Chapter XXVII: Book III: G (1)

I

Hoti men oun hê threpsis alloioumenou te kai 143
homoioumenou gignetai tou trephontos tô trephomenô kai
hôs en hekastô tôn tou zôou moriôn esti tis dynamis, hên
apo tês energeias alloiôtikên men kata genos,
homoiôtikên de kai threptikên kat' eidos onomazomen, en
tô prosthen dedêlôtai logô. tên d' euporian tês hylês,
hên trophên heautô poieitai to trephomenon, ex heteras
tinos echein edeiknyto dynameôs epispasthai pephykuias
ton oikeion chymon, einai d' oikeion hekastô tôn moriôn
chymon, hos an || epitêdeios eis tên exomoiôsin ê, kai 144
tên helkousan auton dynamin apo tês energeias helktikên
te tina kai epispastikên onomazesthai. dedeiktai de kai,
hôs pro men tês homoiôseôs hê prosphysis estin, ekeinês
d' emprosthen hê prosthesis gignetai, telos, hôs an
eipoi tis, ousa tês kata tên epispastikên dynamin
energeias. auto men gar to paragesthai tên trophên ek
tôn phlebôn eis hekaston tôn moriôn tês helktikês
energousês gignetai dynameôs, to d' êdê parêchthai te
kai prostithesthai tô moriô to telos estin auto, di' ho
kai tês toiautês energeias edeêthêmen; hina gar
prostethê, dia touth' helketai. chronou d' enteuthen êdê
pleionos eis tên threpsin tou zôou dei; helchthênai men
gar kai dia tacheôn ti dynatai, prosphynai de kai
alloiôthênai kai teleôs homoiôthênai tô trephomenô kai
meros autou genesthai parachrêma men ouch hoion te,
chronô d' an pleioni symbainoi kalôs. all' ei mê menoi
kata to meros ho prostetheis houtos chymos, eis heteron
de ti methistaito kai pararrheoi dia pantos ameibôn te
kai hypallattôn ta chôria, kat' ouden autôn || oute 145
prosphysis out' exomoiôsis estai. dei de kantautha tinos
tê physei dynameôs heteras eis polychronion monên tou
prostethentos tô moriô chymou kai tautês ouk exôthen
pothen epirrheousês all' en autô tô threpsomenô
katôkismenês, hên apo tês energeias palin hoi pro hêmôn
ênankasthêsan onomasai kathektikên.

Ho men dê logos êdê saphôs enedeixato tên anankên tês
geneseôs tês toiautês dynameôs kai hostis akolouthias
synesin echei, pepeistai bebaiôs ex hôn eipomen, hôs
hypokeimenou te kai proapodedeigmenou tou technikên
einai tên physin kai tou zôou kêdemonikên anankaion
hyparchein autê kai tên toiautên dynamin.

II

Since, however, it is not our habit to employ this kind of demonstration[304] alone, but to add thereto cogent and compelling proofs drawn from obvious facts, we will also proceed to the latter kind in the present instance: we will demonstrate that in certain parts of the body _the retentive faculty_ is so obvious that its operation can be actually recognised by the _senses_, whilst in other parts it is less obvious to the senses, but is capable even here of being detected by the _argument_.[305]

Let us begin our exposition, then, by first dealing systematically for a while with certain definite parts of the body, in reference to which we may accurately test and enquire what sort of thing the retentive faculty is.

Now, could one begin the enquiry in any better way than with the largest and hollowest organs? Personally I do not think one could. It is to be expected that in these, owing to their size, the activities will show quite clearly, whereas with respect to the small organs, even if they possess a strong faculty of this kind, its activation will not at once be recognisable to sense.

Now those parts of the animal which are especially hollow and large are the stomach and the organ which is called the womb or uterus.[306] What prevents us, then, from taking up these first and considering their activities, conducting the enquiry on our own persons in regard to those activities which are obvious without dissection, and, in the case of those which are more obscure, dissecting animals which are near to man;[307] not that even animals unlike him will not show, in a general way, the faculty in question, but because in this manner we may find out at once what is common to all and what is peculiar to ourselves, and so may become more resourceful in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Now it is impossible to speak of both organs at once, so we shall deal with each in turn, beginning with the one which is capable of demonstrating the retentive faculty most plainly. For the stomach retains the food until it has quite digested it, and the uterus retains the embryo until it brings it to completion, but the time taken for the completion of the embryo is many times more than that for the digestion of food.

II

All' hêmeis ou toutô monô tô genei tês apodeixeôs
eithismenoi chrêsthai, prostithentes d' autô kai tas ek
tôn enargôs phainomenôn anankazousas te kai biazomenas
pisteis epi tas toiautas kai nyn aphixometha kai
deixomen epi men tinôn moriôn tou sômatos houtôs enargê
tên kathektikên dynamin, hôs autais tais aisthêsesi || 146
diagignôskesthai tên energeian autês, epi de tinôn
hêtton men enargôs tais aisthêsesi, logô de kantautha
phôrathênai dynamenên.

Arxômeth' oun tês didaskalias ap' autou tou teôs prôton
methodô tini procheirisasthai mori' atta tou sômatos,
eph' hôn akribôs esti basanisai te kai zêtêsai tên
kathektikên dynamin hopoia pot' estin.

Ar' oun ameinon an tis heterôthen ê apo tôn megistôn te
kai koilotatôn organôn hyparxaito tês zêtêseôs? emoi men
oun ouk an dokei beltion. enargeis goun eikos epi toutôn
phanênai tas energeias dia to megethos; hôs ta ge smikra
tach' an, ei kai sphodran echei tên toiautên dynamin,
all' ouk aisthêsei g' hetoimên diagignôskesthai tên
energeian autês.

All' estin en tois malista koilotata kai megista tôn tou
zôou moriôn hê te gastêr kai <hai> mêtrai te kai hysterai
kaloumenai. ti oun kôlyei tauta prôta procheirisamenous
episkepsasthai tas energeias autôn, hosai men kai pro
tês anatomês dêlai, tên exetasin eph' hêmôn autôn
poioumenous, hosai d' amydroterai, ta paraplêsia
diairountas anthrôpô zôa, || ouch hôs ouk an hikanôs to 147
ge katholou peri tês zêtoumenês dynameôs kai tôn
anomoiôn endeixomenôn, all' hôs hin' hama tô koinô kai
to idion eph' hêmôn autôn egnôkotes eis te tas
diagnôseis tôn nosêmatôn kai tas iaseis euporôteroi
gignômetha.

Peri men oun amphoterôn tôn organôn hama legein
adynaton, en merei d' hyper hekaterou poiêsometha ton
logon apo tou saphesteron endeixasthai dynamenou tên
kathektikên dynamin arxamenoi. katechei men gar kai hê
gastêr ta sitia, mechri per an ekpepsê, katechousi de
kai hai mêtrai to embryon, est' an teleiôsôsin; alla
pollaplasios estin ho tês tôn embryôn teleiôseôs chronos
tês tôn sitiôn pepseôs.

III

We may expect, then, to detect the retentive faculty in the uterus more clearly in proportion to the longer duration of its activity as compared with that of the stomach. For, as we know, it takes nine months in most women for the foetus to attain maturity in the womb, this organ having its neck quite closed, and entirely surrounding the embryo together with the _chorion_. Further, it is the utility of the function which determines the closure of the os and the stay of the foetus in the uterus. For it is not casually nor without reason that Nature has made the uterus capable of contracting upon, and of retaining the embryo, but in order that the latter may arrive at a proper size. When, therefore, the object for which the uterus brought its retentive faculty into play has been fulfilled, it then stops this faculty and brings it back to a state of rest, and employs instead of it another faculty hitherto quiescent--the _propulsive_ faculty. In this case again the quiescent and active states are both determined by utility; when this calls, there is activity; when it does not, there is rest.

Here, then, once more, we must observe well the Art [artistic tendency] of Nature--how she has not merely placed in each organ the capabilities of useful activities, but has also fore-ordained the times both of rest and movement. For when everything connected with the pregnancy proceeds properly, the _eliminative_ faculty remains quiescent as though it did not exist, but if anything goes wrong in connection either with the chorion or any of the other membranes or with the foetus itself, and its completion is entirely despaired of, then the uterus no longer awaits the nine-months period, but the retentive faculty forthwith ceases and allows the heretofore inoperative faculty to come into action. Now it is that something is done--in fact, useful work effected--by the _eliminative or propulsive faculty_ (for so it, too, has been called, receiving, like the rest, its names from the corresponding activities).

Further, our theory can, I think, demonstrate both together; for seeing that they succeed each other, and that the one keeps giving place to the other according as utility demands, it seems not unreasonable to accept a common demonstration also for both. Thus it is the work of the retentive faculty to make the uterus contract upon the foetus at every point, so that, naturally enough, when the midwives palpate it, the os is found to be closed, whilst the pregnant women themselves, during the first days--and particularly on that on which conception takes place--experience a sensation as if the uterus were moving and contracting upon itself. Now, if both of these things occur--if the os closes apart from inflammation or any other disease, and if this is accompanied by a feeling of movement in the uterus--then the women believe that they have received the semen which comes from the male, and that they are retaining it.

Now we are not inventing this for ourselves: one may say the statement is based on prolonged experience of those who occupy themselves with such matters. Thus Herophilus[308] does not hesitate to state in his writings that up to the time of labour the os uteri will not admit so much as the tip of a probe, that it no longer opens to the slightest degree if pregnancy has begun--that, in fact, it dilates more widely at the times of the menstrual flow. With him are in agreement all the others who have applied themselves to this subject; and particularly Hippocrates, who was the first of all physicians and philosophers to declare that the os uteri closes during pregnancy and inflammation, albeit in pregnancy it does not depart from its own nature, whilst in inflammation it becomes hard.

In the case of the opposite (the eliminative) faculty, the os opens, whilst the whole fundus approaches as near as possible to the os, expelling the embryo as it does so; and along with the fundus the contiguous parts--which form as it were a girdle round the whole organ--co-operate in the work; they squeeze upon the embryo and propel it bodily outwards. And, in many women who exercise such a faculty immoderately, violent pains cause forcible prolapse of the whole womb; here almost the same thing happens as frequently occurs in wrestling-bouts and struggles, when in our eagerness to overturn and throw others we are ourselves upset along with them; for similarly when the uterus is forcing the embryo forward it sometimes becomes entirely prolapsed, and particularly when the ligaments connecting it with the spine happen to be naturally lax.[309]

A wonderful device of Nature's also is this--that, when the foetus is alive, the os uteri is closed with perfect accuracy, but if it dies, the os at once opens up to the extent which is necessary for the foetus to make its exit. The midwife, however, does not make the parturient woman get up at once and sit down on the [obstetric] chair, but she begins by palpating the os as it gradually dilates, and the first thing she says is that it has dilated "enough to admit the little finger," then that "it is bigger now," and as we make enquiries from time to time, she answers that the size of the dilatation is increasing. And when it is sufficient to allow of the transit of the foetus,[310] she then makes the patient get up from her bed and sit on the chair, and bids her make every effort to expel the child. Now, this additional work which the patient does of herself is no longer the work of the uterus but of the epigastric muscles, which also help us in defaecation and micturition.

III

Eikos oun kai tên dynamin enargesteron en tais mêtrais
phôrasein hêmas tên kathektikên, hosô kai
polychroniôteran tês gastros tên energeian kektêtai.
mêsi gar ennea pou tais pleistais tôn gynaikôn en autais
teleioutai ta kyêmata, memykuiais men hapanti tô
aucheni, periechousais de pantachothen auta syn tô
choriô. || kai peras ge tês tou stomatos myseôs kai tês 148
tou kyoumenou kata tas mêtras monês hê chreia tês
energeias estin; ou gar hôs etychen oud' alogôs hikanas
peristellesthai kai katechein to embryon hê physis
apeirgasato tas hysteras, all' hin' eis to prepon
aphikêtai megethos to kyoumenon. hotan oun, hou charin
enêrgoun tê kathektikê dynamei, sympeplêrômenon ê,
tautên men anepausan te kai eis êremian epanêgagon, ant'
autês d' hetera chrôntai tê teôs hêsychazousê, tê
proôstikê. ên d' ara kai tês ekeinês hêsychias horos hê
chreia kai tês g' energeias hôsautôs hê chreia; kalousês
men gar autês energei, mê kalousês d' hêsychazei.

Kai chrê palin kantautha katamathein tês physeôs tên
technên, hôs ou monon energeiôn chrêsimôn dynameis
enethêken hekastô tôn organôn, alla kai tou tôn
hêsychiôn te kai kinêseôn kairou prounoêsato. kalôs men
gar hapantôn gignomenôn tôn kata tên kyêsin hê
apokritikê dynamis hêsychazei teleôs hôsper ouk ousa,
kakopragias de tinos genomenês ê peri to chorion ê peri
tina tôn allôn || hymenôn ê peri to kyoumenon auto kai 149
tês teleiôseôs autou pantapasin apognôstheisês ouket'
anamenousi ton enneamênon hai mêtrai chronon, all' hê
men kathektikê dynamis autika dê pepautai kai parachôrei
kineisthai tê proteron argousê, prattei d' êdê ti kai
pragmateuetai chrêston hê apokritikê te kai proôstikê;
kai gar oun kai tautên houtôs ekalesan apo tôn energeiôn
autê ta onomata themenoi kathaper kai tais allais.

Kai pôs ho logos eoiken hyper amphoterôn apodeixein
hama; kai gar toi kai diadechomenas autas allêlas kai
parachôrousan aei tên heteran tê loipê, kathoti an hê
chreia keleuê, kai tên didaskalian koinên ouk apeikos
esti dechesthai. tês men oun kathektikês dynameôs ergon
peristeilai tas mêtras tô kyoumenô pantachothen, hôst'
eulogôs haptomenais men tais maieutriais to stoma
memykos autôn phainetai, tais kyousais d' autais kata
tas prôtas hêmeras kai malista kat' autên ekeinên, en
hêper an hê tês gonês syllêpsis genêtai, kinoumenôn te
kai syntrechousôn eis heautas tôn hysterôn aisthê||sis 150
gignetai kai ên amphô tauta symbê, mysai men to stoma
chôris phlegmonês ê tinos allou pathêmatos, aisthêsin de
tês kata tas mêtras kinêseôs akolouthêsai, pros hautas
êdê to sperma to para tandros eilêphenai te kai
katechein hai gynaikes nomizousi.

Tauta d' ouch hêmeis nyn anaplattomen hêmin autois, all'
ek makras peiras dokimasthenta pasi gegraptai schedon ti
tois peri toutôn pragmateusamenois. Hêrophilos men ge
kai hôs oude pyrêna mêlês an dechoito tôn mêtrôn to
stoma, prin apokyein tên gynaika, kai hôs oude
toulachiston eti diestêken, ên hyparxêtai kyein, kai hôs
epi pleon anastomountai kata tas tôn epimêniôn phoras,
ouk ôknêse graphein; synomologousi d' autô kai hoi alloi
pantes hoi peri toutôn pragmateusamenoi kai prôtos g'
hapantôn iatrôn te kai philosophôn Hippokratês
apephênato myein to stoma tôn hysterôn en te tais
kyêsesi kai tais phlegmonais, all' en men tais kyêsesin
ouk existamenon tês physeôs, en de tais phlegmonais
sklêron gignomenon.

Epi de ge tês enantias tês ekkritikês anoignytai men to
stoma, proerchetai d' ho pythmên || hapas hoson hoion t' 151
engytatô tou stomatos apôthoumenos exô to embryon, hama
d' autô kai ta synechê merê ta hoion pleura tou pantos
organou synepilambanomena tou ergou thlibei te kai
proôthei pan exô to embryon. kai pollais tôn gynaikôn
ôdines biaioi tas mêtras holas ekpesein ênankasan
ametrôs chrêsamenais tê toiautê dynamei, paraplêsiou
tinos gignomenou tô pollakis en palais tisi kai
philoneikiais symbainonti, hotan anatrepsai te kai
katabalein heterous speudontes autoi synkatapesômen.
houtô gar kai hai mêtrai to embryon ôthousai synexepeson
eniote kai malisth', hotan hoi pros tên rhachin autôn
syndesmoi chalaroi physei tynchanôsin ontes.

Esti de kai touto thaumaston ti tês physeôs sophisma, to
zôntos men tou kyêmatos akribôs pany memykenai to stoma
tôn mêtrôn, apothanontos de parachrêma dianoigesthai
tosouton, hoson eis tên exodon autou diapherei. kai
mentoi kai hai maiai tas tiktousas ouk euthys anistasin
oud' epi ton diphron kathizousin, all' haptontai
proteron anoigomenou tou stomatos || kata brachy kai 152
prôton men, hôste ton mikron daktylon kathienai,
diestêkenai phasin, epeit' êdê kai meizon kai kata
brachy dê pynthanomenois hêmin apokrinontai to megethos
tês diastaseôs epauxanomenon. hotan d' hikanon ê pros
tên tou kyoumenou diodon, anistasin autas kai kathizousi
kai prothymeisthai keleuousin apôsasthai to paidion.
esti d' êdê touto to ergon, ho par' heautôn hai kyousai
prostitheasin, ouketi tôn hysterôn, alla tôn kat'
epigastrion myôn, hoi pros tên apopatêsin te kai tên
ourêsin hêmin synergousin.

IV

Thus the two faculties are clearly to be seen in the case of the uterus; in the case of the _stomach_ they appear as follows:--Firstly in the condition of _gurgling_, which physicians are persuaded, and with reason, to be a symptom of weakness of the stomach; for sometimes when the very smallest quantity of food has been ingested this does not occur, owing to the fact that the stomach is contracting accurately upon the food and constricting it at every point; sometimes when the stomach is full the gurglings yet make themselves heard as though it were empty. For if it be in a natural condition, employing its contractile faculty in the ordinary way, then, even if its contents be very small, it grasps the whole of them and does not leave any empty space. When it is weak, however, being unable to lay hold of its contents accurately, it produces a certain amount of vacant space, and allows the liquid contents to flow about in different directions in accordance with its changes of shape, and so to produce gurglings.

Thus those who are troubled with this symptom expect, with good reason, that they will also be unable to digest adequately; proper digestion cannot take place in a weak stomach. In such people also, the mass of food may be plainly seen to remain an abnormally long time in the stomach, as would be natural if their digestion were slow. Indeed, the chief way in which these people will surprise one is in the length of time that not food alone but even fluids will remain in their stomachs. Now, the actual cause of this is not, as one would imagine, that the lower outlet of the stomach,[311] being fairly narrow, will allow nothing to pass before being reduced to a fine state of division. There are a great many people who frequently swallow large quantities of big fruit-stones; one person, who was holding a gold ring in his mouth, inadvertently swallowed it; another swallowed a coin, and various people have swallowed various hard and indigestible objects; yet all these people easily passed by the bowel what they had swallowed, without there being any subsequent symptoms. Now surely if narrowness of the gastric outlet were the cause of untriturated food remaining for an abnormally long time, none of these articles I have mentioned would ever have escaped. Furthermore, the fact that it is liquids which remain longest in these people's stomachs is sufficient to put the idea of narrowness of the outlet out of court. For, supposing a rapid descent were dependent upon emulsification,[312] then soups, milk, and barley-emulsion[313] would at once pass along in every case. But as a matter of fact this is not so. For in people who are extremely asthenic it is just these fluids which remain undigested, which accumulate and produce gurglings, and which oppress and overload the stomach, whereas in strong persons not merely do none of these things happen, but even a large quantity of bread or meat passes rapidly down.

And it is not only because the stomach is distended and loaded and because the fluid runs from one part of it to another accompanied by gurglings--it is not only for these reasons that one would judge that there was an unduly long continuance of the food in it, in those people who are so disposed, but also from the _vomiting_. Thus, there are some who vomit up every particle of what they have eaten, not after three or four hours, but actually in the middle of the night, a lengthy period having elapsed since their meal.

Suppose you fill any animal whatsoever with liquid food--an experiment I have often carried out in pigs, to whom I give a sort of mess of wheaten flour and water, thereafter cutting them open after three or four hours; if you will do this yourself, you will find the food still in the stomach. For it is not _chylification_[314] which determines the length of its stay here--since this can also be effected outside the stomach; the determining factor is _digestion_[315] which is a different thing from chylification, as are blood-production and nutrition. For, just as it has been shown[316] that these two processes depend upon a _change of qualities_, similarly also the digestion of food in the stomach involves a transmutation of it into the quality proper to that which is receiving nourishment.[317] Then, when it is completely digested, the lower outlet opens and the food is quickly ejected through it, even if there should be amongst it abundance of stones, bones, grape-pips, or other things which cannot be reduced to chyle. And you may observe this yourself in an animal, if you will try to hit upon the time at which the descent of food from the stomach takes place. But even if you should fail to discover the time, and nothing was yet passing down, and the food was still undergoing digestion in the stomach, still even then you would find dissection not without its uses. You will observe, as we have just said, that the pylorus is accurately closed, and that the whole stomach is in a state of contraction upon the food very much as the womb contacts upon the foetus. For it is never possible to find a vacant space in the uterus, the stomach, or in either of the two bladders--that is, either in that called bile-receiving[318] or in the other; whether their contents be abundant or scanty, their cavities are seen to be replete and full, owing to the fact that their coats contract constantly upon the contents--so long, at least, as the animal is in a natural condition.

Now Erasistratus for some reason declares that it is the contractions[319] of the stomach which are the cause of everything--that is to say, of the softening of the food,[320] the removal of waste matter, and the absorption of the food when chylified [emulsified].

Now I have personally, on countless occasions, divided the peritoneum of a still living animal and have always found all _the intestines_ contracting peristaltically[321] upon their contents. The condition of _the stomach_, however, is found less simple; as regards the substances freshly swallowed, it had grasped these accurately both above and below, in fact at every point, and was as devoid of movement as though it had grown round and become united with the food.[322] At the same time I found the pylorus persistently closed and accurately shut, like the os uteri on the foetus.

In the cases, however, where digestion had been completed the pylorus had opened, and the stomach was undergoing peristaltic movements, similar to those of the intestines.

IV

Houtô men epi tôn mêtrôn enargôs hai dyo phainontai
dynameis, epi de tês gastros hôde. prôton men tois
klydôsin, hoi dê kai pepisteuntai tois iatrois arrhôstou
koilias einai symptômata kai kata logon pepisteuntai;
eniote men gar elachista prosenênegmenôn ou gignontai
peristellomenês akribôs autois tês gastros kai
sphingousês pantachothen, eniote de mestê men hê gastêr
estin, hoi kly||dônes d' hôs epi kenês exakouontai. kata 153
physin men gar echousa kai chrômenê kalôs tê
peristaltikê dynamei, kan oligon ê to periechomenon,
hapan auto perilambanousa chôran oudemian apoleipei
kenên, arrhôstousa de, kathoti an adynatêsê perilabein
akribôs, entauth' eurychôrian tin' ergazomenê synchôrei
tois periechomenois hygrois kata tas tôn schêmatôn
metallagas allot' allachose metarrheousi klydônas
apotelein.

Eulogôs oun, hoti mêde pepsousin hikanôs, hoi en tôde tô
symptômati genomenoi prosdokôsin; ou gar endechetai
pepsai kalôs arrhôston gastera. tois toioutois de kai
mechri pleionos en autê phainetai paramenon to baros,
hôs an kai bradyteron pettousi. kai mên thaumaseien an
tis ep' autôn toutôn malista to polychronion tês en tê
gastri diatribês ou tôn sitiôn monon alla kai tou
pomatos; ou gar, hoper an oiêtheiê tis, hôs to tês
gastros stoma to katô stenon hikanôs hyparchon ouden
pariêsi prin akribôs leiôthênai, tout' aition ontôs
esti. polla goun pollakis opôrôn osta megista
katapinousi || pampolloi kai tis daktylion chrysoun en 154
tô stomati phylattôn akôn katepie kai allos tis nomisma
kai allos allo ti sklêron kai dyskatergaston, all' homôs
hapantes houtoi rhadiôs apepatêsan, ha katepion, oudenos
autois akolouthêsantos symptômatos. ei de g' hê stenotês
tou porou tês gastros aitia tou menein epi pleon ên tois
atriptois sitiois, ouden an toutôn pote diechôrêsen.
alla kai to ta pomat' autois en tê gastri paramenein epi
pleiston hikanon apagein tên hyponoian tou porou tês
stenotêtos; holôs gar, eiper ên en tô kechylôsthai to
thatton hypienai, ta te rhophêmat' an houtô kai to gala
kai ho tês ptisanês chylos autika diexêei pasin. all'
ouch hôd' echei; tois men gar asthenesin epi pleiston
emplei tauta kai klydônas ergazetai paramenonta kai
thlibei kai barynei tên gastera, tois d' ischyrois ou
monon toutôn ouden symbainei, alla kai poly plêthos
artôn kai kreôn hypochôrei tacheôs.

Ou monon d' ek tou peritetasthai tên gastera kai
barynesthai || kai metarrhein allot' eis alla merê meta 155
klydônos to paramenein epi pleon en autê pantôs tois
houtôs echousi tekmêrait' an tis alla kak tôn emetôn;
enioi gar ou meta treis hôras ê tettaras alla nyktôn êdê
mesôn pampollou metaxy chronou dielthontos epi tais
prosphorais anêmesan akribôs hapanta ta edêdesmena.

Kai men dê kai zôon hotioun emplêsas hygras trophês,
hôsper hêmeis pollakis epi syôn epeirathêmen ex aleurôn
meth' hydatos hoion kykeôna tina dontes autois, epeita
meta treis pou kai tettaras hôras anatemontes, ei houtô
kai sy praxeias, heurêseis eti kata tên gastera ta
edêdesmena; peras gar autois esti tês entautha monês
ouch hê chylôsis, hên kai ektos eti ontôn mêchanêsasthai
dynaton estin, all' hê pepsis, heteron ti tês chylôseôs
ousa, kathaper haimatôsis te kai threpsis. hôs gar
kakeina dedeiktai poiotêtôn metabolê gignomena, ton
auton tropon kai hê en tê gastri pepsis tôn sitiôn eis
tên oikeian esti tô trephomenô poiotêta || metabolê kai 156
hotan ge pephthê teleôs, anoignytai men tênikauta to
katô stoma, diekpiptei d' autou ta sitia rhadiôs, ei kai
plêthos ti meth' heautôn echonta tychoi lithôn ê ostôn ê
gigartôn ê tinos allou chylôthênai mê dynamenou. kai soi
tout' enestin epi zôou theasasthai stochasamenô ton
kairon tês katô diexodou. kai men ge kai ei sphaleiês
pote tou kairou kai mêden mêpô katô parerchoito
pettomenôn eti kata tên gastera tôn sitiôn, oud' houtôs
akarpos hê anatomê soi genêsetai; theasê gar ep' autôn,
hoper oligô prosthen elegomen, akribôs men memykota ton
pylôron, hapasan de tên gastera periestalmenên tois
sitiois tropon homoiotaton, hoionper kai hai mêtrai tois
kyoumenois. ou gar estin oudepote kenên heurein chôran
oute kata tas hysteras oute kata tên koilian oute kata
tas kysteis amphoteras oute kata tên cholêdochon
onomazomenên oute tên heteran; all' eit' oligon eiê to
periechomenon en autais eite poly, mestai kai plêreis
autôn hai koiliai phainontai peristellomenôn aei tôn
chitônôn tois periechomenois, hotan ge kata physin echê
to zôon. || 157

Erasistratos d' ouk oid' hopôs tên peristolên tês
gastros hapantôn aitian apophainei kai tês leiôseôs tôn
sitiôn kai tês tôn perittômatôn hypochôrêseôs kai tês
tôn kechylômenôn anadoseôs.

Egô men gar myriakis epi zôntos eti tou zôou dielôn to
peritonaion heuron aei ta men entera panta
peristellomena tois enyparchousi, tên koilian d' ouch
haplôs, all' epi men tais edôdais anôthen te kai
katôthen auta kai pantachothen akribôs perieilêphuian
akinêton, hôs dokein hênôsthai kai peripephykenai tois
sitiois; en de toutô kai ton pylôron heuriskon aei
memykota kai kekleismenon akribôs hôsper to tôn hysterôn
stoma tais enkymosin.

Epi mentoi tais pepsesi sympeplêrômenais aneôkto men ho
pylôros, hê gastêr de peristaltikôs ekineito paraplêsiôs
tois enterois.

V

Thus all these facts agree that the stomach, uterus, and bladders possess certain inborn faculties which are retentive of their own proper qualities and eliminative of those that are foreign. For it has been already shown[323] that the bladder by the liver draws bile into itself, while it is also quite obvious that it eliminates this daily into the stomach. Now, of course, if the eliminative were to succeed the attractive faculty and there were not a _retentive_ faculty between the two, there would be found, on every occasion that animals were dissected, an equal quantity of bile in the gall-bladder. This however, we do not find. For the bladder is sometimes observed to be very full, sometimes quite empty, while at other times you find in it various intermediate degrees of fulness, just as is the case with the other bladder--that which receives the urine; for even without resorting to anatomy we may observe that the urinary bladder continues to collect urine up to the time that it becomes uncomfortable through the increasing quantity of urine or the irritation caused by its acidity--the presumption thus being that here, too, there is a retentive faculty.

Similarly, too, the stomach, when, as often happens, it is irritated by acidity, gets rid of the food, although still undigested, earlier than proper; or again, when oppressed by the quantity of its contents, or disordered from the co-existence of both conditions, it is seized with _diarrhoea_. _Vomiting_ also is an affection of the upper [part of the] stomach analogous to diarrhoea, and it occurs when the stomach is overloaded or is unable to stand the quality of the food or surplus substances which it contains. Thus, when such a condition develops in the lower parts of the stomach, while the parts about the inlet are normal, it ends in diarrhoea, whereas if this condition is in the upper stomach, the lower parts being normal, it ends in vomiting.

V

Hapant' oun allêlois homologei tauta kai tê gastri kai
tais hysterais kai tais kystesin einai tinas emphytous
dynameis kathektikas men tôn oikeiôn poiotêtôn, || 158
apokritikas de tôn allotriôn. hoti men gar helkei tên
cholên eis heautên hê epi tô hêpati kystis, emprosthen
dedeiktai, hoti de kai apokrinei kath' hekastên hêmeran
eis tên gastera, kai tout' enargôs phainetai. kai mên ei
diedecheto tên helktikên dynamin hê ekkritikê kai mê
mesê tis amphoin ên hê kathektikê, dia pantos echrên
anatemnomenôn tôn zôôn ison plêthos cholês heuriskesthai
kata tên kystin; ou mên heurisketai ge. pote men gar
plêrestatê, pote de kenotatê, pote de tas en tô metaxy
diaphoras echousa theôreitai, kathaper kai hê hetera
kystis hê to ouron hypodechomenê. tautês men ge kai pro
tês anatomês aisthanometha, prin aniathênai tô plêthei
baryntheisan ê tê drimytêti dêchtheisan, athroizousês
eti to ouron, hôs ousês tinos kantautha dynameôs
kathektikês.

Houtô de kai hê gastêr hypo drimytêtos pollakis
dêchtheisa prôiaiteron tou deontos apepton eti tên
trophên apotribetai. authis d' an pote tô plêthei
baryntheisa ê kai kat' amphô synelthonta kakôs
diatetheisa diarrhoiais healô. kai men ge kai hoi
emetoi, tô plêthei baryntheisês || autês ê tên poiotêta 159
tôn en autê sitiôn te kai perittômatôn mê pherousês,
analogon ti tais diarrhoiais pathêma tês anô gastros
estin. hotan men gar en tois katô meresin autês hê
toiautê genêtai diathesis, errhômenôn tôn kata ton
stomachon, eis diarrhoias eteleutêsen, hotan d' en tois
kata to stoma, tôn allôn eurôstountôn, eis emetous.

VI

This may often be clearly observed in those who are disinclined for food; when obliged to eat, they have not the strength to swallow, and, even if they force themselves to do so, they cannot retain the food, but at once vomit it up. And those especially who have a dislike to some particular kind of food, sometimes take it under compulsion, and then promptly bring it up; or, if they force themselves to keep it down, they are nauseated and feel their stomach turned up, and endeavouring to relieve itself of its discomfort.

Thus, as was said at the beginning, all the observed facts testify that there must exist in almost all parts of the animal a certain inclination towards, or, so to speak; an appetite for their own special quality, and an aversion to, or, as it were, a hatred[324] of the foreign quality. And it is natural that when they feel an inclination they should attract, and that when they feel aversion they should expel.

From these facts, then, again, both the attractive and the propulsive faculties have been demonstrated to exist in everything.[325]

But if there be an inclination or attraction, there will also be some benefit derived; for no existing thing attracts anything else for the mere sake of attracting, but in order to benefit by what is acquired by the attraction. And of course it cannot benefit by it if it cannot retain it. Herein, then, again, the retentive faculty is shown to have its necessary origin: for the stomach obviously inclines towards its own proper qualities and turns away from those that are foreign to it.[326]

But if it aims at and attracts its food and benefits by it while retaining and contracting upon it, we may also expect that there will be some _termination_ to the benefit received, and that thereafter will come the time for the exercise of the eliminative faculty.

VI

Enesti de kai touto pollakis enargôs idein epi tôn
apositôn; anankazomenoi gar esthiein oute katapinein
eusthenousin out', ei kai biasainto, katechousin, all'
euthys anemousi. kai hoi allôs de tôn edesmatôn pros
hotioun dyscherainontes biasthentes eniote prosarasthai
tacheôs exemousin, ê ei kataschoien biasamenoi,
nautiôdeis t' eisi kai tês gastros hyptias aisthanontai
kai speudousês apothesthai to lypoun.

Houtôs ex hapantôn tôn phainomenôn, hoper ex archês
errhethê, martyreitai to dein hyparchein tois tou zôou
moriois schedon hapasin ephesin men tina kai hoion
orexin tês oikeias poiotêtos, apostrophên de tina || kai 160
hoion misos ti tês allotrias, all' ephiemena men helkein
eulogon, apostrephomena d' ekkrinein.

Kak toutôn palin hê th' helktikê dynamis apodeiknytai
kath' hapan hyparchousa kai hê proôstikê.

All' eiper ephesis te tis esti kai helxis, eiê an tis
kai apolausis; ouden gar tôn ontôn helkei ti di' auto to
helkein, all' hin' apolausê tou dia tês holkês
euporêthentos. kai mên apolauein ou dynatai mê
kataschon. kan toutô palin hê kathektikê dynamis
apodeiknytai tên genesin anankaian echousa; saphôs gar
ephietai men tôn oikeiôn poiotêtôn hê gastêr,
apostrephetai de tas allotrias.

All' eiper ephietai te kai helkei kai apolauei
katechousa kai peristellomenê, eiê an ti kai peras autê
tês apolauseôs kapi tôd' ho kairos êdê tês ekkritikês
dynameôs energousês.

VII

But if the stomach both retains and benefits by its food, then it employs it for the end for which it [the stomach] naturally exists. And it exists to partake of that which is of a quality befitting and proper to it. Thus it attracts all the most useful parts of the food in a vaporous[327] and finely divided condition, storing this up in its own coats, and applying[328] it to them. And when it is sufficiently full it puts away from it, as one might something troublesome, the rest of the food, this having itself meanwhile obtained some profit from its association with the stomach. For it is impossible for two bodies which are adapted for acting and being acted upon to come together without either both acting or being acted upon, or else one acting and the other being acted upon. For if their forces are equal they will act and be acted upon equally, and if the one be much superior in strength, it will exert its activity upon its passive neighbour; thus, while producing a great and appreciable effect, it will itself be acted upon either little or not at all. But it is herein also that the main difference lies between nourishing food and a deleterious drug; the latter masters the forces of the body, whereas the former is mastered by them.[329]

There cannot, then, be food which is suited for the animal which is not also correspondingly subdued by the qualities existing in the animal. And to be subdued means to undergo _alteration_.[330] Now, some parts are stronger in power and others weaker; therefore, while all will subdue the nutriment which is proper to the animal, they will not all do so equally. Thus the stomach will subdue and alter its food, but not to the same extent as will the liver, veins, arteries, and heart.

We must therefore observe to what extent it does alter it. The alteration is more than that which occurs in the mouth, but less than that in the liver and veins. For the latter alteration changes the nutriment into the _substance_ of blood, whereas that in the mouth obviously changes it into a new _form_, but certainly does not completely transmute it. This you may discover in the food which is left in the intervals between the teeth, and which remains there all night; the bread is not exactly bread, nor the meat, for they have a smell similar to that of the animal's mouth, and have been disintegrated and dissolved, and have had the qualities of the animal's flesh impressed upon them. And you may observe the extent of the alteration which occurs to food in the mouth if you will chew some corn and then apply it to an unripe [undigested] boil: you will see it rapidly transmuting--in fact entirely digesting--the boil, though it cannot do anything of the kind if you mix it with water. And do not let this surprise you; this phlegm [saliva] in the mouth is also a cure for _lichens_[331]; it even rapidly destroys scorpions; while, as regards the animals which emit venom, some it kills at once, and others after an interval; to all of them in any case it does great damage. Now, the masticated food is all, firstly, soaked in and mixed up with this phlegm; and secondly, it is brought into contact with the actual skin of the mouth; thus it undergoes more change than the food which is wedged into the vacant spaces between the teeth.

But just as masticated food is more altered than the latter kind, so is food which has been swallowed more altered than that which has been merely masticated. Indeed, there is no comparison between these two processes; we have only to consider what the stomach contains--phlegm, bile, pneuma, [innate] heat,[332] and, indeed the whole substance of the stomach. And if one considers along with this the adjacent viscera, like a lot of burning hearths around a great cauldron--to the right the liver, to the left the spleen, the heart above, and along with it the diaphragm (suspended and in a state of constant movement), and the omentum sheltering them all--you may believe what an extraordinary alteration it is which occurs in the food taken into the stomach.

How could it easily become blood if it were not previously prepared by means of a change of this kind? It has already been shown[333] that nothing is altered all at once from one quality to its opposite. How then could bread, beef, beans, or any other food turn into blood if they had not previously undergone some other alteration? And how could the faeces be generated right away in the small intestine?[334] For what is there in this organ more potent in producing alteration than the factors in the stomach? Is it the number of the coats, or the way it is surrounded by neighbouring viscera, or the time that the food remains in it, or some kind of innate heat which it contains? Most assuredly the intestines have the advantage of the stomach in none of these respects. For what possible reason, then, will objectors have it that bread may often remain a whole night in the stomach and still preserve its original qualities, whereas when once it is projected into the intestines, it straightway becomes ordure? For, if such a long period of time is incapable of altering it, neither will the short period be sufficient, or, if the latter is enough, surely the longer time will be much more so! Well, then, can it be that, while the nutriment does undergo an alteration in the stomach, this is a different kind of alteration and one which is not dependent on the nature of the organ which alters it? Or if it be an alteration of this latter kind, yet one perhaps which is not proper to the body of the animal? This is still more impossible. Digestion was shown to be nothing else than an alteration to the quality proper to that which is receiving nourishment.[335] Since, then, this is what digestion means and since the nutriment has been shown to take on in the stomach a quality appropriate to the animal which is about to be nourished by it, it has been demonstrated adequately that nutriment does undergo digestion in the stomach.

And Asclepiades is absurd when he states that the quality of the digested food never shows itself either in eructations or in the vomited matter, or on dissection.[336] For of course the mere fact that the food smells of the body shows that it has undergone gastric digestion. But this man is so foolish that, when he hears the Ancients saying that the food is converted in the stomach into something "good," he thinks it proper to look out not for what is good in its possible effects, but for what is _good to the taste_: this is like saying that apples (for so one has to argue with him) become more apple-like [in flavour] in the stomach, or honey more honey-like!

Erasistratus, however, is still more foolish and absurd, either through not perceiving in what sense the Ancients said that digestion is similar to the process of _boiling_, or because he purposely confused himself with sophistries. It is, he says, inconceivable that digestion, involving as it does such trifling warmth, should be related to the boiling process. This is as if we were to suppose that it was necessary to put the fires of Etna under the stomach before it could manage to alter the food; or else that, while it was capable of altering the food, it did not do this by virtue of its innate heat, which of course was moist, so that the word _boil_ was used instead of _bake_.

What he ought to have done, if it was facts that he wished to dispute about, was to have tried to show, first and foremost, that the food is not transmuted or altered in quality by the stomach at all, and secondly, if he could not be confident of this, he ought to have tried to show that this alteration was not of any advantage to the animal.[337] If, again, he were unable even to make this misrepresentation, he ought to have attempted to confute the postulate concerning _the active principles_--to show, in fact, that the functions taking place in the various parts do not depend on the way in which the Warm, Cold, Dry, and Moist are mixed, but on some other factor. And if he had not the audacity to misrepresent facts even so far as this, still he should have tried at least to show that the Warm is not the most active of all the principles which play a part in things governed by Nature. But if he was unable to demonstrate this any more than any of the previous propositions, then he ought not to have made himself ridiculous by quarrelling uselessly with a mere name--as though Aristotle had not clearly stated in the fourth book of his "Meteorology," as well as in many other passages, in what way digestion can be said to be allied to boiling, and also that the latter expression is not used in its primitive or strict sense.

But, as has been frequently said already,[338] the one starting-point of all this is a thoroughgoing enquiry into the question of the Warm, Cold, Dry and Moist; this Aristotle carried out in the second of his books "On Genesis and Destruction," where he shows that all the transmutations and alterations throughout the body take place as a result of these principles. Erasistratus, however, advanced nothing against these or anything else that has been said above, but occupied himself merely with the word "boiling."

VII

All' ei kai katechei kai apolauei, katachrêtai pros ho
pephyke. pephyke de tou prosêkontos heautê || kata 161
poiotêta kai oikeiou metalambanein; hôsth' helkei tôn
sitiôn hoson chrêstotaton atmôdôs te kai kata brachy kai
touto tois heautês chitôsin enapotithetai te kai
prostithêsin. hotan d' hikanôs emplêsthê, kathaper
achthos ti tên loipên apotithetai trophên eschêkuian ti
chrêston êdê kai autên ek tês pros tên gastera
koinônias; oude gar endechetai dyo sômata dran kai
paschein epitêdeia synelthonta mê ouk êtoi paschein th'
hama kai dran ê thateron men dran, thateron de paschein.
ean men gar isazê tais dynamesin, ex isou drasei te kai
peisetai, an d' hyperechê poly kai kratê thateron,
energêsei peri to paschon; hôste drasei mega men ti kai
aisthêton, auto d' êtoi smikron ti kai ouk aisthêton ê
pantapasin ouden peisetai. all' en toutô dê kai malista
diênenke pharmakou dêlêtêriou trophê; to men gar kratei
tês en tô sômati dynameôs, hê de krateitai.

Oukoun endechetai trophên men einai ti tô zôô
prosêkousan, ou mên kai krateisthai g' homoiôs pros tôn
|| en tô zôô poiotêtôn; to krateisthai d' ên 162
alloiousthai. all' epei ta men ischyrotera tais
dynamesin esti moria, ta d' asthenestera, kratêsei men
panta tês oikeias tô zôô trophês, ouch homoiôs de panta;
kratêsei d' ara kai hê gastêr kai alloiôsei men tên
trophên, ou mên homoiôs hêpati kai phlepsi kai artêriais
kai kardia.

Poson oun estin, ho alloioi, kai dê theasômetha; pleon
men ê kata to stoma, meion d' ê kata to hêpar te kai tas
phlebas. hautê men gar hê alloiôsis eis haimatos ousian
agei tên trophên, hê d' en tô stomati methistêsi men
autên enargôs eis heteron eidos, ou mên eis telos ge
metakosmei. mathois d' an epi tôn enkataleiphthentôn
tais diastasesi tôn odontôn sitiôn kai katameinantôn di'
holês nyktos; oute gar artos akribôs ho artos oute kreas
esti to kreas, all' ozei men toiouton, hoionper kai tou
zôou to stoma, dialelytai de kai diatetêke kai tas en tô
zôô tês sarkos apomemaktai poiotêtas. enesti de soi
theasasthai to megethos tês en tô stomati || tôn sitiôn 163
alloiôseôs, ei pyrous masêsamenos epitheiês apeptois
dothiêsin; opsei gar autous tachista metaballontas te
kai sympettontas, ouden toiouton, hotan hydati
phyrathôsin, ergasasthai dynamenous. kai mê thaumasês;
to gar toi phlegma touti to kata to stoma kai leichênôn
estin akos kai skorpious anairei parachrêma kai polla
tôn iobolôn thêriôn ta men eutheôs apokteinei, ta d' es
hysteron; hapanta goun blaptei megalôs. alla ta
memasêmena sitia prôton men toutô tô phlegmati bebrektai
te kai pephyratai, deuteron de kai tô chrôti tou
stomatos hapanta peplêsiaken, hôste pleiona metabolên
eilêphe tôn en tais kenais chôrais tôn odontôn
esphênômenôn.

All' hoson ta memasêmena toutôn epi pleon êlloiôtai,
tosouton ekeinôn ta katapothenta. mê gar oude parablêton
ê to tês hyperbolês, ei to kata tên koilian ennoêsaimen
phlegma kai cholên kai pneuma kai thermasian kai holên
tên ousian tês gastros. ei de kai synepinoêsais autê ta
parakeimena || splanchna kathaper tini lebêti megalô 164
pyros hestias pollas, ek dexiôn men to hêpar, ex
aristerôn de ton splêna, tên kardian d' ek tôn anô, syn
autê de kai tas phrenas aiôroumenas te kai dia pantos
kinoumenas, eph' hapasi de toutois skepon to epiploon,
exaision tina peisthêsê tên alloiôsin gignesthai tôn eis
tên gastera katapothentôn sitiôn.

Pôs d' an êdynato rhadiôs haimatousthai mê
proparaskeuasthenta tê toiautê metabolê? dedeiktai gar
oun kai prosthen, hôs ouden eis tên enantian athroôs
methistatai poiotêta. pôs oun ho artos haima gignetai,
pôs de to teutlon ê ho kyamos ê ti tôn allôn, ei mê
proteron tin' heteran alloiôsin edexato? pôs d' hê
kopros en tois leptois enterois athroôs gennêthêsetai?
ti gar en toutois sphodroteron eis alloiôsin esti tôn
kata tên gastera? potera tôn chitônôn to plêthos ê tôn
geitniôntôn splanchnôn hê perithesis ê tês monês ho
chronos ê symphytos tis en tois organois thermasia? kai
mên kat' ouden toutôn pleonektei ta entera tês gastros.
ti pot' oun en men tê gastri nyktos || holês pollakis 165
meinanta ton arton eti phylattesthai boulontai tas
archaias diasôzonta poiotêtas, epeidan d' hapax empesê
tois enterois, euthys gignesthai kopron? ei men gar ho
tosoutos chronos adynatos alloioun, oud' ho brachys
hikanos; ei d' houtos autarkês, pôs ou poly mallon ho
makros? ar' oun alloioutai men hê trophê kata tên
koilian, allên de tin' alloiôsin kai ouch hoian ek tês
physeôs ischei tou metaballontos organou? ê tautên men,
ou mên tên g' oikeian tô tou zôou sômati? makrô tout'
adynatôteron esti. kai mên ouk allo g' ên hê pepsis ê
alloiôsis eis tên oikeian tou trephomenou poiotêta.
eiper oun hê pepsis tout' esti kai hê trophê kata tên
gastera dedeiktai dechomenê poiotêta tô mellonti pros
autês threpsesthai zôô prosêkousan, hikanôs apodedeiktai
to pettesthai kata tên gastera tên trophên.

Kai geloios men Asklêpiadês out' en tais erygais legôn
emphainesthai pote tên poiotêta tôn pephthentôn sitiôn
out' en tois emetois out' en tais ana||tomais; auto gar 166
dê to tou sômatos exozein auta tês koilias esti to
pepephthai. ho d' houtôs estin euêthês, hôst', epeidê
tôn palaiôn akouei legontôn epi to chrêston en tê gastri
metaballein ta sitia, dokimazei zêtein ou to kata
dynamin alla to kata geusin chrêston, hôsper ê tou mêlou
mêlôdesterou--chrê gar houtôs autô
dialegesthai--gignomenou kata tên koilian ê tou melitos
melitôdesterou.

Poly d' euêthesteros esti kai geloioteros ho
Erasistratos ê mê noôn, hopôs eirêtai pros tôn palaiôn
hê pepsis hepsêsei paraplêsios hyparchein, ê hekôn
sophizomenos heauton. hepsêsei men oun, phêsin, houtôs
elaphran echousan thermasian ouk eikos einai paraplêsian
tên pepsin, hôsper ê tên Aitnên deon hypotheinai tê
gastri ê allôs autês alloiôsai ta sitia mê dynamenês ê
dynamenês men alloioun, ou kata tên emphyton de
thermasian, hygran ousan dêlonoti kai dia touth' hepsein
ouk optan eirêmenên.

Echrên d' auton, eiper peri pragmatôn antilegein
ebouleto, peirathênai deixai malista men kai || prôton, 167
hôs oude metaballei tên archên oud' alloioutai kata
poiotêta pros tês gastros ta sitia, deuteron d', eiper
mê hoios t' ên touto pistôsasthai, to tên alloiôsin
autôn achrêston einai tô zôô; ei de mêde tout' eiche
diaballein, exelenxai tên peri tas drastikas archas
hypolêpsin kai deixai tas energeias en tois moriois ou
dia tên ek thermou kai psychrou kai xêrou kai hygrou
poian krasin hyparchein alla di' allo ti; ei de mêde
tout' etolma diaballein, all' hoti ge mê to thermon
estin en tois hypo physeôs dioikoumenois to tôn allôn
drastikôtaton. ê ei mête touto mête tôn allôn ti tôn
emprosthen eichen apodeiknynai, mê lêrein onomati
prospalaionta matên, hôsper ou saphôs Aristotelous en t'
allois pollois kan tô tetartô tôn meteôrologikôn hopôs
hê pepsis hepsêsei paraplêsios einai legetai, kai hoti
mê prôtôs mêde kyriôs onomazontôn, eirêkotos.

All', hôs êdê lelektai pollakis, archê toutôn hapantôn
esti mia to peri thermou kai psychrou kai xêrou kai
hygrou diaskepsasthai, kathaper Aristotelês epoiêsen en
tô deuterô peri geneseôs kai phthoras, apo||deixas 168
hapasas tas kata ta sômata metabolas kai alloiôseis hypo
toutôn gignesthai. all' Erasistratos oute toutois out'
allô tini tôn proeirêmenôn anteipôn epi tounoma monon
etrapeto tês hepsêseôs.

VIII

Thus, as regards _digestion_, even though he neglected everything else, he did at least attempt to prove his point--namely, that digestion in animals differs from boiling carried on outside; in regard to the question of _deglutition_, however, he did not go even so far as this. What are his words?

"The stomach does not appear to exercise any traction."[339]

Now the fact is that the stomach possesses two coats, which certainly exist for some purpose; they extend as far as the mouth, the internal one remaining throughout similar to what it is in the stomach, and the other one tending to become of a more fleshy nature in the gullet. Now simple observation will testify that these coats have their fibres inserted in contrary directions.[340] And, although Erasistratus did not attempt to say for what reason they are like this, I am going to do so.