De Natura Hominis (Nature of Man)
11. Αἱ παχύταται δὲ τῶν φλεβῶν ὧδε πεφύκασιν· τέσσαρα ζεύγεά ἐστιν ἐν τῷ σώματι, καὶ ἓν μὲν αὐτέων ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς ὄπισθεν διὰ τοῦ αὐχένος, ἔξωθεν ἐπὶ τὴν ῥάχιν ἔνθεν τε καὶ ἔνθεν παρὰ τὰ ἰσχία ἀφικνέεται καὶ ἐς τὰ σκέλεα, ἔπειτα διὰ τῶν κνημέων ἐπὶ τῶν σφυρῶν τὰ ἔξω καὶ ἐς τοὺς πόδας διήκει. Δεῖ οὖν τὰς φλεβοτομίας τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀλγημάτων τῶν ἐν τῷ νώτῳ καὶ τοῖσιν ἰσχίοισιν ἀπὸ τῶν ἰγνύων ποιέεσθαι καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν σφυρῶν ἔξωθεν. Αἱ δ’ ἕτεραι φλέβες ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς παρὰ τὰ οὔατα διὰ τοῦ αὐχένος, αἱ σφαγίτιδες καλεόμεναι, ἔσωθεν παρὰ τὴν ῥάχιν ἑκατέρωθεν φέρουσι παρὰ τὰς ψόας ἐς τοὺς ὄρχιας καὶ ἐς τοὺς μηροὺς, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἰγνύων ἐκ τοῦ ἔσωθεν μέρεος, ἔπειτα διὰ τῶν κνημέων παρὰ τὰ σφυρὰ τὰ ἔσωθεν καὶ ἐς τοὺς πόδας. Δεῖ οὖν τὰς φλεβοτομίας πρὸς τὰς ὀδύνας ποιέεσθαι τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν ψοῶν καὶ τῶν ὀρχίων, ἀπὸ τῶν ἰγνύων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν σφυρῶν ἔσωθεν. Αἱ δὲ τρίται φλέβες ἐκ τῶν κροτάφων διὰ τοῦ αὐχένος ὑπὸ τὰς ὠμοπλάτας, ἔπειτα ξυμφέρονται ἐς τὸν πλεύμονα καὶ ἀφικνέονται ἡ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν δεξιῶν ἐς τὰ ἀριστερὰ, ἡ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀριστερῶν ἐς τὰ δεξιὰ, καὶ ἡ μὲν δεξιὴ ἀφικνέεται ἐκ τοῦ πλεύμονος ὑπὸ τὸν μαζὸν καὶ ἐς τὸν σπλῆνα καὶ ἐς τὸν νεφρὸν, ἡ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀριστερῶν ἐς τὰ δεξιὰ ἐκ τοῦ πλεύμονος ὑπὸ τὸν μαζὸν καὶ ἐς τὸ ἧπαρ καὶ ἐς τὸν νεφρὸν, τελευτῶσι δὲ ἐς τὸν ἀρχὸν αὗται ἑκάτεραι. Αἱ δὲ τέταρται ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔμπροσθεν τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὑπὸ τὸν αὐχένα καὶ τὰς κληῗδας, ἔπειτα δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν βραχιόνων ἄνωθεν ἐς τὰς ξυγκαμπὰς, ἔπειτα δὲ διὰ τῶν πήχεων ἐπὶ τοὺς καρποὺς καὶ τοὺς δακτύλους, ἔπειτα ἀπὸ τῶν δακτύλων πάλιν διὰ τῶν στηθέων τῶν χειρῶν καὶ τῶν πήχεων ἄνω ἐς τὰς ξυγκαμπὰς, καὶ διὰ τῶν βραχιόνων τοῦ κάτωθεν μέρεος ἐς τὰς μασχάλας, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πλευρέων ἄνωθεν ἡ μὲν ἐς τὸν σπλῆνα ἀφικνέεται, ἡ δὲ ἐς τὸ ἧπαρ, ἔπειτα ὑπὲρ τῆς γαστρὸς ἐς τὸ αἰδοῖον τελευτῶσιν ἀμφότεραι. Καὶ αἱ μὲν παχέαι τῶν φλεβῶν ὧδε ἔχουσιν. Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς κοιλίης φλέβες ἀνὰ τὸ σῶμα πάμπολλαί τε καὶ παντοῖαι, καὶ δι’ ὧν ἡ τροφὴ τῷ σώματι ἔρχεται. Φέρουσι δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν παχεῶν φλεβῶν ἐς τὴν κοιλίην καὶ ἐς τὸ ἄλλο σῶμα καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξω καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν εἴσω, καὶ ἐς ἀλλήλας διαδιδόασιν αἵ τε εἴσωθεν ἔξω καὶ αἱ ἔξωθεν εἴσω. Τὰς οὖν φλεβοτομίας δεῖ ποιέεσθαι κατὰ τουτέους τοὺς λόγους· ἐπιτηδεύειν δὲ χρὴ τὰς τομὰς ὡς προσωτάτω τάμνειν ἀπὸ τῶν χωρίων, ἔνθα ἂν αἱ ὀδύναι μεμαθήκωσι γίνεσθαι καὶ τὸ αἷμα ξυλλέγεσθαι· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν ἥ τε μεταβολὴ ἥκιστα μεγάλη γίνοιτο ἐξαπίνης, καὶ τὸ ἔθος μεταστήσαις ἂν ὥστε μηκέτι ἐς τὸ αὐτὸ χωρίον ξυλλέγεσθαι.