REMEDIES FOR BOWEL COMPLAINTS

Latine · Mayhoff 1906

Alvum sistit cervi sanguis, item cornus cinis, iocur aprunum ex vino potum citra salem recensque, item assum, vel suillum, hircinum decoctum ad quintas hemina in vino, coagulum leporis in vino ciceris magnitudine aut, si febris sit, ex aqua—aliqui et gallam adiciunt, alii per se leporis sanguine contenti sunt—, lac coctum, equini fimi cinis in aquae potu, taurini cornus veteris e parte ima cinis inspersus potioni aquae, sanguis hircinus carbone decoctus, corium caprinum cum suo pilo decoctum suco epoto, coagulum equi et sanguis caprinus vel medulla vel iocur.—Alvum solvit fel lupi cum elaterio umbilico inlitum vel lactis equini potus, item caprini cum sale et melle, caprae fel cum cyclamini suco et aluminis momento —aliqui et nitrum et aquam adiecisse malunt—, fel tauri cum absinthio tritum ac subditum pastillo, butyrum largius sumptum. —Coeliacis et dysintericis medetur iocur vaccinum, cornus cervini cinis III digitis captus in potione aquae, coagulum leporis subactum in pane, si vero sanguinem detrahant, in polenta, apruni vel suilli vel leporini fimi cinis inspersus potioni tepidi vini. vituli quoque ius vulgariter dari inter auxilia coeliacorum et dysintericorum tradunt. lactis asinini potus utilior addito melle, nec minus efficax fimi cinis ex vino utrique vitio, item polea supra dicta, equi coagulum, quod aliqui hippacen appellant, etiam si sanguinem detrahant, vel fimi cinis dentiumque eiusdem tusorum farina salutares et bubuli lactis decocti potus. dysintericis addi mellis exiguum praecipiunt et, si tormina sint, cornus cervini cinerem aut fel taurinum cumino mixtum et cucurbitae carnes umbilico inponere. caseus recens vaccinus inmittitur ad utrumque vitium, item butyrum heminis IIII cum resinae terebinthinae sextante aut cum malva decocta aut cum rosaceo. datur et sebum vitulinum aut bubulum, item medulla —et coquitur cum farinae ceraeque exiguo et oleo, ut sorberi possit, medulla et in pane subigitur—, lac caprinum ad dimidias partes decoctum; si sint et tormina, additur protropum. torminibus satis esse remedii in leporis coagulo poto e vino tepido vel semel arbitrantur aliqui; cautiores et sanguine caprino cum farina hordeacea et resina ventrem inlinunt. ad omnes epiphoras ventris inlini caseum mollem suadent, veterem autem in farinam tritum coeliacis et dysintericis dari, cyatho casei in cyathis vini cibarii III. sanguis caprinus decoctus cum medulla dysintericis, iocur assum caprae coeliacis subvenit, magisque etiam hirci, in vino austero decoctum potumque vel ex oleo myrteo umbilico inpositum. quidam decocunt a III sextariis aquae ad heminam addita ruta. utuntur et liene asso caprae hircive et sebo hirci in pane, qui cinere coctus sit, caprae a renibus maxime, ut per se hauriatur protinusque modice frigida. sorberi iubent aliqui et in aqua decoctum sebum admixta polenta et cumino et aneto acetoque. inlinunt et ventrem coeliacis fimo cum melle decocto. utuntur ad utrumque vitium et coagulo haedi in vino myrtite fabae magnitudine poto et sanguine eiusdem in cibum formato, quem sanguiculum vocant. infundunt dysintericis et glutinum taurinum aqua calida resolutum. inflationes discutit vitulinum fimum in vino decoctum.—Intestinorum vitiis magnopere prodest coagulum cervorum decoctum cum lente betaque atque ita in cibo sumptum, leporis pilorum cinis cum melle decoctus, lactis caprini potus decocti cum malva exiguo sale addito; si et coagulum addatur, maioribus emolumentis fiat. eadem vis est et in sebo caprino in sorbitione aliqua, uti protinus hauriatur frigida aqua. item feminum haedi cinis rupta intestina sarcire mire traditur, fimum leporis cum melle decoctum et cottidie fabae magnitudine sumptum ita, ut deploratos sanaverint. laudant et caprini capitis cum suis pilis discocti sucum.

Tenesmos, id est crebra et inanis voluntas desurgendi, tollitur poto lacte asinino, item bubulo.—Taenearum genera pellit cervini cornus cinis potus.—Quae in excrementis lupi diximus inveniri ossa, si terram non attigerint, colo medentur adalligata bracchio. polea quoque supra dicta magnopere prodest decocta in sapa, item suilli fimi farina addito cumino in aqua rutae decoctae, cornus cervini teneri cinis cocleis Africanis cum testa sua tusis mixtus in vini potione.

English · Bostock & Riley 1855–57

To arrest looseness of the bowels, deer’s blood is used; the ashes also of deer’s horns; the liver of a wild boar, taken fresh and without salt, in wine; a swine’s liver roasted, or that of a he-goat, boiled in five semisextarii of wine; a hare’s rennet boiled, in quantities the size of a chick-pea, in wine, or, if there are symptoms of fever, in water. To this last some persons add nut-galls, while others, again, content themselves with hare’s blood boiled by itself in milk. Ashes, too, of burnt horse-dung are taken in water for this purpose; or else ashes of the part of an old bull’s horn which lies nearest the root, sprinkled in water; the blood, too, of a he-goat boiled upon charcoal; or a decoction made from a goat’s hide boiled with the hair on.

For relaxing the bowels a horse’s rennet is used, or else the blood, marrow, or liver of a she-goat. A similar effect is produced by applying a wolf’s gall to the navel, with elaterium; by taking mares’ milk, goats’ milk with salt and honey, or a she-goat’s gall with juice of cyclaminos, and a little alum—in which last case some prefer adding nitre and water to the mixture. Bull’s gall, too, is used for a similar purpose, beaten up with wormwood and applied in the form of a suppository; or butter is taken, in considerable doses.

Cœliac affections and dysentery are cured by taking cow’s liver; ashes of deer’s horns, a pinch in three fingers swallowed in water; hare’s rennet, kneaded up in bread, or, if there is any discharge of blood, taken with polenta; or else boar ’s dung, swine’s dung, or hare’s dung, reduced to ashes and mixed with mulled wine. Among the remedies, also, for the cœliac flux and dysentery, veal broth is reckoned, a remedy very commonly used. If the patient takes asses’ milk for these complaints, it will be all the better if honey is added; and no less efficacious for either complaint are the ashes of asses’ dung taken in wine; or else polea, the substance above -mentioned. In such cases, even when attended with a discharge of blood, we find a horse’s rennet recommended, by some persons known as “hippace;” ashes of burnt horse-dung; horses’ teeth pounded; and boiled cows’ milk. In cases of dysentery, it is recommended to add a little honey; and, for the cure of griping pains, ashes of deer’s horns, bull’s gall mixed with cummin, or the flesh of a gourd, should be applied to the navel. For both complaints new cheese made of cows’ milk is used, as an injection; butter also, in the proportion of four semi-sextarii to two ounces of turpentine, or else employed with a decoction of mallows or with oil of roses. Veal-suet or beef-suet is also given, and the marrow of those animals is boiled with meal, a little wax, and some oil, so as to form a sort of pottage. This marrow, too, is kneaded up with bread for a similar purpose; or else goats’ milk is used, boiled down to one half. In cases, too, where there are gripings in the bowels, wine of the first running is administered. For the last-named pains, some persons are of opinion that it is a sufficient remedy to take a single dose of hare’s rennet in mulled wine; though others again, who are more distrustful, are in the habit of applying a liniment to the abdomen, made of goats’ blood, barley-meal, and resin.

For all defluxions of the bowels it is recommended to apply soft cheese, and for cœliac affections and dysentery old cheese, powdered, one cyathus of cheese being taken in three cyathi of ordinary wine. Goats’ blood is boiled down with the marrow of those animals for the cure of dysentery; and the cœliac flux is effectually treated with the roasted liver of a she-goat, or, what is still better, the liver of a he-goat boiled in astringent wine, and administered in the drink, or else applied to the navel with oil of myrtle. Some persons boil down the liver in three sextarii of water to half a sextarius, and then add rue to it. The milt of a he or she-goat is sometimes roasted for this purpose, or the suet of a he-goat is incorporated in bread baked upon the ashes; the fat, too, of a she-goat, taken from the kidneys more particularly, is used. This last, however, must be taken by itself and swallowed immediately, being generally recommended to be taken in water moderately cool. Some persons, too, boil goats’ suet in water, with a mixture of polenta, cummin, anise, and vinegar; and for the cure of cœliac affections, they rub the abdomen with a decoction of goats’ dung and honey.

For both the cœliac flux and dysentery, kid’s rennet is employed, taken in myrtle wine in pieces the size of a bean, or else kid’s blood, prepared in the form of a dish known by the name of “sanguiculus.” For dysentery an injection is employed, made of bull glue dissolved in warm water. Flatulency is dispelled by a decoction of calf’s dung in wine. For intestinal affections deer’s rennet is highly recommended boiled with beef and lentils, and taken with the food; hare’s fur, also reduced to ashes and boiled with honey; or boiled goat’s milk, taken with a small quantity of mallows and some salt; if rennet is added, the remedy will be all the more effectual. Goat suet, taken in any kind of broth, is possessed of similar virtues, care being taken to swallow cold water immediately after. The ashes of a kid’s thighs are said to be marvellously efficacious for intestinal hernia; as also hare’s dung, boiled with honey, and taken daily in pieces the size of a bean; indeed, these remedies are said to have proved effectual in cases where a cure has been quite despaired of. The broth too, made from a goat’s head, boiled with the hair on, is highly recommended.

The disease called “tenesmus,” or in other words, a frequent and ineffectual desire to go to stool, is removed by drinking asses’ milk or cows’ milk. The various kinds of tapeworm are expelled by taking the ashes of deer’s horns in drink. The bones which we have spoken of as being found in the excrements of the wolf, worn attached to the arm, are curative of diseases of the colon, provided they have not been allowed to touch the ground. Polea, too, a substance already mentioned, is remarkably useful for this purpose, boiled in grape juice: the same too with swine’s dung, powdered and mixed with cummin, in a decoction of rue. The antler of a young stag, reduced to ashes and taken in wine, mixed with African snails, crushed with the shells on, is considered a very useful remedy.