History of medicine : Syllabus and specimen extracts.

  • John Comrie
Date:
[between 1900 and 1999]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: History of medicine : Syllabus and specimen extracts. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    If therefore the commencement of the affection be below the head such as the membrane of the spinal marrow, the parts which are homonymous and connected with it are paralysed ; the right on the right side and the left on the left side. But if the head be primarily affected on the right side, the left side of the body will be paralysed, and the right if on the left side. The cause of this is the inter- change in the origins of the nerves, for they do not pass along on the same side, the right on the right side, until their terminations, but each of them passes over to the other side from that of its origin, decussating with each other in the form of the letter X. On Diabetes Diabetes is a strange affection, not very frequent in man. It is a melting down of flesh and limbs into urine. Its cause is of a cold and moist nature, as in dropsy. The path is the common one, the kidneys and bladder. For they (the patients) do not stop making water, but the passage is ceaseless as if from the opening of aqueducts. The nature of the disease is chronic and it develops over a long time. But the patient is short-lived when it is con- firmed. For the melting is rapid, the death speedy ; besides, too, life is disgusting and wearisome, thirst is unquenchable. Treatment of Acute Disease in the Kidneys Inflammation in the kidneys is a very acute condition. . . . Open the vein at the elbow, unless some period of life prevent it, and let the blood flow freely. . . . Then apply a cupping vessel over the kidneys in the loins, especially if the depletion of this part has done good. Let the bowels be emptied by slimy clysters, sticky rather than pungent, the juices of mallow or of fenugreek. Sometimes give diuretic drugs before meals such as those described for the liver; also similar food easy to digest, for to such people indigestion is bad. Milk is very good, especially asses', next mares', and also that of the sheep and goat. If they are free from fever the bath is rather good. Dioscorides on Materia Medica On Willow—The willow is a tree known by every one. Its fruit, leaves, bark and sap possess astringent properties. The leaves rubbed down with a little pepper and wine are good for patients with diseased intestines. It prevents conception if taken by itself with water. The fruit helps blood-spitting ; the bark does the same. If burned and applied mixed with vinegar it removes knots and warts. The juice from the leaves and bark warmed in a pomegranate shell with rose oil is good for earache. The decoction is a fine fomentation for gout. It clears away scurf too. Juice is got from it by cutting into the bark when the tree is in flower. It is found solidified inside. Lastly, it has the property of clearing away opacities from the pupils of the eyes.
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