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.
SECT. LV.—ON GONORRHŒA AND LIBIDINOUS DREAMS.
Gonorrhœa is an involuntary discharge of semen, taking place frequently without erection of the privy member, owing to weakness of the retentive faculty. In this case it will be proper to keep the patient in a state of rest, covering the loins and pubes with compresses out of wine, oil of apples, or that of the flowers of the wild vine; and cataplasms may be afterwards applied, made of dates, apples, flowers of the wild vine, acacia, hypocistis, sumach, and the like. He may also be made to sit in a hip-bath of the decoctions of lentisk, of bramble, and the like, in wine, or even in water, and use desiccative food. After a little while, he may take gymnastic exercises, by which both the general system and the affected parts will be restored to strength. Redundance of semen has been treated of sufficiently in the [First Book], under the head of Hygiene; and there, too, impotence is treated of. A cool couch is beneficial in cases of libidinous dreams; also, laying on the right or left side; all medicines of a cold nature rubbed into the loins, such as coriander, hemlock, ceruse, and purslain, all of which are to be used with vinegar.
Commentary. Celsus recommends strong friction, affusion of cold liquids, swimming in cold water, food and drink of a cooling nature, avoiding everything flatulent and calculated to engender semen, applications such as rue and vinegar to the part, avoiding lying upon the back, and so forth.
Aretæus, in his chapter on Gonorrhœa, makes some very ingenious speculations on the effect which the semen genitale exerts upon the development of the moral character. He remarks that a long-continued draining of the semen sometimes occasions paralysis: he alludes to the tabes dorsalis, a disease well described by Hippocrates. He properly states that gonorrhœa proceeds from relaxation of the genital organs. With regard to the treatment, he recommends at first cooling and astringent applications to stop the flux, but these are afterwards to be exchanged for calefacients and rubefacients. Castor, mint, and the theriac are to be taken internally, along with strong exercise.