Of Medicine, in Eight Books

by Aulus Cornelius Celsus

This malady is increased by rest. Therefore there is a necessity for exercise and labour: care being taken however that these be not carried too far, lest they produce a fever. Unction and friction, and sweatings are necessary. Every thing sweet is hurtful; also milk, and cheese. Acids are most agreeable; therefore it is good to sup sharp vinegar alone, and more especially that, which is tinctured with squills. Salt fish is to be eaten, or olives in hard brine; lettuce in vinegar; endive also, and betes in the same manner; and mustard, wild radish, and parsnips: of animal food the heels, and cheeks, lean birds, and venison of the same kind. A decoction of wormwood in water may be given for drink fasting: but after meat the water, in which a smith has often extinguished hot iron, for this very powerfully contracts the spleen: the discovery of which property we owe to an observation made upon animals bred in the houses of smiths, that they have very small spleens. Small and austere wine may also be given; and every thing in food or drink, which is diuretic: of great efficacy for that purpose is trefoil seed, or cummin, or smallage, or serpyllum, or cytisus[(23)], or thyme, or hyssop, or savory: for these seem very proper to promote a discharge of the humour from it. It is good also to eat of the spleen of beef: and rocket and cresses are remarkable for attenuating the spleen. There must be some external application to ease the pain. Such is composed from a kind of acorns[(24)] used by the Unguentarii, which the Greeks call myrobalani[ CW ]: or the seeds of lint, and cresses mixed with wine and oil: also of green cypress and dry figs: or of mustard and a fourth part of the suet of a goat’s kidneys, and this is rubbed in the sun and applied immediately. And the caper too is fit for this disorder in many forms; for it may both be eaten itself with meat, and its pickle with vinegar supped. Moreover the root powdered or its bark with bran, or the caper itself powdered, and mixed with honey, may be applied externally. There are also malagmas calculated for this purpose.

CHAP. X. OF THE DISEASES OF THE KIDNEYS, AND THEIR CURE.

But where the kidneys are affected, the disorder continues long. It is worse if attended with a frequent bilious vomiting. It is proper to rest; to lie soft; to open the belly; and even to give a clyster if it will not do without it; to sit down often in warm water; to take neither meat nor drink cold; to abstain from every thing salt, acrimonious, acid, and fruit of the apple kind; to drink freely; to add sometimes to the meat, and sometimes to the drink, pepper, leeks, ferula[(25)], white poppies, which usually cause a great discharge of urine from the kidneys.

If they be ulcerated, and the ulcers are to be cleansed, the remedy is sixty seeds of cucumber blanched, fifteen kernels of the wild pine, as much anise as can be held betwixt three fingers, a little saffron; all these powdered, and divided into two draughts of mulse.

If the pain only is to be relieved, the medicine is thirty seeds of cucumber, and twenty of the kernels mentioned before, five sweet almonds, a little saffron powdered, and given to drink with milk. And besides these it is proper to apply some malagmas; especially such as are fit for drawing out moisture.

CHAP. XI. OF THE CHOLERA, AND ITS CURE.

From the bowels we proceed to the intestines, which are obnoxious both to acute and chronic distempers. And first of all we shall make mention of the cholera; because that seems at once to affect equally the stomach and intestines. For at the same time there is both a purging and vomiting: besides these, there are flatulencies, the intestines are racked, bile is forced both upwards and downwards, first resembling water, then as if fresh meat had been washed in it, sometimes white, sometimes black, or variously coloured. Upon this account the Greeks gave this distemper the name of cholera[ CX ]. And besides what we have taken notice of already, the legs and hands too are often contracted, thirst torments, and there are faintings. Where all these concur, it is not to be wondered, if the patient die suddenly. And nevertheless there is no distemper obviated with less trouble.

Wherefore upon the first appearance of these symptoms it is proper to drink plenty of tepid water and to vomit. That scarce ever fails to vomit: but although it miscarries in that, yet it is of use to mix new matter with the corrupted; and it is a step in the recovery, if the vomiting be stopped. If that happens, all drink must immediately be abstained from. But if there be bloody stools, it is fit to bathe the stomach with something cold, or if the belly be pained, with the same egelid, the belly itself being assisted by medicines moderately warm. But if the vomiting, and purging, and thirst, all at once torment greatly, and what is vomited is yet somewhat crude, it is not a proper time to give wine: water must be given, and that not cold, but rather egelid. And penny-royal with vinegar must be applied to the nostrils, or polenta sprinkled with wine, or mint, or what is comfortable or refreshing to nature[(26)].

But when the crudity is removed, then there is more apprehension of the person fainting. Wherefore at such time recourse must be had to wine: which ought to be small, aromatic, and mixed with cold water, either with the addition of polenta, or a piece of bread, which also it is proper to eat: and as often as the stomach or belly has discharged, so often to recruit the strength by these means. Erasistratus directed to mix at first three or five drops of wine with every draught, and then to add more wine by degrees. He was in the right, if he gave wine from the beginning, and then found reason to fear a crudity: but if he imagined a great weakness could be relieved by three drops of wine, he was mistaken.

But if the patient be empty, and his legs contracted, wormwood must be given to drink now and then. If the extremities be cold, they must be anointed with hot oil, with the addition of a little wax; and cherished with hot fomentations. If even by these relief has not been procured, a cucurbital must be applied externally over the stomach itself, or mustard put upon it. When that is composed, it is proper for him to sleep; and on the day following to abstain from drinking; on the third day to go into the bath; to recruit himself gradually by food; and sleep, if he can rest easily; and to avoid fatigue and colds. If after the suppression of the cholera a feverishness remains, it is necessary to give a clyster, then to take food and wine. Now this distemper is both acute, and so much seated betwixt the intestines and the stomach, that it is hard to say, to which it peculiarly belongs.