Of burns.
Burns are also to be reckoned amongst the effects of external violence. The plan laid down, therefore, seems to oblige me to speak of them in this place. They are best cured by the leaves either of lilly, or hound’s-tongue, or betes boiled in wine and oil. Any of these presently applied heals them.
But the method of cure may also be divided into those things, which being gently eating and repellent, at first both prevent pustules, and excoriate the part; and those, which being lenient, restore the part to its soundness. Of the former is the meal of lentils with honey, or myrrh with wine; or Cimolian chalk, powdered with the bark of frankincense, and worked up to a paste with water, and when it is to be used, diluted with vinegar. Of the second class any of the lipara. But the most suitable is that, which contains the dross of lead, or yolks of eggs.
Another way also of treating burns is, while the inflammation continues, to apply to them lentils with honey; when that is gone off, meal with rue, or leeks, or horehound, till the crusts fall off, then vetches with honey, or iris, or turpentine resin, till the ulcer be clean; last of all, dry lint.
CHAP. XXVIII. OF EXTERNAL DISORDERS PROCEEDING FROM AN INTERNAL CAUSE, AND THEIR CURE.
Of a carbuncle.
From external injuries, we proceed to disorders which have an internal origin, when some part of the body is corrupted. Amongst these none is worse than a carbuncle. The marks of it are these. There is a redness, and above that pustules rise, not very high, mostly black, sometimes inclining to a livid colour, or pale. There seems to be sanies in them; below, the colour is black. The flesh is parched, and harder than it ought to be naturally. And about it, there is a sort of crust; which is surrounded with an inflammation. Neither can the skin be lifted up in that place, but is, as it were, bound down to the flesh below. There is a propensity to sleep. Sometimes a shuddering, or fever comes on, or both. And this disease shoots out roots, as it were, below, and spreads, sometimes quickly, sometimes more slowly. At the surface also it spreads and grows white; then becomes livid; and all round it small pustules break out. And if it happen to be near the gullet or fauces, it often stops the breath suddenly.
Nothing is better than to sear it immediately. Neither is that painful, for it has no feeling, because such flesh is mortified. And the burning should be continued, till there is a sense of pain on every side. After this, the ulcer is to be cured in the same manner, as other burns. For by eating medicines is produced an eschar, which being entirely separated from the quick flesh, draws with it whatever was corrupted; and the sinus, by this time clean, may be dressed with incarning medicines. But if the disorder be in the surface of the skin, medicines barely eating, or at most caustic, may be sufficient. The violence of the cure is to be proportioned to the malady. Whatever medicine is applied, if it has the desired effect, will immediately separate the corrupted part from the quick.
And we may generally be confident of success, if the corrupted flesh falls off, wherever such medicine eats down; if that does not happen, and the medicine is overcome by the disease, an immediate recourse must be had to the actual cautery. But in such a case, the patient must abstain from food and wine. It is also proper to drink water plentifully. And these directions are to be observed more strictly, if a febricula be added to the other complaints.
Of a Cancer.