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OF ARETÆUS, THE CAPPADOCIAN, ON THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE DISEASE
BOOK II.
CHAPTER VI. ON ILEUS
[p. 276]
lower intestines to get inflamed.
The substance of all the
information
to be found in the
works of the ancient authorities
on the subject of Hernia, may be
seen in Paulus Ægineta, b.vi., 65, p.
66, Syd. Soc. Edit. I may mention,
however, that although there be
nothing in the works of the medical
authorities which would lead
us to suppose that the ancient
surgeons were in the practice of
operating to relieve incarcerated
Hernia, the following passage in
one of Martial's Epigrams would
almost lead us to suppose the contrary,
"Mitius implicitas Alcon
secat enterocelas," Epigr. xi. 84;
which might be thus translated,
"The surgeon Alcon inflicts less
pain in cutting for incarcerated
intestinal hernia.'
This affection is customary
with children, who are subject to indigestion, and they
more readily escape from the mischief, owing to their habits
and the humidity of their intestines, for they are loose. Old
persons do not readily suffer from the complaint, but rarely
recover. The season of summer engenders the disease rather
than that of spring; autumn, than winter; but the summer
more than both.
Many therefore die speedily of these tormina. But in
other cases pus is formed; and then again, the intestine
having become black and putrified, has separated, and thus
the patients have died. In these cases, provided the Ileus is
mild, there is a twisting pain, copious humours in the stomach,
loss of tone, languor, vacant eructations bringing no relief,
borborygmi in the bowels, the flatus passing down to the anus,
but not making its escape.
But if the attack of Ileus acquire intensity, there is a determination
upwards of everything, flatus, phlegm, and bile;
for they vomit all these; they are pale, cold over the whole
body; much pain; respiration bad, they are affected with
thirst.
If they are about to die, there is cold sweat, dysuria, anus
constricted, so that you could not pass a slender metal plate by
it;
Perhaps he means "a needle."
See Testa, Mal. del Cuore, t. iii.
vomiting of fæces; the
patients are speechless; pulse, at last
