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
Aëtius speaks of the operation as being highly dangerous. He forbids
attempts at reduction while the prolapsed parts are affected with
inflammation, tormina, and flatus. (xiv, 23.)
Albucasis’s account of the treatment is quite similar to our author’s.
He states that the disease is occasioned by the descent of a portion
of intestine to the testicle, owing to rupture or distension of the
peritoneum. Sometimes, he says, fæces get into the prolapsed bowels, and
being retained give rise to violent and sometimes fatal symptoms. When
going to operate he directs us, in the first place, to make the patient
reduce the intestine if reducible. Then an incision is to be made along
the whole skin of the testicle, and hooks are to be fixed in the lips of
the wound so as to enlarge it, and allow a passage for the testicle. The
membranes, then, below the skin, are to be dissected, so as to expose
completely the tunica vaginalis (_sifac album._) The index-finger is
then to be introduced between the tunica vaginalis and the second coat
(tunica albuginea?) so as to free the adhesions at the back part of the
testicle. The operator is afterwards to separate the testicle from all
its adhesions and raise it up to the external wound. He must now examine
whether any portion of intestine remain protruded, and if so, it must be
replaced. The operator is then to take a large needle armed with a cord
of ten threads, and having introduced it behind the tunic under the skin
of the testicle (tunica vaginalis?) its extremities are to be cut, and
the threads arranged into four pieces. With them the peritoneum is to be
tightly bound in a crucial form, so as that the nutrient vessels may not
be able to reach it, which will obviate inflammation. Another ligature
is to be applied afterwards at the distance of less than two fingers’
breadth from the former. After applying these two ligatures, about a
finger’s breadth of the peritoneum is to be left, and the rest is then to
be cut all around, and the testicle removed along with it. An incision is
then to be made at the lower part so as to allow an outlet for the blood
and matter. Wool dipped in oil is to be applied afterwards, and bound as
formerly described. Sometimes, he adds, the cautery is applied to the
tunica vaginalis after the incision for fear of hemorrhage. (Chirurg. ii,
65.) He describes minutely the treatment by burning in another place. (i,
47.)
Avicenna recommends the cautery, but does not describe the other
operation. Haly’s description is evidently taken from our author. (Pract.
ix, 50.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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