De Medicina

9 But in the interior parts of the throat there is sometimes ulceration. For this most employ plasters and hot foments externally; they also order hot steam to be inhaled by the mouth. Others say that by these measures the parts are rendered more soft and more liable to the complaint already existing there. But these applications are salutary if cold can be completely avoided; if cold is to be apprehended, they are useless. But anyhow to rub the throat is dangerous; for it provokes ulceration. Nor are diuretics useful, because in the course of being swallowed they can also make thin the phlegm there, which is better suppressed. Asclepiades, who wisely advises many things, which we

also ourselves practise, said that very sour vinegar should be sipped; for by this the ulcers are constricted without doing harm. But whilst vinegar can suppress bleeding, it cannot heal the actual ulcerations. For that purpose lycium is better, and Asclepiades approved equally of it, or leek or horehound juice, or almonds pounded up with tragacanth and mixed with raisin wine, or linseed pounded and mixed with sweet wine. Exercise also by walking and by running is necessary, and smart rubbing from the chest downwards should be applied to the whole of the lower part of the body. The food too should be neither very acrid nor rough, honey, lentils, wheat porridge, milk, pearl barley gruel, fat meat and especially a leek decoction and anything mixed with it. Of drink the least possible is proper; water can be given either by itself, or when quince or dates have been boiled in it. Bland gargles are of service also, or when ineffectual then repressants. This sort of affection is not acute, and cannot last long; nevertheless, it requires timely treatment, lest it should become a severe and chronic complaint.

10 Cough again is generally owing to ulceration of the throat. This is incurred in many ways: and so when the throat has healed the cough is ended. Nevertheless, at times cough is a trouble by itself, and when it has become chronic, is difficult to get rid of. Sometimes the cough is dry, sometimes it excites phlegm. Hyssop should be taken every other day; the patient should run whilst holding the breath, but not where there is dust; he should practise reading loudly, which may at first be impeded by the cough, but later overcomes it; next walking; then manual exercises also, and the chest should

be rubbed for a long while. After such exercises he should eat three ounces of very juicy figs, cooked over charcoal. Besides the above, when the cough is moist, smart rubbings with some kind of heating substance are good, provided that the head too is briskly rubbed when dry; in addition, cups are applied to the chest; mustard put on outside over the throat until there is slight excoriation; and a draught taken, composed of mint, almonds, and starch; first of all dry bread should be eaten, then any kind of bland food. But if the cough is dry and very troublesome, it is relieved by taking a cup of dry wine, provided that this is done only three or four times at rather long intervals; further, there is need to swallow a little of the best laser, to take juice of leeks or horehound; to suck a squill, to sip vinegar of squills, or at any rate sharp vinegar; or two cupfuls of wine with a bruised clove of garlic. In every case of cough it is of use to travel, take a long sea voyage, live at the seaside, swim, sometimes to take bland food, such as mallows, or nettle-tops, sometimes acrid; milk cooked with garlic; gruels to which laser has been added, or in which leeks have been boiled to pieces; a raw egg to which sulphur has been added; at first warm water to drink, than, in turn, one day water, the next day wine.