And in this case particularly help must be sought not from medicines alone, but from a due regimen: for this disease never appears but in a corrupt and vitiated habit. Wherefore in the first place, unless weakness forbid, the patient must live abstemiously: and then for food and drink must be given what will bind the belly, and consequently the body also; but these must be of a light nature. Afterwards if the disorder stop, the same applications must be used as have been prescribed in a putrid ulcer. And then also a fuller diet may be allowed of the middle class: only such however as tends to dry the belly and the whole body; and the drink must be cold rain water. The bath, unless we are confident of a cure, is hurtful; for the ulcer softened by that means is quickly affected again with the same disorder. But sometimes it happens, that all these remedies do no service, and notwithstanding all their force, the gangrene spreads. In which case the miserable but sole remedy is to cut off that limb, which is perishing by degrees, to save the rest of the body.
The cure of more slight wounds.
This then is the method of treating the most severe wounds. But even such are not to be neglected, where the skin is entire, but the flesh within[(69)] is bruised; or where any thing is razed or rubbed off the surface; or when a splinter is fixed into the flesh; or when a wound, though small, has penetrated deep.
In the first case it is a very proper remedy to boil pomegranate bark in wine, and bruising the inner part of it, to mix it with a cerate of the oil of roses, which is to be laid upon the part; then where the skin is razed, to cover it with a mild medicine, such as the lipara[ EW ].
Upon the part, that has its surface razed and rubbed off, the tetrapharmacum plaister must be applied, and the quantity of food diminished, and wine denied. Nor should such a hurt be looked upon as contemptible, because the wound is not deep: for from such accidents gangrenes often arise. But if it be slight and of small extent, the mild medicine abovementioned may be sufficient for the cure.
A splinter, if possible, must be extracted either by the hand or by an instrument: if it has either broke or penetrated deeper than to admit of this, it must be drawn out by a medicine. Now the best application for that purpose is the root of a reed; which if tender, must be immediately bruised; if grown hard, it may be first boiled in mulse: to this honey must always be added; or birthwort with honey must be applied. The worst splinter is that of a reed, on account of its asperity: the fern is also equally hurtful: but it has been found by experience, that each of these bruised and applied is a cure for the other. Every medicine, that has the faculty of drawing, has the same effect in all splinters. The same kind of medicine is also finest for deep and small wounds: the plaister of Philocrates is best adapted to the former, that of Hecatæus to the latter case.
Of cicatrizing ulcers.
In any wound, when we are to form the cicatrix (which is necessary after the ulcers are thoroughly cleansed and incarned) in the first place lint dipped in cold water must be applied, while the growth of flesh is encouraged; afterwards when that is to be restrained, it must be put on dry, till a cicatrix be formed; then white lead ought to be bound over it, which both compresses the cicatrix, and gives it a colour resembling the sound part of the body. The root of wild cucumber has the same effect. Also the composition, which contains of elaterium p. i. *. litharge p. ii. *. myrobalans p. iv. *. to which is added turpentine resin, till the whole be brought to the consistence of a plaister. But black cicatrices are gently cleansed by a mixture of equal parts of verdigrease, and washed lead, and the same resin boiled, whether the cicatrix be anointed with this, which may be practised in the face, or it be applied like a plaister, which is more convenient in other parts of the body.
But if the cicatrix is either protuberant or hollow, it is ridiculous, merely in regard to the appearance to submit a second time to the pain and trouble of a cure; otherwise both cases might be remedied. For either of these cicatrices may be converted into a wound by the knife. If one rather chuses a medicine, the same purpose is answered by those compositions, which eat down flesh. When the skin is taken off, upon the prominent one must be applied eating medicines, upon the hollow one such as tend to fill up, till both these kinds of ulcers be brought to the level of the sound skin, and then they may be cicatrized.