Stephanus 83

83a nourishment any longer to the body, but are carried every way through the veins, keeping no longer the ordered circuits that are according to nature; and they are hostile to themselves, because they can take no enjoyment of themselves, and at war with the body that stands firm and keeps its place, destroying and melting it. Now as much of the flesh as is oldest and is melted, becoming hard to digest, blackens under its long burning; and because it has been eaten through on every side, 83b it falls, bitter as it is, harshly upon every part of the body not yet corrupted; and at one time the black color has taken sharpness in place of bitterness, the bitter part having been thinned the more; at another time the bitterness again, dyed with blood, has taken a redder color, and when the black is mingled with this, a greenish tinge; and a yellow color too mingles with the bitterness, whenever fresh flesh is melted by the fire about the flame. And the common name for all these things—bile—was imposed by some 83c physician or other, or perhaps by someone who had power to see into many and unlike things, and yet to discern in them one kind present in all, worthy of one name for them all; while the other things said to be kinds of bile each took its own name from its color. Of ichor, one kind is the gentle serum of blood, the other the sharp and savage serum of black bile, whenever it mingles through heat with a salt power; and such a thing is called sharp phlegm. And the matter melted with air out of young and tender flesh, 83d when this has been beaten into air and wrapped about with moisture, and bubbles have formed from this affection, each invisible through smallness, but all together presenting a mass that can be seen, and of a color white to look at because of the birth of foam—this whole dissolution of tender flesh entangled with breath, we say, is white phlegm. And when new phlegm is forming, its serum is sweat and tears, 83e and all the other such bodies that are shed day by day as purgings; and all these have become instruments of disease, whenever blood is not filled up in the natural way from foods and drinks, but takes its mass from opposites against the laws of nature.

Timaeus: so when each kind of flesh is dissolved by diseases while its foundations hold, the calamity is only half its strength—for it is still easy to recover—

83a nourishment to the body any longer; it travels everywhere through the veins, no longer keeping the order of the natural cycles. It is at war with itself, because it has no enjoyment of itself, and it is an enemy to the body's settled structure that stays in its place, destroying and melting it. So whatever oldest flesh melts, becoming hard to digest, darkens from old burning, and because it has been gnawed through everywhere, 83b being bitter it attacks harshly every part of the body that is not yet destroyed. Sometimes, as the bitter part thins out more, the dark color turns sharp instead of bitter; and sometimes the bitterness, dyed with blood, takes on a redder color, and when the dark is mixed with it, a greenish color. A yellow color also mixes in with the bitterness when fresh flesh is melted by the fire in the flame. The common name for all these—some doctors named it bile, 83c or someone able to look at many different things and see in them one kind that deserves one name for them all; the other things said to be kinds of bile each got its own account from its color. As for ichor: one kind is the mild whey of blood, the other is the wild kind, from black bile and sharp stuff, when it mixes through heat with a salty power; this kind is called sharp phlegm. Then again, what melts along with air out of new and soft flesh, when this 83d is blown about and caught up in moisture, and bubbles form out of this experience—each one invisible because it is so small, but together making a mass you can see, and having a white color to look at because of the foam that forms—all this melting of soft flesh, mixed with breath, we say is white phlegm. When new phlegm forms, its whey is sweat and tears, 83e and whatever other such fluids flow out of the body each day as it is cleansed. All these have become instruments of disease, whenever the blood does not fill up naturally from food and drink, but takes on its bulk from the opposite things, against the laws of nature.

Timaeus: When diseases break down each piece of flesh but its roots stay in place, the trouble is only half as bad—there is still an easy recovery—

83a any nourishment to the body; for they move through the veins in all directions and no longer preserve the order of their natural revolutions, being at enmity with themselves because they have no enjoyment of themselves, and being at war also with the established and regular constitution of the body, which they corrupt and dissolve. Therefore all the oldest part of the flesh that is decomposed becomes tough and is blackened by the continued combustion; and because it is eaten away on every side it is bitter, and therefore dangerous 83b in its attack on any part of the body that is not as yet corrupted. And at one time the black matter acquires a sharpness in place of its bitterness, when the bitter substance becomes more diluted; and at another time the bitter substance acquires a redder color through being dipped in blood, while if the black matter is blended with this it turns greenish; and again, whenever new flesh also is decomposed by the fire of the inflammation, a yellow matter is commingled with the bitter substance. 83c

To all these humors the general designation bile has been given, either by certain physicians or by someone who was capable of surveying a number of dissimilar cases and discerning amongst them one single type worthy to give its name to them all. All the rest that are counted as species of bile have gained their special descriptions in each case from their colors.

Serum is of two kinds: one is the mild whey of the blood; the other, being derived from black and acid bile, is malignant whenever it is imbued with a saline quality through the action of heat; and this kind is termed acid phlegm. Another kind involves air and is produced by dissolution from new and tender flesh. And when this is inflated 83d and enclosed by a fluid, and when as a result of this process bubbles are formed which individually are invisible because of their small size but in the aggregate form a mass which is visible, and which possess a color which appears white owing to the foam created,—then we describe all this decomposition of tender flesh intermixed with air as white phlegm.

And the whey of phlegm that is newly formed is sweat and tears, 83e and all other such humors as pour forth in the daily purgings of the body. And all these are factors in disease, whenever the blood is not replenished naturally from meats and drinks but receives its mass from opposite substances contrary to Nature’s laws.

Timaeus: Now, when the flesh in any part is being decomposed by disease, but the bases thereof still remain firm, the force of the attack is reduced by half, for it still admits of easy recovery;