Not foreign to our present purpose will it be to treat briefly also of the
medicinal virtue of iron: for it is a prime remedial for some diseases of
the human body, and by its virtues, both those that are natural and those
acquired by suitable preparation, it works marvellous changes in the human
body, so that we may the more surely recognize its nature through its
medicinal virtue and through certain manifest experiments. So that even
those tyros in medicine who abuse this most famous medicament may learn to
prescribe it with better judgment for the healing of the sick, and not, as
too often they use it, to their harm. The best iron, Stomoma, or Chalybs,
Acies, or Aciarium, is reduced to a fine powder by a file; the powder is
steeped in the sharpest vinegar, and dried in the sun, and again soused in
vinegar, and dried; afterwards it is washed in spring water or other
suitable water, and dried; then for the second time it is pulverized and
reduced on porphyry, passed through a very fine sieve, and put back for
use. It is given chiefly in cases of laxity and over-humidity of the liver,
in enlargement of the spleen, after due evacuations; for which reason it
restores young girls when pallid, sickly, and lacking colour, to health and
beauty; since it is very siccative, and is astringent without harm. But
some who in every internal malady always talk of obstruction {34} of the
liver and spleen, think it beneficial in those cases because it removes
obstructions, mainly trusting to the opinions of certain Arabians[94]:
wherefore they administer it to the dropsical and to those suffering from
tumour of the liver or from chronic jaundice, and to persons troubled with
hypochondrical melancholia or any stomachic disorder, or add it to
electuaries, without doubt to the grievous injury of many of their
patients. Fallopius commends it prepared in his own way for tumours of the
spleen, but is much mistaken; for loadstone is pre-eminently good for
spleens relaxed with humour, and swollen; but it is so far from curing
spleens thickened into a tumour that it mightily confirms the malady. For
those drugs which are strong siccatives and absorb humour force the viscera
when hardened into a tumour more completely into a quasi-stony body. There
are some who roast iron in a closed oven with fierce firing, and burn it
strongly, until it turns red, and they call this Saffron of Mars; which is
a powerful siccative, and more quickly penetrates the intestines. Moreover
they order violent exercise, that the drug may enter the viscera while
heated and so reach the place affected; wherefore also it is reduced to a
very fine flour; otherwise it only sticks in the stomach and in the chyle
and does not penetrate to the intestines. As a dry and earthy medicament,
then, it is shown by the most certain experiments to be, after proper
evacuations, a remedy for diseases arising from humour (when the viscera
are charged and overflowing with watery rheum). Prepared steel is a
medicament proper for enlarged spleen. Iron waters too are effectual in
reducing the spleen, although as a rule iron is of a frigid and astringent
efficiency, not a laxative; but it effects this neither by heat nor by
cold, but from its own dryness when mixed with a penetrative fluid: it thus
disperses the humour, thickens the villi, hardens the tissues, and
contracts them when lax; while the inherent heat in the member thus
strengthened, being increased in power, dissipates what is left. Whereas if
the liver be hardened and weakened by old age or a chronic obstruction, or
the spleen be shrivelled and contracted to a schirrus, by which troubles
the fleshy parts of the limbs grow flaccid, and water under the skin
invades the body, in the case of these conditions the introduction of iron
accelerates the fatal end, and considerably increases the malady. Amongst
recent writers there are some who in cases of drought of the liver
prescribe, as a much lauded and famous remedy, the electuary of iron slag,
described by Rhazes[95] in his ninth book _ad Almansorem_, Chap. 63, or
prepared filings of steel; an evil and deadly advice: which if they do not
some time understand from our philosophy, at least everyday experience, and
the decline and death of their patients, will convince them, even the
sluggish and lazy. Whether iron be warm or cold is variously contended by
{35} many. By Manardus, Curtius, Fallopius and others, many reasons are
adduced on both sides; each settles it according to his own sentiment. Some
make it to be cold, saying that iron has the property of refrigerating,
because Aristotle in his _Meteorologica_ would put iron in the class of
things which grow concreted in cold by emission of the whole of their Heat:
Galen, too, says that iron has its consistency from cold; also that it is
an earthy and dense body. Further that iron is astringent, also that
Chalybeate water quenches thirst: and they adduce the cooling effect of
thermal iron waters. Others, however, maintain that it is Warm, because of
Hippocrates making out that waters are warm which burst forth from places
where iron exists. Galen says that in all metals there is considerable
substance, or essence, of fire. Paolo[96] affirms that iron waters are
warm. Rhazes will have it that iron is warm and dry in the third degree.
The Arabians think that it opens the spleen and liver; wherefore also that
iron is warm. Montagnana recommends it in cold affections of the uterus and
stomach. Thus do the smatterers cross swords together, and puzzle inquiring
minds by their vague conjectures, and wrangle for trifles as for goats'
wool, when they philosophize, wrongly allowing and accepting properties:
but these matters will appear more plainly by and by when we begin to
discuss the causes of things; the clouds being dispersed that have so
darkened all Philosophy. Filings, scales, and slag of iron are, as Avicenna
makes out, not wanting in deleterious power (haply when they are not well
prepared or are taken in larger quantity than is fit), hence they cause
violent pain in the bowels, roughness of the mouth and tongue, marasmus,
and shrivelling of the limbs. But Avicenna wrongly[97] and old-womanishly
makes out that the proper antidote to this iron poison is loadstone to the
weight of a drachm taken as a draught in the juice of mercurialis or of
Beet; for loadstone is of a twofold nature, usually malefiant and
pernicious, nor does it resist iron, since it attracts it; nor when drunk
in a draught in the form of powder does it avail to attract or repel, but
rather inflicts the same evils.
* * * * * {36}