Abhomeron Abynzohar & Colliget Auerroys (Medical Compendium)

...of the members. Wherefore the illness proceeds after purgation, beginning with the friction of the same with the hand before food, and afterward with a coarse cloth, placing upon it medicines that are hot and subtle, such as sulfur and similar things. And if he should be very delicate, place upon him only oil of dill and the like. And offer him to drink of the waters of the thermal baths after they have been cooled; and if you cannot have those, give him honey-water that has been excellently skimmed, while protecting him from coarse foods; and thus he will be freed with the help of God. And it is necessary in every way that you prohibit in every species of epilepsy, and also in every bad ailment supervening upon the brain, garlic and onion and similar things, because they have a great property of disturbing the brain. And let them abstain from beans, because they also have a property in disturbing and destroying the cognitive faculty. And you must know that there exists a very great connection between the stomach and the brain. And this is most certainly manifested, because when an acute and highly inflamed humor is found in the stomach, the intellect is destroyed and the infirm person is totally alienated. And similarly you could see that when choler superabounds in the brain of someone, he will many times vomit choler and will feel a gnawing in the stomach. And a spasm, indeed, which is named after epilepsy, is possible to be led in the end to, or to result in, a disturbance of the intellect; and especially when it is from a member. Or conversely, a disturbance of the intellect may cause epilepsy to come about. And this will be according to the offending humor and according to the preparation of the member to receive it, because not every epilepsy arising from melancholy causes a disturbance of the intellect, nor does every disturbance of the intellect from melancholy have to induce epilepsy. But these are found to happen only when the humor is melancholic, and from phlegm the least. And it is also possible that a disturbance of the intellect may be caused by a choleric and acute humor that exists at the beginning of its adustion, and from this it is impossible for epilepsy to be generated. And there are three species of this epilepsy. The first of which is that which arises from melancholy. The second, which occurs from phlegm. The third, which proceeds from a vapor or smoke resolved from some bad and horrible humor existing in some member of the lower body, ascending to the brain; and a disturbance of the intellect indeed occurs from melancholy that is deep-seated in the veins of the brain itself and in the substance of the same. And it can also happen from a melancholic humor existing in the stomach. And of this species there is another that is light, and another that is heavy. That disturbance, however, which is from melancholy deep-seated in the veins of the brain itself, it is possible that it exists only in them, and it is also possible that the same horrible humor may be found to exist not only in them, but also in the very substance of the brain itself. And that which exists only in the veins, we say its cure is light, recognizing that the accidents of this illness are heavy and light, according to the proximity and elongation of the matter to the substance of the brain. Wherefore, in the cure of this, you must begin with the infusion of the head with oil of almonds, and continuously smelling aromatic apples. And let him eat almonds that have been infused in water for one night, and feed them with the testicles of young cocks, and the like of them. And make them lie in a soft bed, distancing them from all accidents that fatigue the spirit, and distancing them from all evil thoughts. And offer them to drink the water of an infusion of crushed licorice, and let the bread be most white and highly bolted, and thus he will be freed with the help of God. ¶ And if you know that the said humor is deep-seated in the very substance of the brain itself—and you will know this from the strength of the accidents and the continuous disturbance of the intellect—then the cure is very much more difficult and the time for curing is more protracted; yet it must be cured with the same prescribed regimen. And if melancholy has superabounded most strongly in the whole body—which you will know from the color of the blood extracted from the basilic vein of the left arm, which is very black—if it is thus, let blood from him as his age, strength, complexion, region, and time require. But if the said blood is very red, do not then bleed him at all. And when you know that black blood abounds in the veins, you should strive first, before phlebotomy, to moisten the body and to subtilize the humor, and make for him this compound syrup, in which the virtue of licorice, raisins, jujubes, and the flower of bugloss is found to abound, placing with the aforesaid that which should fortify the whole body, and especially the brain, such as mastic. And place also with the same things that have the power to subtilize without heating, such as flamula and eupatorium, and things that are aromatic and fortify the vital spirit, such as apples; and there is not in apples that which is in flamula and eupatorium regarding dryness. And in this illness we must consider dryness above other things, distancing ourselves from it with all our power; but of necessity it behooves us to use it in this illness, sometimes because of their subtlety, as is flamula and eupatorium. ¶ And this is the composition of the aforementioned syrup. Take: licorice, seeded raisins, jujubes, flower of bugloss, of each 1 ounce. Maidenhair, flamula, eupatorium, of each 4 parts of an ounce. Mastic, 1/2 ounce. These are to be crushed when crushed, and let them be placed in 4 pounds of water for one night, and in the morning let them be placed over a slow fire and let them boil until the consumption of the third part, and let them be strained. And mix into that decoction 4 pounds of the juice of aromatic apples, to which you will mix 10 pounds of sugar, and let them boil until the decoction of a syrup, of which you will offer the infirm person every morning 1 ounce with 6 ounces of water to drink. And within the day you will mix a little of the same with water to drink when he is thirsty. And this is the laxative medicine that is suitable for this illness. Take: polypody of the fresh sort, of medium thickness and coarseness, epithyme, lapis lazuli, of each 2 ounces. Black hellebore and benefteg, that is, violet, of each 1 ounce. Of the inner part of white and mature colocynth, 1 dram. Of diagridium, 1/2 dram. And leaves of colocynth and salt, 2 drams each. And garlic, of each a fourth part of an ounce. Let the colocynth be cut finely and mix with it double its amount of almond kernels, and as much as there is of colocynth of the powder of white dragg, and mix all the aforesaid with an electuary made from fragrant apples perfected with sugar. And of this perfection you must take a weight of 8 ounces with boiled water and water with a little salt and oil and the best fermented bread. And if he wishes, he can boil bugloss in the aforesaid broth, and eat it with bread. And if bugloss is not found, in its place let pipes and beet be put, seasoning them with oil of almonds, distancing oneself from all coarse foods and from all fruits except seeded raisins. And if he wishes to chew, he can do so by licking the juice of aromatic apples. And let him drink the prescribed syrup with food and outside of food as we have said. And in the cauldron in which his foods are boiled, let one ounce of pure gold byzantine coins be placed until they are boiled.

Chapter IX. Which is concerning the mirach, which is made from the lower parts.

But the disturbance of the intellect which is found to come from the stomach, or from the mirach, or proceeds from strong heat coming from some principal member, be certain that that occurs because of fiery choler, or from a severe aposteme of the intestine which is joined to the bottom of the stomach, from which the humors are scorched. Which humors, indeed, are seen to touch upon the whole of black choler; and from thence proceeds inflation of the orifice of the stomach on account of the weakness of the digestive faculty, and rumbling in the belly, and anxiety at the hour of digestion. And sometimes he vomits undigested food. And the cause of these accidents is extraneous heat. And it has already been declared that extraneous heat impedes the operations of natural heat, in that natural heat cooks and digests food, and accidental heat scorches it and converts it into bad fumes. And from these vapors and fumosities happens that which is similar to that which occurs from a scorched humor joined to the brain. And there follows from this a disturbance of the intellect from melancholy. And the accidents are diversified according to the diversity of the vapors and the difference of the species of each one in coarseness and subtlety, and according to the approximation of their nature to the nature of smoke that is very hot, or to the nature of smoke that is not very hot. And there are some infirm persons who fear that which is of no benefit to them, and death; and there are some who with every affect desire death itself. And there are some who try with all their power to throw themselves into the water.