Of Medicine, in Eight Books

by Aulus Cornelius Celsus

These disorders all arise from internal causes. But externally the eye may be hurt by a blow, so as to become bloodshot. There is nothing more proper for this case than anointing with the blood of a pigeon, or ringdove, or swallow. Nor is this practice without reason; since the sight of these birds being hurt by some accident, in a little time is restored, and that of the swallow soonest; which gave rise to the fable, that their parents perform by an herb the cure, which is really the work of nature. Their blood therefore is a very proper remedy for our eyes in external hurts, in these different degrees of efficacy; the blood of a swallow is best, next to that of a ringdove; that of a pigeon is least medicinal both to itself and us.

Over an eye that has received a blow, in order to assuage the inflammation, it is also proper to apply cataplasms. Now sal ammoniac, or any other, ought to be very finely powdered, oil being dropped in by degrees, till it acquire the consistence of strigment. Then this is to be mixed with barley-meal boiled in mulse. Upon a review of all the cures published, even by physicians, it is easy to see, that there is hardly one of the abovementioned disorders of the eyes, which may not be sometimes removed by very simple and obvious remedies.

CHAP. VII. OF THE DISEASES OF THE EARS.

Thus far we have recited those disorders of the eyes, in which medicines are most efficacious; we must now proceed to the ears; the part, which nature has bestowed upon us next in usefulness to the eyes. But in these the danger is much greater. For the mischief arising from the distempers of the eyes is confined to themselves; whereas inflammations and pains of the ears sometimes occasion madness and death: which makes it the more necessary to administer speedy relief in their beginnings, to prevent any greater danger.

Wherefore, when a person first feels a pain, he ought to fast, and observe a strict regimen; the day following, if the disorder increases, to clip the hair of his head, and anoint it all over with ointment of iris warm, and to cover it. But a violent pain attended with a fever, and watching, requires also bleeding. If particular circumstances prevent that, the body must be kept open. Hot cataplasms too, frequently changed, are serviceable; either of the meal of fenugreek, or lint-seed, or any other, boiled in mulse. Spunges also squeezed out of hot water are proper to apply now and then. When the pain is eased, cerate made either of iris or cyprine oil ought to be put round it. In some, however, that which is made of oil of roses, succeeds better. If a violent inflammation prevents sleep entirely, to the cataplasm ought to be added half its quantity of poppy heads toasted and powdered; and then these may be boiled together in passum, or mulse. It is proper too to infuse some medicine into the ear: which ought always to be made tepid first, and is most conveniently dropped in by a strigil[(9)]. When the ear is filled, soft wool is to be put into it to keep the liquor from returning. And these are general remedies.

Now the medicines for injection are the juice of roses, and the roots of reeds, and oil, in which worms have been boiled, and the liquor of bitter almonds, or that, which is pressed from a peach kernel. The compositions for alleviating the inflammation and pain are generally these; of castor, poppy tears, equal quantities powdered, and afterwards mixed with passum. Or equal quantities of poppy tears, saffron, and myrrh are beat, rose oil and passum being added alternately. Or the bitter part of an Egyptian bean is powdered, and rose oil added to it: with which some also mix a little myrrh, or poppy tears, or frankincense with breast milk, or the juice of bitter almonds with rose oil. Or castor, myrrh, and poppy tears in equal quantities, with passum. Or of saffron p. i. *. myrrh, scissile allum, each p. iii. *. and in powdering these, three cyathi of passum are to be gradually mixed with them, and less than a cyathus of honey. This is one of the principal remedies. Or poppy tears with vinegar. We may also use Themison’s composition, which consists of castor, opopanax, poppy tears with vinegar, each p. ii. *. aphronitre p. iv. *. which being powdered are incorporated with passum, till they be of the consistence of cerate; and so laid by. When they are wanted for use, the medicine is again rubbed down by a pistil, with the addition of passum. This is a constant rule, whenever a medicine is too thick for dropping into the ear, that liquor must be added, with which it ought to be compounded, till it be sufficiently fluid.

Of pus in the ears.

But if there is pus in the ears, it is proper to infuse lycium by itself; or ointment of iris; or juice of leek, with honey; or juice of centory with passum; or juice of a pomegranate warmed in its own shell, with the addition of a small proportion of myrrh. A proper mixture is also made of the myrrh called stacte p. i. *. the same quantity of saffron, twenty five bitter almonds, a cyathus and half of honey; which being rubbed together, are to be warmed in a pomegranate shell, when they are to be used. Those medicines, which are compounded for an ulcerated mouth, are equally sanative to ulcers of the ears. If these be of pretty long standing, and there is a great discharge of sanies, the proper composition is that generally ascribed to Erasistratus. It contains of pepper, saffron, each p. i. *. myrrh, misy calcined, each p. ii. *. calcined copper p. ii. *. These are rubbed down with wine; when they are grown dry, three heminae of passum are added, and they are boiled together. When they are to be used, honey and wine are added to them. There is also a medicine of Ptolemaeus the surgeon; which contains mastich, galls, of each p. i. *. omphacium p. i. *. juice of the pomegranate. That of Menophilus is very efficacious, which consists of the following things; of long pepper p. i. *. castor p. ii. *. myrrh, saffron, poppy tears, Syrian nard, frankincense, pomegranate bark, the inner part of an Egyptian bean, bitter almonds, the best honey, each p. iv. *. When they are powdered, the sharpest vinegar is added, till the whole be of the consistence of passum. There is also a composition of Crato’s; of cinnamon, cassia, each p. i. *. nard, lycium, myrrh, each p. i. *. aloes p. ii. *. honey, three cyathi, wine a sextarius. Of these the lycium is boiled with the wine; after that mixed with the other ingredients. But if the quantity of pus be great, and there is a bad smell; of rasile verdigrease, frankincense, each p. ii. *. honey, two cyathi, of vinegar four, are boiled all together. When the composition is to be used, it is mixed with sweet wine. Or scissile allum, poppy tears, juice of acacia are mixed in equal quantities, and to these is added juice of henbane less than half the quantity of any of the other ingredients; and these being powdered are diluted with wine. The juice of henbane too by itself is pretty good.

Asclepiades compounded a general remedy against all disorders of the ears, which is now approved by experience. In it there are of cinnamon, cassia, each p. i. *. flowers of round cyperus, castor, white pepper, and long, amomum, myrobalans, each two scruples, male frankincense, Syrian nard, fat myrrh, saffron, aphronitre, each p. ii. *. Which being powdered separately, and afterwards mixed, are rubbed down with vinegar; and being thus preserved are diluted with vinegar when used. In the same manner, the sphragis of Polybus liquified with sweet wine, is a general remedy for disorders in the ears; which composition is contained in the former book.

But if sanies is discharged, and there is a tumour, it is not improper to wash it with diluted wine by a syringe; and then to infuse rough wine mixed with oil of roses, and the addition of a little spodium, or lycium with milk, or the juice of the blood herb, with oil of roses, or juice of pomegranate with a very small proportion of myrrh.