Volume 3

The seven books of Paulus Aegineta / translated from the Greek, with a commentary embracing a complete view of the knowledge possessed by the Greeks, Romans and Arabians on all subjects connected with medicine and surgery, by Francis Adams.

  • Paulus, Aegineta.
Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The seven books of Paulus Aegineta / translated from the Greek, with a commentary embracing a complete view of the knowledge possessed by the Greeks, Romans and Arabians on all subjects connected with medicine and surgery, by Francis Adams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    18/670 (page 6)
    On the Powers of Simple Medicines. “ There are differences in the particular actions of medi- cineSj arising from each of them being to a certain degree hot, or cold, or dry, or humid, or consisting of subtile or of gross particles, but the degree in which each of them is possessed of the above-mentioned properties cannot be truly and accurately determined. We have endeavoured, however to define them in such a manner as will-be sufficient for all practical pimposes, laying it down that there is one class of medicines possessed of a similar temperament to our bodies when they have received a certain principle of change an aliation from the heat in them, and that there is another which is of a hotter temperament than we. Of this temperament I have thought it right to make four orders, the first being imperceptible to the senses, and only to be inferred flection; the second being perceptible to the senses; the third strongly heating but not burning; and the fourth, or last, caustic. In like manner of frigorific or cooling things, the first order requires reflection to demonstrate its coldness: the second consists of such things as are perceptibly cold; the thud is nerceptibly cold, but does not occasion mortification ; the fomtli prodiLs mortification. So it is in like manner with humec- tating and desiccant articles. Let such an order of degrees be laid down to render clearer the course of instruction, ose od or the rose itself being placed in the first order of coolmg things; the juice of roses in the second, and in the third and fourth those things which are extremely cold such as cicuta meconium, mandi-agora, and hyoscyamus. In reg^'d to hot things, dill and fenugreek belong to the first which are next to them, to the second; and so of the third and fourth, until we come to the caustic. In like manner, respecting moistening and desiccant medicines, beginning with those of a moderate degree, we may arranp them until we come to their extremes. Such knowledge is of no small im- ZLce for the purpose of medical instruction. One ought also to exercise the sense of taste, and remember the peculiai tmo. of juices; as, fo.- OKami.le, that such a substance uheu