Of Medicine, in Eight Books

by Aulus Cornelius Celsus

If again they are round, which chiefly molest children, both the same medicines may be given, and something more gentle, as the seed of nettles powdered, or of cabbage, or cummin with water, or mint with the same, or a decoction of wormwood, or hyssop in hydromel, or the seed of cresses powdered with vinegar. It is good also to eat lupines, and garlick, or to have clysters of oil administered.

CHAP. XVIII. OF A TENESMUS, AND ITS CURE.

There is also another distemper, which is more mild than any I have been treating of, called by the Greeks tenesmus[ DE ]. This ought to be ranked neither with the acute nor the chronic disorders, since it may be easily removed, and by itself never proves mortal. In this, as well as in a dysentery, there is a frequent motion to stool; and equal pain, when any thing is excreted. Something like to phlegm and mucus is discharged, sometimes too, slightly tinctured with blood; but with these is sometimes mixed what has been duly concocted from the food.

It is proper to sit down in warm water; to apply something to the anus itself pretty often. For which purpose many medicines are suitable: butter with oil of roses; acacia dissolved in vinegar; that plaister, which the Greeks call tetrapharmacum[(29)], melted with rose oil; alum wrapped in wool, and thus applied; and the same injections which relieve in the dysentery; the same decoction of vervains to foment the lower parts. Every other day, water and light austere wine are to be drunk alternately. The drink ought to be egelid, and nearer to cold: the diet of the same nature as we have directed for a dysentery.

CHAP. XIX. OF A SIMPLE PURGING, AND ITS CURE.

A purging, while recent, is still a more gentle distemper, in which the discharge is both liquid, and more frequent than ordinary. In this the pain is sometimes tolerable, at other times very severe; and that shews a greater violence of the disease. But for the belly to be loose for one day is often salutary; and even for several days, provided there be no fever, and it cease in seven days. For thus the body is cleansed; and what would have hurt internally, is advantageously evacuated. But the continuance of it is dangerous; for sometimes it brings on a dysentery, and febriculas, and wastes the strength.

It is sufficient to rest the first day; and not to stop the flux of the belly. If it has ceased spontaneously, to make use of the bath, to take a little food: if it continues, to abstain, not only from food, but from drink also. On the day following, if the belly still be loose, to continue at rest; and take a very little astringent food. On the third day to go into the bath; to rub every part of the body briskly, except the belly; to expose the loins and shoulders to the heat of the fire; to take food, but such as is astringent to the belly; a little wine undiluted. If on the day following the purging shall continue, to eat more, but likewise to vomit. Upon the whole, to struggle against it by thirst, fasting, and vomiting, till it ceases: for it is scarcely possible, that after this care the belly should not be bound.

There is another method, when one has a mind to stop the flux, to take supper, and then to vomit; on the day after, to rest in bed; to be anointed in the evening, but gently; then to eat half a pound of bread in neat Aminaean wine; next, something roasted, and especially a bird; and afterwards to drink the same wine mixed with rain water; and to continue in this course till the fifth day, and vomit again. Asclepiades, contrary to former authors, affirmed, that the drink ought always to be cold, and indeed as cold as possible. My opinion is, that every one may determine by his own experience, whether he should use it hot or cold.

But it sometimes happens, that this disorder, neglected for several days, may be more difficult to cure; it is proper to begin with a vomit; then on the evening of the following day, to be anointed in a tepid place; to eat moderately, and drink wine undiluted and as rough as can be got; to keep rue with cerate applied over the belly. And in this state of the body, neither walking nor friction are proper: riding in a chariot is good, on horseback much better; for nothing strengthens the intestines more.

If medicines are to be made use of, those composed of the apple kind are most suitable. At the time of vintage, pears and crab apples are to be thrown into a large vessel; if these cannot be had, green tarentine pears, or signine, the apples called scandiana or amerina, or pears called myrrhapia[(30)]; and to these quinces must be added, and pomegranates with their bark, service fruit, and, which are more used, the torminalia, and let these take up the third part of the jar; after that it must be filled with must, and boiled till the whole contents being dissolved unite into one mass. This is not unpleasant to the taste; and whenever the case requires it, taken moderately, without any prejudice to the stomach it binds the belly: it is sufficient to take two or three spoonfuls in one day. Another stronger medicine is, to gather myrtle berries, and press the wine from them, to boil it to the tenth part, and sup a cyathus of that. The third, which may be got at any time, is to scoop a pomegranate, and taking out all the seeds, to put in again the membranes, that were betwixt them; then to drop in raw eggs, and mix them up with a small wooden stirrer; then to put the shell over the fire, which does not burn, while there is any moisture within; when it begins to grow dry, it is proper to remove it, and taking out the contents with a spoon, to eat them. This acquires great efficacy by the addition of some other things: therefore it is even put into pepper wine, and mixed with salt, and pepper, and eaten with these: and pulse may be taken also boiled with some old honeycomb. And lentils boiled with pomegranate bark, and bramble tops boiled in water, and eaten with oil and vinegar, are efficacious: as also to drink the decoction either of dates, or quinces, or dry service fruit, or bramble berries; and I mean this kind of liquor, whenever I direct such drink to be given as is astringent. A hemina of wheat also is boiled in austere Aminaean wine; and the wheat is given to a person fasting and thirsty, and after that the wine is supped: this may justly be ranked amongst the most powerful medicines. And the signine wine is given also to drink, or resinated austere, or any other austere kind. And the pomegranate is bruised with its shells and seeds, and is mixed with such wine; and a person either sups this alone, or drinks it mixed. But the use of medicines is needless, unless where the disorder is violent.