The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher: Containing his Complete Masterpiece and Family Physician; his Experienced Midwife, his Book of Problems and his Remarks on Physiognomy — John Shaqi
The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher: Containing his Complete Masterpiece and Family Physician; his Experienced Midwife, his Book of Problems and his Remarks on Physiognomy
Philosophy
The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher: Containing his Complete Masterpiece and Family Physician; his Experienced Midwife, his Book of Problems and his Remarks on Physiognomy
Human beings; Mind and body; Reproduction
Purge with the following things; take of the diagnidium, two grains,
spicierum of castor, a scruple, pill foedit two scruples, with syrup of
mugwort, make six pills. Take apeo, diagem. diamoser, diamb. of each one
drachm; cinnamon, one drachm and a half; cloves, mace and nutmeg, of
each half a drachm; sugar six ounces, with water of feverfew; make
lozenges, to be taken every morning. Take of decoction of sarsaparilla
and virga aurea, not forgetting sage, which Agrippa, wondering at its
operation, has honoured with the name of _sacra herba_, a holy herb. It
is recorded by Dodonoeus in the _History of Plants_, lib. ii. cap. 77,
that after a great mortality among the Egyptians, the surviving women,
that they might multiply quickly, were commanded to drink the juice of
sage, and to anoint the genitals with oil of aniseed and spikenard. Take
mace, nutmeg, cinnamon, styrax and amber, of each one drachm; cloves,
laudanum, of each half a drachm; turpentine, a sufficient quantity;
trochisks, to smooth the womb. Take roots of valerian and elecampane, of
each one pound; galanga, two ounces; origan lavender, marjoram, betony,
mugwort, bay leaves, calamint, of each a handful; make an infusion with
water, in which let her sit, after she hath her courses.
If barrenness proceed from dryness, consuming the matter of the seed;
take every day almond milk, and goat's milk extracted with honey, but
often of the root satyrion, candied, and electuary of diasyren. Take
three wethers' heads, boil them until all the flesh comes from the
bones, then take melilot, violets, camomiles, mercury, orchia with their
roots, of each a handful; fenugreek, linseed, valerian roots, of each
one pound; let all these be decocted in the aforesaid broth, and let the
woman sit in the decoction up to the navel.
If barrenness be caused by any proper effect of the womb, the cure is
set down in the second book. Sometimes the womb proves barren where
there is no impediment on either side, except only in the manner of the
act; as when in the emission of the seed, the man is quick and the woman
is slow, whereby there is not an emission of both seeds at the same
instant as the rules of conception require. Before the acts of coition,
foment the privy parts with the decoction of betony, sage, hyssop and
calamint and anoint the mouth and neck of the womb with musk and civet.
The cause of barrenness being removed, let the womb be strengthened as
follows; Take of bay berries, mastic, nutmeg, frankincense, nuts,
laudanum, giapanum, of each one drachm, styracis liquid, two scruples,
cloves half a scruple, ambergris two grains, then make a pessary with
oil of spikenard.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account