Book 2
4
But if everything be vomited, and the stomach can contain nothing, we must return again to hot drink and food, for in certain cases the change stops the complaint; the hot things, moreover, must be intensely so. But if none of these things avail, we are to apply the cupping-instrument between the shoulder-blades, and turn it below the umbilicus; but we are to shift the cupping-instrument constantly, for it is painful when it remains on a place, and exposes to the risk of blistering. The motion of gestation is beneficial by its ventilation, so as to recreate the spirit (pneuma), stay the food in the bowels, and make the patient’s respiration and pulse natural.
4
But if these symptoms increase, we must apply epithemes over the stomach and chest; and these are to be similar to those for syncope—dates soaked in wine, acacia, hypocistis, mixed up with rose cerate, and spread upon a linen cloth, are to be applied over the stomach; and to the chest we are to apply mastich, aloe, the pulverised hair of wormwood, with the cerate of nard, or of wild vine, as a cataplasm to the whole chest; but if the feet and muscles be spasmodically distended, rub into them Sicyonian oil, that of must, or old oil with a little wax; and also add in powder some castor. And if the feet also be cold, we are to rub them with the ointment containing lemnestis and euphorbium, wrap them in wool, and rectify by rubbing with the hands. The spine also, the tendons, and muscles of the jaws are to be anointed with the same.
