Medicine and philosophy - Classical Homeopathy Online

108 Hippocratic Corpus and Diocles of CarystusDiocles, in the book in which he writes on affections, causes and treatments,applies venesection to those in whom the affection [sc. ileus] has established itselfand treats them with poultices from the flour which the Greeks call ōmē lusis, fat,wine and lees. Then he gives them something to drink first and applies a clysterconsisting of the seed of abrotanum mixed with oxymel, and of birthwort, cumin,nitre, fennel root decocted in wine mixed with sea water, or raisin wine, or moreacid wine, or milk with a decoction of linseed and honey, or similar things. Again,in the fourth book on treatments he says:‘For young people and those whose normal constitution is strong, and all themore for those in whom the pain stretches to the sides [of the body], I recommendvenesection from the right hand, or from the internal vein, and bathingin hot water, and when they have got warm to inject in the belly a clyster mixedwith salt, and then again to put them in hot water and to warm them.’But he prescribes also that they should be given drugs to drink first, namely halfa drachm of allheal dissolved in lukewarm oxymel, and two obols of myrrh withleaves of holy vervain in white wine, or with Ethiopian cumin.‘Most patients also benefit from swallowing a lead pill, for it drives the obstructingmaterial away by its heaviness and expels it.’Moreover, he says that patients who are thirsty should daily be given wine that issweet or mixed with water, or sea water mixed with white wine, or centaury, ornitre, or soda, in order to dissolve as much as possible.‘One should also give soupy food, such as bran water with honey, or a gruel ofoats or of pearl barley, or vegetables cooked with flour, some with fat, otherswith spelt groats and salt; the patient should also swallow a broth made fromparrot wrasse, crayfish, bucinas and crabs. Then’, he says, ‘a convalescense cureshould be applied’,of which he lists the materials, which it is superfluous to enumerate; for from theabove it is evident that this mixture of stuffs is useless and unskilful. For one shouldvenesect not only young people, but also people of other ages, and not always fromthe right hand or the interior vein, but also from the left hand and from the exteriorvein. For after a withdrawal has been carried out, this gives relief to the swellingparts, but the use of clysters, due to their acid quality, causes the swelling parts toburn. Moreover, the drinking of drugs beforehand is irritating, for these are sharpand biting, and [are things] that do not soothe the acute state nor bring relief tothe swelling parts. Swallowed lead, to be sure, presses and drives [the obstructingmaterial] by its heaviness, but necessarily on contact cools and stretches the denselycompacted intestines in an irritating manner. Broths are known to go off easilyand to cause flatulency, and barley gruel to bring about the same effect; wine, too,is harmful when the disease is in its increasing phase. 1616 Translation according to van der Eijk (2000a) 213–17.