The Origin and Growth of the Healing Art: A Popular History of Medicine in All Ages and CountriesBerdoe, Edward
History
The Origin and Growth of the Healing Art: A Popular History of Medicine in All Ages and Countries
Berdoe, Edward
Medicine -- History
are profuse sweats over the whole body, and particularly about the
chest, the tongue is rough, expectoration saltish, bitter, or bilious,
pains suddenly seizing the sides or shoulder-blades, frequent yawning,
watchfulness, oppressed respiration, thirst after sleep, despondency of
mind, coldness of the breast and arms, trembling of the hands. These
symptoms may be relieved in the following manner: Procure vomiting
after a moderate meal without medicine. Vomiting also when the stomach
is empty will answer well; to produce which first swallow some small
radishes, cresses, rocket, mustard and purslain, and then by drinking
warm water procure vomiting. Upon those who neglect these symptoms
the following diseases are apt to supervene: pleurisy, peripneumony,
melancholy, acute fevers, frenzy, lethargy, ardent fever attended with
hiccough. When any disease is about to attack the bowels, some of the
following symptoms announce its approach: In the first place, the belly
is griped and disordered, the food and drink seem bitter, heaviness
of the knees, inability to bend the loins, pains over the whole body
unexpectedly occurring, numbness of the legs, slight fever. When any
of these occur, it will be proper to loosen the belly by a suitable
diet without medicine. There are many articles of this description
which one may use with safety, such as beets boiled in honeyed water,
boiled garlic, mallows, dock, the herb mercury, honied cakes; for all
these things are laxative of the bowels. Or, if any of these symptoms
increase, mix bastard saffron with all these decoctions, for thereby
they will be rendered sweeter and less dangerous. The smooth cabbage
boiled in a large quantity of water is also beneficial. This decoction,
with honey and salt, may be drunk to the amount of about four heminæ,
or the water of chick-peas and tares boiled may be drunk in the same
manner. Those who neglect the afore-mentioned symptoms are apt to be
seized with the following affections: diarrhœa, dysentery, lientery,
ileus, ischiatic disease, tertian fever, gout, apoplexy, hæmorrhoids,
rheumatism. When any disease is about to seize the bladder, the
following symptoms are its usual precursors: A sense of repletion after
taking even a small quantity of food, flatulence, eructation, paleness
of the whole body, deep sleep, urine pale and passed with difficulty,
swellings about the privy parts. When any of these symptoms appear,
their safest cure will be by aromatic diuretics. Thus, the roots of
fennel and parsley may be infused in white fragrant wine, and drunk
every day when the stomach is empty in the morning, to the amount of
two cyathi, with water in which carrot, myrtle, or elecampane has been
macerated (you may use any of these you please, for all are useful);
and the infusion of chick-peas in water in like manner. On those who
neglect these symptoms the following diseases are apt to supervene:
dropsy, enlargement of the spleen, pain of the liver, calculus,
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