Of Medicine, in Eight BooksCelsus, Aulus Cornelius
History
Of Medicine, in Eight Books
Celsus, Aulus Cornelius
Medicine, Greek and Roman
The same method is to be followed in a quartan. But since this is
very slowly terminated, unless it have been removed in the beginning,
greater accuracy must be observed in prescribing from its first
appearance, what ought to be done it. Wherefore if a person is attacked
with a fever and shuddering, and it has gone off, all that day and the
following, and the third, he ought to confine himself to a stricter
regimen, and on the first day drink only warm water after the fever;
the two following days to abstain from that as much as possible; on the
fourth day, if the fever returns with the shuddering, to vomit, as has
been directed before; then after the fit, to eat sparingly, and drink a
quadrans of wine; the day after that, and the third to abstain; taking
only warm water if he be thirsty. On the seventh day he should prevent
the coldness, by going into the bath before its time, fast and observe
the former regimen strictly(12); if the fever has returned, have a
clyster: when the body has rested after that, he should be anointed and
brushed briskly; take food and wine in the same way, and for the two
following fast, not neglecting the friction. On the tenth day he must
try the bath again; and if the fit has come on after, brush in the same
manner, and drink wine more plentifully. And thus the consequence is,
that a rest of so many days, and abstinence, with the practice of the
other injunctions, may remove the fever.
If notwithstanding these it continues, another method of cure entirely
different is to be pursued; and all our measures must be directed to
this point, that the body may easily bear what is to be long endured.
For this reason the practice of Heraclides of Tarentum ought to be
less approved, who prescribed clysters in the beginning, after that
fasting to the seventh day. Which course though a person should be able
to undergo, yet when he is even freed of the fever, he will scarcely
have strength to recruit; and so if the fever frequently returns, he
must sink under it. Wherefore if the distemper shall continue upon the
thirteenth day, the bath must neither be tried before the fever nor
after it, unless sometimes when the shuddering is already removed.
Now the shuddering is to be repelled by the same means, as have been
directed before. Then after the fever it is proper to be anointed,
and rubbed briskly; to eat heartily of substantial food; to take
as much wine as he inclines; the day following, when he has rested
sufficiently, to walk, take exercise, be anointed, and stoutly brushed;
to take food without wine; on the third day to abstain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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