REMEDIES FOR ULCERS AND WOUNDS

Latine · Mayhoff 1906

Ulcera multorum sunt generum ac multis modis curantur. panacis omnium generum radix ex vino calido inlinitur manantibus. siccat privatim quam Chironiam diximus; cum melle trita tubera aperit ulceribusque, quae serpunt, deploratis auxilio est cum aeris flore vino temperata omnibus modis, vel semine vel flore vel radice. eadem cum polenta vetustis volneribus prodest, Heraclion quoque siderion, Apollinaris, psyllium, tragacantha. scordotis cum melle purgat; farina eius carnis excrescentes per se inspersa consumit. Polemonia ulcera, quae cacoëthe vocant, sanat; centaurium maius inspersum vel inlitum, item minoris coma decocta vel trita vetera quoque ulcera purgat et persanat. folliculi clymeni recentibus plagis inponuntur. inlinitur autem Gentiana ulceribus, quae serpunt, radice tusa vel decocta in aqua ad mellis crassitudinem vel suco, volneribus ex ea factum Lycium. Lysimachia recentibus plagis medetur, plantago omnium generum ulceribus, peculiariter senum et infantium. igni emollita melior et cum cerato crassa ulcerum labra purgat, nomas sistit; tritam suis foliis integere oportet. suppurationes, collectiones, sinus ulcerum chelidonia quoque siccantur, volnera adeo, ut etiam pro spodio utantur; eadem iam desperatis cum axungia inponitur. dictamnum pota sagittas pellit et alia tela extrahit inlita—bibitur ex aquae cyatho foliorum obolo—, proxime pseudodictamnum; utraque et suppurationes discutit. aristolochia quoque putria ulcera exest, sordida purgat cum melle vermesque extrahit, item clavos in ulcere natos et infixa corpori omnia, praecipue sagittas et ossa fracta cum resina, cava vero ulcera explet per se et cum iride, recentia vulnera ex aceto; vetera ulcera verbenaca, quinquefolium cum sale et melle. radices persollatae volneribus ferro inlatis recentibus inponuntur, folia veteribus; cum axungia utrimque et suo folio operitur damasonium, ut in struma, folia verbasci ex aceto ant vino. peristereos ad omnia genera vel callosorum putrescentiumque ulcerum facit. manantia nymphaeae Heracliae radix sanat, item cyclamini radix vel per se vel ex aceto vel cum melle; eadem et contra steatomata efficax. sic et ad ulcera manantia hysopum, item peucedanum; ei ad recentia volnera vis tanta est, ut squamam ossibus extrahat. praestant hoc et anagallides cohibentque quas vocant nomas et rheumatismos, utiles et recentibus plagis, sed praecipue senum corpori, cum cerato apostemata et ulcera taetra folia mandragorae recentia, radix volnera cum melle aut oleo, cicuta cum siligine mixta mero, aizoum herpetas quoque ac nomas ac putrescentia, sicut erigeron verminosa, recentia autem volnera astragali radix et vetera ulcera, quae purgat hypocisthis utraque. leontopodii semen tritum in aqua et cum polenta inlitum spicula sagittarum extrahit, item pycnocomi semen. tithymallus characias suco gangraenas, phagedaenas, putria vel decocto ramorum cum polenta et oleo, orchis radices hoc amplius et cacoëthe cum melle, siccae et recentes per se vulnera, onothera efferantia sese ulcera sanat. Scythae ulcera Scythica curant. ad carcinomata argemonia ex melle efficacissima est. ulceribus praesanatis asphodeli radix decocta ut diximus, trita cum polenta et inlita, quibuscumque vero Apollinaris, astragali radix in pulverem trita umidis ulceribus prodest, item callithrix decocta in aqua, privatim vero iis, quae calciamento facta sint, verbenaca nec non et Lysimachia contrita ac nymphaea arida infriata. polythrix inveteratis iisdem utilior est. — Polycnemon cunilae bubulae similis est, semine pulei, surculosa, multis geniculis, corymbo [odorata ] acri et dulci odore, ferro factis conmanducata inponitur, quinto die solvitur. symphyton ad cicatricem celerrime perducit, item sideritis; haec inponitur ex melle. verbasci semine ac foliis ex vino decoctis ac tritis omnia infixa corpori extrahuntur, item mandragorae foliis cum polenta, cyclamini radicibus cum melle. trixaginis folia in oleo contrita iis maxime adhibentur ulceribus, quae serpunt, et alcima in melle trita, Vettonica ad carcinomata et malandrias veteres addito sale.

Verrucas tollit argemonia ex aceto vel batrachii radix, quae et ungues scabros aufert, linozostidis utriusque folia vel sucus inlitus. tithymalli omnes genera verrucarum omnia, item pterygia, varos tollunt; cicatrices cum elegantia ad colorem reducit ladanum.—

English · Bostock & Riley 1855–57

Of ulcers there are numerous kinds, which are treated in various ways. The root of all the varieties of panaces is used as an application for running ulcers, in warm wine.

That which we have spoken of as the “chironion” is particularly good as a desiccative: bruised with honey, it opens tumours, and is useful for serpiginous ulcers, the cure of which appears more than doubtful; in which case it is amalgamated with flower of copper tempered with wine, either the seed, flower, or root, being employed for the purpose. Mixed with polenta it is good for old wounds. The following are also good detergents for wounds: heraclion siderion, apollinaris, psyllion, tragacantha, and scordotis mixed with honey. Powdered scordotis, applied by itself, consumes fleshy excrescences on the body. Polemonia is curative of the malignant ulcer known as “cacoëthes.” The greater centaury, sprinkled in powder, or applied in the form of a liniment, or the leaves of the smaller centaury, boiled or pounded, act as a detergent upon inveterate ulcers, and effect a cure. To recent wounds, the follicules of the clymenus are applied. Gentian is applied to serpiginous ulcers, the root being bruised or else boiled down in water to the consistency of honey; the juice also of the plant is employed. For wounds, a kind of lycium is prepared from gentian.

Lysimachia is curative of recent wounds, and plantago of all kinds of liberations, those on females, infants, and aged persons more particularly. This plant, when softened by the action of fire, is better still: in combination with cerate it acts as a detergent upon ulcers with indurated edges, and arrests the progress of corrosive sores: when applied bruised, it should be covered with its own leaves. Chelidonia also acts as a desiccative upon suppurations, abscesses, and fistulous ulcers; indeed, it is so remarkably useful for the cure of wounds, as to be employed as a substitute for spodium even. In cases where the cure is almost hopeless, it is applied with axle-grease. Dittany, taken internally, causes arrows to fall from the flesh; used as a liniment, it has the effect of extracting other kinds of pointed weapons: the leaves are taken in the proportion of one obolus to one cyathus of water. Nearly equal in its efficacy is pseudo-dictamnon: they are both of them useful, also, for dispersing suppurations.

Aristolochia cauterizes putrid sores, and, applied with honey, acts as a detergent upon sordid ulcers. At the same time also, it removes maggots, and extracts hard cores, and all foreign bodies adhering to the flesh, arrows more particularly, and, applied with resin, splintered bones. Used by itself, it fills the cavities made by ulcers with new flesh, and, employed with iris, in vinegar, it closes recent wounds. Vervain, or cinquefoil with salt and honey, is remedial for ulcers of long standing. Roots of persolata are applied to recent wounds inflicted with iron, but for old wounds, it is the leaves that are employed: in both cases, in combination with axle-grease, the sore being then covered with the leaves of the plant. Damasonium is used for wounds the same way as for scrofula, and leaves of verbascum are employed with vinegar or wine.

Vervain is useful for all kinds of callosities or putrid sores; root of nymphæa heraclia is curative of running ulcers; and the same is the case with root of cyclaminos, either used by itself, or in combination with vinegar or honey. This last root is useful also for the cure of steatomatous tumours, and hyssop for that of running ulcers; an effect equally produced by peucedanum, a plant which exercises so powerful an influence upon fresh wounds, as to cause exfoliation even of the bones. The two varieties of anagallis are possessed of similar properties, and act as a check upon the corrosive sores known as “nomæ” and upon defluxions; they are useful also in cases of recent wounds, those of aged people in particular. Fresh leaves of mandragora, applied with cerate, are curative of apostemes and sordid ulcers: the root too is used, with honey or oil, for wounds.

Hemlock, incorporated with flour of winter wheat by the agency of wine—as also the plant aizoüm —is curative of herpetic eruptions, and corrosive or putrid sores. Erigeron is employed for ulcers which breed maggots. Root of astragalus is used for the cure of recent wounds or of ulcers of long standing; and upon these last either kind of hypocisthis acts as a detergent. Seed of leontopodium, bruised in water and applied with polenta, extracts pointed weapons from the flesh: a result equally produced by using seed of pycnocomon. The tithyinalos characias supplies its juice for the cure of gangrenes, phagedænic sores, and putrid ulcers; or else a decoction is made of the branches with polenta and oil. Boots of orchis have a similar effect; in addition to which, applied, either dry or fresh gathered, with honey and vinegar, they are curative of the ulcer known as “cacoëthes.” Onothera also, used by itself, is curative of ulcers when rapidly gaining head.

The people of Scythia employ scythice for the treatment of wounds. For carcinoma, argemonia, applied with honey, is extremely efficacious. For sores that have prematurely closed, root of asphodel is boiled, in manner already stated and then beaten up with polenta, and applied. For all kinds of wounds apollinaris is very useful. Root of astragalus, reduced to powder, is good for running ulcers; the same, too, with callithrix, boiled in water. For blisters, more particularly when caused by the shoes, vervain is used, as also pounded lysimachia, or nymphæa dried and powdered; but when they have assumed the form of inveterate ulcers, polythrix will be found more serviceable.

Polycnemon is a plant which resembles cunila bubula; it has a seed like that of pennyroyal, a ligneous stem with numerous articulations, and odoriferous umbels, with a pleasant though pungent smell. This plant is chewed and applied to wounds inflicted with iron, the application being removed at the end of four days. Symphyton causes sores to cicatrize with the greatest rapidity; the same, too, with sideritis, which is applied in combination with honey. The seed and leaves of verbascum, boiled in wine and pounded, are used for the extraction of all foreign substances adhering to the body; and a similar use is made of leaves of mandragora mixed with polenta, and roots of cyclaminos with honey. Leaves of trixago, bruised in oil, are used for ulcers of a serpiginous nature more particularly, as also sea-weed bruised with honey. Betony, with the addition of salt, is employed for the cure of carcinomatous sores and inveterate blisters on the neck.

Argemonia with vinegar, or root of batrachion, removes warts; this last having the effect also of bringing off malformed nails. The juice or the leaves, applied topically, of either kind of linozostis, remove warts. All the varieties of tithymalos are efficacious for the removal of every kind of wart, as also of hangnails and wens. Ladanum imparts a fresh colour and seemly appearance to scars.