REMEDIES FOR MELANCHOLY, LETHARGY, AND PHTHISIS

Latine · Mayhoff 1906

Melancholicis fimum vituli in vino decoctum remedio est.—Lethargicos excitat asini lichen naribus inlitus ex aceto, caprini cornus nidor aut pilorum, iocur aprunum; itaque et veternosis datur.—Phthisicis medentur iocur lupi ex vino macro, suis feminae herbis pastae laridum, carnes asininae ex iure sumptae; hoc genere maxime in Achaia curant id malum. fimi quoque aridi, sed pabulo viridi pasto bove, fumum harundine haustum prodesse tradunt bubulive cornus mucronem exustum II coclearium mensura addito melle pilulis devoratis. caprae sebo in pulte alicacia et phthisim et tussim sanari vel recenti cum mulso liquefacto ita, ut uncia in cyathum addatur rutaeque ramo permisceatur, non pauci tradunt. rupicaprae sebi cyatho et lactis pari mensura deploratum phthisicum convaluisse certus auctor adfirmat. sunt qui et suum fimi cinerem profuisse scripserint in passo et cervi pulmonem, maxime subulonis, siccatum fumo tritumque in vino.

Hydropicis auxiliatur urina e vesica apri paulatim data in potu, efficacius quae inaruerit cum vesica sua, fimi taurini maxime, sed et bubuli—de armentivis loquor—, quod bolbiton vocant, cinis coclearium III in mulsi hemina, bovis feminae in mulieribus, ex altero sexu in viris, quod veluti mysterium occultarunt Magi, fimum vituli masculi inlitum, fimi vitulini cinis cum semine staphylini aequa portione ex vino, sanguis caprinus cum medulla. efficaciorem putant hirci, utique si lentisco pascatur.

Igni sacro ursinus adips inlinitur, maxime qui est ad renes, vitulinum fimum recens vel bubulum, caseus caprinus siccus cum porro, ramenta pellis cervinae delecta pumice ex aceto trita; rubori cum prurigine equi spuma aut ungulae cinis; eruptionibus pituitae asinini fimi cinis cum butyro; papulis nigris caseus caprinus siccus ex melle et aceto in balneis, oleo remoto; pusulis suilli fimi cinis aqua inlitus vel cornus cervini cinis, luxatis recens fimum aprunum vel suillum, item vitulinum, verris spuma recens cum aceto, fimum caprinum cum melle, bubula caro inposita; ad tumores fimum suillum sub testo calefactum tritumque cum oleo. duritias corporum omnes mollit optime adips e lupis inlitus. in iis, quae rumpere opus sit, plurimum proficit fimum bubulum in cinere calefactum aut caprinum in vino vel aceto decoctum; in furunculis sebum bubulum cum sale aut, si dolores sint, cum oleo liquefactum sine sale, simili modo caprinum; in ambustis ursinus adips cum lilii radicibus, aprunum aut suillum fimum inveteratum, saetarum ex his e penicillis tectoriis cinis cum adipe tritus, tali bubuli cinis cum cera et medulla cervina, fel tauri, fimum leporis et caprarum fimum. sine cicatrice sanare dicitur glutinum. praestantissimum fit ex auribus taurorum et genitalibus, nec quicquam efficacius prodest ambustis, sed adulteratur nihil aeque, quibusvis pellibus inveteratis calciamentisque etiam decoctis. Rhodiacum fidelissimum, eoque pictores et medici utuntur; id quoque quo candidius, eo probatius; nigrum et lignosum damnatur.

Nervorum doloribus fimum caprinum decoctum in aceto cum melle utilissimum putant vel putrescente nervo. spasmata et percussu vitiata fimo apruno curant vere collecto et arefacto; sic et quadrigas agentes tractos rotave vulneratos et quoquo modo sanguine contuso, vel si recens inlinatur. sunt qui incoxisse aceto utilius putent. quin et in potu farinam eam ruptis convulsisque, eversis ex aceto salutarem promittunt. reverentiores cinerem eius ex aqua bibunt, feruntque et Neronem principem hac potione recreari solitum, cum sic quoque se trigario adprobare vellet. proximam suillo fimo vim putant.

English · Bostock & Riley 1855–57

For patients affected with melancholy, calves’ dung, boiled in wine, is a very useful remedy. Persons are aroused from lethargy by applying to the nostrils the callosities from an ass’s legs steeped in vinegar, or the fumes of burnt goats’ horns or hair, or by the application of a wild boar’s liver: a remedy which is also used for confirmed drowsiness.

The cure of phthisis is effected by taking a wolf’s liver boiled in thin wine; the bacon of a sow that has been fed upon herbs; or the flesh of a she-ass, eaten with the broth: this last mode in particular, being the one that is employed by the people of Achaia. They say too, that the smoke of dried cow-dung—that of the animal when grazing, I mean—is remarkably good for phthisis, inhaled through a reed; and find it stated that the tips of cows’ horns are burnt, and administered with honey, in doses of two spoonfuls, in the form of pills. Goat suet, many persons say, taken in a pottage of alica, or melted fresh with honied wine, in the proportion of one ounce of suet to one cyathus of wine, is good for cough and phthisis, care being taken to stir the mixture with a sprig of rue. One author of credit assures us that before now, a patient whose recovery has been despaired of, has been restored to health by taking one cyathus of wild goat suet and an equal quantity of milk. Some writers, too, have stated that ashes of burnt swine’s dung are very useful, mixed with raisin wine; as also the lights of a deer, a spitter deer in particular, smoke-dried and beaten up in wine.

For dropsy, a wild boar’s urine is good, taken in small doses in the patient’s drink; it is of much greater efficacy, however, when it has been left to dry in the bladder of the animal. The ashes, too, of burnt cow-dung, and of bulls’ dung in particular—animals that are reared in herds, I mean—are highly esteemed. This dung, the name given to which is “bolbiton,” is reduced to ashes, and taken in doses of three spoonfuls to one semisextarius of honied wine; that of the female animal being used where the patient is a woman, and that of the other sex in the case of males; a distinction about which the magicians have made a sort of grand mystery. The dung of a bull-calf is also applied topically for this disease, and ashes of burnt calves’ dung are taken with seed of staphylinos, in equal proportions, in wine. Goats’ blood also is used, with the marrow; but it is generally thought that the blood of the he-goat is the most efficacious, when the animal has fed upon lentisk, more particularly.

For erysipelas a liniment of bears’ grease is used, that from the kidneys in particular; fresh calves’ dung also, or cow-dung; dried goats’ milk cheese, with leeks; or else the fine scrapings of deer’s skin, brought off with pumice-stone and beaten up in vinegar. Where there is redness of the skin attended with itching, the foam from a horse’s mouth is used, or the hoof, reduced to ashes.

For the cure of purulent eruptions ashes of burnt asses’ dung are applied, with butter; and for the removal of swarthy pimples, dried goats’ milk cheese, steeped in honey and vinegar, is applied in the bath, no oil being used. Pustules are treated with ashes of swine’s dung, applied with water, or else ashes of deer’s antlers.

For the cure of sprains the following applications are used; wild boars’ dung or swine’s dung; calves’ dung; wild boars’ foam, used fresh with vinegar; goats’ dung, applied with honey; and raw beef, used as a plaster. For swellings, swine’s dung is used, warmed in an earthen pot, and beaten up with oil. The best emollient for all kinds of indurations upon the body is wolf’s fat, applied topically. In the case of sores which are wanted to break, the most effectual plan is to apply cow-dung warmed in hot ashes, or else goats’ dung boiled in vinegar or wine. For the cure of boils, beef-suet is applied with salt; but if they are attended with pain, it is melted with oil, and no salt is used. Goat-suet is employed in a similar manner.

For the treatment of burns, bears’ grease is used, with lily roots; dried wild boars’ dung also, or swine’s dung; the ashes of burnt bristles, extracted from plasterers’ brushes, beaten up with grease; the pastern-bone of an ox, reduced to ashes, and mixed with wax and bull’s marrow or deer’s marrow; or the dung of a hare. The dung, too, of a she-goat, they say, will effect a cure without leaving any scars.

The best glue is that prepared from the ears and genitals of the bull, and there is no better cure in existence for burns. There is nothing, however, that is more extensively adulterated; which is done by boiling up all kinds of old skins, and shoes even, for the purpose. The Rhodian glue is the purest of all, and it is this that painters and physicians mostly use. The whiter it is, the more highly glue is esteemed: that, on the other hand, which is black and brittle like wood, is looked upon as good for nothing.

For pains in the sinews, goats’ dung, boiled in vinegar with honey, is considered one of the most useful remedies, and this even where the sinew is threatened with putrefaction. Strains and contusions are healed with wild boars’ dung, that has been gathered in spring and dried. A similar method is employed where persons have been dragged by a chariot or lacerated by the wheels, or have received contusions in any other way, the application being quite as effectual, should the dung happen to be fresh. Some think it a better plan, however, to boil it in vinegar; and if only powdered and taken in vinegar, they vouch for its good effects where persons are ruptured, wounded internally, or suffering from the effects of a fall.

Others again, who are of a more scrupulous tendency, take the ashes of it in water; and the Emperor Nero, it is said, was in the habit of refreshing himself with this drink, when he attempted to gain the public applause at the three-horse chariot races. Swine’s dung, it is generally thought, is the next best to that of the goat.