Stephanus 82

82a For since the body has set firm out of four kinds—earth, fire, water, and air—when these suffer an unnatural excess and defect, and a shifting of place from what is their own to what is another's, and since fire and the others again, being many kinds instead of one, each takes in what does not belong to it, and everything else of this sort—all these bring on disorders and diseases. For when each of them comes to be unnaturally and changes its ground, what was cool before grows hot, 82b what was dry becomes wet afterward, and the light and the heavy in their turn, and it undergoes changes of every sort on every side. For only, we say, when the same is added to the same in the same part, in the same way and in due measure, and departs again, does it let the thing remain the same as itself, safe and healthy; but whatever of these transgresses, going out or coming in, will bring alterations of every kind, and diseases, and corruptions past counting.

So when secondary structures have set firm in the course of nature, 82c a second understanding of diseases comes to one who is willing to consider it. For when marrow had been compacted out of those elements, and bone and flesh and sinew, and blood as well, formed in another manner yet from the same elements—most of the rest proceeding as before—the greatest of the diseases have fallen in together here in all their severity: when the coming-to-be of these things runs the reverse way, then it is that they are destroyed. For by nature flesh and sinew come from blood, sinew from the fibers by reason of their kinship, 82d and flesh from the clot, what clots separating from the fibers; and what leaves the sinews and flesh again, sticky and oily, both glues the flesh to the nature of the bones and nourishes and increases the bone itself about the marrow, while the part that filters through the dense bones, the purest kind of triangles, smoothest and most oily of all, trickling and dripping from the bones, waters the 82e marrow. When each of these things comes about in this way, health is the result for the most part; disease, when the opposite. For when flesh dissolving sends its melt backward into the veins, then blood, along with breath, abundant and of every sort, shifting in the veins through colors and bitternesses, and further through sharp and salt powers, takes on biles and ichors and phlegms of every kind;

Timaeus: for all these, having become things that turn back upon themselves and are corrupted, destroy first the blood itself, while they themselves afford no

82a Since there are four kinds from which the body is put together—earth, fire, water, and air—when any of these gains too much or too little, contrary to nature, or shifts from its own place to a foreign one, and since fire and the others happen to have more kinds than one, when each takes on what does not suit it, and in all such cases, this creates upsets and diseases. For when each thing goes against nature and changes its place, whatever was cold before grows hot, 82b whatever was dry later becomes wet, and light things become heavy, and it takes on every kind of change in every way. For only, we say, when the same is added to and taken from the same thing in the same way and in due proportion will it allow that same thing to stay whole and healthy; but whatever goes wrong in any of these respects, in leaving or in coming, will bring all kinds of change and disease and endless decay.

When second formations have again been put together naturally, 82c a second understanding of diseases comes to anyone who wants to think it through. For when marrow has been put together out of those things, along with bone, flesh, and sinew, and blood too has come to be in a different way but out of the same things, most of the other diseases come about as before, but the greatest of the diseases turn out hard to deal with in this way: when the coming-to-be of these runs in reverse, then they are destroyed. For by nature flesh and sinew come from blood—sinew from the fibers, because they are kin, 82d and flesh from what sets and separates out of the fibers when it congeals. What goes off from the sinew and flesh, sticky and greasy, at once glues the flesh to the nature of the bones, and by feeding the bone around the marrow itself makes it grow; while what is filtered through the density of the bones, the purest kind of triangles, the smoothest and the greasiest, dripping and trickling down from the bones, waters the 82e marrow. When each of these things happens this way, health generally results; disease results when it goes the opposite way. For when melting flesh sends its melt back in reverse into the veins, then along with the breath there is much blood of every kind in the veins, varied in colors and bitterness and in sharp and salty powers, and it holds biles, ichors, and every kind of phlegm;

Timaeus: For all of it has turned into spoiled, corrupted stuff; it destroys the blood itself first, and itself provides no

82a For seeing that there are four elements of which the body is compacted,—earth, fire, water and air,—when, contrary to nature, there occurs either an excess or a deficiency of these elements, or a transference thereof from their native region to an alien region; or again, seeing that fire and the rest have each more than one variety, every time that the body admits an inappropriate variety, then these and all similar occurrences bring about internal disorders and disease. For when any one element suffers a change of condition that is contrary to nature, all its particles that formerly were being cooled 82b become heated, and the dry presently become moist, and the light heavy, and they undergo every variety of change in every respect. For, as we maintain, it is only the addition or subtraction of the same substance from the same substance in the same order and in the same manner and in due proportion which will allow the latter to remain safe and sound in its sameness with itself. But whatsoever oversteps any of these conditions in its going out or its coming in will produce alterations of every variety and countless diseases and corruptions. 82c

Again, in the structures which are naturally secondary in order of construction, there is a second class of diseases to be noted by him who has a mind to take cognizance of them. For inasmuch as marrow and bone and flesh and sinew are compacted from the elements,—and blood also is formed from the same constituents, although in a different way,— most of the other maladies come about like those previously described, but the most severe of them have dangerous results for the reason following: whenever the production of these secondary substances proceeds in the reverse direction, then they are corrupted. For in the order of nature flesh and sinews arise from blood, 82d the sinew from the fibrine because of its kindred quality, and flesh from the coagulated substance which coagulates on its separation from the fibrine; and further, the substance which is derived from the sinews and flesh, being viscid and oily, not only glues the flesh to the substance of the bones but also feeds and increases the bone itself which encloses the marrow, while that which is formed of the purest kind of triangles, very smooth and very oily, filters through 82e the density of the bones, and, as it oozes and drips from the bones, moistens the marrow. Now when each of these substances is produced in this order, health as a rule results; but if in the reverse order, disease. For whenever the flesh is decomposed and sends its decomposed matter back again into the veins, then, uniting with the air, the blood in the veins, which is large in volume and of every variety, is diversified by colors and bitter flavors, as well as by sharp and saline properties, and contains bile and serum and phlegm of every sort.

Timaeus: For when all the substances become reversed and corrupted, they begin by destroying the blood itself, and then they themselves cease to supply