Problemata Aristotelis

...a headache, hoarseness, and cough arise, and they finally end in consumption tabes wasting disease? Is it because winter receives a large amount of matter, and thus it is a great task for it to gather the humor and produce phlegm from it? Therefore, it is difficult for the humor to be thickened and for phlegm to be produced from it. But if humor settles in the head, it will cause heaviness, and if it is excessive and cold, it certainly moves crudity, to which the name sideratio blight is given. Furthermore, if it could not congeal due to its own excessive quantity, it flows down into the nearest place and thus contracts a cough, hoarseness, and consumption.

Why, if the summer is dry and the autumn is dry and they have had northern winds, do those who are abundant in phlegm, and all women, experience good health? Is it because the nature of both prevails into the other part, and thus, by drawing the season into the contrary part, it leads it to a medium state and a good condition? Therefore, they are in the best health at that very time, unless they do something wrongly of their own accord, or the moist ones arrive at winter in such a way that they provide a certain tinder and incitement to the cold.

Why does a bilious disease infest if the summer is dry and northern, and the autumn is dry and blown by the same northern winds? Is it because they incline toward the same state of their body as that of the season, and thus, as it were, fire is added to fire? For when bodies are dried out, and whatever sweetness was in them has evaporated, and they necessarily heat up vehemently, it is necessary that while the humor is consumed, dry eye infections arise, and with the remainder which has stayed bilious and is heating up again, acute fevers, as if from pure bile, invade. It seizes some with madness, namely those whose nature abounds in black bile atra bilis melancholy. For this remains in large quantity when its contrary humors grow cold.

Why does it affirm that the mutation of waters is grievous, but that of air is not? Is it because water...