SECT. LIV.—ON INFLAMMATION OF THE TESTICLE AND SCROTUM, AND ON THE OTHER DISEASES OF THESE PARTS.
You may recognize inflammation of the scrotum from the pain being felt at the slightest touch of the hand, and from the heat and hardness appearing intense; whereas, when the testicle is inflamed, a slight touch does not give pain, which is only felt when the part is firmly pressed by the fingers, while the redness and hardness appear less at the surface; but, upon grasping it firmly, a deep-seated hardness meets the fingers; and fever is sometimes present. To inflammations of the testicles, in particular, venesection is applicable at the ancle; and to all these, in general, cataplasms and cerates. Cataplasms are to be applied, of the flour of beans boiled in diluted wine, with fat dried grapes deprived of their stones; or, boil the root of cumin or asphodel, and, having pounded, mix with an equal part of the flour of dried barley-meal, and apply as a cataplasm; or, linseed in diluted wine; or, fenugreek in honied water; or, the root in honied water; or, the recent lees of wine, with the flour of barley-meal; or, groundsel and green coriander, with dried grapes deprived of their stones. But if there is much heat, apply a cataplasm of the leaves of henbane with wheat-flour, or that of chick-peas; or, of the leaves of sweet-flag, or of unripe gourd. When the affection is protracted, and attended with hardness, boil the root of wild cucumber in honied water, and, having triturated with the flour of darnel, apply as a cataplasm. And this is an excellent remedy: Of dried grapes deprived of their stones, oz. v; of boiled chick-peas, oz. iss; of cumin, oz. j; of sulphur, oz. ix; of nitre, oz. j; of rosin, oz. iiiss; triturate altogether with honey, and apply as a cataplasm. The following are convenient cerates: Of oil, one cyathus; of Colophonian rosin, oz. vj; of plumbago, of cumin, of dried grapes, of the flour of beans, of each, oz. iv; of wax, oz. ij; boil the plumbago with the oil to a proper consistence, then add the wax and rosin, and, taking it off the fire, pour it half cooled upon the pounded figs and flour.—Another: Of the oil of dill and of roses, of wax, of pine-rosin, of each, oz. v; of cumin, oz. iiss; of asses’ dung, oz. iss; triturate the cumin with the asses’ dung, and when the cerate is cooled mix and levigate; then, placing in a rag, use, applying above it wool out of oil from unripe olives; or, use equal parts of butter and rosin. If from sweats there be ulcers in the scrotum, sprinkle powdered gall or alum upon fat and goats’ gall, and anoint. For testicles affected with aphthæ: Having first anointed with Cimolian earth and water, allow it to dry, and wash with warm water; then, having triturated dried myrtle and a small quantity of alsander, apply as a cataplasm. Excrescences upon the testicles are cured by the application of the lixivial ashes of the vine mixed with wine and water. When there is pruritus of the scrotum, triturate finely nitre, stavesacre, dried figs, and moist alum with vinegar and rose-oil, and anoint with it in the bath; but after the bath, rub in the white of an egg with honey.
Commentary. On diseases of the obscene parts, consult Hippocrates (Epidem. v, 4, et alibi); Galen (Sec. loc. ix; Loc. Affect. vi, 6); Celsus (iv, 21, viii, 18, vi, 18); Aretæus (Morb. Chron. ii, 5); Oribasius (Loc. Affect. iv, 102); Aëtius (xi, 32, xiv, passim); Actuarius (Meth. Med. i, 15, iv, x); Nonnus (192); Alexander (viii, 9, 10); Cælius Aurelianus (Pass. Tard. v, 5); Marcellus (32); Octavius Horatianus (ii, 11); Moschion (de Morbis Mulierum); Scribonius Largus (233); Avicenna (iii, 20, 1, 2); Avenzoar (ii, 3); Haly Abbas (Theor. ix, 37; Pract. viii); Alsaharavius (Pract. xxii); Rhases (Divis. 79; ad Mansor. ix, 101; Contin. xxiv.)
Hippocrates relates a case of prurigo scroti which was removed by hot baths, but the patient afterwards became dropsical and died.
Many of our author’s remedies are taken from Galen, but he has copied most closely from Oribasius and Aëtius.
The treatment of inflammation of the testicles, as laid down by Celsus, is very judicious, namely, bleeding at the ankle, a cataplasm of the flour of beans boiled in mulse with pounded cumin and boiled honey, and other similar applications. When it becomes indurated, linseed or the seed of fenugreek boiled in mulse, or the like, are to be applied. When the testicles swell from a blow, blood must necessarily be extracted from them, more especially if they are livid.
Avicenna is particularly full upon these and all the other diseases of the obscene parts. For pruritus of the testicles and scrotum he recommends bleeding, cupping in the vicinity of these parts, the application of leeches, hot fomentations with acacia, sal ammoniac, &c., and the other remedies mentioned by Paulus. For apostemes he directs us to bleed in the arm and ankle, and to use applications similar to those of our author. Rhases recommends bleeding in the arm and ankle, and at first cold applications, consisting of vinegar and rose-water, which, if the complaint does not abate, are afterwards to be exchanged for suppurative ones. Haly’s treatment is nearly the same. Alsaharavius, like Avicenna, treats inflammation of the testicles by bleeding in the arm and ankle, and using various local applications of a cooling nature. For pruritus he recommends applications containing ceruse, sulphur, nitre, sal ammoniac, and strong vinegar. Rhases mentions that he had an enlargement of the right testicle for which he took an emetic, whereby a manifest reduction of the swelling was produced, and by a repetition of this process the complaint was entirely removed.