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
By _cardiac disease_ in fevers the ancients would seem to have meant
to describe a febrile affection, attended with congestion and great
nausea. Such a variety of remittent fever is described by the late Dr.
Robert Jackson as still occurring in warm climates. The symptoms are
great nausea, sluggishness, obscure, weak pulse, and deep respiration.
He recommends bleeding, and afterwards stimulant applications to the
extremities. (On Fever, p. 193.)
Since writing the above we have had an opportunity of consulting Hecker’s
‘Epidemics of the Middle Ages,’ and beg to refer our readers to it (p.
306) for an ingenious disquisition on the cardiac disease.
SECT. XL.—ON PAIN.
A torpid pain is occasioned by a cold affection; a throbbing is
characteristic of a strong inflammation. But, if a person feel as if
pierced by a sharp-pointed instrument, or bored by a wimble, this kind of
pain is peculiar to the thick intestine, i. e. the _colon_. The pungent
is seated in the membranes. The darting pain attends the most vehement
attacks, not only of hemicrania, but also of cephalæa. It is said to be
darting when it commences in the seat of the affection, as from a root,
and spreads quickly to the surrounding parts. Stretching pains take
place in the nerves, when they are affected and stretched towards both
extremities. But the nerves are not liable to be affected with lateral
distensions. The membrane under the skin when distended occasions tensive
and torpid pains; those between the flesh, as it were, divellent. For
they are many, have irregular insertions, and surround the flesh. But
the pains proceeding from the membranes which surround the bone, are
deep-seated, and seem to proceed from the bones themselves. Wherefore,
when no external cause of the pain is apparent, you must consider the
patient’s preceding regimen. If it has been more inactive than usual,
or if he has been taking more nutritive food than common, or if any
evacuation has been suppressed,—if any or all of these circumstances be
observed, plethora is the cause of the pain, and you must evacuate him
as quickly as possible; for, by this means you will be enabled with all
safety to use such remedies as are fitted to repel the defluxions from
the affected parts. If the part be distended with a fulness of blood,
open a large vein near it immediately; but when bad humours alone are the
cause, you must purge; and, when both meet together, you must use both
evacuations, beginning with the bleeding. If, after both these remedies
have been tried, the pain continue, it is clear that the offending matter
has become fixed in the part affected; and it is also clear, that the
cure will be accomplished by discutient remedies. In like manner, we may
cure pains from flatulence, by soothing them with attenuant food and
injections, and opening the pores of the containing part with cataplasms,
irrigations, and fomentations. If a swelling bearing down and pressing
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