Celsus recommends at first such things as are, “mediocriter exedentia reprimentiaque,” and afterwards articles of a soothing nature. To the former class belong the farina of lentils and honey; myrrh with urine, or the Cimolian chalk, with the bark of frankincense; and to the latter belong all fatty applications, and such things as contain the dross of lead and the yelks of eggs. He also mentions turpentine rosin, as an application to foul ulcers from burning.
Serapion, like our author, recommends applications which are moderately detergent, and neither very calefacient nor refrigerant. He gives the following directions for making a preparation from lime. Take of lime, seven times washed in sweet water and dried, oz. viij; of wax, oz. ij; of oil of roses, oz. vj: let the wax be melted along with the oil, and well mixed with lime. This is to be rubbed into the part. He also gives a prescription for preparing a mixture of lime-water and oil, exactly similar to that which is now used in cases of burns. (vii, 28.) Avicenna, with his usual accuracy, lays down very particular rules for the treatment of burns. To prevent blisters from rising he recommends cooling things; when the burning is occasioned by hot water, he directs us to apply sandals, rose-water, and camphor: or a cloth dipped in congealed water is to be kept constantly applied, and it will prevent blisters from rising. Most of the applications recommended by our author are also mentioned by him. Haly Abbas directs us to apply a cloth cooled in rose-water. He also speaks of the ointment of lime and rose-oil, mentioned above. When the burning is not severe, Alsaharavius directs us in the first place to wash the part with vinegar and salt, and then to sprinkle upon it the flour of barley or of oats. Then if blisters do not rise, but there is a sensation of burning in the part, he recommends us to apply cloths dipped in cold water, rose-water, or snow-water, which are to be changed frequently. Afterwards some emollient applications, such as the white of an egg, with gum arabic is to be used. When the burning is more severe, he recommends us to bleed and use a cooling application, such as the brain of a sheep, the white of an egg mixed with rose-oil, or an ointment made of white wax and rose-oil. He also makes mention of the application from lime. Rhases recommends an ointment containing ceruse, camphor, opium, &c. Like Avicenna, he directs us to apply at first a cloth wetted in cold water, or in rose-water, which has been cooled with snow. If the burning be extensive he recommends venesection, with a cooling and attenuant diet. When the pain is great he directs us to apply the yelks of eggs mixed with rose-oil. When a large ulcer is formed, he directs us to dress it with the ointment of lime, described above. He also approves of a white ointment, consisting of ceruse, oil of roses, and wax. In his ‘Continens,’ he relates a case of severe burning, which he treated with liniments composed of sandals, camphor, and roses; a cloth wetted in snow-water being applied externally to it. He approves of opening the blisters. To prevent them from forming, he recommends strongly an astringent collyrium of galls. Like many of the other authorities, he recommends Cimolian earth very much. The applications recommended by Haly Abbas are of a refrigerant and cooling nature, such as Armenian earth in vinegar, the white of an egg, ceruse, &c.
The earlier modern authors treat burns upon the plan laid down by the ancients, more especially the Arabians. Thus Guy, of Cauliac, recommends us in cases of extensive burning to have recourse to venesection, along with a cooling and attenuant regimen. As a local application, he recommends a cloth wetted in rose-oil congealed in snow, and afterwards cooling ointments containing ceruse, litharge, and the like. He approves of opening the blisters, of afterwards dressing the part with desiccative remedies, such as the ointment of lime, seven times slaked. (Tr. vi, Doct. C. 6.)
SECT. XII.—FOR THOSE BEATEN WITH SCOURGES.
Take of ceruse and litharge equal parts, of wax four parts, use as a plaster with the oleum susinum, or rose-oil; but on the first day use the susinum separately; or, of saffron, dr. j; of tragacanth, dr. j; unite with them a whole egg, without the shell, and use. For those who have been scourged, the skin of a sheep newly taken off, when applied while yet warm, of all remedies cures the soonest, effecting this purpose in a day and a night.
Commentary. See Aëtius (xiv, 62); Avicenna (iv, 4, 2, 7); Haly Abbas (Pract. iv, 26); Alsaharavius (Pract. xxxi, 2, 1); Rhases (Contin. xxviii.)
Aëtius gives similar directions. The following is said to be an excellent application for the stripes of a whip: mix washed lime with raw eggs, and add some rose cerate. Aëtius, Galen, Nonnus, Avicenna, Rhases, Haly Abbas, and Alsaharavius join our author in recommending the fresh skin of a newly-killed sheep as an application in such cases. Alsaharavius recommends an ointment containing white wax, rose-oil, and ceruse, when the wounds are deep; when there is any apprehension of heat and inflammation, and more especially if the patient be plethoric, he approves of venesection. When on the other hand the patient is weak, and is in danger of falling into a state of syncope, he recommends musk and wine to be administered. When there is much appearance of ecchymosis he speaks of scarifying the part after the heat is gone. Rhases recommends a composition of ceruse, litharge, wax, and rose-oil, as a general application.
Most of the applications recommended by Bertapalia contain litharge, ceruse, tutty, wax, and oil. (De Ulceribus, 16.) The other earlier medical authors of modern times likewise follow the ancients in this case.
SECT. XIII.—TO MAKE HAIRS GROW ON A PART THAT HAS BEEN BURNT.
Hairs grow on a burnt part if you apply fig leaves boiled in a pot with cerate, in the form of a plaster; or, of dried fig, dr. viij; of marjoram, dr. j; triturate with oil to the thickness of a cerate, and use; or, of gypsum, dr. c; of squama æris, dr. j; form trochisks with water, and keep. When going to use, mix one part with eight parts of cerate.