_For abscesses of the nervous parts._ Of wax, of colophonian rosin, of butter, of each, lb. j; of dry pitch, of honey, of each, lb. ij, oz. vj; of verdigris, oz. iij; of bird lime, q. s.—_Another_, an epispastic: Of ammoniac perfume, oz. vj; of wax, of turpentine, of each, oz. iv; of sulphur vivum, oz. iij; of natron, oz. iij; and the application called smilium, and that from garlic are strongly calculated to promote the breaking of abscesses already formed. But that which consists of the juice of linseed dissipates, changes, and bursts abscesses most aptly. For the milder sorts of abscesses, those also which were mentioned for parotis will apply. These observations apply to an abscess following phlegmon. But, Galen says, that an abscess will sometimes take place without being preceded by inflammation, in which case, it has its origin from good blood. For at the commencement, he says, owing to some humour, excoriation takes place, and in process of time, the containing parts are separated from those below. And, therefore, when opened, they appear to contain within them all kinds of fluid and solid bodies. For, bodies resembling dung, urine, thrombus, a honey or mucus-like humour, bones, nails, and hairs, have been found in abscesses. And even animals have been found very like to those which derive their origin from putrefaction. Nay, they affirm that, more particularly in chronic abscesses from metastasis, bodies have been formed resembling stones, sand, shells, wood, coals, clay, the sordes of the oil of baths, the lees of oil, and the lees of wine. Wherefore, we shall now give a succinct account of abscesses, more especially such as are seated in the external parts of the body, and those which do not admit of resolution by medicines. An abscess, then, is a corruption and change of the flesh or fleshy parts, such as muscles, veins, and arteries. Of them, some are contained in a cyst, as atheroma, steatoma, and meliceris, and others are formed without a cyst, and are properly called by the generic name, and of them we have now to treat. The formation of an abscess then is most commonly preceded by inflammation, as we have stated, but sometimes it arises at once originally, as we have just now mentioned. An abscess, then, is attended with strong heat of the place, the swelling becomes greater and more red than formerly, and is hard, with a pungent pain, throbbing, and weight, so that it seems as if something were suspended from the part. And if the part be a vital one, fever supervenes with irregular rigors, and the pain and fever are greatest at night. Sometimes too a bubo is formed in the neighbouring glands. When the abscess is fairly formed, the most of these symptoms are diminished, the pungent pain becomes itchy and somewhat dull, the swelling is more sharpened into an acute point, is soft and yielding to the touch, and the skin at the top is separated; I speak with regard to those that burst externally. If