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CHAP. 87. (14.)—REMEDIES FOR ULCERS AND WOUNDS.

Of ulcers there are numerous kinds, which are treated in various ways. The root of all the varieties of panaces1 is used as an application for running ulcers, in warm wine.

That which we have spoken of as the "chironion"2 is particularly good as a desiccative: bruised with honey, it opens tumours, and is useful for serpiginonus ulcers, the cure of which appears more than doubtful; in which case it is amalgamated with flower3 of copper tempered with wine, either the seed, flower, or root, being employed for the purpose. Mixed with polenta4 it is good for old wounds. The following are also good detergents for wounds: heraclion siderion,5 apollinaris,6 psyllion,7 tragacantha,8 and scordotis9 mixed with honey. Powdered scordotis applied by itself, consumes fleshy excrescences on the body. Polemonia10 is curative of the malignant ulcer known as "cacoëthes." The greater centaury,11 sprinkled in powder, or applied in the form of a liniment, or the leaves of the smaller12 centaury, boiled or pounded, act as a detergent upon inveterate ulcers, and effect a cure. To recent wounds, the follicules of the clymenus13 are applied. Gentian is applied to scrpiginous ulcers, the root being bruised or else boiled down in water to the consistency of honey; the juice also of the plant is employed. For wounds, a kind of lycium14 is prepared from gentian.

Lysimachia15 is curative of recent wounds, and plantago16 of all kinds of ulcerations, those on females, infants, and aged persons more particularly. This plant, when softened by the action of fire, is better still: in combination with cerate it acts as a detergent upon ulcers with indurated edges, and arrests the progress of corrosive sores: when applied bruised, it should be covered with its own leaves. Chelidonia17 also acts as a desiccative upon suppurations, abscesses, and fistulous ulcers; indeed, it is so remarkably useful for the cure of wounds, as to be employed as a substitute for spodium18 even. In cases where the cure is almost hopeless, it is applied with axle- grease. Dittany,19 taken internally, causes arrows to fall from the flesh; used as a liniment, it has the effect of extracting other kinds of pointed weapons: the leaves are taken in the proportion of one obolus to one cyathus of water. Nearly equal in its efficacy is pseudo-dictamnon:20 they are both of them useful, also, for dispersing suppurations.

Aristolochia21 cauterizes putrid sores, and, applied with honey, acts as a detergent upon sordid ulcers. At the same time also, it removes maggots, and extracts hard cores, and all foreign bodies adhering to the flesh, arrows more particularly, and, applied with resin, splintered bones. Used by itself, it fills the cavities made by ulcers with new flesh, and, employed with iris,22 in vinegar, it closes recent wounds. Vervain, or cinquefoil with salt and honey, is remedial for ulcers of long standing. Roots of persolata23 are applied to recent wounds inflicted with iron, but for old wounds, it is the leaves that are employed: in both cases, in combination with axle-grease, the sore being then covered with the leaves of the plant. Damasonium24 is used for wounds the same way as for scrofula,25 and leaves of verbascum26 are employed with vinegar or wine.

Vervain is useful for all kinds of callosities or putrid sores; root of nymphæa heraclia27 is curative of running ulcers; and the same is the case with root of cyclaminos,28 either used by itself, or in combination with vinegar or honey. This last root is useful also for the cure of steatomatous tumours, and hyssop for that of running ulcers; an effect equally produced by peucedanum,29 a plant which exercises so powerful an influence upon fresh wounds, as to cause exfoliation even of the bones. The two varieties of anagallis30 are possessed of similar properties, and act as a check upon the corrosive sores known as "nomæ" and upon defluxions; they are useful also in cases of recent wounds, those of aged people in particular. Fresh leaves of mandragora,31 applied with cerate, are curative of apostemes and sordid ulcers: the root too is used, with honey or oil, for wounds.

Hemlock, incorporated with flour of winter wheat32 by the agency of wine—as also the plant Aizoüm33—is curative of herpetic eruptions, and corrosive or putrid sores. Erigeron34 is employed for ulcers which breed maggots. Root of astra- galus35 is used for the cure of recent wounds or of ulcers of long standing; and upon these last either kind of hypocisthis36 acts as a detergent. Seed of leontopodium,37 bruised in water and applied with polenta,38 extracts pointed weapons from the flesh: a result equally produced by using seed of pycnocomon.39 The tithymalos characias40 supplies its juice for the cure of gangrenes, phagedænic sores, and putrid ulcers; or else a decoction is made of the branches with polenta and oil. Roots of orchis41 have a similar effect; in addition to which, 'applied, either dry or fresh gathered, with honey and vinegar, they are curative of the ulcer known as "cacoëthes." Onothera42 also, used by itself; is curative of ulcers when rapidly gaining head.

The people of Scythia employ scythice43 for the treatment of wounds. For carcinoma, argemonia,44 applied with honey, is extremely efficacious. For sores that have prematurely closed, root of asphodel is boiled, in manner already45 stated. and then beaten up with polenta,46 and applied. For all kinds of wounds apollinaris47 is very useful. Root of astragalus,48 reduced to powder, is good for running ulcers; the same, too, with callithrix,49 boiled in water. For blisters, more particularly when caused by the shoes, vervain is used, as also pounded lysimachia,50 or nymphæa51 dried and powdered; but when they have assumed the form of inveterate ulcers, polythrix52 will be found more serviceable.

1 See B.C. 11, et seq.

2 See B. xxv. c. 15.

3 For a description of this substance, see B. xxxiv. c. 24.

4 See B. xviii. c. 14.

5 See B. xxv. c. 15.

6 See B. xxv. c. 17.

7 See B. xxv. c. 90.

8 See B. xii. c. 36.

9 See B. xxv. c. 27.

10 See B. xxv. c. 28.

11 See B. xxv. c. 30.

12 See B. xxv. c. 31.

13 See B. xxv. c. 33.

14 See B. xxiv. c. 77.

15 See B. xxv. c. 35.

16 See B. xxv. c. 39.

17 See B. xxv. c. 50.

18 See B. xix. c. 4, B. xxiii. c. 35, and 1. xxxiv. c. 52.

19 See B. xxv. c. 53.

20 Bastard dittany. See B. xxv. c. 53.

21 See B. xxv. c. 54.

22 See B. xxi. c. 19.

23 See B. xxv. c. 66.

24 See B. xxv. c. 77.

25 See c. 12 of this Book.

26 See B, xxv. c. 73.

27 See B. xxv. c. 37.

28 See B. xxv. c. 67.

29 See B. xxv. c. 70.

30 See B. xxv. c. 92.

31 See B. xxv. c. 94.

32 "Siligo." See B. xviii. c. 20.

33 See B. xxv. c. 102.

34 See B. xxv. c. 106.

35 See c. 29 of this Book.

36 See c. 31 of this Book.

37 See B. xxvii. c. 72.

38 See B. xxviii. c. 14.

39 See c. 36 of this Book.

40 See c. 39 of this Book.

41 See c. 62 of this Book.

42 See c. 69 of this Book.

43 Our "liquorice," see B. xxv. c. 43.

44 See B. xxv. c. 66.

45 In B. xxii. c. 33.

46 See B. xviii. c. 14.

47 See B. xxv. c. 17.

48 See c. 29 of this Book.

49 See B. xxii. c. 30, and B. xxv. c. 86.

50 See B. xxv. c. 35.

51 See B. xxv. c. 37.

52 See Note 46 above.

The Natural History. Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855.

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