Kitap 1
3
If there be trembling of the hands and head, he may take a draught, consisting of castor with three cupfuls of honeyed-water, for some days; or if he will not drink this, we may melt down the castor in a sufficient quantity of oil, wherein rue has been boiled, to the amount of three cupfuls; and a double amount of this is to be injected into the lower bowel, and is to be repeated for several days; and after the benefit derived from it (for it brings off flatus upwards and downwards, and, in certain cases, urine and fæces), if it should be diffused over the whole system in any way, the nerves recover from their tremblings and become strong, and it changes the habit of body to the hot and dry, and alters the constitutions of diseases. It is also a very excellent thing to blow it into the nostrils, for in this way it expels flatulence by sneezing; for as the bladder secretes urine, so does the nose mucus. It effects these things by its gentle heat, in which respect it is superior to the other sternutatories, pepper, hellebore, soap-wort, and euphorbium; for these things, both at their first and last impression are harsh, and disorder the head and the sense, whereas castor gradually creates a gentle heat. To the head it is also otherwise suitable, because the nerves everywhere derive their origin from it; and castor is a remedy for the diseases of the nerves; but to mix it with some one or more of the medicines described will not be disagreeable, for if it be mixed, it will not immediately disorder the head, even in a moderate degree, but after a time it will stir up the heat.
3
The nose is to be moistened by tickling; by odours acrid indeed to the sense, but possessed of heating powers, such as the castor itself, or savory, or penny-royal, or thyme, either in a green state, or in a dried, moistened well with vinegar.
