The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher by Aristotle

Referentie:

[Anon], The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher Containing his Complete Masterpiece and Family Physician; his Experienced Midwife, his Book of Problems and his Remarks on Physiognomy, London: London Clifton Chambers & Co, [1890]

Informatief extract:

"THE MASTERPIECE

_On marriage and at what age young men and virgins are capable of it: and why so much desire it. Also, how long men and women are capable of it._

There are very few, except some professional debauchees, who will not readily agree that "Marriage is honourable to all," being ordained by Heaven in Paradise; and without which no man or woman can be in a capacity, honestly, to yield obedience to the first law of the creation, "Increase and Multiply." And since it is natural in young people to desire the embraces, proper to the marriage bed, it behoves parents to look after their children, and when they find them inclinable to marriage, not violently to restrain their inclinations (which, in stead of allaying them, makes them but the more impetuous) but rather provide such suitable matches for them, as may make their lives comfortable; lest the crossing of those inclinations should precipitate them to commit those follies that may bring an indelible stain upon their families. The inclination of maids to marriage may be known by many symptoms; for when they arrive at puberty, which is about the fourteenth or fifteenth year of their age, then their natural purgations begin to flow; and the blood, which is no longer to augment their bodies, abounding, stirs up their minds to venery. External causes may also incline them to it; for their spirits being brisk and inflamed, when they arrive at that age, if they eat hard salt things and spices, the body becomes more and more heated, whereby the desire to veneral embraces is very great, and sometimes almost insuperable. And the use of this so much desired enjoyment being denied to virgins, many times is followed by dismal consequences; such as the green weesel colonet, short-breathing, trembling of the heart, etc. But when they are married and their veneral desires satisfied by the enjoyment of their husbands, these distempers vanish, and they become more gay and lively than before. Also, their eager staring at men, and affecting their company, shows that nature pushes them upon coition; and their parents neglecting to provide them with husbands, they break through modesty and satisfy themselves in unlawful embraces. It is the same with brisk widows, who cannot be satisfied without that benevolence to which they were accustomed when they had their husbands." (uit: Part I-Book I)

Creatieve commentaar:

Dit boek werd in 2004 integraal gepubliceerd op de website van Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Na enig zoekwerk vond ik een "papieren" versie op een veilingsite op het internet. De auteur en het exacte jaar van uitgave blijven twijfelachtig.

Je zou het werk (met de ondertitel The Midwife's Vade-Mecum) kunnen omschrijven als een bundel richtlijnen voor vroedvrouwen en verpleegsters. Naast voedingsadviezen en andere tips om een vlotte bevalling te bewerkstelligen, bevat het ook beschrijvingen van de vrouwelijke en mannelijke voortplantingsorganen, en de symptomen, prognose en behandeling van eventuele kwaaltjes en aandoeningen tijdens de zwangerschap. Maar wat het, volgens mij, filosofisch gezien interessant maakt is dat het ook gaat over de mentale en sociale aspecten van het samenleven van mannen en vrouwen, over "de plicht" van ouders om een geschikte partner te vinden voor hun kinderen, enzovoort.

Het is me niet helemaal duidelijk of het hier gaat om (vertaald) werk van Aristoteles zelf of om een interpretatie van z'n teksten. In ieder geval schept het een mooi beeld van de inzichten die men destijds had over het samengaan van een bepaalde lichamelijke en geestelijke toestand.