they　are

connected　with　derangement　of　the　brain；　and　derangement　is　owing　to

its　being　heated。　And　it　is　heated　by　bile　when　it　is　determined　to

the　brain　along　the　bloodvessels　running　from　the　trunk；　and　fear　is

present　until　it　returns　again　to　the　veins　and　trunk；　when　it　ceases。

He　is　grieved　and　troubled　when　the　brain　is　unseasonably　cooled　and

contracted　beyond　its　wont。　This　it　suffers　from　phlegm；　and　from

the　same　affection　the　patient　becomes　oblivious。　He　calls　out　and

screams　at　night　when　the　brain　is　suddenly　heated。　The　bilious　endure

this。　But　the　phlegmatic　are　not　heated；　except　when　much　blood　goes

to　the　brain；　and　creates　an　ebullition。　Much　blood　passes　along　the

aforesaid　veins。　But　when　the　man　happens　to　see　a　frightful　dream　and

is　in　fear　as　if　awake；　then　his　face　is　in　a　greater　glow；　and　the

eyes　are　red　when　the　patient　is　in　fear。　And　the　understanding

meditates　doing　some　mischief；　and　thus　it　is　affected　in　sleep。　But

if；　when　awakened；　he　returns　to　himself；　and　the　blood　is　again

distributed　along　the　veins；　it　ceases。



　　In　these　ways　I　am　of　the　opinion　that　the　brain　exercises　the

greatest　power　in　the　man。　This　is　the　interpreter　to　us　of　those

things　which　emanate　from　the　air；　when　the　brain　happens　to　be　in　a

sound　state。　But　the　air　supplies　sense　to　it。　And　the　eyes；　the　ears；

the　tongue　and　the　feet；　administer　such　things　as　the　brain

cogitates。　For　in　as　much　as　it　is　supplied　with　air；　does　it　impart

sense　to　the　body。　It　is　the　brain　which　is　the　messenger　to　the

understanding。　For　when　the　man　draws　the　breath　into　himself；　it

passes　first　to　the　brain；　and　thus　the　air　is　distributed　to　the　rest

of　the　body；　leaving　in　the　brain　its　acme；　and　whatever　has　sense　and

understanding。　For　if　it　passed　first　to　the　body　and　last　to　the

brain；　then　having　left　in　the　flesh　and　veins　the　judgment；　when　it

reached　the　brain　it　would　be　hot；　and　not　at　all　pure；　but　mixed　with

the　humidity　from　flesh　and　blood；　so　as　to　be　no　longer　pure。



　　Wherefore；　I　say；　that　it　is　the　brain　which　interprets　the

understanding。　But　the　diaphragm　has　obtained　its　name　（frenes）　from

accident　and　usage；　and　not　from　reality　or　nature；　for　I　know　no

power　which　it　possesses；　either　as　to　sense　or　understanding；

except　that　when　the　man　is　affected　with　unexpected　joy　or　sorrow；　it

throbs　and　produces　palpitations；　owing　to　its　thinness；　and　as　having

no　belly　to　receive　anything　good　or　bad　that　may　present　themselves

to　it；　but　it　is　thrown　into　commotion　by　both　these；　from　its　natural

weakness。　It　then　perceives　beforehand　none　of　those　things　which

occur　in　the　body；　but　has　received　its　name　vaguely　and　without　any

proper　reason；　like　the　parts　about　the　heart；　which　are　called

auricles；　but　which　contribute　nothing　towards　hearing。　Some　say

that　we　think　with　the　heart；　and　that　this　is　the　part　which　is

grieved；　and　experiences　care。　But　it　is　not　so；　only　it　contracts

like　the　diaphragm；　and　still　more　so　for　the　same　causes。　For　veins

from　all　parts　of　the　body　run　to　it；　and　it　has　valves；　so　as　to　as

to　perceive　if　any　pain　or　pleasurable　emotion　befall　the　man。　For

when　grieved　the　body　necessarily　shudders；　and　is　contracted；　and

from　excessive　joy　it　is　affected　in　like　manner。　Wherefore　the

heart　and　the　diaphragm　are　particularly　sensitive；　they　have

nothing　to　do；　however；　with　the　operations　of　the　understanding；

but　of　all　but　of　all　these　the　brain　is　the　cause。　Since；　then；　the

brain；　as　being　the　primary　seat　of　sense　and　of　the　spirits；

perceives　whatever　occurs　in　the　body；　if　any　change　more　powerful

than　usual　take　place　in　the　air；　owing　to　the　seasons；　the　brain

becomes　changed　by　the　state　of　the　air。　For；　on　this　account；　the

brain　first　perceives；　because；　I　say；　all　the　most　acute；　most

powerful；　and　most　deadly　diseases；　and　those　which　are　most　difficult

to　be　understood　by　the　inexperienced；　fall　upon　the　brain。



　　And　the　disease　called　the　Sacred　arises　from　causes　as　the

others；　namely；　those　things　which　enter　and　quit　the　body；　such　as

cold；　the　sun；　and　the　winds；　which　are　ever　changing　and　are　never　at

rest。　And　these　things　are　divine；　so　that　there　is　no　necessity　for

making　a　distinction；　and　holding　this　disease　to　be　more　divine

than　the　others；　but　all　are　divine；　and　all　human。　And　each　has　its

own　peculiar　nature　and　power；　and　none　is　of　an　ambiguous　nature；

or　irremediable。　And　the　most　of　them　are　curable　by　the　same　means　as

those　by　which　any　other　thing　is　food　to　one；　and　injurious　to

another。　Thus；　then；　the　physician　should　understand　and　distinguish

the　season　of　each；　so　that　at　one　time　he　may　attend　to　the

nourishment　and　increase；　and　at　another　to　abstraction　and

diminution。　And　in　this　disease　as　in　all　others；　he　must　strive　not

to　feed　the　disease；　but　endeavor　to　wear　it　out　by　administering

whatever　is　most　opposed　to　each　disease；　and　not　that　which　favors

and　is　allied　to　it。　For　by　that　which　is　allied　to　it；　it　gains　vigor

and　increase；　but　it　wears　out　and　disappears　under　the　use　of　that

which　is　opposed　to　it。　But　whoever　is　acquainted　with　such　a　change

in　men；　and　can　render　a　man　humid　and　dry；　hot　and　cold　by　regimen；

could　also　cure　this　disease；　if　he　recognizes　the　proper　season　for

administering　his　remedies；　without　minding　purifications；　spells；　and

all　other　illiberal　practices　of　a　like　kind。









　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

。