rosin, the bark or green leaves of the vine, and the down of the peels of the plane tree, more especially when the vessels throw off their crusts. In particular, hemorrhage from the nostril is to be restrained by the application of the fruit of the sharp rush, the juice of nettle leaves, chalcitis, burnt anthyllis, the down of a hare, the middle part of a ferule when burnt with vinegar, an ass’s dung dry or moist, the juice of leeks with frankincense applied upon lamp-wick. The following are compositions for restraining all kinds of hemorrhage: Having soaked a fresh sponge in liquid pitch, and smeared it with bitumen, burn it in a new pot. Mix together of the ashes of it, p. ij; of lead, p. j; of antimony, p. j.—_Another_: Sprinkle on the part equal quantities of the manna of frankincense, and sulphur vivum.—_Another_: Of chalcitis, dr. viij; of frankincense, or of its manna, dr. xvj; of roasted rosin, dr. viij; of burnt gypsum, dr. viij.—_Another_, an escharotic styptic: Of chalcitis, of burnt copper, of copperas, of roasted misy, equal parts. And the medicine called the Rhodian, and that called the yellow, are excellent styptics. * * * * * COMMENTARY. See Celsus (v, 26); Galen (Meth. Med. v, _et alibi_); Oribasius (Med. Collect. x, 22; Morb. Curat. iii, 36; Synops. vii, 20); Aëtius (xiv, 51); Actuarius (Meth. Med. vi, 4); Palladius (Comment. in Hippocr. Epidem. ed Dietz, ii, 189); Albucasis (Chirurg. i, 58); Avicenna (iv, 4, 2,16); Averrhoes (in Avicennæ Cantic. ii, 2, and Collig. vii, 23); Serapion (v, 16); Haly Abbas (Pract. iv, 21); Rhases (Divis. i, 139; Contin. xxviii.) Contrary to what is often stated in modern works on surgery, the ancients appear to have been very well acquainted with the proper treatment of hemorrhage. Celsus directs us when a dangerous hemorrhage is apprehended from a wound, to fill it up with dry pledgets, then to apply a sponge squeezed out of cold water, and to make pressure with the hand. If the bleeding does not stop, he directs us to change the pledgets often, and if dry ones do not answer to soak them in vinegar. For fear of inflammation he recommends us not to use caustics and escharotics except in urgent cases. When all other means fail, he directs us to seize upon the vessels (venæ) which pour forth the blood, and having tied them in two places about the wound, to cut them asunder, so that they may contract and still have their mouths shut up. If circumstances prevent this from being done, they are to be burnt with a red-hot iron. He also speaks of stopping bleeding by revulsion, as for example, by applying a cupping-instrument to the hindhead for bleeding in the forehead.