The seven books of Paulus Ægineta, volume 2 (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 2 (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
In cases of hemorrhage from parts, the contrary position to that for
sinuses will be the proper one, that is to say, the upright, but that
must not be in too great a degree, for there is danger of pain being
excited, and of the blood bursting forth from the vessel again; for
nothing produces hemorrhage and increases inflammation more than pain.
Wherefore apply your finger immediately to the part from which the blood
flows, putting it gently upon the orifice of the opening in the vessel,
and pressing it so as not to excite pain, for by this means you will
restrain the bleeding, and block up the opening with a thrombus, and
should the bleeding vessel be deep-seated you will thereby ascertain
most correctly its situation and magnitude, and whether it be an artery
or a vein. After this, if the vessel be small we must use some of the
styptics. The best of these are the obstruents, composed of roasted
rosin, of fine flour of wheat, and of gypsum, and such like, mixed up
with the white of an egg and applied upon the down of a hare. When the
vessel is large seize it with a hook, stretch and twist it moderately.
When the bleeding is stopped, endeavour if it is a vein to restrain the
blood without a ligature, by the same medicines. But if it is an artery,
one of two things must be done, either apply a ligature around it, or
cut the vessel asunder, by which means you will restrain the blood.
Sometimes, too, we are obliged to apply a ligature to large veins, and
also occasionally to cut them asunder transversely. We are sometimes
driven to this necessity with regard to veins which arise from a
deep-seated place, more especially when they run through a narrow passage
or important parts, for thus the portions will be retracted on either
side, and the wound will be blocked up and covered by the parts above it.
But the safer practice is to do both these things, applying a ligature to
the root of the vessel and then dividing it. Having done these things,
the wound is to be incarnated as quickly as possible, before the ligature
slip from the vessel. For if it is not speedily incarnated, but the
emptied portion is dilated, the disease called aneurism is formed. You
may know whether it is a vein or an artery that pours forth the blood,
from this, that the blood of an artery is brighter and thinner, and is
evacuated by pulsations, whereas that of the vein is blacker and without
pulsation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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