CHAP. V. OF VARI, LENTICULAE, AND EPHELIDES.
It is almost a folly to cure vari, lenticulae, and ephelides: but it is impossible to prevent women from being nice in what regards their beauty. Of these disorders, which I have just mentioned, vari and lenticulae are universally known; however, that species is more rare, which the Greeks call phacia[ FT ], though that is only of a more ruddy colour, and more unequal surface than the common lenticula. The ephelis[ FU ] is unknown to most people; and is nothing else than a certain ill coloured asperity and hardness. The others are peculiar to the face; the lenticulae sometimes appear in other parts, of which I did not think it worth while to treat separately elsewhere.
But vari are well cured by the application of resin mixed with an equal quantity of scissile alum, and a little honey. Equal quantities of galbanum and nitre, beat up with vinegar to the consistence of honey, remove a lenticula. The part is to be rubbed with these, and after an interval of several hours, washed clean in the morning, and gently anointed with oil.
An ephelis is cured by resin, with the addition of a third part of fossile salt and a little honey. And for all these disorders, and likewise for giving a proper colour to cicatrices, that composition is good, which is said to be invented by Tryphon the father. In it there are equal parts of myrobalans crocomagma, the bluish Cimolian chalk[(92)], bitter almonds, flour of barley, and vetches, white struthium, seed of mellilot: all these are powdered and brought to a consistence with the bitterest honey, and being rubbed on in the evening, are always washed off in the morning.
CHAP. VI. OF THE DISORDERS OF THE EYES.
The foregoing are indispositions of small account. But our eyes are exposed to grievous and various maladies. And because they contribute so large a share both to the conveniency and pleasure of life, they deserve our utmost care to preserve them.
Presently after the appearance of a lippitude, there are certain indications, from which we may form a presage of the event. For, if a discharge of tears, and a tumour, and a thick gum too[(2)] have commenced at once; if that gum is mixed with tears, and the tears are not hot, also if the gum is white and soft, and the tumour not hard, there is no danger of the disorder continuing long. But if the tears are copious, and hot, the gum little in quantity, the tumour small, and these are confined to one eye; the case will prove tedious, but without danger. And this species of lippitude is not at all painful; but is hardly ever removed before the twentieth day; sometimes it continues for two months, and sometimes not so long.
If the gum begins to be white and soft, and is mixed with tears, or both these have attacked the two eyes at once; the lippitude may be of shorter continuance, but there is a danger of ulcers. Now a dry and parched gum occasions pain, but terminates sooner; unless it have produced some ulcer.