Of Medicine, in Eight Books

by Aulus Cornelius Celsus

If a gangrene seizes ulcers of the mouth, it is to be considered in the first place, whether the body be in a bad habit: if it be, that must be rectified; and then we may proceed to the cure of the ulcers. But if that disorder be on the surface, it does well enough to sprinkle a dry anthera upon the ulcer, if moist: if it be somewhat dry, it must be laid on with a small portion of honey: if a little deeper, two parts of burnt paper, and one of orpiment: if the disorder is of a considerable depth, three parts of burnt paper, and a fourth of orpiment, or equal parts of salt and iris both toasted; or equal parts of chalcitis, lime, and orpiment. But it is necessary to dip lint in rose oil, and apply over that escharotic medicines, to prevent their hurting the sound contiguous part. Some also throw in so much toasted salt into a hemina of strong vinegar, till it will dissolve no more; next, they boil away this vinegar till the remainder be dry; and powder the salt, and sprinkle it on the ulcers. Now, as often as a medicine is applied, both before and after, the mouth must be washed, either with cream of lentils, or a decoction of vetches, or olives, or vervains in water; and with any of these must be mixed a little honey. Vinegar of squills, also held in the mouth, has no small efficacy against these ulcers; and vinegar mixed again with the salt, boiled in vinegar, as before directed. But when either of these is used, it must be kept in the mouth a long time together, and be repeated twice or thrice in a day, as the malady is more or less severe. And if the patient be a child, a probe must be wrapped in wool, and dipped into a medicine, and held upon the ulcer; lest for want of thought, he should swallow the escharotics. But if there be a pain in the gums, and some of the teeth be loosened, they ought to be pulled out: for they very much obstruct the cure. If medicines do no service, the ulcers will require to be cauterized: which, however, is not necessary in the lips, because it is more convenient to cut them out. And both that which is cauterized, and that which is cut out, are equally incapable of being filled up without the manual operation. Now the bones of the gums, which have but little life in them, when once stripped by burning, continue bare ever after: for the flesh never grows again there. Upon the burnt places, however, lentils must be applied, till they recover their soundness, as far as the case will admit.

CHAP. XVI. OF PAROTID SWELLINGS.

These are the disorders in the head, which generally require the help of medicines, but under the ears, it is common for parotides[ GK ] to arise; sometimes in health, when an inflammation commences there; sometimes after long fevers, when the violence of the disease settles in that part. This is a kind of abscess: and therefore requires no peculiar method of cure. This one caution, however, is necessary, that if the swelling came without any preceding distemper, repellents should first of all be tried: if the disorder proceeds from any illness, that method is hurtful; and it is more expedient to have it maturated and opened as soon as possible.

CHAP. XVII. OF A PROMINENT NAVEL.

In the case of a prominent navel, to prevent the necessity of any chirurgical operation, trial must first be made of abstinence, and a clyster must be given; over the navel may be applied that composition, which consists of hemlock and soot, each p. i. *. ceruss washed, p. iv. *. lead washed p. viii. *. with two eggs; to which is likewise added the juice of night-shade. This ought to lie on for a pretty long time; and, in the mean while, the patient is to be restrained from motion, use a spare diet, and avoid every thing flatulent.

CHAP. XVIII. OF THE DISEASES OF THE PRIVATE PARTS.

The next disorders we are to treat of, are those of the private parts. The names of which amongst the Greeks are both more tolerable, and already established by custom; since they are of common use in almost every book and discourse of physicians: with us the terms are more indecent, and have had no sanction from the conversation of modest men to qualify their coarseness. This makes it difficult to treat of them so, as at once to preserve a delicacy of expression, and deliver plainly the precepts of the art. Nevertheless this circumstance ought not to deter me from writing. In the first place, because it is my intention to comprehend every thing, that I have learned to be useful; in the next place, because every body should know how to cure those disorders, which we are so unwilling to expose to another.

Therefore, if the penis be swelled from an inflammation, and the prepuce cannot either be drawn back, or brought forward again, the part must be fomented plentifully with warm water. And when the glans is covered, warm water must also be injected by a syringe, betwixt it and the skin. If the skin, mollified and extenuated by this means, can be drawn back, the subsequent part of the cure is more easy; if the swelling prevails against this remedy, lentils, or horehound, or olive leaves boiled in wine must be applied, and to any of these, while it is rubbed, a little honey is added; and the penis is to be tied up to the belly; which is necessary in the cure of all its disorders; and the patient ought to confine himself to a strict regimen, and abstain from eating, and relieve his thirst by nothing but water. The day following, the fomentation of water must be applied in the same way, and trial made, even with some degree of violence, to pull back the prepuce; if it will not give way, the surface of it must be slightly cut with a knife. For when the sanies is discharged, the part will be extenuated, and the prepuce more easily drawn back.