Leechdoms, wortcunning, and starcraft of early England. Being a ...

^
LEECH BOOK. II. 263
take leaves of rue and bunches of laurel heads, beat Book ii.
^
them small and seethe them in licmey, lay •
on a cloth "•
or on a skin so that it may overlie all the side and
the sore ; lay on and foment with that mixture, and
cover after the
fomenting with hot wool, and bind on a
cake of wax. Then if the sore be not the less, then
draw with a cupping g-lass on the shoulders, and
scarify where the sore is most, and scrape the blood
off thoroughly ; and if it then be still more sore, do
not thou then apply the bladder with salt, but do this
in the early period of the disease, while the sore is
least. Seethe rue in oil or in wine, and dill ; anoint
the sore with that, of necessity, and foment with nesh
wool and with oil, and then apply the bladder : add
warm salt, put bran also into salt water ;
put it on the
bladder: Jay it on the sore, do this for tliree nights.
xlviii.
If these remedies are no help, then let blood on a
vein from the arm, hut not on the side on which the
sore is, and the wamb shall be cleansed with a smooth
wort drink. Again, melt in water the dropping of a
boar swine, which one findeth in a wood, sti'ain it, j)ut
it into his drink : or dry it, mingle and rub it into
his drink, that will heal the sore of the side. Again,
rub small sotne seed of coriander, and seethe it in
honey, till it be thick, then take of that, at morning
and at even, three spoon measures ;
give the man this
to
swallow.
xlix.
Leechdoms and wax salves and scarifyings for sore
of side, and what the sieJc are to take for diet. Also
thou shalt when thou drawest blood on the shcnilders,
draw it strongly on the side, and for about three days