§1## ΓΑΛΗΝΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΒΔΕΛΛΩΝ, ΑΝΤΙΣΠΑΣΕΩΣ, ΣΙΚΥΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΓΧΑΡΑΞΕΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΤΑΣΧΑΣΜΟΥ.
Θηρῶντές τινες τὰς βδέλλας κατακλείουσι καὶ ἐπὶ πολλοῖς αὐταῖς χρῶνται.
GALEN ON LEECHES, REVULSION, CUPPING, SCARIFICATION AND BLOODLETTING. Some people capture leeches, shut them up, and use them for many purposes.
αὗται γὰρ ἐκμειλίττουσαι ῥᾳδίως ἅπτονται τῶν σαρκῶν.
For these, by soothing, easily attach themselves to the flesh.
τὰς δὲ νέον εἰλημμένας φυλάττειν χρὴ ἡμέραν μίαν, αἷμα ὀλίγον εἰς διατροφὴν ἐμβάλλοντας.
Those newly caught should be kept for one day, introducing a little blood for nourishment.
οὕτως γὰρ διαπιεσθήσεται τὸ ἰῶδες αὐτῶν.
For in this way their venomous substance will be squeezed out.
ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς χρείας τὸ βδελλισθησόμενον μέρος προεκνιτρούσθω καὶ καταχριέσθω ἢ κνάσθω τοῖς ὄνυξι, ἑτοιμότερον γὰρ ἅψονται.
At the time of use, let the part to be leeched be previously washed with soda, and rubbed or scratched with the fingernails, for they will attach themselves more readily.
δεῖ δὲ ἐμβαλεῖν αὐτὰ εἰς ὕδωρ χλιαρὸν καὶ καθαρὸν ἀγγεῖον εὐρὺ, ἔπειτα σπόγγῳ περιλαβόντες αὐτὰς καὶ τὸ γλοιῶδες ἀποκαθάραντες διὰ τῶν χειρῶν προσέξομεν.
And it is necessary to put them into lukewarm water and a clean, wide vessel; then, grasping them with a sponge and thoroughly cleansing the slime with the hands, we shall apply them.
μετὰ δὲ τὸ ἐμφῦναι ἔλαιον χλιαρὸν ἐπιχέομεν τῷ μορίῳ, ὥστε μὴ ψυγῆναι.
After they have attached themselves, we pour lukewarm oil over the part, so that it does not become cold.
ἐπὶ δὲ χειρῶν ἢ ποδῶν αὐτὸ τὸ μέρος ἐμβαλεῖν χρὴ τῷ ὕδατι, ἔνθα εἰσὶν αἱ βδέλλαι.
In the case of hands or feet, one should immerse the part itself in the water where the leeches are.
εἰ δὲ ὀλίγον ἅψοιντο, ψαλίζειν χρὴ τὰς οὐρὰς αὐτῶν.
But if they should attach themselves weakly, one must clip their tails.
ἐκχεομένου γὰρ τοῦ αἵματος, ἕλκουσαι οὐ παύονται, μέχρις ἂν ἡμεῖς ἅλας ἢ σποδὸν προσπάσσωμεν αὐτῶν τοῖς στόμασι.
For while the blood is flowing out, they do not stop sucking, until we sprinkle salt or ash upon their mouths.
μετὰ δὲ τὸ ἀποπεσεῖν σικύᾳ χρὴ τὸ ἰῶδες ἐξέλκειν· εἰ δὲ μὴ, πυριατέον σπόγγοις.
After they drop off, one must draw out the venomous substance with a cupping-glass; otherwise, one must apply fomentations with sponges.
τὰ δὲ σώματα, εἰ μὲν ὑποδακρύει, κύμινον ἢ ἄλευρον προσπαστέον, ἔπειτα ἐρίῳ ἔλαιον βραχὺ κατειλικτέον.
As for the wounds, if they weep slightly, one should sprinkle cumin or flour, then wrap them with a little oil on wool.
εἰ δὲ αἱμοῤῥαγείη, ὀθόνια ἐπιβλητέον ἐξ ὄξους ἢ κηκίδα κεκαυμένην, ἢ σπόγγον δεύσας ὑγροπίσσῃ καὶ καύσας ἐπιθετέον.
But if they should hemorrhage, one must apply linen rags soaked in vinegar, or burnt gallnut, or apply a sponge soaked in liquid pitch and burnt.
γινώσκειν δὲ χρὴ ὡς αἱ βδέλλαι οὐ τὸ ἐν τῷ βάθει ἕλκουσιν αἷμα, ἀλλ’ αὐτὸ τὸ παρακείμενον τῇ σαρκὶ εἰσμύζουσιν.
It must be known that leeches do not draw blood from the depths, but suck that which is immediately adjacent to the flesh.
χρώμεθα δὲ αὐταῖς ἀντὶ σικυῶν, ἀποσπῶμεν δὲ αὐτὰς, ὁπόταν εἰκάσωμεν τὸ ἥμισυ μέρος εἱλκύσθαι τοῦ αἵματος.
We use them instead of cupping-glasses, and we detach them when we estimate that half the portion of the blood has been drawn.
ἐκκωλύομεν δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἐῶμεν ἀποῤῥεῖν ἕως ἂν αὔταρκες ἀποκριθῇ, ἐπειδὴ τὸ μόριον ψύχεται ὑπό τε τῶν βδελλῶν φύσει ψυχρῶν οὐσῶν καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ περιέχοντος.
And we prevent and do not allow it to flow away until a sufficient amount has been separated, since the part is chilled both by the leeches, which are cold by nature, and by the surrounding air.
§2Περὶ ἀντισπάσεως.
On Revulsion.
Τὰς σφοδροτάτας ἐπιῤῥοὰς τῶν χυμῶν ἀντισπαστικοῖς βοηθήμασι κωλύομεν ἀθρόως κατασκήπτειν.
We prevent the most violent inflows of humors from rushing down all at once by means of revulsive remedies.
ἀντισπαστικὰ δέ ἐστι βοηθήματα ἐπὶ τῆς εἰς θώρακα καὶ γαστέρα ῥοπῆς εἰς χεῖρας· ἔμετοι δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς εἰς τὰ κάτω, καθάπερ καὶ ἡ διὰ τῶν δριμυτέρων κλυσμῶν τῆς ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐμέτους.
Revulsive remedies are: for a deflection toward the chest and stomach, application to the hands; and vomits for a deflection toward the lower parts, just as that through sharper enemas is for deflections toward vomits.
ἄμφω δὲ ταύτας τὰς ῥοπὰς, λέγω δὲ τὰς διὰ τῆς ἄνω καὶ κάτω γαστρὸς, εἰς οὖρα καὶ ἱδρῶτας ἀντισπάσεις· καὶ μέντοι γε καὶ τὰ οὖρα πρὸς ἱδρῶτάς τε καὶ διαχωρήσεις γαστρὸς.
And both of these deflections, I mean those through the upper and lower stomach, are revulsions toward urine and sweats; and indeed, also urine toward sweats and evacuations of the bowels.
ἀντισπαστικὸν δὲ βοήθημα καὶ ἡ παρὰ τοὺς τιτθοὺς προβαλλομένη σικύα.
A cupping-glass applied near the breasts is also a revulsive remedy.
ταῖς δὲ καθ’ ὑποχόνδριον ἐρειδομέναις ἀντισπάσεις τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς μυκτῆρας ὁρμὴν τοῦ αἵματος, ὥσπερ γε καὶ τὴν διὰ μήτρας ἄμετρον φοράν.
And those pressed against the hypochondrium revulse the rush of blood to the nostrils, just as they also do the immoderate flow through the uterus.
ἀντισπᾷ δὲ καὶ τὰ δριμέα φάρμακα τοῖς κόλποις ἐπιτιθέμενα τὰς ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν καὶ σπλάγχνα ῥοπὰς τῶν χυμῶν.
Sharp medications applied to the armpits also revulse the deflections of humors to the head and viscera.
καὶ ἁπλῶς τὴν ἀντίσπασιν ποιητέον ἐπὶ μὲν τοῖς ἄνω ῥέουσι χυμοῖς εἰς τὰ κάτω, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς εἰς τὰ κάτω τοὐναντίον, καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν ταῖς ἔσω ῥοπαῖς ἔξω, καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐκτὸς εἴσω, κᾂν πρὸς τὰ δεξιὰ ῥέπῃ, ἐπὶ τὰ ἀριστερὰ, καὶ εἰ πρὸς τὰ εὐώνυμα, πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία.
And simply, revulsion must be made downward for humors flowing upward, and the opposite for those flowing downward, and outward for inward deflections, and again inward for outward ones; and if it deflects to the right, to the left, and if to the left, to the opposite side.
οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὰς μὲν ὀπίσω ῥοπὰς πρόσω, τὰς δ’ εἰς πρόσω ὄπισθεν.
Thus also backward deflections forward, and forward deflections backward.