Of Medicine, in Eight Books

by Aulus Cornelius Celsus

And indeed the method of cure is not new, to make use of contrary medicines, by which at this time some recover patients committed to their charge, who were long under the care of more cautious physicians. For even amongst the ancients before Herophilus and Erasistratus, but after Hippocrates, was one Petron, who, as soon as he was called to a person in a fever, laid a great many cloaths upon him, that he might at once excite a great heat and thirst. After that, when the fever began to be a little abated, he gave cold water to drink; and if it once raised a sweat, he pronounced the patient to be out of danger: if it had not procured that discharge, he gave still more cold water, and then obliged him to vomit. If by either method he freed the person from the fever, he immediately gave him roast pork and wine. If it did not give way to these methods, he boiled water with salt, and obliged him to drink it, that by vomiting he might cleanse his belly[(9)].

And these particulars made up his whole practice. Which was not less acceptable to those, whom the successors of Hippocrates had not recovered, than it is to those in this age, who have been long unsuccessfully treated by the followers of Herophilus or Erasistratus. Nor is this kind of medicine upon this account not to be esteemed rash; because if it has been pursued from the beginning, it kills more, than it cures. But since the same things cannot agree with every body, those commonly, who are not restored by a rational method, are relieved by temerity; and for that reason physicians of that class manage another’s patients better than their own. But it is a practice not unbecoming even the man of circumspection, at times both to change a distemper, and to increase one, and to inflame fevers; because where the disorder, that is present, does not admit of a cure, another may, which is to succeed in its place.

CHAP. X. REMEDIES FOR THE CONCOMITANT SYMPTOMS OF FEVERS.

It is necessary also to consider, whether fevers are simple, or whether other disorders are not likewise concomitant; that is, whether the head be pained, the tongue rough, or the præcordia tense. If there be pains in the head, it is proper to mix oil of roses with vinegar, and to apply that[(10)]; then to have two pieces of cloth, which are as broad and as long as the forehead; to have one of these alternately in the vinegar and rose-oil, and the other on the forehead; or to put on sordid wool dipped in the same. If vinegar is offensive, pure oil of roses must be used. If even the rose-oil is offensive, bitter oil. If these do little service, dry iris, or bitter almonds, or any of the cooling herbs may be powdered. Any of them mixed with vinegar and laid upon the part lessens the pain: but in some one of these is more successful, and in others another. Relief is also procured by bread laid on with poppies, or with oil of roses, cerus, or litharge. It is also not improper to smell at either serpyllum or dill.

But if there is an inflammation and pain in the præcordia, in the first place restringent cataplasms must be applied; and not the hotter kind, lest there should be a greater flux of matter thither. After that, as soon as the inflammation has abated, recourse must be had to hot and moist, in order to discuss what remains. Now the marks of inflammation are four, redness, and swelling, together with heat, and pain. So much was Erasistratus mistaken, when he declared there was no fever without it.

Wherefore if there is pain without inflammation, nothing is to be applied at all; for the fever itself will presently remove that. But if there is neither an inflammation, nor fever, but only a pain of the præcordia, warm and dry fomentations may be immediately used. If the tongue is dry and scabrous, it is first to be wiped with a penecillum dipped in hot water; and then anointed with a mixture of rose-oil and honey. The honey cleanses, and the oil of roses restringes, and at the same time does not suffer it to grow dry. But if it is not rough, but only dry, after wiping it with the penecillum it ought to be anointed with rose-oil mixed with a little wax.

CHAP. XI. REMEDIES AGAINST A COLDNESS OF THE EXTREMITIES PRECEDING A FEVER.

It is common also for a coldness to precede fevers, which of itself is a very troublesome kind of disorder. When it is expected, the patient must be forbid all drink: for giving this a little before much increases the malady. He is also to be timely covered with many cloaths. Dry and hot fomentations are to be used to those parts, for which we are apprehensive; in such a manner that the most violent heat may not begin immediately, but increase gradually. And those parts are to be rubbed with the hands anointed with old oil, and some of the warming medicines may be added to it. And some physicians are content with one friction with any kind of oil. In the remissions of such fevers some give three or four cyathi of gruel, while the fever still continues; and then, when it is quite over, refresh the stomach with cold and light food. I think this ought to be then tried, when food once given, and that after the fever, does little service.

But great care must be taken, that we be not deceived as to the time of the remission; for even in this kind of distemper, often the fever seems to abate, and again increases. Wherefore we must trust no remission, but that, which both continues, and lessens the restlessness, and excessive heat of the body, which the Greeks call[(11)] zesis[ BD ]. This is a rule generally received, if every day the fits are equal, to give a little food every day: if unequal, food must be given after the most severe; after the milder hydromel.