SECT. XLI.—MEDICINES FOR CLEANSING FOUL ULCERS.
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.)