One of the causes of myopia mentioned by Jesu Haly is enlargement of the crystalline lens, which he recommends us to endeavour to lessen by means of dissolvents. (De Oculis, iii, 6.)
SECT. XXIII.—OF DISEASES OF THE EAR; AND, FIRST, CONCERNING PAIN OF IT.
Earach may be known to be occasioned by cold from the season of the year, the preceding regimen, or from the patient’s own account, if it proceed from any external exciting cause. If the pain be deep-seated without heaviness, distension, or heat, such cases are to be cured by calefacient remedies, as hot oil of rue, or of nard, or hot oil of bays, or that of marjoram, that called foliatum, or that called spicatum, or common oil with euphorbium, or pepper, or castor, or the ointment called commagenum, or opobalsam poured into the auditory foramen; and oil in which garlic or onion has been boiled is of service when injected. Pain from a hot intemperament is judged of by a certain sensation of heat without heaviness or tension. You may cure it by the opposite remedies; by injecting the white of an egg triturated, as in affections of the eye; and woman’s milk, along with some of the anodyne collyria, or the juice of perdicias (pellitory of the wall?), with a small quantity of rose-oil, and rose-oil itself, or rose-oil and vinegar, or the juice of the nightshade, or of coriander, or of kingspear, or oil in which earthworms or millepedes have been boiled; or almond-oil, either by itself, or having three living buccinæ boiled in it, is of great natural efficacy. Pain from viscid and thick humours you may judge of from the heaviness of head, or of the ear itself, and from the previous regimen. When it is without heaviness, this state alone of hearing indicates a windy spirit that cannot get vent. In both these cases we must use remedies of a deobstruent and incisive nature, such as the aphronitrum with vinegar and honey, and sheep’s gall with common oil, or the oil of almonds, and the tepid juice of leeks and onions with honey; or triturate common marjoram with honey and a woman’s milk, and inject it. For stronger coldness inject goat’s gall with the juice of leeks; and when the pain is great and of long duration, and when difficulty of hearing is present, we must use these remedies, namely, the juice of dragon-herb, of wake-robin, and of bryony, and the like. When the pain is occasioned by a windy spirit, it may be greatly remedied by applying a cupping-instrument previously heated in hot water, and affixed near the ear. But if there be heaviness, distension, and heat, with a pulsatory pain or fever, you may be sure that the ear is inflamed; and you must, in the first place, have recourse to phlebotomy, then foment frequently with hot sweet oil by means of the ear specillum wrapped in wool. We must also inject into the ear the fat of a goose or of a fox, or the ointment basilicon, with the oil of roses, of privet, or of iris, and apply externally cataplasms of a paregoric and digestive nature; but when the pain compels us we may use those things which are moderately narcotic, for there is no little danger, owing to the nearness of the brain to the inflamed auditory nerve. The following is an excellent paregoric: Of opium, p. j; of castor, p. ij. Inject it warm with a woman’s milk, or the white of an egg, or tepid sweet wine. And the trochisk of saffron, that called aster, and the antidote of Philo is often of service to them. You must foment frequently, either with common oil or some of the hot fomentations, and apply to the ear wool steeped in it, taking care not to touch the inflamed part. When the pain continues and an abscess is about to form, use the remedy from the juice of linseed, injecting it softened with oil of roses or of chamomile. When the pain is occasioned by poisonous water which has got into the foramen of the ear, and if it be in considerable quantity it will be necessary to suck it out either with the mouth or by a reed; but if in small quantity, it may be wiped away with the ear specillum wrapped in wool; and then some of the attenuant oils may be injected, or else rose-oil, or the white of an egg, or a woman’s milk. Everything applied to the ear should be moderately warm.
For ulcers with inflammation. Triturate equal parts of lycium (catechu?) and meconium with honey, and inject.
For severe pain, pus, and difficulty of hearing. Of whitened almonds, xx in number; of aphronitrum, dr. iij; of opium, dr. iij; of frankincense, dr. iij; of saffron, dr. iv; of galbanum, dr. ij; of myrrh, dr. j; triturate with vinegar, and inject. When there is pain, dissolve it in oil of roses, and when there is a discharge of pus, in mulse or oxymel, and when there is deafness, in vinegar. Recent ulcers are cured by horned poppy dissolved in vinegar, by the collyria from it, and by those formed from roses, saffron, and myrrh, in like manner as running ulcers without pain are cured by the recrement of iron triturated with vinegar during the heat of the dog-star.
To remove the hard sordes of the ears. Dissolve nitre in vinegar, and inject with water, and having wiped it dry, inject nitre dissolved in vinegar with rose-oil.—Another for sordes: Mixing cardamom and a little nitre with dried figs freed from their stones, make collyria, which put into the ear, and remove after three days. It brings away much sordes, and gives much relief. It also applies to fungous flesh, chronic pains, and ulcers. Or of aloes, of frankincense, of myrrh, of each, dr. j; of misy, dr. iv. Make a trochisk of it with vinegar, and, when you are going to use, dissolve it in vinegar and rose-oil, and inject. In the same manner the trochisks of Andron, Heré, and that of Musa may be used.
For chronic ulcers. Mix gum juniper with honey, and anoint.—Another: Blow in misy what has been burnt and levigated. Before using those things which are injected into the ear, syringe it first with oxycrate in oxymel, or in mulse, or in a decoction of some repellent article, such as dried lentil or roses.
For bloody ears. Wash with the decoction of bog-rush, and inject the juice of knot-grass, with a little vinegar, or lycium, or lees of oil, or acacia, or the juice of leeks.
For fungous flesh. Wash nitre in hot water, and use with equal parts of flakes of copper and sandarach. Clean the eschars which are formed by it with honey.