Of Medicine, in Eight Books

by Aulus Cornelius Celsus

A large tumour, if it be without pain, and dry, is void of all danger; if it be dry, but attended with pain, it commonly ulcerates; and sometimes, from this case it happens, that the eye-lid is agglutinated to the eye. There is room also to fear an ulceration in the eye-lids or the pupil, when besides great pain, there is a discharge of salt and hot tears; or even when after the tumour is removed, the tears flow for a long time mixed with the gum.

It is worse still, where the gum is pale or livid, the tears are scalding, or in great quantity, the head hot, and the pain reaches from the temples to the eyes, also if the person is distressed with wakefulness in the night; for in such circumstances, generally the eye bursts, when it were to be wished, it would only ulcerate. A slight fever is of service to an eye that bursts inwardly. If it breaks and is protruded externally, the case admits of no remedy. If from a black colour, some part of it has become whitish, it continues long. But if it be rough and thick, even after the cure, it leaves some mark.

Hippocrates, the most ancient author we have, has observed in his writings, that the eyes are cured by bleeding, by medicines, the bath, fomentations, and drinking of wine. But he has not explained the proper time for these, and the reasons for their use; in which the principal part of medicine consists. There is also much benefit received from abstinence and clysters.

They are sometimes seized with an inflammation; in which they are at once pained and swelled; and there follows a discharge of gum; sometimes more, sometimes less plentiful, or acrid. In such a case, the principal remedies are rest and abstinence. Wherefore, for the first day, the patient ought to lie in a dark place, and even refrain from speaking; to take no food at all; if he can command himself, not so much as water; if he cannot do that, at least as little of it as possible.

But if the pains are severe, blood must be taken away, and preferably on the second day; but if the case be urgent, on the first; especially if the veins in the forehead swell, the patient be strong, and there is a redundancy of matter: but if the illness be less severe, it calls for a milder cure. It is not necessary to give a clyster, till the second or third day. But a small inflammation requires neither of these remedies; and it is sufficient to rest and fast.

Nevertheless, long fasting is not proper in lippitudes, lest it render the gum more fetid and acrid; but on the second day, some of the gentlest of those things, that generate a thicker phlegm[(3)], ought to be given, such as sorbile eggs; if the disorder be but slight, pulticula, or bread sopped in milk. On the following days, as much as the inflammation decreases, so much may the quantity of food be increased; but of the same kind; so that above all, nothing salt, or acrid, or extenuating be taken; and nothing be used for drink but water. And with respect to diet, such a regimen is highly necessary.

Now on the first day of the distemper, it is proper to mix p. i. *. of saffron, and p. ii. *. of the finest, whitest flour, with the white of an egg to the consistence of honey; and to spread this upon a piece of linen, and apply it to the forehead, that by compressing the veins, it may restrain the violent flux of gum. If saffron cannot be had, frankincense has the same effect. It makes no difference whether it be spread upon a bit of linen, or wool. The eyes ought to be anointed with the following composition: as much saffron as can be held with three fingers, myrrh, the bigness of a bean, of poppy tears, the bigness of a lentil, are rubbed down together with passum, and daubed over the eyes with a probe. Another for the same purpose consists of myrrh, p. i. *. mandrake juice p. ii. *. poppy tears p. ii. *. rose leaves, hemlock seed, each p. iii. *. acacia p. iv. *. gum p. viii. *. And these are applied in the day time; but in the night, for promoting rest, it is not improper to lay on the crumb of white bread mixed up with wine. For that both restrains the flux of gum, and if any tears are discharged, it absorbs them, and does not suffer the eyes to be glued up.

If the pain of the eyes be so great as to make this application uneasy and too hard, both the white and yolk of an egg must be dropped into a cup, and a little mulse added to them, and these mixed with the finger; when they are incorporated, soft wool combed, ought to be dipped in it, and saturated with it, and applied over the eyes. This is light, and by cooling restrains the gum; besides, it does not grow dry, nor suffer the eye to be glued. Barley-meal also boiled and mixed with a boiled quince is a proper application. And it is no absurd practice to use rather a pencillum squeezed out of water, if the disorder be less severe, if more so, out of vinegar and water. The former applications are to be bound on with a roller, lest they fall off in the time of sleep: but it is sufficient to lay the pencillum on the eyes; both because it can be conveniently replaced by the patient himself, and because, when it has grown dry, it must be moistened again. If the disorder is so great as to prevent sleep for a long time, some of the medicines are to be given, which the Greeks call anodyne: and for a boy, the bigness of a vetch is a sufficient dose; for a man, the bigness of a bean. On the first day, it is not fit to inject any thing into the eye, unless the inflammation be very great: for the gum is often rather invited than diminished by that means. But on the second day, even in a severe lippitude, it is proper to relieve by the injection of medicines, when either the patient has been bled, or a clyster has been given; or it appears, that neither of these was necessary.

There are many collyriums proper for this purpose, invented by different authors; and new ones may still be made; since lenient and gently repelling medicines may be easily mixed in various proportions. I shall mention the most celebrated of them.

Philon’s collyrium.