The seven books of Paulus Ægineta, volume 1 (of 3) : $b translated from the Greek: with a commentary embracing a complete view of the knowledge possessed by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabians on all subjects connected with medicine and surgeryPaulus, Aegineta
History
The seven books of Paulus Ægineta, volume 1 (of 3) : $b translated from the Greek: with a commentary embracing a complete view of the knowledge possessed by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabians on all subjects connected with medicine and surgery
Paulus, Aegineta
Medicine; Medicine, Arab; Medicine, Greek and Roman
The account of this subject given by Haly Abbas (Theor. vii, 16, and x,
10) is excellent, but principally collected from the Greek writers. An
unctuous discharge, he remarks, is occasioned by a melting of the fat.
If it be viscid at the same time, it indicates also a wasting of the
principal members. A frothy discharge proceeds from heat and flatulence.
A green evacuation indicates immoderate heat, and the presence of
bile. Black discharges consist either of black bile, or of common bile
blackened by immoderate heat. This, he says, is the worst appearance of
all. If blood is discharged after the fæces, it may be supposed to come
from the small intestines; but if before, from the large; and if mixed
with the fæces, it probably comes from the intermediate parts. See also
Alsaharavius (Theor. ix), and Rhases (Cont. xxxi.) Rhases states that
white fæces arise from jaundice. When the discharges are watery, the
nourishment of the body is stopt.
The opinions of Hippocrates and Galen on this subject are correctly
stated and explained by Prosper Alpinus (De Præsag. Vita et Morte ægrot.
vii, 11.)
SECT. XIV.—ON THE INDICATIONS FROM THE URINE.
As concerning the alvine discharges, so also with respect to the urine;
using that of healthy persons as a rule, we shall hence form our
indications of that of persons in disease. That urine, therefore, is
best, which is nearest to that of healthy persons. Such is that which
is at the same time of a faintish golden, or faintish saffron colour,
and which, moreover, is moderate as to consistence. There are three
varieties of turbid urine; for, either straightway after being voided it
deposits a sediment; or it always remains the same; or it is voided pure,
but afterwards becomes turbid; of these, the third is bad, the first
favorable the second intermediate between them. That which is wholly
unconcocted, being altogether watery, is symptomatic of digestion being
entirely gone in the venous system; and when it is passed frequently, the
disease is called diabetes, which is the worst of unconcocted urines.
Next to these is the thin and white urine, which resembles water. Nearly
allied to these, is another kind of urine, appearing in many diseases,
and which is very like to the thin and white. The palish is next to
this. The pale may also be of a faintish golden colour, and is concocted
in proportion as it partakes of this colour. It ought, however, to be
as much different from water in thickness as in colour, if it is to be
properly concocted. But if it preserve exactly its natural colour, and
have a white, smooth, equable, and copious sediment, it is indicative of
perfect digestion. A greater quantity than natural indicates that a crude
humour is purged off; but if it is somewhat thicker than natural, and has
a certain sediment, it is not then altogether unconcocted. But if it have
gritty, scaly, furfuraceous, black, livid, green, or fetid sediments,
such urine is altogether unconcocted and particularly mortal.
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