Of Medicine, in Eight Books

by Aulus Cornelius Celsus

CONTENTS.

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BOOK I.
PREFACE			[1]
CHAP. I.		Rules for the healthy,	[16]
	II.	Rules for valetudinary people,	[17]
	III.	Observations suited to new incidents, and the different constitutions, sexes, and ages; and the seasons of the year,	[19]
	IV.	Rules for those that have a weakness in the head,	[26]
	V.	Directions for those that labour under a lippitude, gravedo, catarrh, and disorders of the tonsils,	[27]
	VI.	The proper regimen for people liable to a purging,	[28]
	VII.	Rules for those that are liable to a pain of the colon,	[29]
	VIII.	Rules for one that has a weak stomach,	[29]
	IX.	Directions for those that are liable to pains of the nerves,	[30]
	X.	Directions in a pestilence,	[31]
BOOK II.
PREFACE,			[33]
CHAP. I.		Of the different seasons, weather, ages, constitutions, and the diseases peculiar to each,	[34]
	II.	Of the signs of an approaching illness,	[38]
	III.	Good symptoms in sick people,	[39]
	IV.	Bad symptoms in sick people,	[40]
	V.	Signs of long sickness,	[42]
	VI.	The symptoms of death,	[43]
	VII.	Of the signs in particular diseases,	[46]
	VIII.	What symptoms are dangerous, or hopeful in particular diseases,	[52]
	IX.	Of the cure of diseases,	[59]
	X.	Of bleeding,	[60]
	XI.	Of cupping,	[64]
	XII.	Of purging by internal medicines and clysters,	[65]
	XIII.	Of vomiting,	[67]
	XIV.	Of friction,	[68]
	XV.	Of gestation,	[70]
	XVI.	Of abstinence,	[71]
	XVII.	Of sweating,	[72]
	XVIII.	The different kinds of food and drink,	[74]
	XIX.	General properties of different foods,	[77]
	XX.	Of things containing good juices,	[78]
	XXI.	Of foods containing bad juices,	[78]
	XXII.	Of mild and acrid things,	[79]
	XXIII.	Of those things which generate a thick and a fluid phlegm,	[79]
	XXIV.	Of what agrees with the stomach,	[80]
	XXV.	Of things hurtful to the stomach,	[80]
	XXVI.	Of those things which occasion flatulencies; and the contrary,	[81]
	XXVII.	Of those things which heat and cool,	[81]
	XXVIII.	Of what is easily corrupted in the stomach,	[82]
	XXIX.	Of what opens the belly,	[82]
	XXX.	Of what binds the belly,	[83]
	XXXI.	Of diuretic meats and drinks,	[83]
	XXXII.	Of soporiferous, and exciting substances,	[84]
	XXXIII.	Of those things which draw, repel, or cool, or heat, or harden, or soften,	[84]
BOOK III.
CHAP. I.		General division of distempers,	[86]
	II.	General diagnostics of acute and chronic, increasing and declining diseases; the difference ofregimen in each; and precautions necessary upon the apprehension of an approaching illness,	[87]
	III.	Of the several kinds of fevers,	[89]
	IV.	Of the different methods of cure,	[91]
	V.	Particular directions for giving food in the different species of fevers,	[95]
	VI.	The proper times for giving drink to persons in fevers; and the kinds of aliments suited to the several stages of the distempers; together with some general observations,	[99]
	VII.	The cure of pestilential, and ardent fevers,	[103]
	VIII.	The cure of a semitertian,	[105]
	IX.	The cure of slow fevers,	[105]
	X.	Remedies for the concomitant symptoms of fevers,	[107]
	XI.	Remedies against a coldness of the extremities, preceding a fever,	[108]
	XII.	The cure of a shuddering before fevers,	[109]
	XIII.	The cure of a quotidian fever,	[110]
	XIV.	The cure of a tertian,	[111]
	XV.	The cure of a quartan,	[112]
	XVI.	The cure of a double quartan,	[113]
	XVII.	The cure of a quotidian arising from a quartan,	[114]
	XVIII.	Of the several kinds of madness, and their cure,	[115]
	XIX.	Of the cardiac disorder, and its cure,	[121]
	XX.	Of the lethargy, and its cure,	[123]
	XXI.	Of the several species of the dropsy, and their cure,	[124]
	XXII.	Of the several species of consumptions, and their cure,	[129]
	XXIII.	Of the epilepsy, and its cure,	[133]
	XXIV.	Of the jaundice, and its cure,	[135]
	XXV.	Of the elephantiasis, and its cure,	[136]
	XXVI.	Of apoplectic patients, and their cure,	[137]
	XXVII.	Of a palsy, and its cure,	[138]
		Of a pain of the nerves,	[139]
		Of a tremor of the nerves,	[139]
		Of internal suppurations,	[140]
BOOK IV.
CHAP. I.		Of the Internal parts of the human body,	[141]
	II.	Of the disorders of the head, and their cure,	[144]
		Of pains of the head, and a hydrocephalus,	[144]
		Of the cynicus spasmus,	[146]
		Of a palsy of the tongue,	[147]
		Of a catarrh and gravedo,	[147]
	III.	Of diseases of the neck, and their cure,	[149]
	IV.	Of diseases of the fauces,	[151]
		Several species of angina,	[151]
		Difficulty of breathing,	[152]
		An ulcer in the fauces,	[154]
		A cough,	[154]
		A spitting of blood,	[155]
		And their cure,	[157]
	V.	Of the disorders of the stomach, and their cure,	[158]
	VI.	Of pains of the sides and a pleurisy, and their cure,	[161]
	VII.	Of a peripneumony, and its cure,	[162]
	VIII.	Of the diseases of the liver, and their cure,	[164]
	IX.	Of the diseases of the spleen, and their cure,	[165]
	X.	Of the diseases of the kidneys, and their cure,	[166]
	XI.	Of the cholera, and its cure,	[167]
	XII.	Of the coeliack distemper of the stomach, and its cure,	[169]
	XIII.	Of the distemper of the small gut, and its cure,	[170]
	XIV.	Of the distemper of the large intestine, and its cure,	[171]
	XV.	Of a dysentery, and its cure,	[172]
	XVI.	Of a lientery, and its cure,	[174]
	XVII.	Of worms in the belly, and their cure,	[175]
	XVIII.	Of a tenesmus, and its cure,	[175]
	XIX.	Of a simple purging, and its cure,	[176]
	XX.	Of the diseases of the womb, and their cure,	[178]
	XXI.	Of an excessive discharge of semen, and its cure,	[180]
	XXII.	Of the diseases of the hips, and their cure,	[181]
	XXIII.	Of a pain in the knees, and its cure,	[182]
	XXIV.	Of the diseases of the joints of the hands and feet, and their cure,	[182]
	XXV.	Of the treatment of patients recovering,	[184]
BOOK V.
PREFACE,			[186]
CHAP. I.		Medicines for stopping blood,	[187]
	II.	Agglutinants and restringents,	[187]
	III.	Medicines for promoting a suppuration,	[188]
	IV.	Medicines for opening wounds,	[188]
	V.	Cleansers,	[188]
	VI.	Corroding medicines,	[189]
	VII.	Eating medicines,	[189]
	VIII.	Caustics,	[190]
	IX.	Medicines for forming crusts upon ulcers,	[190]
	X.	Resolvents for crusts,	[190]
	XI.	Discutients,	[191]
	XII.	Evacuating and drawing medicines,	[191]
	XIII.	Lenients,	[191]
	XIV.	Incarning medicines,	[192]
	XV.	Emollients,	[192]
	XVI.	Cleansers of the skin,	[192]
	XVII.	Of the mixture of simples, and the proportion of the weights,	[193]
	XVIII.	Of malagmas, in all thirty-six recited,	[194]
	XIX.	Of plaisters, in all twenty-nine recited,	[201]
	XX.	Of troches, in all seven recited,	[207]
	XXI.	Of pessaries, in all seven recited,	[208]
	XXII.	Medicines, used either in a dry form, or mixed with liquids,	[210]
	XXIII.	Of antidotes, and their use,	[212]
	XXIV.	Of acopa,	[213]
	XXV.	Of catapotia,	[214]
	XXVI.	Of five different kinds of disorders incident to thebody; and of the nature, symptoms, and cure of wounds,	[217]
		Bad consequences from wounds,	[230]
		Cure of an old ulcer,	[231]
		Cure of an erysipelas,	[232]
		Cure of a gangrene,	[232]
	XXVII.	Of wounds caused by bites, poisons taken internally, and burns,	[235]
	XXVIII.	Of external disorders proceeding from internal causes, and their cure,	[240]
		Of a carbuncle,	[241]
		Of a cancer,	[242]
		Of a therioma,	[244]
		Of the ignis sacer,	[245]
		Of the chironian ulcer,	[246]
		Of ulcers occasioned by cold,	[247]
		Of the scrophula,	[247]
		Of a furuncle,	[248]
		Of phymata,	[248]
		Of a phygethlon,	[248]
		Of abscesses,	[248]
		Of fistulas,	[250]
		Of the cerion ulcer,	[253]
		Of the acrochordon, &c.	[254]
		Of pustules,	[256]
		Of the scabies,	[257]
		Of the impetigo,	[258]
		Of the papula,	[258]
		Of the vitiligo,	[259]
BOOK VI.
CHAP. I.		Of hairs falling off the head,	[261]
	II.	Of a porrigo,	[261]
	III.	Of the sycosis,	[262]
	IV.	Of the areæ,	[263]
	V.	Of vari, lenticulæ, and ephelides,	[264]
	VI.	Of the disorders of the eyes, carbuncles of the eyes,pustules, wasting, lice in the eye-lids, dry lippitude, dimness, a cataract, palsy, mydriasis, a weakness, and external hurts in the eyes, and the various collyriums adapted to each disorder,	[265]
	VII.	Of the diseases of the ears; pain, pus in the ears,worms, dulness of hearing, a noise, extraneous bodies in the ears,	[281]
	VIII.	Of the diseases of the nose,	[287]
	IX.	Of the toothach,	[288]
	X.	Of the diseases of the tonsils,	[290]
	XI.	Of ulcers of the mouth,	[291]
	XII.	Of ulcers of the tongue,	[293]
	XIII.	Of parulides and ulcers in the gums,	[293]
	XIV.	Of an inflammation of the uvula,	[295]
	XV.	Of a gangrene of the mouth,	[295]
	XVI.	Of parotid swellings,	[297]
	XVII.	Of a prominent navel,	[297]
	XVIII.	Of the diseases of the private parts,	[298]
		Diseases of the anus, rhagadia, and condylomata,	[303]
		Of the hæmorrhoides,	[304]
		Of a prolapsus of the anus or womb, &c.	[305]
	XIX.	Of ulcers in the fingers,	[306]
BOOK VII.
PREFACE,		The province of surgery, &c.	[306]
CHAP. I.		Of contusions	[310]
	II.	Of the operations necessary in suppurated tumours	[310]
	III.	Of the good or bad symptoms of suppurations	[313]
	IV.	Of fistulas, in the ribs, belly, and anus	[314]
	V.	Of extracting weapons out of the body	[317]
	VI.	Of a ganglion, meliceris, atheroma, steatoma, and other tubercles of the head	[320]
	VII.	Of the diseases of the eyes cured by manual operations; of vesicles in the upper eye-lids	[321]
		Of a crithe, chalazium, and unguis	[322]
		Of an encanthis	[324]
		Of the ancyloblepharon, and the ægilops	[324]
		Of hairs in the eye-lashes irritating the eye	[326]
		Of the lagopthalmus	[328]
		Of an ectropium, and the staphyloma	[328]
		Description of the eye	[329]
		Of a cataract	[330]
		Of a flux of gum, and the requisite operations	[331]
	VIII.	Of the operations required in the ears	[334]
	IX.	The operation necessary in a want of substance in the ears, lips, and nose	[335]
	X.	Of the extirpation of a polypus in the nose	[337]
	XI.	The chirurgical cure of an ozæna	[337]
	XII.	Of the operations in the mouth; of the teeth	[338]
		Of indurated tonsils, of the uvula	[339]
		Of the tongue, an abscess under it, and chopt lips	[340]
	XIII.	Of the bronchocele	[341]
	XIV.	Of the operations performed at the navel	[342]
	XV.	The method of discharging the water in hydropic people	[344]
	XVI.	Of wounds in the belly and intestines	[345]
	XVII.	Of a rupture of the peritonæum	[346]
	XVIII.	A description of the testicles, and their diseases	[347]
	XIX.	General directions for operations in the foregoing diseases about the testicles	[351]
	XX.	Of the cure of a rupture of the intestine into the scrotum	[354]
	XXI.	Of the cure of a rupture of the omentum into the scrotum	[356]
	XXII.	Of the cure of a ramex of the scrotum	[357]
	XXIII.	Of the cure of a sarcocele	[359]
	XXIV.	Of the cure of a ramex in the groin	[359]
	XXV.	The operations requisite in the disorders of the penis	[360]
	XXVI.	Of the operation necessary in a suppression of urine; and lithotomy	[362]
	XXVII.	Of a gangrene after cutting for the stone	[370]
	XXVIII.	Of the operations required, when a membrane or flesh obstructs the vagina in women	[373]
	XXIX.	The method of extracting a dead fœtus out of the womb	[373]
	XXX.	The operations required in diseases of the anus	[376]
	XXXI.	Of varices in the legs	[378]
	XXXII.	Operations required in cohering and crooked fingers	[379]
	XXXIII.	Of the operation required in a gangrene	[380]
BOOK VIII.
CHAP. I.		Of the situation and figure of the bones of the human body	[381]
	II.	General division of disorders in the bones. Of a blackness and caries, and their treatment	[388]
	III.	Of the use of the modiolus, and perforator, and other instruments, especially for the bones of the head	[390]
	IV.	Of fractures of the skull	[393]
	V.	Of fractures of the nose	[399]
	VI.	Of fractures of the ears	[400]
	VII.	Of a fractured maxilla, together with some general observations relating to fractures	[401]
	VIII.	Of a fractured clavicle	[402]
	IX.	Of fractures of the ribs and spine	[404]
	X.	Of fractures of the humerus, fore-arm, thigh, leg, fingers, and toes	[406]
	XI.	Of luxations	[414]
	XII.	Of a luxated maxilla	[416]
	XIII.	Of a luxation of the head	[417]
	XIV.	Of a luxation of the spine	[418]
	XV.	Of a luxation of the humerus	[419]
	XVI.	Of a luxation of the cubitus	[420]
	XVII.	Of a luxated hand	[421]
	XVIII.	Of luxations in the palm	[422]
	XIX.	Of luxations of the fingers	[422]
	XX.	Of a luxation of the femur	[423]
	XXI.	Of a luxation of the knee	[424]
	XXII.	Of a luxated ancle	[425]
	XXIII.	Of luxations in the soles of the feet	[425]
	XXIV.	Of luxated toes	[426]
	XXV.	Of luxations attended with a wound	[426]

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Roman measures of capacity for things liquid, reduced to english wine measure, the wine pint holding 287/8 solid inches.

No. I.

							Pints	Sol. in. dec.
Ligula							0, 1/48	0,117 5/12
4	Cyathus						0, 1/12	0,469 2/3
6	1	Acetabulum					0, 1/8	0,704 1/2
12	3	2	Quartarius				0, 1/4	1,409
24	6	4	2	Hemina			0, 1/2	2,818
48	12	8	4	2	Sextarius		1	5,636

Possibly No. I. may be better understood in the following form.

No. II.

												Eng. wi.	Solid
Ligulæ.		Cyathi.		Acetab.		Quart.		Hem.		Sext.		pint.	inch.
48	or	12	or	8	or	4	or	2	==	1	==	1. and	5.636
24	or	6	or	4	or	2	==	1	—	-	==	0.	17.255	1/2
12	or	3	or	2	==	1	—	-	—	-	==	0.	8.627	3/4
6	or	1 1/2	==	1	—	-	—	-	—	-	==	0.	4.313	7/8
4	==	1	—	-	—	-	—	-	—	-	==	0.	2.875	11/12
1	—	-	—	-	—	-	—	-	—	-	==	0.	0.718	47/48

Roman measures of capacity for things dry, reduced to english corn measure, the english corn pint holding 33 3/5 inches.

No. III.

						Pints	Sol. in. dec.
Ligula						0, 1/48	0,01
4	Cyathus					0, 1/12	0,04
6	1 1/2	Acetabulum				0, 1/8	0,06
24	6	4	Hemina			0, 1/2	0,24
48	12	8	2	Sextarius		1	0,48

The same table in another form.

No. IV.

										Eng. corn	Solid
Ligulæ.		Cyathi.		Acetab.		Heminæ.		Sextarius.		pint.	inches
48	or	12	or	8	or	2	==	1	==	1. and	0.48
24	or	6	or	4	==	1	—	—	==	0.	17.04
6	or	1 1/2	==	1	—	—	—	—	==	0.	4.26
4	==	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	==	0.	2.84
1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	==	0.	0.71

Note, The tables, No. I. and No. III. are exactly copied from Dr Arbuthnot, No. XII. and XIII. I have here gone no higher than the sextarius, as that is the greatest measure mentioned by Celsus; it has its name from making the sixth part of the Roman congius.

I would have taken the table of weights from Dr Arbuthnot also, if he had given one accommodated to Celsus; but as he has not, I have composed the following, No. VI. according to the division of Celsus himself, who tells us[ U ], that he divides the uncia, or ounce, into seven denarii, and the denarius into six sextantes.

Besides these, in several compositions our author uses semuncia and sescuncia, that is half an ounce and ounce and half; and to save the reader the trouble of reduction, I have given them also a place in the table.

The accurate Mr Greaves[ V ], from repeated experiments, concluded the Roman denarius to contain 62 grains English Troy weight, from which the proportions of the other weights are determined.

No. V.

Grains.		Scruples.		Drachms.		Ounces.	Pound Troy.
gr.		℈		Ʒ		℥		℔
5760	or	288	or	96	or	12	==	1
480	or	24	or	8	==	1
60	or	3	==	1
20	==	1
1

Celsus’s weights compared with apothecaries’ weights.

No. VI.

Grains of		Sextan-		Dena-		Semun-				Ses-		Li-		Apothecaries’.
Troy wt.		tes.		rii.		ciæ.		Unciæ.		cun.		bra.		℥	Ʒ	℈	gr.
5208	or	504	or	84	or	24	or	12	or	8	==	1	==	10 :	6 :	2 :	8
651	or	63	or	10 1/2	or	3	or	1 1/2	==	1	—	—	==	1 :	2 :	2 :	11
434	or	42	or	7	or	2	==	1	—	—	—	—	==	0 :	7 :	0 :	14
217	or	21	or	3 1/2	==	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	==	0 :	3 :	1 :	17
62	or	6	==	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	==	0 :	1 :	0 :	2
10 1/3	==	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	==	0 :	0 :	0 :	10 1/2
1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	==	0 :	0 :	0 :	1

Note 1st. The Romans divided all integers, as they did their as, into twelve equal parts called unciæ. Thus the sextans was the sixth part of the as, containing two of these unciæ, quadrans one fourth, or three unciæ, triens the third part, or four unciæ, semis one half, or six unciæ, bes or bessis two-thirds, or eight unciæ, dodrans three-fourths being nine unciæ. The weight of these then differs, as the integer is the libra, the uncia, or denarius, which the attentive reader will easily reduce, if he is disposed to calculate the quantities, observing that they are not to be taken for aliquot parts of the denarius, but when they follow the mark of the denarius. The integer preceding, and the nature of the composition will be the best explication.

Note 2. The denarius mark was X or 𐆖

, as containing originally ten small asses. This by the copiers has been often confounded with X, denoting the number of ten denarii; so that after all the pains of critics and commentators, the proportions of the ingredients in several compositions seem to be irrecoverably lost. For this reason, I suppose the later editors have thought fit to change it for the common asterisk.

Note 3. The characters for quantities are variously marked in different authors, and the same note has several values. There is one of this uncertainty in Celsus, that is Z, which we are told expresses the libra, the sescuncia, the sextans of a pound, the denarius and the sextans of a denarius[ W ]. Which of these different values it bears in any particular place must be determined by the connection. When it follows the mark of the denarius, it can mean no more than the sextans of a denarius.

Note 4. p. stands for pondo, which is an indeclinable word, and when joined with numbers, signifies libra or a pound; when with other weights, it stands for no more than pondus or weight in general.

For an example of the reduction of Celsus’s weights to ours, the following may serve.

Lib. v. cap. 19. no. 7. Philotas’s plaister contains,

Of Eretrian earth		℥	Ʒ	℈	gr.
— chalcitis, each p. iv.*.	==	1/2 :	0 :	0 :	8	viz. Ʒi. gr. ii. multiplied by 4 —and so all the rest.
— myrrh
— calcined copper, each p. x.*.	==	1  :	2 :	1 :	0
— isinglass p. vi. *.	==	0  :	6 :	0 :	12
— rasile verdigrease
— round allum
— crude misy
— birthwort, of each p. viii.*.	==	1  :	0 :	0 :	16
— copper scales p. xx.*	==	21/2 :	0 :	2 :	0
— male frankincense, p. ii.*.	==	0  :	2 :	0 :	4
— oil of roses
— Bitter oil, of each three cyathi, or 1 quartarius = between 1/4 and 1/3 of an English pint.
— vinegar, a sufficient quantity.

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ERRATA,
IN THE TEXT.

Page	110	line	9	for	substances, read medicines.
——	189	——	26	for	flour read flower.
——	240	——	22	for	warm ingremedies read warming remedies.
——	249	——	14	for	comes read come.
——	257	——	30	for	verjuice read omphacium.
——	271	——	16	for	wines read wine.
——	323	——	31	for	straight read strait.
——	350	——	18	dele	also.

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A. CORNELIUS CELSUS

OF

MEDICINE.

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BOOK I.

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