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
Foul ulcers, whether hollow or level with the surface, may be properly
cleansed by birthwort in honey, turpentine with an equal portion of rose
oil and honey, or instead of rose oil butter may be substituted, with
Illyrian iris and honey; and by pickled olives applied. To nervous parts,
turpentine melted with butter may be applied. When the sores are very
foul and spreading, horehound with honey is a good application, which
removes the eschars. The following are compound applications: Of boiled
lees of oil, of scummed honey, of the species of alum called phormion,
equal parts.—_Another_: Of the dried serapias, called also triorchis, of
Illyrian iris, of dried horehound, of birthwort, of each, dr. viij; of
the flour of tares, dr. x; use in a powder and with honey. And for foul
ulcers the Egyptian cerate is useful, also those from salts when melted,
the Indian, that called athena, the green plasters diluted, the powder of
dried pumice stone, those from tares, the trochisk called melanchlorus,
and in like manner that called criogenes.
* * * * *
COMMENTARY. The following are the most important articles in Celsus’s
long list of substances for cleansing ulcers: Purgant, ærugo,
auripigmentum, quod ἄρσένικον a Græcis nominatur; (huic autem et
sandarachæ in omnia eadem vis, sed validior est) squama æris, thus,
resina, et pinea, et terebinthina liquida, misy, chalcitis, galla,
sulphur, pix, oleum, ruta, ammoniacum, &c. Hippocrates makes mention
of many of these, namely, arsenic, verdigris, flowers of copper,
frankincense, myrrh, hellebore, &c.
Scribonius Largus recommends honey, Illyrian iris, and a compound
application containing arsenic, scales of copper, elaterium, and burnt
paper.
One may find in Galen and Aëtius many compound applications, but as they
are all formed from much the same ingredients as those of our author, it
will be unnecessary to take further notice of them. Aëtius commends a
combination of turpentine and honey.
Avicenna and Haly Abbas recommend the same applications as our author.
They make no mention of arsenic. Alsaharavius gives very particular
directions for treating these ulcers; when the edges are hard, he directs
us to rub them until they become red, or to cut them off and apply to
the sore the green ointment; and when the ulcer is covered with much
sordes, he recommends us to dress it with the Egyptian ointment. Rhases
mentions antimony as an excellent application for cleansing foul ulcers.
He properly recommends us to consider whether the foulness of the ulcer
be the effect of too much or too little stimulation. He relates a case of
the former description, in which the sore got worse under the application
of the green ointment. (Cont. xxviii.)
SECT. XLII.—FOR WORMS IN ULCERS.
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