Abhomeron Abynzohar & Colliget Auerroys (Medical Compendium)

[...] from its sharpness: or it sustains torture of the mouth on account of the excessive dryness arising from its abundance of watchfulness: assist it with an injection into the ear of oil of egg yolk; for it immediately removes the pain and hastens the exit of the pus. And I remember when I was young and the son of Joseph sent for me—who had been an enemy to me—that I should go to him in Cordoba, on account of an abscess that had happened to him in his ear; and I arrived in Cordoba in the evening, and I found him with very strong pain, trembling and desiring death, or that he might be killed by someone on account of the intensity of the pain. And this was because the abscess itself was at the root of the nerve coming from the brain to the sense of hearing. And he was already beginning to have spasms: and then I immediately filled his ear with lukewarm oil of egg yolks. And when it had remained for three hours, all the pus emanated from it. And afterward, I began to wash the ear with honey-water made with a decoction of the subtle bark of the gladiolus and horsetail. And afterward, I ordered the washing to be done with water of a decoction of cooked iron filings, strained, and squinanti syrup; and I performed the washing itself with a hen’s tail feather, turning it around one time after another until all of it came out and it was cleaned most excellently; and thus, the pus having been removed, he was perfectly cured. And you ought to know that an abscess of the ear for the most part is not generated except from hot and subtle humors on account of the dryness and fullness of the ear, and on account of its distance from the reception of gross things naturally. And it can also sometimes receive watery and subtle phlegmatic humors. And the difference that is between this abscess and that which is created from a subtle choleric humor is this: for if it is made from bile, it is with most acute pain and very strong ringing, which does not happen when it is made from subtle phlegm and watery matter; but it is with heaviness and greater weight; but difficulty of hearing is common in both.

Chapter II. Which is about pain of the ear.

Pain without a humor also happens to the ear from some trapped vapor: which if you place into the ear of such a person the fat of a crane or a goose or a starling. And if you have cured it with chamomile or dill oil, whichever of them you wish or have, I believe it will be freed, God willing. And with this, govern him with a subtle diet, abstaining from meats. And the cure for him who suffers from ringing of the ears is to remove him from all food of much nourishment and superfluous moisture. And feed him with subtle and drying foods.

Chapter III. Which is about heaviness of the ear.

This ailment happens to the ear from a gross and viscous humor exuberant there. And its cure is to purge the body many times with hierapicra. And to place in the ear oil of lilies mixed with oil of scauiniz—that is, of nigella—in moderate quantity, and it will be entirely freed. And this ailment can happen from a large quantity of the ear's superfluity which is gathered there and swallowed up due to the negligence of the patient in extracting and cleaning it from the place. Wherefore you ought to cure this ailment by cleaning the ear of the said superfluity, placing there oil of bitter almonds; for it purges and cleanses most excellently the said superfluity, extracting it. And it is safe and removed from all danger and harm.

Chapter IIII. Which is about a blow to the ear.

Difficulty of hearing in the ears also happens from a blow of a stone or a stick. And the cure for this is to phlebotomize the cephalic vein immediately, and to distill inside the ear some lukewarm rose oil. And if this difficulty of hearing should be from an old blow, then you shall distill into it lily oil or dill oil, or of acauē or of jasmine, or of the marrow of the bones of a stag, from whichever of these you find. And it will be cured therefrom with the help of God. But if, from the blow, blood has flowed out into the ear, I say to remove the difficulty of hearing from that same place, even if one ought to cure it.

Chapter V. Which is about the thickness of the ear.

It is when the ear departs from its natural state in the quantity of its size from an overabundance of food and drink. And the cure for this ailment is to subtilize the regimen and to anoint the place with rose oil.

Second Tract: Concerning ailments of the nose, containing four chapters.

Chapter First. Which is about the privation of the sense of smell.

This ailment in the nose happens from an obstruction made in the opening of the bone, which by physicians is called the strainer, and that opening is tortuous and subtle in the extreme, so that it cannot be perceived by the eyes. And the cure for this is to smell nigella or vinegar. And this is when you know it is suitable for the age and the person and the time. And it can also happen from an abscess made in the membrane exiting there, and in that membrane also is a most subtle opening that is hidden entirely from the sight of the fetus, but it is testified by the intellect that it must be there entirely. And this humor is generated in this membrane as in other membranes, and this humor is made from superfluous phlegm descending from a catarrh which is retained there and gathered; and thus the abscess is created. Wherefore you ought to know that when the privation of the sense of smell is made from an abscess, nothing at all of the sense of smell is found to remain. Whence such people need a long regimen, subtilizing their diet, and using medicines that have the power to subtilize and incise the said humor. Such is oxymel prepared with raisins or with orris. And they should not smell sharp odors at all, such as scauiniz, which is called nigella, but they ought to smell flowers of jasmine or of narcissus, because these are said to be more suitable in this ailment. And they are of the basilica type for smelling. And this ailment or obstruction is not removed for the most part unless pus mixed with blood comes out from the nose, for it is the nature of this member not to be able to terminate the pus to perfect whiteness. And thus, by continuing all the things that we have said, he will be freed, God willing. And this harm can happen from phlegm that is likened to watery phlegm that distills from the nose. And it is without an abscess and obstruction of the aforesaid opening of the bone; it covers the aforesaid opening with the aforesaid humor, wherefore the said ailment is created. And the cure for this is easy, since it is done only by distilling into the nose oil of sweet almonds.

Chapter II. Which is about the stench of the nostrils.

This ailment is created in the nostrils from a putrid humor gathered and retained therein. Wherefore the stench in that place is to be removed until the aforesaid humor is entirely expelled. And this ailment does not happen for the most part except to those having a flat nose, for the nostrils exist tightly above; but elsewhere I shall declare this more broadly. The cure for which is to distill into the nostrils water of an infusion of centaury constantly, and it will be cured thus by the will of God.

Chapter III. Which is about excoriation and scabies that occurs in the nostrils.

It is reasonable that this ailment should supervene in the nostrils, in that they are the passage and way for superfluities. But I do not intend to place its cure in this place, intending to reserve it until I treat of the cure of excoriation and scabies in general.

Chapter IIII. Which is about the polypus, which is often named "that which is multiplex."

Often this ailment happens to the nostrils from a melancholic humor which exudes inside into the flesh of the nose and is congealed therein. And this ailment is cured by drinking constantly squinzabi made from honey for several days. And evacuate the body or purge it with this medicine which I tell you: Take of aloe succotrina, agaric, turbith, salt, and garlic, of each one aureus. Of colocynth and fresh nigella, epithymum compounded with spices and violets, of each the fourth part of one aureus. Of peeled sweet almonds, to the weight of all with a fourth part of them of gum arabic, and let all be ground perfectly, and let them be mixed with squinzabi syrup. And the dose of this is the weight of five aurei with one cyathus of water of a decoction of a little balafce with the eighth part of one aureus of diagridium. And let so much be mixed. And if he has not been suitably purged by the said dose, you shall give him one aureus of the same, keeping very well the abstinence, as is suitable in laxatives. And feed him with well-fermented bread, and with turtle doves and small birds seasoned with water and salt and a little oil and coriander. And you shall also give him sorrel, and orache likewise boiled with mutton; and without meat and with a little oil and vinegar are suitable for him. And place into the nostrils a tent infused in honey and vinegar together; and when done...