[p. 64] that the patient is troubled with purging,
in so much greater quantity is it to be given until the crisis, and
moreover until two days beyond the crisis, in such cases as it appears
to take place on the fifth, seventh, or ninth day, so as to have respect
both for the odd and even day: after this the draught is to be given
early in the day, and the other food in place is to be given in the
evening. These things are proper, for the most part, to be given to
those who, from the first, have used ptisan containing its whole substance;
for the pains in pleuritic affections immediately cease of their own
accord whenever the patients begin to expectorate anything worth mentioning,
and the purgings become much better, and empyema much more seldom
takes place, than if the patients used a different regimen, and the
crises are more simple, occur earlier, and the cases are less subject
to relapses.
PART 5
Ptisans are to be made of the very best barley, and are to be well
boiled, more especially if you do not intend to use them strained.
For, besides the other virtues of ptisan, its lubricant quality prevents
the barley that is swallowed from proving injurious, for it does not
stick nor remain in the region of the breast; for that which is well
boiled is very lubricant, excellent for quenching thirst, of very
easy digestion, and very weak, all which qualities are wanted. If,
then, one do not pay proper attention to the mode of administering
the ptisan, much harm may be done; for when the food is shut up in
the bowels, unless one procure some evacuation speedily, before administering
the draught, the pain, if present, will be exasperated; and, if not
present, it will be immediately created, and the respiration will
become more frequent, which does mischief, for it dries the lungs,
fatigues the hypochondria, the hypogastrium, and diaphragm. And moreover
if, while the pain of the side persists, and does not yield to warm
fomentations, and the sputa are not brought up, but are viscid and
unconcocted, unless one get the pain resolved, either by loosening
the bowels, or opening a vein, whichever of these may be proper;-
if to persons so circumstanced ptisan be administered, their speedy
death will be the result. For these reasons, and for others of a similar
kind still more, those who use unstrained ptisan die on the seventh
day, or still earlier, some
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