Of Medicine, in Eight BooksCelsus, Aulus Cornelius
History
Of Medicine, in Eight Books
Celsus, Aulus Cornelius
Medicine, Greek and Roman
The Greeks call liquids, that are daubed on, by the name of
enchrista[EM]. Such as is that for cleansing and incarning ulcers,
especially amongst nerves. It consists of a mixture of equal parts
of butter, veal marrow, veal suet, goose fat, wax, honey, turpentine
resin, rose and cicine oil. These are all melted separately, then
mixed while they are liquid, and afterwards rubbed together. And this
composition is indeed more cleansing: but it would be more emollient,
if instead of the rose oil, that of cyprus be infused.
[EM] ἔγχριστα.
[Sidenote: _For the ignis sacer._]
For the ignis sacer: of litharge p. vi. *. ox-horn burnt p. ii. *.
these are beat up together, and there is added alternately wine, and
myrtle wine, till three cyathi of each be used.
CHAP. XXV.
OF CATAPOTIA.
[Sidenote: _1. Anodyne catapotium for concoction._]
There are catapotia of various kinds, and composed for different
intentions. They call those anodyna[EN], which mitigate pain by sleep:
which it is not fit to use, unless there be a very great necessity. For
they consist of medicines strong and ungrateful to the stomach. Yet
that even promotes concoction, which contains poppy tears, galbanum,
of each p. i. *. myrrh, castor, pepper, each p. ii. Of these it is
sufficient to swallow the bigness of a vetch.
[EN] ἀνώδυνα.
[Sidenote: _2. Another stronger._]
Another, which is more powerful to promote sleep, but worse for the
stomach, consists of the following ingredients. Of mandrake p. *. z.
seeds of smallage and henbane, each p. iv. *. which are rubbed down
with wine. The same quantity of this, as was directed of the other, is
a plentiful dose.
[Sidenote: _3. A quieting catapotium for pains of the head, &c._]
If there be pains of the head, or ulcers, or a lippitude, or tooth-ach,
or difficulty of breathing, or pains of the intestines, or inflammation
of the womb, or the hip, or a pain in the liver, spleen, or side, or if
a woman falls into hysterick fits, and loses her speech, a catapotium
of the following kind removes the pain by sleep. Sil(63), acorum,
seed of wild rue, each p. ii. *. castor, cinnamon, each p. ii. *.
poppy-tears, root of panaces, dry mandrake fruit, flower of round
cyperus, of each p. ii. *. pepper lvi. grains. These being powdered
separately, are again all rubbed together, dropping in now and then
passum, till they acquire the consistence of sordes. A little of this
is either swallowed, or diluted in water, and given to drink.
[Sidenote: _4. Another of more general use._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account