Apo kōpēs eis to bēma

Decorative drop cap 'D'
The uterus comes under the consideration of the Physician in two ways: first, in that it is a part of the body; second, in that it possesses its own particular actions.

II.

Insofar as it is a part of the body, it is subject to the same diseases that commonly infest other parts, namely, intemperance a humoral imbalance, organic affections, and solutions of continuity wounds or ruptures.

III.

Insofar as it has something proper to itself, it is again considered in two ways: both as it serves for the preservation of the woman, and as it contributes to the propagation of the species.

IIII.

It aids the preservation of the woman insofar as it evacuates the excrements of the whole body—or those redundant within the body—at set periods. It is useful for the preservation of the species insofar as it is the instrument of conception, gestation, and parturition.

V.

But in this disputation, we shall omit the remaining functions of the uterus and shall deal only with that which evacuates the redundant [humors] every month.

VI.

This action of the uterus is impaired in three ways. For it either evacuates nothing at all, or it evacuates insufficiently, or it evacuates depravedly.

VII.

When it evacuates nothing, we say the menses are suppressed or restrained. When they do not exit in the proper quantity, we affirm that its action is weakened or diminished.

VIII.

Depraved excretion is threefold. For it either simply overflows, hence the flow of menses, or [it is accompanied] with difficulty...