Abhomeron Abynzohar & Colliget Auerroys (Medical Compendium)

...in the stomach and body, upward, time after time. And they combine together and turn into water, as is manifestly apparent in the bath, where from the vapors and the smoke-like particles resolved, an ascent is made to the surface, and there they gather and turn into water, which drips downward. And it comes to you in the cure of this ailment that you be diligent in purging the body with laxative medicines; and purging performed in this case with hierapicra alone does not suffice for you, unless there is mixed with it some colocynth, aloe, and fennel seed (which in Arabic is called besbeg), and salt and mastic for the strengthening of the stomach. But if the strength is robust and the temperament and age are suitable, you must begin with the phlegm; and afterwards the aforementioned purgation ought to follow. And in sum I say that you must know, and by no means commit to oblivion, that if the ailment requires it and the strength is robust, and the temperament and age assist, you must by no means let the body remain constipated. For if you were to do this, the infirm person could arrive at many inconveniences and harms. Wherefore in such a case you must proceed by assisting him with softening substances. And when I say to soften, I do not mean to relax, since this name is equivalent when it exists. And it comes to you to know that to soften the stomach and the intestines is not the same as to purge, just as many have erred in this, believing that to purge and to soften are the same thing; whereas by softening we intend that which is to lead out feces by lubricating what is retained in the stomach and intestines, as mercurialis dressed with oil knows how to do; or by cutting, cleansing, and opening, as is done with almuri made from barley or wheat flour; or by cutting alone, as with vinegar alone; and it can lead out the mustard and the feces and the superfluities of the stomach and intestines. And for that reason such things are by no means called purging, since to purge properly is an expulsion made by medicine with selection. And let him abstain from pears altogether. And feed him roasted chickens with a little well-leavened bread, eating little. And in the evening for supper, i.e., let him eat very little; and eating boiled chickens with broth once a week does no harm. And if they are cooked with turnips until they dissolve, they are useful, since it was proven that turnips have a not inconsiderable property for the eyes. And often, gazing firmly at the eyes of a wild donkey is said, at a certain time, to be miraculously beneficial to them. And furthermore, it was remembered by the best of the ancient physicians that inclining the face with open eyes over a decoction of saffron is proven to be beneficial to them in a wonderful way. And if he will continue this many times, it is possible that that vapor may dissolve from there and he may be freed altogether. But after the descent of the water into the eye has occurred, one must not labor then around it until it coagulates and is digested and arrives at a moderate term between subtlety and thickness. And after it has been digested and has arrived at a suitable term, then the practitioner must labor in extracting it after a general purgation of the whole body, especially of the head. And it is necessary that this practitioner be very capable and subtle in this, and often experienced, lest in this operation he inflict any lesion upon other parts of the eyes.

for that 4. etc. 41. note this wonderful property for the eyes

Chap. XIX. Which is concerning the extraction of cataracts from the eyes.

It is necessary that the cataract be extracted after its perfect vigor and coagulation, since if you do it before, the water will return as before. And when I say to extract a cataract, understand clearly that it is impossible to extract it as many have believed, but it is pushed downward with a needle into the thickness of the eye. And afterwards the infirm person must be in a remote and quiet place with every abstinence from all operation and exercise and from all things that could cause any heaviness; and thus it will be possible that they may be freed completely.

Chap. XX. Which is concerning the constriction of the pupil, natural and non-natural.

And you must know that the constriction of the pupil natural from birth is praiseworthy, as we have said before, in that it confers to the sight by gathering the visible spirit; but if after birth such an ailment occurs, it will be either from dryness dominating therein or from some sharp humor drying that place. Just as appears in seasoned skins or leathers, since when they dry they shrink and constrict the pores. And the dryness which happens accidentally to this member, just as it can generally happen to all other members, and whenever it happens in any member, it is difficult of cure, and almost impossible; and if this were not so, dimness could be artificially removed in the elderly. But let there be praise and glory to the most high Creator who has set this to be impossible, for the certainty of the sign of old age. Wherefore the physician must be cautious in moistening only so much that the natural or radical humidity can be preserved, and further cannot be dried out. A collyrium suitable for this: Take of violets, bugloss, each one dram; water-lilies, three parts of one dram. Let all these be placed in rainwater or in the water of a fresh spring in a clean vessel, so that they are very well submerged under the water; and let that vessel be placed in another larger vessel full of water, and let it boil over a fire so long until the water has changed color and the aforesaid things are so dissolved that they become in the manner of a paste. And afterwards let them be extracted and pounded strongly and placed in a dense, fine cloth and squeezed strongly into a glass vessel, and very clean. Let that collyrium be dried in the shade; and afterwards let grains be formed in the manner of coriander. And when it is necessary, let them be dissolved with the albumen of a dove’s egg, and let them be distilled into the eye morning and evening. And this collyrium is very useful for women, children, and the elderly. But we say it is impossible to remove the dryness altogether. But the member will be moistened to preserve its natural humidity. And furthermore, the albumen of a dove’s egg with the viscosity of gum arabic, distilled into the eye, is likewise beneficial in this case.

Chap. XXI. Which is concerning the weakness of sight proceeding from a lack and poverty of the visible spirits.

This ailment indeed is accustomed to happen for the most part to the elderly who are overly indulging in coitus. And to those who gaze fixedly and steadily at the sun or in places very radiant or overly shining. And the cure for this is to eat continually dove’s eggs boiled with turnips, or yolks of hen’s eggs boiled in water, eating with salt. And furthermore, in this case, it is beneficial to eat the chicks of wild doves, without the heads and necks, cooked with turnips. And hens also, cooked with the aforementioned chicks and turnips, are suitable in this case, without their necks and heads, in that their heads are proven to have a property in causing blindness—that is, not seeing after sunset—just as their brains are said to have the property aforesaid in increasing or multiplying the intellect. And the broth also of the aforesaid wild dove chicks and hens is said to be beneficial to the aforesaid. And eating pine nuts, crushed and placed in the juice of apples, are useful in this case. And instruct them that they often smell fragrant apples, since it is very beneficial to them. And these are the things which increase or multiply the visible spirit.

Chap. XXII. Which is concerning the constriction of the optic nerve.

And this ailment indeed happens from a thick and viscous humor obstructing the very pore or canal of the nerve itself, whence the visible spirit has to pass through; or from a concussion or percussion constricting or blocking it. Which if the obstruction is small, weakness of sight follows from it; and if it is great and complete, the patient is made altogether without sight. And the sign of this ailment is that if you press a finger upon the pupil of the infirm person, the pupil of the other does not dilate in the least. And it can also happen that the obstruction will be in the place of the crossing of one nerve over the other. And then the sight is lost altogether in both eyes. And from this, physicians wonder that in one hour the sight is deprived and lost altogether in both eyes. But it is no wonder to those who know anatomy, since these two nerves arise from the brain and extend toward the front, and in the middle of the forehead they join and unite, and there they cross; wherefore if the obstruction should be in the...