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
None of the ancient authorities seem to have entertained the same
apprehensions as most of the moderns do against liquid applications in
cases of erysipelas. When this prejudice became general we do not exactly
know. Heister mentions that, in his days, some surgeons disapproved
of liquid applications, but, as he thought, without any good reason.
He himself recommends camphorated spirit of wine. The earlier modern
surgeons, as, for example, Brunus and Theodoricus, decidedly recommend
cold applications at the commencement. When the disease is not thereby
resolved, they direct us to have recourse to leeches and scarifications.
They approve much of cholagogue purgatives, but do not recommend bleeding
unless inflammatory symptoms run high.
SECT. XXII.—ON PHYMA, BUBO, AND PHYGETHLON.
According to Galen, phyma, bubo, and phygethlon, are affections of
the glands: bubo being an inflammation of a gland; phygethlon, an
inflammatory erysipelas, or an erysipelatous inflammation of a gland;
and phyma, an inflammation of a gland passing rapidly into suppuration.
But, according to others, all tumours of the nature of apostemes, which
arise in any part of the body, are called phymata. For Hippocrates says,
“Those in whose urethra phymata form are relieved when they suppurate and
burst.” Wherefore those buboes which are occasioned by accidents, either
ulcers or pains, are not dangerous; but those which occur in fevers, more
especially in the pestilential, are of a very bad description, whether
they are formed in the groins, the armpits, or neck. But those of the
first kind, as is the case in every other inflammation, we must endeavour
to put back with cooling and astringent applications, either applying
a sponge out of oxycrate, or wool out of wine and raw oil, or oil of
roses, or oil of apples, or oil of lentisk, or oil of myrtles; and then
we are to apply diaphoretics. But if the whole body is plethoric, it is
to be evacuated. If free from superfluities, we must manage the ulcer
arising from it in the manner to be described when treating of ulcers.
When the gland is in a state of inflammation, it is to be mitigated by
wool soaked in some of the emollient oils, and the whole limb is to be
wrapped therewith. When the tumour has suppurated, we must not be in
haste to open it, but endeavour to dissipate it by the medicines in the
form of cerates, such as that prepared from apyranon, and that from
herbs called botanica. When resolution is not thereby accomplished,
we must forward the rupture as in the other abscesses, and cure it in
like manner as them. In those buboes which arise in fevers or from a
collection of humours, we must abstain from all repellents, lest the
matter should be repelled and regurgitate to the deep-seated parts; but
we must begin at once with discutients. When nothing prohibits, such as
the age or strength of the patient, venesection from the arm is to be
had recourse to, and fomentations applied to the part, either from the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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