Two Physical Treatises: On the Imposture of Healing Wounds by the Weapon Salve and On the Bleeding of Corpses

either blood, or spirit, or something else had fallen from the wound.
84. But they do not want the effect to follow for such things. And if it did follow, hopliatreia the healing of wounds by weapon-salve would now fall.
85. Furthermore, if it is of greater quantity, its virtue is greater by itself.
86. More, however, always reaches somewhere else than to the weapon:
87. It would be necessary that the direction be made to that which flowed out, rather than to that which adheres to the weapon.
88. Since the motion of a more powerful thing is stronger:
89. The wound would rather be moved toward corruption and putrefaction than toward health.
90. For that which has flowed out into the earth or elsewhere, that perishes.
91. What perishes does not become healthy, but ceases to be.
92. The wounded part, however, desires to be integrated or united.
93. Which it does not reach if it has been corrupted.
94. Truly, however, that direction toward the kin through medicine and the weapon will direct some external healing power.
95. It would be either from spirits, God, or demons: or from natural things, motion, the influence of the heavens, and the so-called elements.
96. Everything would either flow toward the medicine by its own appetite, or by magical attraction.
97. To assign divine and demonic power to the medicated weapon by its own motion, rather than its presence near the healable body, has no reason.