Celsus enjoins abstinence for three days; after which food is to be taken
every alternate day. After the fever has subsided, he recommends the bath
and wine.
Galen’s treatment is exactly the same as our author’s. Alexander, as
usual, makes nice distinctions as to the circumstances under which each
of the remedies ought to be applied. In general, he approves of incisive
and attenuant medicines, but blames Galen for recommending the latter
too indiscriminately. He forbids cataplasms and embrocations at the
commencement, lest they should occasion a determination of the humours to
the affected part.
Synesius appears to have proceeded upon much the same principles as
our author, but he makes mention of some additional medicines, such as
camphor, wormwood, and the like.
Nonnus recommends, at first, things of an incisive and attenuant nature,
and then emetics, after which the phlegm is to be purged by means of
colocynth and agaric, and cataplasms and fomentations are to be applied
to the pit of the stomach.
Avicenna lays down the rules of treatment with so great minuteness, that
we cannot venture upon an abridgment of them. His principles, however,
seem to be the same as those of Galen. Averrhoes recommends, for the
first seven days, medicines of an incisive, attenuant, and deobstruent
nature. He then gives cathartics which evacuate phlegm, such as turbith,
agaric, and hiera picra, but forbids the use of colocynth. He approves
very much of friction, the mode of applying which is minutely described
by him. Rhases recommends much the same treatment. He, in particular,
recommends turbith and agaric along with wormwood and mastich. Haly’s
remedies are mostly diluents and attenuants. Alsaharavius recommends the
same remedies as Rhases.