The seven books of Paulus Ægineta, volume 3 (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
Science
The seven books of Paulus Ægineta, volume 3 (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
COMMENTARY. Galen and Serapion likewise recommend the skin of a snake,
when boiled in wine or vinegar, as a remedy for earache and toothache.
See also Haly Abbas (Pract. ii, 49, 530.) Dioscorides gives nearly
the same account of it, only he recommends the cast skin of the viper
as an ophthalmic remedy. (ii, 19.) The serpent’s slough is still used
medicinally in the East. See Ainslie (Materia Medica, ii, 291.)
Γῆς ἔντερα,
Vermes terreni, _Earthworms_, when pounded and applied to wounded nerves,
have immediately the most wonderful effects.
* * * * *
COMMENTARY. Dioscorides says that earthworms, pounded and applied,
agglutinate divided nerves, and stop tertians; that, when boiled with
the grease of a goose, they cure affections of the ears when injected;
that, in like manner, when boiled in oil and injected into the opposite
ear, they relieve toothache; and that they promote the flow of urine
when pounded and drunk in wine. (ii, 72.) Galen commends earthworms as
being diuretic when drunk in must. He mentions further, that, according
to the report of certain physicians, earthworms have been given
internally and applied externally without burning or boiling. Of all the
ancient authorities, Aëtius is the fullest on the medicinal virtues of
earthworms. (ii, 168.) The Arabians do little more under this head than
copy the descriptions of them given by Dioscorides, Galen, and Paulus.
Avicenna recommends them, when pounded and drunk in wine, not only
as being diuretic but also lithontriptic. (ii, 2, 198.) The Lumbrici
terrestres, or earthworms, are described and very much commended for
their medicinal virtues in Quincy’s ‘Dispensatory’ (p. 140), and Lewis’s
‘Materia Medica’ (ii, 76.)
Γίγαρτα,
Gigarta vinacea, _Grape-stones_, are desiccative in the second degree,
but refrigerant in the first. Being, therefore, cooling, they agree with
all defluxions.
* * * * *
COMMENTARY. Galen mentions _Grape-stones_ as sour and astringent
remedies, and, therefore, applicable in all defluxions from the bowels.
Avicenna recommends the ashes of grape-stones with vinegar in torsion of
the nerves, and along with oil for contusion of the limbs and softening
of the joints. (ii, 2, 723.) See also Rhases (l. ult. Cont. i, 745.)
Γιγγίδιον,
Gingidium, _Toothpick Fennel_, is possessed of no manifest heat, but
is desiccative in the third degree, and astringent. It is, therefore,
stomachic.
* * * * *
COMMENTARY. Dioscorides says of the _Daucus gingidium_, that it is a good
potherb, and that as a medicine, when taken in a decoction with wine, it
is diuretic and lithontriptic. (ii, 166.) Galen defines its virtues to be
considerable astringency with slightly heating powers. The others treat
of it in like terms. Few if any of the Arabians have noticed it.
Γλαύκιον,
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