... Theses de pleuritide

XII.
In general, a stinging pain, injured respiration, a cough that is dry at the beginning and soon nearly moist, a hard pulse, and a continuous fever indicate pleurisy. A stinging pain, especially tending more toward the sides, argues that the membrane is affected, whereas with the mediastinum the membrane separating the lungs laboring, the pain affects the center more. Pain extending to the throat reveals that the upper parts of the pleura are affected; the same extending to the precordium the region over the heart indicates the lower parts; pain in the middle indicates the middle parts, just as when the pain is propagated everywhere, it is a sign that the inflammation is very extensive and holds all parts equally.

XIII.
The posture of lying down manifests whether the inflamed part is external or internal. For when the external part is attacked, the sick person is worse off when pressing on the affected side, whereas when the internal part is attacked, they lie down more molestedly on the opposite side.

XIV.
We recognize the affected muscles from the relaxing, extending, and pulsing pain. When the exterior ones are attacked, the pain is increased by touch and during expiration. When the interior ones are inflamed, injured respiration and pain increased during inspiration show it; furthermore, a cough distinguishes these from inflammation of the membrane, which is either absent in those cases or, if it is annoying, nothing at all is expectorated; the pulse is not hard and unequal as it is in an affected pleura. Pain at the end of the false ribs, rendered more intense by expiration, indicates that the transverse septum diaphragm is affected.

XV.
Sputum shows the offending humor. Red sputum shows blood; whitening shows phlegm, which sometimes even renders the sick prone to lethargy or at least weighs down the head; yellowing reveals bile, conspicuous in its vigor, especially with delirium; blackish reveals melancholy.

XVI.
True Pleurisy is distinguished from pain of the side, of which flatulence is the author, by a stinging pain, fever, and pulse, none of which are detected in the latter. For that pain is distending, unstable, and wandering, joined with no fever or hard pulse, and then the flatulence is removed by dispersants.