§1## ΠΕΡΙ ΑΙΜΟΡΡΟΙΔΩΝ.
1.
## ON HEMORRHOIDS 1.
Αἱμοῤῥοΐδων τὸ μὲν νόσημα ὧδε γίνεται· ἐπὴν χολὴ ἢ φλέγμα ἐς τὰς φλέβας τὰς ἐν τῷ ἀρχῷ καταστηρίξῃ, θερμαίνει τὸ αἷμα τὸ ἐν τοῖσι φλεβίοισι· θερμαινόμενα δὲ τὰ φλέβια ἐπισπᾶται ἐκ τῶν ἔγγιστα φλεβίων τὸ αἷμα, καὶ πληρεύμενα ἐξοιδέει ἐς τὸ ἐντὸς τοῦ ἀρχοῦ, καὶ ὑπερίσχουσιν αἱ κεφαλαὶ τῶν φλεβίων, καὶ ἅμα μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς κόπρου ἐξιούσης φλώμεναι, ἅμα δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ αἵματος ἀθροιζομένου βιαζόμεναι, ἐξακοντίζουσιν αἷμα, μάλιστα μὲν ξὺν τῷ ἀποπάτῳ, ἐνίοτε δὲ χωρὶς τοῦ ἀποπάτου.
The disease of hemorrhoids arises in this way: whenever bile or phlegm settles in the veins in the anus, it heats the blood in the small veins; and the small veins, being heated, draw the blood from the nearest small veins, and becoming filled, they swell up into the inside of the anus, and the heads of the small veins protrude; and while on the one hand being bruised by the excrement as it passes out, and on the other hand being forced by the gathered blood, they spurt out blood, especially with the stool, but sometimes without the stool.
§22.
2.
Θεραπεύειν δὲ δεῖ ὧδε· πρῶτον μὲν ὑπαρχέτω εἰδέναι ἐν οἵῳ χωρίῳ γίνονται.
One must treat them in this way: first, let it be assumed to know in what sort of place they arise.
Ἀρχὸν γὰρ καὶ τάμνων, καὶ ἀποτάμνων, καὶ ἀναῤῥάπτων, καὶ δαίων, καὶ ἀποσήπων, ταῦτα γὰρ δοκέει δεινότατα εἶναι, οὐδὲν ἂν σίνοιο.
For whether you cut, or cut off, or sew up, or burn, or cause to slough off the anus—for these things seem to be most terrible—you would do no harm.
Παρασκευάσασθαι δὲ κελεύω ἑπτὰ ἢ ὀκτὼ σιδήρια, σπιθαμιαῖα τὸ μέγεθος, πάχος δὲ ὡσεὶ μήλης παχείης· ἐξ ἄκρου δὲ κατακάμψαι· καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ἄκρῳ πλατὺ ἔστω ὡς ἐπὶ ὀβολοῦ μικροῦ.
I recommend preparing seven or eight iron instruments, a span in size, and as thick as a thick probe; bend them at the end, and let it be flat at the end like a small obol.
Προκαθήρας δὴ φαρμάκῳ τῇ πρότερον, αὐτῇ δὲ ᾗ ἂν ἐπιχειρέῃς καῦσαι, ἀνακλίνας τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὕπτιον, καὶ προσκεφάλαιον ὑπὸ τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑποθεὶς, ἐξαναγκάζειν ὡς μάλιστα τοῖσι δακτύλοισι τὴν ἕδρην ἔξω, ποιέειν δὲ καὶ διαφανέα τὰ σιδήρια, καὶ καίειν ἕως ἂν ἀποξηράνῃς, καὶ ὅκως μὴ ὑπαλείψῃς· καίειν δὲ καὶ μηδεμίην ἐᾶσαι ἄκαυστον τῶν αἱμοῤῥοΐδων, ἀλλὰ πάσας ἀποκαύσεις.
Having cleared the bowels beforehand with a drug on the previous day, on the day itself when you attempt to burn, lay the man on his back, and put a pillow under his loins, and force the anus out as much as possible with the fingers; make the iron instruments red-hot, and burn until you dry it up, and see that you do not smear it; and burn and leave none of the hemorrhoids unburnt, but burn them all off.
Γνώσει δὲ οὐ χαλεπῶς τὰς αἱμοῤῥοΐδας· ὑπερέχουσι γὰρ ἐς τὸ ἐντὸς τοῦ ἀρχοῦ, οἷον ῥᾶγες πελιδναὶ, καὶ ἅμα ἐξαναγκαζομένου τοῦ ἀρχοῦ ἐξακοντίζουσιν αἷμα.
You will recognize the hemorrhoids without difficulty; for they protrude into the inside of the anus like dark-livid grapes, and as the anus is forced out, they spurt out blood.
Κατεχόντων δ’ αὐτῶν, ὅταν καίηται, τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ τὰς χεῖρας, ὡς μὴ κινέηται, βοάτω καιόμενος· ὁ γὰρ ἀρχὸς μᾶλλον ἐξίσχει.
And let assistants hold his head and hands while he is being burnt, so that he does not move, and let him cry out while being burnt; for the anus protrudes more.
Ἐπὴν δὲ καύσῃς, φακοὺς καὶ ὀρόβους ἑψήσας ἐν ὕδατι, τρίψας λείους, κατάπασσε πέντε ἢ ἓξ ἡμέρας· τῇ δὲ ἑβδόμῃ σπόγγον μαλθακὸν τάμνειν ὡς λεπτότατον, πλάτος δὲ εἶναι τοῦ σπόγγου ὅσον ἓξ δακτύλων πάντη· ἔπειτα ἐπιθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὸν σπόγγον ὀθόνιον ἴσον τῷ σπόγγῳ λεπτὸν καὶ λεῖον, ἀλείψας μέλιτι· ἔπειτα ὑποβαλὼν τῷ δακτύλῳ τῷ λιχανῷ τῆς ἀριστερῆς χειρὸς μέσον τὸν σπόγγον, ὦσαι κάτω τῆς ἕδρης ὡς προσωτάτω· ἔπειτα ἐπὶ τὸν σπόγγον προσθεῖναι εἴριον, ὡς ἂν ἐν τῇ ἕδρῃ ἀτρεμίζῃ.
When you have burnt them, boil lentils and tares in water, grind them smooth, and apply them for five or six days; on the seventh day, cut a soft sponge as thin as possible, and let the width of the sponge be about six fingers in every direction; then place upon the sponge a piece of fine, smooth linen equal in size to the sponge, having smeared it with honey; then, putting the index finger of your left hand under the middle of the sponge, push it down inside the anus as far as possible; then place wool upon the sponge, so that it may remain stationary in the anus.
Διαζώσας δὲ ἐν τῇσι λαγόσι, καὶ ὑφεὶς ταινίην ἐκ τοῦ ὄπισθεν, ἀναλαβὼν ἐκ τῶν σκελέων τὸν ἐπίδεσμον, ἀναδῆσαι ἐς τὸ διάζωσμα παρὰ τὸν ὀμφαλόν.
Girding him around the flanks, and passing a band from behind, draw up the bandage from between the legs, and bind it to the girdle near the navel.
Τὸ δὲ φάρμακον, ὃ εἶπον, ἐπίδει τὸ πυκνὴν τὴν σάρκα ποιέον καὶ ἰσχυρὴν φῦναι.
And apply the drug, which I mentioned, with a bandage, which makes the flesh grow thick and strong.
Ταῦτα δὲ δεῖ ἐπιδεῖν μὴ ἔλασσον ἡμερῶν εἴκοσι.
One must keep these bandaged for no less than twenty days.
Ῥοφέειν δὲ ἅπαξ τῆς ἡμέρης ἄλευρον, ἢ κέγχρον, ἢ τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν πιτύρων, καὶ πίνειν ὕδωρ· ἣν δὲ ἐς ἄφοδον ἵζηται, ὕδατι θερμῷ διανίζειν· λούεσθαι δὲ διὰ τρίτης ἡμέρης.
Let him sup once a day gruel of barley meal, or millet, or that from bran, and drink water; and if he sits down for a bowel movement, wash it out with warm water; and let him bathe every third day.
§33.
3.
Ἑτέρη θεραπείη· ἐκβαλὼν τὴν ἕδρην ὡς μάλιστα, αἰονᾷν ὕδατι θερμῷ, ἔπειτα ἀποτάμνειν τῶν αἱμοῤῥοΐδων τὰ ἄκρα·
Another treatment: having forced the anus out as much as possible, foment it with warm water, then cut off the extremities of the hemorrhoids.
φάρμακον δὲ προκατασκευασθῆναι πρὸς τὴν τομὴν τόδε· οὐρήσας ἐς χαλκεῖον, ἐπίπασσον ἐπὶ τὸ οὖρον χαλκοῦ ἄνθος ὀπτοῦ καὶ τετριμμένου λείου, ἔπειτα διεὶς, καὶ κινήσας τὸ χαλκεῖον, ξήρανον ἐν τῷ ἡλίῳ· ὅταν δὲ ξηρὸν γένηται, συνξύσας τρῖψον λεῖον.
And let this medicine be prepared beforehand for the cutting: having urinated into a bronze vessel, sprinkle upon the urine flower of copper that has been roasted and ground smooth; then having dissolved it and shaken the bronze vessel, dry it in the sun; and when it becomes dry, scrape it together and grind it smooth.
Προστίθει τῷ δακτυλίῳ, καὶ σπληνία ἐλαιώσας προστίθει, καὶ σπόγγον ἐπάνω ἐπίδει.
Apply this with a finger-stall, and apply lint compresses moistened with olive oil, and bind a sponge over them with a bandage.