Pharmacy

ON THE METHOD OF HEALING

the stomach, intestines, kidneys, and bladder, along with the veins, arteries, and nerves that serve them. We must also consider whether a part is "private," meaning it serves only itself, or "public," meaning it is useful to other parts of the body. Regarding the senses, one must observe if the part is dull or acute in its feeling. By observing these factors, the quantity and strength of the remedy must be adjusted. A part that is dense and compact requires stronger and more attenuating original: "attenuãtia". Medicines intended to thin thick humors or penetrate dense tissues. remedies so that their power can enter deep inside. Such parts include the kidneys, the liver, and whatever is called a solid part.

Substance

On the other hand, a part with a more porous substance, such as the spleen, the lungs, and the flesh of the muscles, requires milder remedies.

Location

An ailment located on the surface of the body can be driven away by a moderate remedy. However, one that lies hidden deep within the body demands a more powerful and thinning medicine. Indeed, stronger remedies are applied externally to an inflamed liver than to an inflamed abdomen. Among internal medicines, more forceful ones are required for the kidneys than for the stomach. This is because medicines reach the stomach with their powers fully intact, but they arrive at the kidneys weakened and diminished; they do not reach them in the same state as when they were first taken. The path is longer, passing through many viscera and direct pathways where the remedies are mixed with other humors and undergo significant changes. Therefore, much sharper and more forceful medicines must be chosen according to the length of the journey and the number of parts they must pass through.

Importance

Furthermore, a "noble" or primary organ requires milder remedies. This is to ensure that its vital faculty, which is necessary for the preservation of life, is not offended or scattered by the impact of too forceful a medicine. In contrast, a "private" or less vital part can endure stronger treatments, as much as the magnitude of the disease demands. For a primary organ that is suffering, no remedy should be applied that excessively relaxes or cools it, nor one endowed with a foreign or hidden quality. Instead, the remedy should always be powerful in its ability to strengthen the organ.

Sensitivity

Because of the high level of sensitivity in certain parts, neither the eye nor the "mouth of the stomach" original: "os ventriculi". Referring to the cardia or upper opening of the stomach, which was considered highly sensitive in early medicine. can tolerate forceful or sharp medications. However, parts with duller senses can endure and carry strong and sharp medicines without any discomfort. These are all the factors that must be most carefully observed so that a certain quantity of remedies may be decided upon. From these observations, and from understanding the magnitude of the disease, one can know how strong a remedy should be, by what degree of intensity it should differ from the body's natural state, and what weight is appropriate to remove the ailment entirely at once. Alternatively, one can determine how often and for how long it should be applied if the medical art dictates that the cure be achieved slowly and step by step. Always mindful of the patient's original healthy condition, and with a focus on that...