The furunculus, according to Galen, is an inflammatory affection which is of a malignant nature when deep-seated, and differs from phyma only in hardness. (De Tumoribus.)
Furunculus, says Celsus, is an acute tubercle, attended with inflammation and pain, more especially when converted into pus. After it has been opened, and the pus discharged, there appears part of the flesh below converted into pus and part corrupted, of a whitish or reddish colour, which they call the ventricle or belly of the furunculus. He says that the disease is not attended with danger, and that medicines are necessary solely for removing it the more expeditiously. For this purpose he particularly commends galbanum. If repellent applications do not succeed, suppurative ones may be used; and, failing these, rosin or leaven. When pus is formed, no further treatment is required. According to Rayer, Celsus’ description of furunculus applies to the malignant pustule and not to the boil. (Malad. de la Peau, 233.)
The simple remedies recommended by our author are borrowed from Oribasius.
It is to be remarked that Galen, Celsus, Pliny (Nat. Hist. xxiii, 7), Octavius Horatianus, and Avicenna concur in recommending figs for furunculus or the boil. It was with a lump of figs that the prophet Isaiah cured Hezekiah’s boil.
Avicenna and Rhases treat furunculus judiciously by bleeding and purging, which prevent the formation of a large abscess. When there is throbbing in the tumour, they direct us to use maturative applications. When it is ripe, and does not break readily, they recommend us to open it. Haly Abbas says, that boils arise from gross and depraved humours. (Theor. viii, 11.) Alsaharavius also ascribes them to a full and unwholesome diet. He mentions that he often succeeded in stopping the formation of the furunculus by cauterizing it with a piece of myrtle or any other wood. When the pain is violent, he recommends an application of the leaves of henbane and poppies with the yelk of an egg. When the boil is indolent, he approves of a stimulant plaster. (Pract. xxix, 4.)
SECT. XXIV.—ON TERMINTHUS.
Oribasius says, that terminthus is a species of phyma, but that a dark bulla lies over it, which having burst, the part below appears as if excoriated, and when it is divided, the pus is found. But Dioscorides of Alexandria says, “Terminthi are eminences formed in the skin, round, of a dark green colour, like the fruit of turpentine.” These, therefore, are to be cured like other phymatous swellings, by applying the remedies there described.
Commentary. Aëtius gives the same account of terminthus, which is a species of phyma. See Hippocrat. (Epidem. ii, 11; de Humor. xi, 1); Galen (Comment. in Epidem.); Oribasius (Synops. vii, 136.) Avicenna describes these affections by the name of albothin (iv, 7, 3, 1.) He says that they are ulcers produced by black bile; that they appear upon the leg, and are of the same nature as varices.
The terminthus would appear to have been the cutaneous disease to which Willan applied the name of ecthyma.