第1章

Wemustavoidwettingallsortsofulcersexceptwithwine，unlesstheulcerbesituatedinajoint。For，thedryisnearertothesound，andthewettotheunsound，sinceanulceriswet，butasoundpartisdry。Anditisbettertoleavethepartwithoutabandageunlessaunlessacataplasmbeapplied。Neitherdocertainulcersadmitofcataplasms，andthisisthecasewiththerecentratherthantheold，andwiththosesituatedinjoints。Asparedietandwateragreewithallulcers，andwiththemorerecentratherthantheolder；andwithanulcerwhicheitherisinflamedorisabouttobeso；andwherethereisdangerofgangrene；andwiththeulcersaninflammationinjoints；andwherethereisdangerofconvulsion；andinwoundsofthebelly；butmostespeciallyinfracturesoftheheadandthigh，oranyothermemberinwhichafracturemayhaveoccurred。Inthecaseofanulcer，itisnotexpedienttostand；moreespeciallyiftheulcerbesituatedintheleg；butneither，also，isitpropertositorwalk。Butquietandrestareparticularlyexpedient。Recentulcers，boththeulcersthemselvesandthesurroundingparts，willbeleastexposedtoinflammation，ifoneshallbringthemtoasuppurationasexpeditiouslyaspossible，andifthematterisnotpreventedfromescapingbythemouthofthesore；or，ifoneshouldrestrainthesuppuration，sothatonlyasmallandnecessaryquantityofpusmaybeformed，andthesoremaybekeptdrybyamedicinewhichdoesnotcreateirritation。Forthepartbecomesinflamedwhenrigorandthrobbingsupervene；forulcersthengetinflamedwhensuppurationisabouttoform。Asoresuppurateswhenthebloodischangedandbecomesheated；sothatbecomingputrid，itconstitutesthepusofsuchulcers。Whenyouseemtorequireacataplasm，itisnottheulceritselftowhichyoumustapplythecataplasm，buttothesurroundingparts，sothatthepusmayescapeandthehardenedpartsmaybecomesoft。Ulcersformedeitherfromthepartshavingbeencutthroughbyasharpinstrument，orexcised，admitofmedicamentsforbloodywounds（\'enaima），andwhichwillpreventsuppurationbybeingdesiccanttoacertaindegree。But，whenthefleshhasbeencontusedandroughlycutbytheweapon，itistobesotreatedthatitmaysuppurateasquicklyaspossible；forthustheinflammationisless，anditisnecessarythatthepiecesoffleshwhicharebruisedandcutshouldmeltawaybybecomingputrid，beingconvertedintopus，andthatnewfleshshouldthengrowup。Ineveryrecentulcer，exceptinthebelly，itisexpedienttocausebloodtoflowfromitabundantly，andasmayseemseasonable；forthuswillthewoundandtheadjacentpartsbelessattackedwithinflammation。And，inlikemanner，fromoldulcers，especiallyifsituatedintheleg，inatoeorfinger，morethaninanyotherpartofthebody。Forwhenthebloodflowstheybecomedrierandlessinsize，asbeingthusdriedup。Itisthis（theblood？）

especiallywhichpreventssuchulcersfromhealing，bygettingintoastateofputrefactionandcorruption。But，itisexpedient，aftertheflowoftheblood，tobindovertheulcerathickandsoftpieceofsponge，ratherdrythanwet，andtoplaceabovethespongesomeslenderleaves。Oil，andallthingsofanemollientandoilynature，disagreewithsuchulcers，unlesstheyaregettingnearlywell。

Neitherdoesoilagreewithwoundswhichhavebeenrecentlyinflicted，noryetdomedicinesformedwithoilorsuet，moreespeciallyiftheulcerstandsinneedofmorecleansing。And，inaword，itisinsummerandinwinterthatwearetosmearwithoilthesesoresthatrequiresuchmedicines。

2。Gentlepurgingofthebowelsagreeswithmostulcers，andinwoundsofthehead，belly，orjoints，wherethereisdangerofgangrene，insuchasrequiresutures，inphagedaenic，spreadingandinotherwiseinveterateulcers。Andwhenyouwanttoapplyabandage，noplastersaretobeuseduntilyouhaverenderedthesoredry，andthenindeedyoumayapplythem。Theulceristobefrequentlycleanedwithasponge，andthenadryandcleanpieceofclothistobefrequentlyappliedtoit，andinthiswaythemedicinewhichitissupposedwillagreewithitistobeapplied，eitherwithorwithoutabandage。Thehotseasonagreesbetterthanwinterwithmostulcers，exceptthosesituatedintheheadandbelly；buttheequinoctialseasonagreesstillbetterwiththem。Ulcerswhichhavebeenproperlycleansedanddriedastheyshouldbe，donotusuallygetintoathestate。Whenabonehasexfoliated，orhasbeenburned，orsawed，orremovedinanyotherway，thecicatricesofsuchulcersbecomedeeperthanusual。Ulcerswhicharenotcleansed，arenotdisposedtouniteifbroughttogether，nordothelipsthereofapproximateoftheirownaccord。Whenthepointsadjoiningtoanulcerareinflamed，theulcerisnotdisposedtohealuntiltheinflammationsubside，norwhenthesurroundingpartsareblackenedbymortification，norwhenavarixoccasionsanoverflowofbloodinthepart，istheulcerdisposedtoheal，unlessyoubringthesurroundingpartsintoahealthycondition。

3。Circularulcers，ifsomewhathollow，youmustscarifyallalongtheiredges，ortotheextentofhalfthecircle，accordingtothenaturalstatureoftheman。Whenerysipelassupervenesuponanysore，youmustpurgethebody，inthewaymostsuitabletotheulcer，eitherupwardordownward。Whenswellingarisesaroundan。

ulcer，andiftheulcerremainfreefrominflammation，therewillbeadepositofmatterinprocessoftime。Andwhateverulcergetsswelledalongwithinflammationanddoesnotsubsideastheotherpartssubsidewhichbecameinflamedandswelledatthesametime，thereisadangerthatsuchanulcermaynotunite。Whenfromafall，orinanyotherway，aparthasbeentornorbruised，andthepartssurroundingtheulcerhavebecomeswelled，and，havingsuppurated，matterflowsfromtheswellingbytheulcer，ifinsuchcasesacataplasmberequired，itshouldnotbeappliedtothesoreitself，buttothesurroundingparts，sothatthepusmayhavefreeexit，andtheinduratedpartsmaybesoftened。Butwhenthepartsaresoftenedastheinflammationceases，thenthepartswhichareseparatedaretobebroughttowardoneanother，bindingonspongesandapplyingthem，beginningfromthesoundpartsandadvancingtotheulcerbydegrees。Butplentyofleavesaretobeboundabovethesponge。Whenthepartsarepreventedfromcomingtogetherbyapieceoffleshfullofhumors，itistoberemoved。Whentheulcerisdeepseatedintheflesh，itisswelledup，bothfromthebandagingandthecompression。Suchanulcershouldbecutupuponadirector（specillum）ifpossible，atthepropertime，soastoadmitafreedischargeofthematter，andthenthepropertreatmentistobeappliedasmaybeneeded。Forthemostpart，ineveryhollowulcerwhichcanbeseenintowhichcanbeseenintodirectwithoutbeinganyswellingpresent，iftherebeputrefactioninit，orifthefleshbeflabbyandputrid，suchanulcer，andthepartswhichsurroundit，willbeseentobeblackandsomewhatlivid。Andofcorrodingulcers，thosewhicharephagedaenic，spreadandcorrodemostpowerfully，and，inthiscase，thepartssurroundingthesorewillhaveablackandsub-lividappearance。

4。Cataplasmsforswellingsandinflammationinthesurroundingparts。Boiledmullein，therawleavesofthetrefoil，andtheboiledleavesoftheepipetrum，andthepoley，andiftheulcerstandinneedofcleansing，allthesethingsalsocleanse；andlikewisetheleavesofthefig-tree，andoftheolive，andthehorehound，allthesearetobeboiled；andmoreespeciallythechaste-tree，andthefig，andtheolive，andtheleavesofthepomegranatearetobeboiledinlikemanner。Thesearetobeusedraw:andtheleavesofthemallowpoundedwithwine，andtheleavesofrue，andthoseofthegreenorigany。Withallthese，linseedistobeboiledupandmixedbypoundingitasaveryfinepowder。Whenthereisdangeroferysipelasseizingtheulcers，theleavesofwoadaretobepoundedandappliedrawinacataplasmalongwithlinseed，orthelinseedistobemoistenedwiththejuiceofstrychnosorofwoad，andappliedasacataplasm。Whentheulcerisclean，butbothitandthesurroundingpartsareinflamed，lentilistobeboiledinwineandfinelytriturated，and，beingmixedwithalittleoil，itistobeappliedasacataplasm；andtheleavesofthehip-treearetobeboiledinwaterandpoundedinafinepowderandmadeintoacataplasm；andapplybelowathin，cleanpieceofclothwettedinwineandoil；andwhenyouwishtoproducecontraction，preparetheleavesofthehip-treelikethelentil，andthecress；wineandfinely-powderedlinseedaretobemixedtogether。Andthisisproper:linseed，andrawchaste-tree，andMelianalum，allthesethingsbeingmaceratedinvinegar。