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1 In all the former editions, instead of τε πολλὴ, we read τὰ πολλὰ and, with the exception of that of Dr. Ermerins, all have καὶ before βληχρή. The Latin translation of this clause by Wigan, Kuhn, and Ermerins, is this: “Nausea præcipué quidem post cibum, sed quæ per abstinentiam quoque lenté continuat,” which is evidently very loose and vague. That of Crassus is far more strict and accurate: “Nausea frequentius quidem e cibis, non minimé tamen et ab inedia pusilla quædam nausea sequitur.” The English translation of the text as it formerly stood would run thus: “Nausea for the most part, indeed, after food; but also, not unfrequently, slight nausea after abstinence.” It appears to me, however, that the meaning is so much improved by the slight change I have ventured to make, that I flatter myself no argument is required to prove it to be the true reading. The contrast between πολλὴ in the one case, and βληχρὴ in the other, is most suitable to the sense. That the repetition of καὶ is legitimate in this clause of the sentence, will not be questioned by any one who is familiar with the style of Galen. See, for example, De Locis Affectis, v.i., prope initium; t.iii ... 296, ed. Basil.
2 The common reading in the mss. is εἴδεος, which is evidently inadmissible. Petit, in his Commentary, suggests that the true reading is δέος ᾑ. Wigan also prefers πλησίον εἴη δέος. Ermerins accordingly reads πλησίον ἔῃ δέοσμ. None of these editors, however, refers to any authority for this expression, which appears to me quaint and unnatural — “but if the dread of a paroxysm be at hand.” I prefer ἤδη on the authority of many parallel passages, as for example — πλησίον δὲ ἤδη τοῦ φρενίζειν ὄντες, Galen, de loc. affect. iii.; ἐνστάντος δὲ ἤδη τοῦ συμπτώματος, P. ae. iii. 5, in the chapter on epilepsy. Ermerins very properly restores it, in another passage of our author, where ἥδε had been substituted for it (Sympt. diut. morb ... 9). Indeed ἤδη, in such cases, occurs frequently in the works of our author.
Moreover, in the margin of the celebrated Reiske's copy of Henisch's edition, there is found this emendation — ἤδη δέος. See G. Dindorf's Appendix to Kuhn's edition. The Latin translation of Crassus would agree very well with the reading I propose; while it is unsuitable to the text when δέος is admitted: “Quum vero accessio appropinquat.”3 The common reading in the mss. is καὶ ἐς τὴν ἡμετέρην σημασίην διώσατο. In the margin of the edition of Henisch we find ἡμέρην, which is adopted by Wigan. Ermerins transposes τὴν from before ἡμέρην, as above.
4 Dr. Ermerins, on pure conjecture, substitutes ξυνηγμέναι, as I think unnecessarily. Ἀνειμέναι may be interpreted literally, “inclining,” i ... “drawn upwards.” See Foes Oec. Hippocrat., under ἀνιοῦται. Would not ἀνιέμεναι be a suitable reading? I have translated the passage accordingly.
5 The common reading before Ermerins was καὶ ἡ πνίξ. I have cheerfully adopted, also, his emendation of νυγμὸς into μυγμὸς, as suggested by Petit; and only wonder that neither of them refers to the Eumenides of aeschylus (l. 116) as an authority for this meaning of the term.
6 homer, Iliad. iv. 421, et seq.
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