CHAPTER XIII. CURE OF THE LIVER.
. . . in the liver the ulcer may be dangerous. But the most
troublesome is a defluxion of pus on the stomach, when it
makes the stomach its route in the course of being distributed
upwards. For the food is the cause of life, but the stomach is
the leader in the process of nutrition, and it also sometimes
conveys medicines to the internal parts. If, then, in addition
to all the other evils, a difficulty of deglutition come on, the
patient must speedily die of disease and famine. But the indications
by which it is discovered in what direction the pus
will be diverted are diversified. If it pass by the intestines,
there are tormina, watery discharges from the bowels, phlegm,
and bile; then clots of blood floating in a fluid, or a thin
discharge like the washings of raw flesh. But, if it pass
by the bladder, there is a weight in the kidneys and loins;
at first, therefore, the evacuations are copious, and tinged with
bile; then turbid, which do not deposit their sediment, nor
get settled. In all cases the sediment should become white.
But if it be determined upwards to the stomach, nausea, loss
of appetite, vomitings of phlegm or of bile, deliquium, and
vertigo supervene, until it burst.
This, then, is to be especially avoided, as being a bad
course. But if the defluxion of pus be more violent, we
must take every means, assisting the stomach by food, and
medicines, and regimen, all in a mild way. We must administer
the medicines for bursting the abscess; give to
drink of the herb hyssop with honeyed-water, and the juice
of the hair of horehound, and this with honeyed-water and
the juice of the wormwood. These things must be given
before food to dilute the fluids, to lubricate the parts, and
facilitate the rupture of the abscesses. We are also to give
the milk of an ass, which is soft, not bilious, nutritious, does
not admit of being made into cheese, which is the perfection of
milk. We should gratify the patient in regard to food and
drink. And we are even to give things inferior to other more
beneficial articles (for we thereby afford a passage to the fluid
which occasions nausea and loathing of food, and many are
hurt by the transit of the pus), lest they should come to loathe
their food. And if they should take anything, they readily
vomit. It is necessary, also, in the other defluxions, to have
especial care of the stomach, for it is the passage to all sorts of
medicine. It is necessary to keep in mind the liver, which is
the root of the ulcerations.
1 But if the defluxion be to the
bladder, we are to promote it by diuretics, as the root of
asarabacca, valerian, maiden-hair, spignel, in drinks; for these
things are to be given to drink in honeyed-water. The compound
medicine of Vestinus is also very good, and that from
alkekengi, and such others as from trial have acquired reputation.
But if you determine to draw off the discharge by the
bowels, you can do this with milk, especially that of the ass, or
otherwise of the goat or sheep. Give, also, juices of a lubricating
nature and detergent, as the juice of ptisan; condiments,
as pepper, ginger, and lovage. In a word, with regard to
every method of diet in any case of abscess tending to rupture,
the food should consist of things having wholesome juices, of
savoury things, things of easy digestion, either juices, or the
gruels with milk, starch, pastry with milk * * *
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