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
The chalazion is a concretion of inert fluid in the eyelid. If it occur
on the external side of the eyelid, having divided the outer part of
the eyelid transversely with a scalpel, we extract the chalazion with
an ear-pick, or some such instrument, and when the incision is large
and the lips thereof separated, we unite them with a suture, and have
recourse to some plaster. But if it be small we omit the suture and
effect the cure in the same manner otherwise. But if the chalazion be
internal, so as to appear through the cartilage, having turned the eyelid
outwards, and divided it transversely within, we extract it and use an
injection of salt water.
* * * * *
COMMENTARY. Aëtius says that the contents of the chalazia, in some
cases, resemble the white of an egg. These he directs us to open, and,
having evacuated their fluid contents, to touch the part with a powder
consisting of verdigris, burnt copper, and other such escharotics. When
the contents are harder he recommends complete excision, like our author.
(vii, 83.)
Celsus describes the mode of operating with his usual terseness:—“Hæc
incidi debent, si sub cute sunt, ab exteriore parte, si sub cartilagine,
ab interiore, dein scalpelli manubrio deducenda ab integris partibus
sunt.” (vii, 7.)
The descriptions of the operation given by Albucasis and Haly Abbas, if
not literally copied from our author, are altogether to the same effect.
Rhases and Avicenna approve most of the treatment by medicines. See Book
Third. Jesu Hali directs us to avert the eyelid and extract the tumour.
Fabricius ab Aquapendente says that the fluid contained in the chalazion
(gresle) is “blanche et transparente, en quelque façon comme de la
gresle.” He repeats the directions given by Celsus. (Œuv. Chir. ii, 11.)
The chalazion is evidently an encysted tumour of a soft nature, and is
not identical with the hordeolum, as Scarpa makes it to be. The treatment
here recommended is such as admits of no improvement.
SECT. XVII.—ON ACROCHORDON AND ENCANTHIS.
Acrochordon of the eyelid and that tumour at the greater canthus called
encanthis we seize with a flesh forceps, and cutting them out with a
scalpel, apply levigated chalcitis.
* * * * *
COMMENTARY. The nature of the acrochordon is explained in the Fourth Book.
Celsus, like our author, directs us to seize the encanthis with a hook,
and cut it out, taking care not to interfere with the angle of the
eyelid. He then recommends us to apply a pledget sprinkled with calamine
or atramentum sutorium (sulphate of copper?) between the eyelids. (vii,
7.)
Aëtius recommends us either to use a forceps, or if the tumour is large,
to transfix it with a needle armed with a thread, and to tie it at its
base, and to twist the thread round it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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