§2323.
23.
Ὅταν ἐν τῷ νώτῳ ὑπὸ πληγέων ἢ ἄλλως ἕλκος γένηται, τῇ σκίλλῃ διέφθῳ τρίψας καὶ ἐπ’ ὀθόνιον ἀλείψας ἐπιδεῖν, ὕστερον δὲ στέαρ αἰγὸς, καὶ συὸς νέον, καὶ σποδὸν, καὶ ἔλαιον, καὶ λιβανωτὸν ἐπαλείφειν.
When an ulcer occurs on the back from blows or otherwise, having crushed boiled squill and smeared it on a piece of linen, apply it and bind it up; afterwards apply goat's fat, fresh pig's fat, ashes, olive oil, and frankincense.
§2424.
24.
Οἰδήματα ἐν τοῖσι ποσὶ γινόμενα, αὐτόματα καὶ μὴ αὐτόματα, οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τῶν καταπλασμάτων καθιστάμενα, τά τε οἰδήματα, καὶ ἡ φλεγμασίη, καὶ ἢν σπόγγους ἐπιδέῃ τις ἢ εἴρια ἤ τι ἄλλο ἐπὶ τὸ ὑγιὲς, ἔπειτα ἀνοιδίσκηται αὐτόματον καὶ ἀναφλεγμαίνῃ, κατὰ φλέβας ἐπίῤῥους αἴτιόν ἐστιν αἵματος, ᾥτινι μὴ φλάσμα αἴτιόν ἐστι, καὶ ἤν που ἄλλοθι τοῦ σώματος τοιοῦτόν τι γίνηται, ὁ αὐτὸς λόγος.
For swellings occurring in the feet, both spontaneous and non-spontaneous, which are not at all reduced by cataplasms—namely, the swellings themselves and the inflammation, and if one binds sponges or wool or anything else upon a healthy part, and it then swells spontaneously and becomes inflamed—the cause, in cases where a bruise is not the cause, is an influx of blood through the veins; and if such a thing occurs anywhere else in the body, the same reasoning applies.
Ἀλλὰ τοῦ αἵματος·
Indeed, it is due to blood.
χρὴ ἀφίεναι, μάλιστα μὲν κατὰ φλέβας τὰς ἐπιῤῥεούσας, ἢν καταφανέες ἔωσιν· ἢν δὲ μὴ, κατακρούειν τὰ οἰδήματα βαθύτερα καὶ πυκνότερα, καὶ ἄλλο πᾶν ὅ τι ἂν κατακρούῃς, οὕτω χρὴ ποιέειν, καὶ ὡς ὀξυτάτοισι σιδηρίοισι καὶ λεπτοτάτοισι, καὶ ὅταν ἀφαιρέῃς τὸ αἵμα, τῇ μήλῃ μὴ κάρτα πιέζειν, ὡς μὴ φλάσις προσγίνηται· ὄξει δὲ κατανίζειν, καὶ θρόμβον αἵματος ἐν τοῖσι σχάσμασι μὴ ἐᾷν ἐγκαταλείπεσθαι, καταχρίσας τῷ ἐναίμῳ φαρμάκῳ, εἴρια οἰσυποῦντα κατεξασμένα μαλθακὰ ἐπιδῆσαι, ῥήνας οἴνῳ καὶ ἐλαίῳ, καὶ ἐχέτω τὸ σχασθὲν ὅκως ἀνάῤῥους εἴη τοῦ αἵματος καὶ μὴ κατάῤῥους.
One must let blood out, especially through the inflowing veins if they are visible; if not, scarify the swellings deeper and more closely, and whatever else you scarify, you should do it in this manner, using the sharpest and thinnest iron instruments; and when you remove the blood, do not press hard with the probe, lest a bruise be superadded; and wash it thoroughly with vinegar, and do not allow any clot of blood to be left behind in the incisions, having smeared it with the wound-healing medicine, bind on soft, carded, greasy wool, having sprinkled it with wine and olive oil, and let the incised part be positioned so that the flow of blood is upward and not downward.
Καὶ μὴ τεγγέτω ὅλως, καὶ ὀλιγοσιτεέτω, καὶ πινέτω ὕδωρ·
And let it not be moistened at all, and let the patient eat little and drink water.
ἢν δὲ ἀπολύων εὐρίσκῃς τὰ σχάσματα φλεγμαίνοντα, καταπλάσσειν τῷ ἐκ τοῦ ἀγνοῦ καὶ λίνου καρποῦ καταπλάσματι· ἢν δὲ ἑλκωθῇ τὰ σχάσματα καὶ ξυῤῥαγῇ, πρὸς σχῆμα ὁρέων, ἔπειτα προσφέρων ὅτου ἂν δέῃ, τὰ λοιπὰ ἰητρεύειν.
If on untying you find the incisions inflamed, apply a cataplasm made of chaste-tree and flaxseed; but if the incisions ulcerate and break open, having regard to the posture, and then applying whatever may be necessary, treat the remaining part.
§2525.
25.
Ὅκου δὲ κιρσὸς ἔνεστιν ἐπ’ ἀντικνημίου ἢ πατὰ τῆς σαρκὸς, καί ἔστι μέλαν τὸ ἀντικνήμιον, καὶ δοκέει δεῖσθαι αἷμα ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἀποῤῥυῆναι, οὐ χρὴ τὰ τοιαῦτα. κατακρούειν οὐδαμῶς· ὡς γὰρ ἐπιτοπολὺ ἕλκεα μεγάλα γίνεται ἐκ τῶν σχασμάτων διὰ τοῦ κιρσοῦ τὴν ἐπιῤῥοήν· ἀλλὰ χρὴ αὐτὸν τὸν κιρσὸν ἀποκεντέειν ἄλλοτε καἰ ἄλλοτε, ὅπη ἂν δοκέῃ καιρὸς εἶναι.
But where there is a varicose vein on the shin or in the flesh, and the shin is black, and it seems necessary for blood to flow from it, one must by no means scarify such parts; for as a general rule, large ulcers arise from the incisions because of the influx into the varicose vein; but one must puncture the varicose vein itself here and there from time to time, whenever it seems to be the proper moment.
§2626.
26.
Ὅταν δὲ φλέβα τάμῃς, ἐπειδὰν τοῦ αἵματος ἀφῇς καὶ λύσῃς τὴν ταινίην, καὶ μὴ ἵστηται, τὰ ἀντία ὅκως ἂν ὁ ῥοῦς γίνηται τοῦ αἵματος, ἐχέτω, ἤν τε χεὶρ, ἤν τε σκέλος ᾖ, ὡσεὶ χωρέοντος τοῦ αἵματος ὀπίσω, καὶ οὕτως ὑπομείνας χρόνον πλείω ἢ ἐλάσσω κατακείμενος, ἔπειτα ἐπιδῆσαι αὐτὸν οὕτως ἔχοντα, μὴ ἐνεόντος τινὸς θρόμβου ἐν τῇ τομῇ, [ἔπειτα] σπληνίον διπλόον προσθείς, τέγξας οἴνῳ, καὶ άνωθεν εἴριον ἐλαιώσας καθαρόν· κἢν γὰρ ἐπίῤῥυσις τοῦ αἵματος ἔῃ βιαίη, σχέσις γίνεται ἐπιῤῥέοντος· κἢν, θρόμβου ἐπὶ τῇ τομῇ γενομένου, οὕτω φλεγμήνῃ, διαπυΐσκεται.
When you open a vein, after you let out the blood and loose the bandage, and if it does not stop, let the part be held—whether it be the arm or the leg—in the opposite direction to that in which the flow of blood occurs, as if the blood were going backward; and having remained thus lying down for a longer or shorter time, then bind it up while in this position, there being no clot in the incision, having applied a double compress, moistened with wine, and on top clean wool oiled; for even if the rush of blood is violent, the inflowing blood is stopped; and if, a clot having formed at the incision, it becomes inflamed in this way, it suppurates.
Ἠριστηκότα δὲ χρὴ πλέον ἢ ἔλαττον καὶ πεπωκότα φλεβοτομέειν, καὶ ὑποτεθερμασμένον, καὶ ἡμέρης θερμοτέρης ἢ ψυχροτέρης.
One should practice venesection after the patient has eaten more or less and drunk, and is moderately warm, and on a warmer rather than a colder day.
§2727.
27.
Σικύην δὲ προσβάλλοντα χρὴ, ἢν ἐπιῤῥέῃ τὸ αἷμα ἀφῃρημένης τῆς σικύης, κἢν πολὺ ῥέῃ, ἢ ἰχὼρ ῥέῃ, αὐτοῖσι ταχέως, πρὶν ἢ πλησθῇ, αὖθις προσβάλλων, ἐπεξέλκειν τὸ λειπόμενον· ἢν δὲ μὴ, θρόμβοι ἐνεχόμενοι ἐν τοῖσι σχάσμασιν, ἔπειτα ἀναφλεγμήναντα ἕλκεα γίνεται ἐξ αὐτῶν.
When applying a cupping-glass, if the blood continues to flow after the cupping-glass is removed, and if it flows in large quantities, or if serum flows, quickly apply it again to the same place before it is filled, to draw out what remains; otherwise, clots being enclosed in the incisions, they then become inflamed, and ulcers arise from them.
Ὄξει δὲ χρὴ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα κατανίζειν, καὶ ὕστερον μὴ τέγγειν, μηδὲ κατακέεσθαι ἐπὶ τὰ σχάσματα, τῶν δὲ ἐναίμων τινὶ φαρμάκων καταχρῖσαι τὰ σχάσματα· καὶ ὅταν κάτωθεν τοῦ γούνατος δέῃ προσβάλλειν ἢ πρὸς τὸ γόνυ, ἑστηκότι ὀρθῷ, ἢν δύνηται ἑστάναι.
One should wash all such parts with vinegar, and afterwards not moisten them, nor lie upon the incisions, and smear the incisions with one of the wound-healing medicines; and when it is necessary to apply it below the knee or near the knee, it should be done while the patient is standing upright, if he is able to stand.