Hippocrates on airs, waters and places / the received Greek text of Littré, with Latin, French, and English translations by eminent scholars.

Hippocrates

Date:: 1881

Credit: Hippocrates on airs, waters and places / the received Greek text of Littré, with Latin, French, and English translations by eminent scholars. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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$sciaiiqxie, de goiitte, et deviennent inhabiles a la generafion. 113. Ccs maiix affligent les Scythes et en font les hommes les plus im- pidssants; ajoutez aux causes d'im- puissance, qib'ils ont constammerit des culottes,^ qio'ils sorit presqne toujours a cheval, sans pouvoir meme porter la main aux parties naturelles, que par le froid et^ la fatigue ils sont distraits dio desir de Ihmion des sexes, et qu'aiu moment oil ils font des tentatives ils ont dej'a p&rdu leur puissance virile? Vuila ce que j'avais a dire sur la. nation des Scythes? 114. 23. Quant aux autres nations de I'Europe, elles different les unes des autres par la taille et par la conformation; differences qui pro- viennent des changements des sai- sons. En effet, les vicissitudes sont considerables et frequentes, les chaleurs fortes, les hivers ngoureitx, les pluies abondantes; puis, siir- viennent des secheresses prolongees, et des vents* qui muUiplient et diversifient les alternatives atmo- spheriques. 115. II est naturel que ces in- fluences soient ressenties dans la generation, que la conformation de ' Coray translates:—A I'nsnge dn cheval, qui cause ces maux chez les Scythes, et qui les assimile d'une manifere particuliere aux eunuques, on peut ajouter celui d'avoir toujours des culottes (p. 107). ' Coray :— D'aillenrs le froid, joint a la fatigue, distrait absolument leur esprit du desir de I'union des sexes; de sorte qu'ils ne se hasardent h, rien tenter, qu'ils ne soient af sures d'avoir reconvre la virilite (p. 107). ^ Coray :— Telle est la constitution [phy- sique et morale] de la nation Scythe (p.l07). * Coray has :— et [k un air calme] des vents [imp^taeux] (p. 109). and gout, and tliey are inept at venery. 113. But these complaints befall the Scythians, and they are the most impotent of men for the aforesaid causes, and because they always wear breeches, and spend the most of their time on horse- back,^ so as not to touch their privy parts with the hand, and fi'om the cold and fatigue they forget the sexual desire, and do not make the attempt till they have lost their virility.^ Thus it is with the race of the Scythians. 114. 23. The other races in Europe differ from one another, both as to stature and shape, owing to the changes of the seasons, which are very great and frequent, and because the heat is strong, the winters severe, and there are fre- quent rains, and again protracted droughts, and winds, from which many and diversified changes are induced. 115. These changes are Hkely to have an effect upon generation in the coagulation of the semen, as ' According to Adams there is a great difference of opinion on these points {note 1 on p. 218 of vol. i.). ' See Adams' note 2 on the same page, as to Hunter's opinion on the effect of wearing breeches. (yo)$