AIRS, WATERS, PLACES An ey onthe infec of cliaat, water eupply and situation om bal +. Whoever would study medicine aright must lean ofthe following subjects, Fits he most conser the eft of cee of the seasons of the Year andthe diference between themy Secondly he mast study the warn andthe ea winds, bork thote which are common to every eountey and those revlon toa particular oat. Las, the eet of water ont heath Ist not be forgotten. Jus a it vars In uate and akon weighed so does ts eect on the body vary ao wel: Whe therefore a physician comes to ditt previously unknowy tohim, he should consider both it stanton ands spe to the winds. The elit of any town upon the health of pops Inon ais aecordng a it aces noth or south est ok wens ‘This i ofthe greatest importance, Silay the mata of the ster upply must be conideredisit mach and sot hands itis when ie flows rom highand rocky grousd or nly wk hardness which i permanent? Then thnk of thesll whether ‘tbotareand wate or tilly covered with vepetion sed vwell-vatered; wheter in a hollow and ting “or sapere ad colds Lastly consider the feof the inbiants tens fclets are they eavy drinkers and enters and eonsquesly unable stand fatigue of bing fond of work snd eleseae, eat wisely but drink sparely? ° 2. Each of thee subjects mot be studied. A physica who wovestands hem well oe ats 0 wells he cam, cold tt ful to observe what dienes are important in piven oeay asvellasthentur ofthe inbbitats in general wea he reg Gomes into a eistict which was unfanfa o fmm Thos he ‘would not beara lost rea the diseases to whieh the nba fs ela nor wos he ake miner oh woul certainly do ad be not thought about tse things before With te passage of tne andthe change ofthe sen he AIRS, WATERS, PLACES ‘would know what epidemics co expect, both in the summer Erin the winter andvhat partie disadvantages threatened tm individual who changed his mode of lie. Being fae swith the progress ofthe seasons and the dates of sing and Seting of the stars, he could foretell the progress ofthe yest ‘Thur he woud know what changes to expec inthe weather 2nd eotonly would heenjoy ood heath himselé for dhe most art but he would be very succesful In the practice of Freticine, If i should be thoughe that this is mote the Busines of the meteoologit, then learn thi astronomy pls a Yery important pat ininedicine since the changes of the sens produce change in dseaues. 4 all expin clearly the way in which each of these subjects shouldbe considered, Let us suppose we ate desing ‘pith «aster whichis sheltered from nortetly winds but Taposed tothe warm ones, those tat which Blow Fem the quarter berveensoutveast and south-west; and that these tne the prevaling vinds, Water ill be plentel bt ie will Consist city of rachis surface water, warm inthe sumer tre cold in the winter, The labitants of such s place wll thos have moist heads fal of phlegm, and this, lowing down From the bead, i likely to dtu thee Inner organ. Theie onsittion will usually be fabby and they tolerate neither food nor dink wel Ie «genera mol that men with wen heads ae not grat drinkers snus they ate paticlaly able to hangovers ‘The local disease ae these. The women a sickly and Table o vaginal discharges; many of them are ele, not by nur, butas the result of dee, Mxeariages ae common. Giiltta ace lable to convulsions and asthma which are fegatded as divine vstations andthe sess uel ak sired ‘The men suller from diatthoea, dysentery, ague and, inthe winter expel, ftom prolonged fevers. They ate alto bubjcet Co pustulrdisene of the skin which are partclaly Puitful a€ night, and. also from hemorrhoids Plearsy, Pocumoniaand other sate diseaser are aresnce such dieses {0 not fouish in a watery constitution, Moist ophtbalmi ip aot uncommon, but iti nether serous no of long Mpderation unless an epidemic breaks out owing to some great change in the weather. Catarth of the head makes those over fity liable to hemiplegia. ‘They suddenly become ‘sunstrack? for cold, Such then ate the diseases ofthe country, except that changes in the weather may produce epidemics in aduition, 4. Let us now take the case of a district with the opposite situation, one sheltered feom the south but with cad prevailing Binds from the quarter between north-west and north-east ‘The water supply is hard and cold and usually brackish, The inhabitants will therefore be sturdy and leaa, end to constipa: tion, their bowels being intractable, but theie chests will mave casily. They wll be more troubled with bile than with phlegm; they will have sound and hard heads but sufer frequently rom abscesses. The special diseases ofthe locality will be pleutisy and the acute diseases. This is always the case when belies are ‘acd. Because ofthis to0,and because they atesinewy, abscesses commonly appear on the slightest pretext. This is also dae to teit dryness and the coldness of the water. Such men eat with ood appetites but they drink litle; one canmot both eat snd drink a great deal atthe same time. Ophithalmia occurs and is of long duration tending to become both serious and chronic, and the eyes suppurate at an eatly sage. Those under thirty suffer from epistaxis which is serious in summer. Cases of the ‘sscred disease” are few but grave. These men live langer than those I described before. Ulcers do not suppurate nor do they spread wildly. Characters are fierce rather than tame, ‘These then are the diseases to which the men of such a district sre liable; others only if some change in the weather provokes an epidemic, ‘The women suffer largely ftom barsenness owing to the nature of the water; this is hard, permanently #0, and cold, ‘Menstruation, too, dacs not occur satisfactorily but the periods fre small and painful, They give birth with difficulty but, nevertheless, miscarriages are rare. After parturition they are sable to feed their babies because the flow of milk is dried up by the intractable hardness of the water. As a result of dilficule Tabour, abscesses and convulsions commonly occur and 139) AIRS, WATERS, PLACES ‘eating disease follows, The chikisen sue fom deopsy of the etcles wile thy ase young but tis dnppeats they 208 up. Paberry is atuned late in such a dite 5.So much forthe influence of the wattn and eld winds Let us now conser dates which sre exposed to winds fiom the quarter between nowth-east and southeast snd then those feam the wert Thote that face eas ae likely to be healhie than those facing noth or south even f suc places are only furlong apart These ditt donot expetence Such extremes heat and col, The water, othe easel sie, rust necesely be clean, sweet-smelling, soft and plesane This is beeause the easly moming sunshine diss dew fom the morting mist. The inhabitants st generally of pood ard bralthy complesionunles they ate subject to disese, They Fave loud and clea voces and iy ass probable, oe cond tions genealy are beter, they ace of better temperament and inceligene than those expored to the north, The elimate in Such sect may be compared with he spring in hat tere are no extremes of het and cold. Ata consequence, dseses in sucha dstie are few and not severe In gene ay be Said chat hey eeserbl src of southern spect seep hat the women ate proie and ive birch esp. 6. Towns tha ace west and are hus sbeltzed fom estely ‘winds while the warm winds and those fom the south pest em by, must cesta have 4 ost tsheslthy situation Fin, garb note Tune eeu haa Baas coviy morning mitt andsuch ain ning wit water aes aay Ftsparksforiedoes not gt the son on itu lain the say, Jn summer daryp breezes blow and ease de to Fil othe exrly morning, bu forthe ret ofthe day the nun, aitdetnes bins up the inhabitants. This tends to make them of poot complesion and sickly a they tue ftom al the esetes Previously mentioned withost exception: ‘Theie voices are tick and somentat hoarse on accouns ofthe at which ends to be impore and unhealthy. Not evea the aocherly ales reach soch diticts to dispel these hatacteritics All the ‘Winds that Blow are ftom the weit and therefore very Wet ast‘The weather of such a dict can be compared with the sutuma when there is so great a diference berwceninorning and evening. 7 So much thea for the effets, both good and ill, ofthe ‘atious winds, Now should lite to expt whats the cles Of diferent kinds of water, to indicate which are beth aod ‘hich unhealthy, and what eles, both good sod bad, they may be expected to produce, Water plas a most importare pact in health, Stagannt water from inatshes snd las will ecesariy be warm, thick and of an unpleant eel in summer. Because such water is sill and fed by raion it evaporate by the hot sun, Thus itis coloured, hasmfal ad Productive of bilfosnes. In winter i wil be ol ey and Toudded by meling now and ce This makes it productive of phlegm and hoasenes. Those who drink tals ave lage snd fm spleens while cei bellies ae hat, watm snd thin Tht shoulders, the pars about the clavcies and thele flees ave tin too beeauietheirspleensdisolne thei sh Such ea ave a ret appetite fr fod and drink. Thee visera wil be roxy Ary and watm and thot equi the stronger drugs, Thee specs remain aired sumer and winter nd nao, cists of deopay are Fequent an fatal to thigh epee, The reason for this the occurrence, during the sume of much dysentery and diarthoea together wath prolonged quaran fevers Such dacs, when they ne of long standing cause Aropsy in people ofthis type and this proves ale 'These, then, are the summer ailments. In wintc, the younger imen are lable to pneumonia and 0 madness. The eldct mea suller fom a fever called sear on account ofthe Mardnees of thee belles, the women fromm tamours and levcorties, The Inter are weak inthe belly and give bich with diffe, The foctus is large and swollen, During lactation, wasting 2nd pains occur and’ menstevition does not become, properly fe-esablshed. The chikien are specially able wo rape and the men to varicose vcs and ulcers of the lps, People of such autuecancotbelong-ved and they become premtsely aged. Moreover, sometimes the women appent to have cont ceived bus, when the tine of bith proaches, the eoncots of 2 AIRS, WATERS, PLACES the belly disappeat, Ths happens when the womb sofers from deopsy. Wats which produces thee tings, I consider mf in every espe. fe now come tothe consideration of water fom rock spring tis hard; ee from te ol conaning hot waters, ram ton, copper, sien, gol, eulpbor, alum, bitumen or She: All theae substance at ose by the inuence of het “The watet fom such ground i ad sine ies har, heating ia iseet diculto pass and causes constipation “Te best water comes ftom high ground snd hills covered with ears Tiss sect and cena an when taken with wine, Durtiele win is needed to makes palatable dink. Moreover, itiscoolin sommes and warm in wterbeeuseteomes For ery deep springs: 1 pasiculcly recommend water which ows tomar the ease and even more that which Fows towards the nontenst, since i i very spalling, weer Smelling aod ight. Wate that i aly, fatd and can be softened, Is not always good to drink, Bat dhere are some Consdtutions and some dicaes which beneft by drinking Sch wate and these {shall proced to detail. The best ype tf this waters hat which comes fom spring facing the east ‘The accond best from springs facing the quarter berwcen oubeast and rorh-wet, epedilly the more tery, and the ed fiom spring between hogtest and soutlrwest ‘The worst isthe southem vay, the pings facing berseea toutewest and soutien, Thete water supplies re wore Shen the win are souhesy than when they are note. ‘Waters shuld be used inthe following way. A man Who fx in good and robust henlth need not distinguish between them, bot he may dink whatever i to hand a the moment But ia tick man wishes to drake what ix best for him, he sould best repui his Health by observing the following rule Ths somach is hard and lable to become ilamed, he Ect lightest and noe sparkling water is best for himsbut if tus stomach is soft holt and full of phlegm, the hardest slat ae best since hee il best Gey up. The water thaeis best for cooking and softest x Hkey to slay and soften the stomach, Hard Water tha at softened by boiling tends 133Ignore, there isa gene aly aout bres jain water and water from snow. Rain water is very sw: 2 ‘ery light and alto very fine and spalling since the the sea and in fact from any source which contains moist. iat chore is nothing that does not contain some. Byea from, wuman beings it das of de nest and lighter pas of he stad, the whole body awe alle eeu ten 9 Jooger on him. Rain water, being composed oft iste ot Cues oul sot Bor went ha bon den wp ina ai ital round and mies with heat thedatkd lode to be the densest loud ‘This is mot likly to happen ce along and then another wind suddenly confronts it wih ane 156 AIRS, WATERS, PLACES following ones pile up on it till it becomes thick and black and dense, and its weight causes it to turn to rain and fall. Rain, ‘water, therefore, is likely to be the best of all water, but it needs to be boiled and purified. If not, it has a foul smell and ‘causes hoarseness and deepness of the voice in those that deink it ‘Water from snow and ice is always harmful because, once it hhas been frozen, it never regains its previous quality. Thelight, sweet and sparkling part of itis separated and vanishes leaving. only the muddiest and heaviest part, You may prove this, if you wish, by measuring some water into a jar and then leaving. it out in the open air on a winter's night in the coldest spot you can find. Next morning bring it back into the warmth, againand, when it has thawed, measure ta second time. You ‘ill find the quantity considerably less. This shows that in the process of freezing, the lightest and finest part has been dried top and lost, for the heaviest and densest part could not dise appear thus, For this reason I consider such water to be the ‘most harmful for all purposes. '9. The effect of drinking water collected from many different sources, that is, from large rivers fed by smaller streams and, from lakes into which many streams flow from different directions, is to cause a propensity to stone, gravel in the kidneys, strangury, pain in the loins and rupture. The same is true of water brought long distances from its source. The reason for this is that n0 two sorts of water can be alike but some will be sweet, some salt and astringent and some from, ‘warm springs. When they are all mixed they quarrel with one another and the strongest is always the dominant, But each fone has not always the same strength and sometimes one is dominant, sometimes another according to which wind is blowing, One will be made strong by the north wind, another by the south and so on, Such water will lave a sediment of sand and slime at the bottom of the jarand ie is by drinking, this thatthe diseases mentioned above are caused. There are, however, certain exceptions and these I shall detail. ‘Those whose stomachs are healthy and regular, and whose bladders aze not subject to inflammation, nor in whom the a5MEDICINE neck ofthe bidders oveeauch ob ecanich obstructed, pas wate ex dn poting cols inte dice Dutt heb eG ree ne it be othe Ne, rd when organ sented wth ever the neck of the Clade Coe inlamed and dene allow the une ops wich ised $ecomes had and condoned Te ine and hae if seared, pss though an vide. Te deseo luton pit = eubed opter and pens sl ec tan then ng oer‘ gravel forme i fled ound ye end ens ten so Ws water is passed this falls over the neck of the bladdce sod being pressed down by the presue ofthe ane poccenawie win fam og prc Gat pin nue sed he parts because ty tink that in them les te can kt cannot make wate. The fat thn people who sue ftom stone ve vty cla une proof hte des and mune fe mi inthe sr a att hr Tan tay ako bs etsed by all I meno heathy br too “rao the somata he bdee ready dees Inde, Tan tat 8 bauer wo gee ile wine rl dws ch posi Ehldten sles tbleto store bce te eh shorted wieand hee ipa easy Neher do they metre 2 heal dy oo oh the wet tne ee ie well Moreover, gis drink mote than bye, tga cst sony deh ap New ‘ ay we cn chert is going tobeaheahyoran unhelycn Tels most lel tole healthy ithe done ola ke tng nd he stig ofthe stars oer rol, shen tere nahin thsucun, ventric binge fv aul oc cl sd h any ortherly winds pevaling an he speing wer wit seats 136 AIRS, WATERS, PLACES ‘winds, che surmmer will of necessity be feverish and productive of ophthalmia and dysentery. For when stifling heat succeeds, ‘while the geound isstil wet from the spring rains and southerly ‘winds, the heat will be twice as great. Firstly because of the soaked warm earth und secondly because of the blazing suns fand, moreover, men’s stomachs will not be toughened nor the brain firm, In such a spring the flesh cannot but become flabby and this predisposes to acute fevers, especially in those (of phlegmatic constitution. Dysentery is likely to attack Svomen and those of watery constitution. Should the etesian ‘winds blow and there is bad weather and rain atthe rising of the Dog Star then it may be hoped that these bad conditions ‘will come to an end and that the autumn will be a healthy one. But if thete is no amelioration in the conditions there is a danger of fatalities among women and childrens the eldesly fare in the least danger. Those who recover ate liable to ‘quartan fevers in which dropsy may supervene. TE the winter is wet and mild with southerly winds and this js followed by a wintry dry spring with the wind in the north, the effect will be as follows, First, women who happen to be ‘pregeant and approaching term in the spring are likely to have Iiseartiages. Ot, i they do give birth, the babies are so weal and sickly that either they die at once or, if they survive, they are frail and weak and very liable to disease. ‘The men are liable to dysentery and dry ophehalmia, while some will suffer from eatatth of the head which may spread to the lungs. Its, those who ave fll of phlegm, as well as the women, who ate likely to suffer from dysentery since the phlegm flows down from the brain on account of their moist constitutions. On the other hand, those who ace full of bile suffer from dry ‘ophthalmia on account of the warmth and dryness of the fleshy hile the old, owing to the permeability and exhaustion of the Dlood-vessel, suffer from catarth. This last illness may prove suddenly fatal to some, while others are aflicted with a right Or leftsided hemiplegia. The explanation of these diseases is, this, When the winter is warm with wet south winds neither the brain nor the blood-vessels become consolidated. Thus, ‘whea spring comes with dzy cold northerly winds, the braic. 137becomes stif and cold just when it ought to thaw: and become Durified by running of the nose and hoarseness. It isthe sudden ‘change when the heat of summer comes that is responsible for these diseases, Distsicts which are well situated with regard to the sua and. the winds and which have 2 good water supply are the least affected by such changes in the weather; those badly situated ‘with regard to the sun and the winds and which draw theit ‘water from marsh or lake, the most. Ifthe summet be dey, tlseases are short lived, but i itis wet they last long and there is the danger ofa sore appearing on the slightest pretest ifthe skin is broken. Diarrhoea and dropsy oceur towards the termination of illnesses under such conditions because the bowels do not dry. Af che summer is rainy with southerly winds and the automa similas, the winter will necessarily be unhealthy, ‘Those of Phlegmatic constitution and those over forty years old may suffer from caus, while those who are full of bile suffer frorn Pleursy and pneumonia I the summer is dry with northerly Winds and the autuma wet with the wind ia the south, the ‘winter brings a danger of headache and gangrene of the brain Further, theze is likely to be hoarseness, running at the nose and cough and, in some cases, consumption. Ifthe autama is zainless with northerly winds and there is rain neither undes the Dog Starnorat Arcturus, this weather suits best those who ate naturally phlegmatic and of a watery constitut'on and also omen. But itis most inimical to those of abilious disposition because they become dried up too much, This produces dey ophthalmis and sharp fevers which last along time and also in some cases, ‘black bile” or melancholy. The reason for this ig found in the drying up of the more fuid part of the bile while the denser and mote bitter past is left behind. ‘The same is true of the blood. But these changes are bencficial to those of phlegmatic habit so that they become dried up and stare the ‘winter braced up instead of relaxed, 11. Anyone making observations and drawing deductions fon these Tincs ean foretell most of the effects which follow changes in the weather, It is particulaly necessary to take 138 ions aguost great changes and tis inadvisable to give Pipotge, 0 ciumice or to cat any past of the belly wal tr least ten days have passed after sucha change. ‘The most dungerou tins theo sls cecil mise inde equooxen, Both of thas ler mes tre consider dangerous bur more especially the atonal one Care must, sio'beaten ae sg of cetan sory pty te Dog Strand Arcturus Silay discretion mus be ext fe scing ofthe Pads at sch es that he eis is eached inte couteofdseases some prove fitalansome fre core, but all show some kindof change ad enter a new pase, in all respects are T= now want t0 show how diferent in all esp : y lissimilar, showing indivi- 1i2and Burope and why race sedsinia, - daa piss hemcerat Ie would take to long e daca this subject in its entirety but I will take what seem to me to ihe tro import points of diference, " ve Alita ery much from Europe nthe nature of every thing thar grows thee, Yegeable or umn. Everything ro uct bgget and fnes in Avia andthe rare OF the {ind is amet, while the character of the inhabitant is milder td les pasionate, The reason for this is the equable blending fie ctor es nese ese ig Louounce and cane of etivaton ae to be ound most ote when tre te kv ete but wen «pete fe cently placed beeween the or and the cok parts the sot fore el woot te et en ad he sr water both rin water abd water from springs Its fot too meh burnt up bythe heat nor deceit by parching doughey it rch ached by cold nor drenched by Fequent Produces of hecown accord, Bu asthe fr ofthe ater ae Exton by an hey have cultivated them by transplanting. The tate ised there are most likely todo well, being most roi fod bet at rating thee young, Likewise, she tne te wel 49Fge fis! and with good physique, They dif litle among Remsclves in size and physical development. Such a laca TRESS the spring time in its character and the mildness of ‘ign’ minds ate roused so that they eannot stagnate, Seek the greater part is under monarchical rule. When men do ave Sallis, for they do not un the same tke The sete advancement of their masters, while tele coe een dhnges and death. Moccover, sich men love thes hele spistedness through unfamiliarity with war and though ate a that even if man be born brave and of stout heat, hig character is ruined by this form of government. A good prow enti pot some pargrps have bea last and the onder of what 160 AIRS, WATERS, PLACES ‘and some worse. This follows from the variations of climate to which they are subject, as I explained before, 25, Such then is my opinion of Egypt and Libya. I will ow discuss the area to the east-northveast as far a8 Lake ‘Macoti,* for this is the boundary between Europe and Asia, ‘The people inhabiting these egions differ more among them- selves than those discussed previously on account of the ‘changeabilty of the weather and the nature of the terrain, ‘And what is true of the soil is true of the men, Where the ‘weather shows the greatest and the most frequent variations, there the land is wildest and most uneven. You will find mountains, forests, plains and meadows. But where there is not much difference in the weather throughout the year, the ground will be all very level, Reflection will show that this is ‘uc of the inhabitants too. Some men’s characters resemble ‘well-wooded and watered mountains, others a thin and watet- less soil, others plains or dry bare earth. Climates differ and ‘cause diflerences in character; the greater the variations in climate, so much the greater will be differences in character, 14.1 will leave out the minor distinctions of the various aces and confine myself to the major differences in character and custom which obtain among them. First the Macrocephalis, no other race has heads like theirs. The chief cause of the Jength of their heads was at first found to be in theie customs, but nowadays ature collaborates with tradition and they ‘consider those with the longest heads the most nobly born, ‘The custom was to mould the head ofthe newly-bora childcen, with their hands and to force it to increase in length by the application of bandages and other devices which destroy the spherical shape of the head and produce elongation instead, “The characteristic was thus acquired at frst by artificial means, bbut, as time passed, it became an inherited characteristic and the practice was no longer necessary. The seed comes from, all parts ofthe body, healthy from ehe healthy parts and sickly from the sickly. If therefore bald parents usually have bald The Sea of Azor. 16MEDICINE chide, grey. chthen wee prs epee iin ssi ets have suiting cider, hy should ot long hen fete have nent hen’ Brin a tappen as often as before, because the custom of binding oe head has also become obsolete through intercc pr eihes sa owe with thes Tye fs now to consider th ; sides the people who liv thee Phas Thee ind is mach, warm, wet and tek evencd Nith vegetation. Violent rainstorms occar there frequent a sllsasns ofthe yea and the inhabitant lve inthe mare A icir houses ate built on the water of wood and reeds and they. lo very little walking to ga to town or to market, bat act upand down slog the many ena In dont anos, They Cie wu ut wt wh betray shggish and stagnant ofall rivers The crops degen a, shondane of water hich inetres with the pening procera ‘he proud is often covered with mit Ae reel cf dese Pass have pecan consitatins. They ar bg and sue andi na eae eae cs Flow ey hal ncaa bene the deep known, ‘They hve lie amin but boone inde are southerly, except fr one lea ieee wich oe lps blowsasti empl They aswindieke a ‘wind never blows hard even when it does blow. = waht ae othe I ing ke , there is a special race of Scythians which differs fre ati pi. They goby theme of Sura, Thce Women ride hore sd shoot ats aa! hal ns Fa Bonstack andthe ih igs ong at hey cma thee ofthat enemls and have ed sean eae led prescibed by stalls Bat once a ona hes ken tho *Rion. See note on p. 160, ° 6a | | | AIRS, WATERS, PLACES should requite their total forces to take to the field, The ‘women have no right breast since theit mothers heat specially made iron and apply it to the breast while they are still Childcen. This prevents the breast from growing and all the ftrength and size of it go into the right arm and shoulder instead 18. As regards the appearances of other tribes of Seythians, the same is true of them as is true of the Egyptians, namely, thae they have certain racial characteristics, but differ litele among themselves. They differ, however, from the Egyptians 5n that theie peculiarities are due to cold instead of to heat. ‘The socalled Seythian desert is a grassy plain devoid of trees and moderately watered, for there are large rivers there which ‘rain the water from the plains. Here live the Scythians who fare ealled nomads because they do not live in houses but in ‘wagons. The lighter wagons have four wheels but some have tix, and they are fenced about with felt, They are built like houses, some with two divisions and some with three, and. they ate proof against rain, snow and wind. The wagons ace ddsawn by two or three yokes of hornless oxen; hornless be- ‘cause of the cold. ‘The women live in these wagons while the nen ride on horseback, and they ate followed by what herds they have, oxen and horses, They stay in the same place as long as there is enough grass for the anitnals but as soon asf fails they move to Fresh ground. They cat boiled meat and ‘sink the milk of mares, from which they also make a cheese. 15, So much then for their mode of life and customs. As scgatds their physical peculiarities and the climate of theie Tands, the Seythian race is as far removed from the rest of ‘mankind as can be imagined and, like the Egyptians, they are ail similar to one another. They are the least prolife of all peoples and the country contains very few wild animals and Sohat there are are very small, The reason for this is theie ‘uation in the far north under the Rhipaea mountains from Sthich the north wind blows, The sun shines most brightly towards its setting in the summer and then it warms them only fora very short time and not very much. Inadéation, the winds From watm lands do not zeach as far, a8 a -ule, or, if they do, 163they are weak. Instead, northerly winds, chilled with snow and ice and charged with geeat rains, blow contiquously and never leave the mountains which makes them most inhospitae bie, During the daytime mist often covers the plains where the people live and, in fact, winter is nearly continuous all the yeat round, The summer lasts only a few days and these are ‘ot very summery for the plains ate highly situated, bare of trees and are not cngirdled by mountains, but slope from the north. The only wild animals found there are those small enough to shelter underground. The cold weather together ‘with the barrenness of the ground, which aifords neithee ‘warmth nor shelter, prevents theie growth, There are no great nor violent changes with the seasons, the climate remaining very much the same all the yeat round, The people difer litle jn physique as they always eat similar food, wear the same clothes winter and summer, breathe moist thick air, drink vwater from snow and ice and do no hard wotk. The body cannot become hardened where there are such stall variations in climate; the mind, too, becomes sluggish, For these reasons their bodies are heavy and fleshy, theie joints are covered, they ate watery and relaxed, The cavities of theit bodies are extremely moist, especially the belly, since, ina country of such nature and under such climatic conditions, the bowels eannot be dey. All the men are fat and hairless and likewise all the ‘women, and the two sexes resemble one another. Owing to the lack of variation in the weather, the coagulation of the seed is not prevented or impeded unless there is some violent injury or intercurrent disease, __ 20. Asa proof of this moistness of the constitution, I may instance the following. You will find that the majority of the Scythians, especially those who are nomads, are eauterized on the shoulders, arms, wrists, chests, hips and loins. This is done ply for the softness and moistness of their constitutions because otherwise they could nether bend their bows nor put any weight into throwing the javelin. But when they have been cauterized the moisture is dried out of their joints and their bodies become more sinewy and stronger and theie joints ‘may then be seen. They grow up flabby and stout fut two 164 AIRS, WATERS, PLACES restons, Fit bec they ae not wrapped In swadding Tetbn a in Egypt noe ane they acontomed t borseiding woiRiden which makes fora good figure Secondly, they sit ‘out too much The mal ile, unl they ate old enough toile, spend most ofthe time ting Ja the wagons and they wale very lite snc they ae 40 often changing tit ade of esidene The gi get amazingly Habhy ard poday. he Sehians have usd comploons onacrount of Se cold, fot am ds nt bn fry he Bt the cold cose coe People uch constitution cannot be poi. The mea tack soon dese besos of the molstnes of thei consti {ish andthe softncs and coldneat of he els, a condition Heat les ao ner ogee, eng rally worm outwith ing they are weak in the sexual ct Shen they do have intercourse Ther ans sie as fa as fherne te ented he ween, es 2 binge seal to blame, he wombs unable receive the cane hey mente infrequent andl. The opening tke wombs sealed by fat and des aot permit insemination, The women, being it ae cul ed sn th blles are cold dr wole Under uch conditions iis imposble for the Siyian o bes plc race Av god poo ofthe soe of Pipl carecnstes which are favousble to conception, amide th ese of serving wenches. No ooner do they have Seren hs tn ey bso reget oan hee sandy physique and their eames of es. veut the teh Sephine become impotent and per fovatwomen's asks onan equal footing vit them a alin the mame way. Such men they call Anatis. The Seythans thennlvsstibue ts to. divine vistation aod old such ierin awe and reverence, beaut they fear for themselves, Tee, mp ld te hi ad al ber des TAI of dine origin and-none more divine nor move Ey than aot, Each def trl ee aed Saiki tappenewthouta natural cause ly own exparation OF ncn of the Sejhiane eth, Aza rel of horse- Sling thy te atied ith vaseosity ofthe vias because wstheir feet are always hanging down from their mounts. This is followed by lameness and, in severe cases, those affected drag, their hips. They treat themselves by their own remedy which is to cut the vein which nuns behind each ear. The huemorehage ‘which followrs causes weakness and sleep and after this some, but not all, awake cured, My own opinion is that such treat- ment is desteuetive of the semen owing to the existence of ‘vessels behind the ears which, if cut, couse impotence and it seems to me that these are the vestels they divide. Conse- quently when they come into the presence of theie wives and {ind themselves impotent, they do not perhaps worry about it at frst, but when after the second and third and more attempts the same thing happens, they conclude that they have sinned against the divinity whom they hold responsible for these things. They then accept their uamanliness and dress as women, act as women and join with women ia thei toil. ‘That it is the sich Scythians, those of the noblest blood and the greatest wealth, and not their inferiors, who suffer from this disease is due to horse-riding. The poor suller less because they do not ride. Yet, surely, if thie disease is moze to be ‘considered a divine visitation than any other it ought to affect rot only the rich but everyone equally. Rather, the poor should be specially liable to it ifthe gods realy do delight in honours and the admiration of men and bestow favours in return, It isthe rich who make frequent sactifice and dediea- tion to the gods because they have the means. The poor, being Jess well provided with goods, sacrifice less and accompany theie prayers with complaint. Sucely its the poor and not che tich who should be punished for such sins. Really, of course, this disease is no more of ‘divine’ origin than ay other. All diseases have a natutal origin and this peculiar malady of the Scythians is no exception. The same thing happens in other aces, Those who tide the most suffer most from varicose veins, pain in the hips and gout and they are the less able to perform theie sexual functions. This isthe fate of the Seythians. ‘They are the most effeminate race of all mankind for the reasons I have given, and because they always wear trousersand spend so much of their time on horseback so that they do aot 166 AIRS, WATERS, PLACES te remaining peone of Europe der widely amo Reae'and alo why they vary ao much in sae, When the 1 gn funeral fay be sid hn these ate the dierences 167nepremne, between Europe and Asia, There existin Europe, then, people dieing among themselves in size, appearance and courage, and the factors controlling those differences are those I have described. Let me summarize this plainly, When a race lives ina cough mountainous country, at a high elevation, and well watered, where great differences of climate accompany the vatious seasons, there the people will be of large physique, well-accustomed to hardihood and bravery, and with no stnall degree of fierceness and wildness in their character. On the ether hand, in low-lying, stilling lands, full of meadows, Setting a larger shate of warm than cold winds, and where the water is warm, the people will be nether large nor slight, but rather broad in build, fleshy and black-haired. Theis ‘complexions ate dark rather than fair and they are phlegmatic tather than bilious. Bravery and hardihood are not an integral part of theie natural characters although these traits can be created by training, The people of a country where rivers teain the surface water and rain water have cleat complexions and good health. But where there are no rivers and the drinks ing water is taken from lakes or marshes, the people will sccessarily be more pot-bellied and splenetic. People who live in countries which are high, level, windswept and rainy tend to be of lange stature and to. show little variation among themselves, They are also of a less courageous and less wild disposition, In countries where there is a light waterless soil devoid of trees and where the seasons occasion but small ‘changes in climate, the people usualy have hard sinew bodies, they are fair rather than dack and they ate strong-willed and headstrong in temperament. Places where changes of weather fare most frequent and of the greatest degree show the greatest individual differences in physique, temperament and disposi- tion among the inhabitants, The chief controlling factors, then, are the variability of the weather, the type of country and the sort of water which is drwak. You will find, as 2 general rule, that the constitutions and the habits of a people follow the nature of the land where they live. Where the soil is rich, soft and well-watered and ‘where sucface water is drunk, which is warm ia summer and. 168 3s are favourable, you will cold in winter, and where the season yousill fod she people fleshy, dcr ois obscured, and they hve ‘eatery consttuons. Suh people are incapable of gest fon Tp sition, such a people ac Ge ES mow par, cowards “They ae exy-gong and sleepy, clumsy crafsnen and ne eon of dlcnes But if he land is bare, ese 00, sept bythe winter gales and burnt by the summer sn, Sou willed ihre people hata and spa the ois song, Sinewy and airy. They ate by natu Ken and fond of wor the ate wat heuseong and sewed and ince’ 10 Ferceness rather than tame, They ate keener at their crates, rote intelligent and better warciors. Other living things in Sch ln show a sar tore, Tate then ate the ost Fada opposed gps of eharacter an piysiqu,Kyo8 draw your deductions according to these principles, you will not g: ‘wrong. excerpted from: Hippocratic Writings trans. by J. Chadwick and W. Mann Harmondsworth, 1978 copyright 1978