Healing and Society in Medieval England: A Middle English Translation of the Pharmaceutical Writings of Gilbertus Anglicus

IV. The Ears

64 The Eeris in wiyn, and it shal soude pe place. For swelling of pe bries: Leye goottis mylke on hem, or hony and sal armoniac togedre. Or ley perto mollificatiues pat Y spake of before. Chapter IV, The Ears Part 1, Earache [?] Here beginnep pe fourpe chaptir of pis boke, pat 5 conteinep sixe titles or practises. [145] In a mannes eren per ben meny greuauncis, as ache, postem, flowing of blode, flowing of qwiter, wormes, ringing in pe eeris, falling of sum-ping into pe eeris, f. 106 and deefnes. Ache comep of meny causes: of postem, / of 10 smyting, of wiynde withyn pe eeris, of grete hete or of grete coolde, or of sum-ping pat is y-fallen into pe eeris, or of sum corrupt humour pat is in pe eeris. And if it comep of sum corrupt humour, pen per is moche heuynes in pe eere, and nameli if it be of coold. If it comep of 15 corrupte wyinde, per is ringing in pe eere withoute grete heuynes. Opirwhiles it comep of pe brayn, and pen it durep contynuely. Opirwhiles it comep of pe stomake, and pen it contynuep not contynuelli. Of dene moystenes ne of dene drines, per comep no greet ache. But when pe ache is 20 of heet, pe eere is hoot and reed, and pe ache is sharp. f. 106v And / if it be of eny hoot corrup humour, it is with pricking, and with hoot smoke, and with a swiffte pouse, and litil sleep, and in his sleep, he shal dreem of reed pingis. And if pat corrup humour is of pe brayn, his 4-5 Here ... practises.] in bottom margin. 62-line initial in gold. 11 is] ins. above. 65 The Eeris foreheed and his chekis wolen be reed; and he is }:>rustful; and his heed aki}:>. Coold }:>ingis comforten him and hoot }:>ingis ercresen his greuaunce. If pe ache be of coold, pe eere is pale and pe ache is but eesy. And if pat colde be 5 of a corrup humour, }:>e ache is with moche heuyoes, and in colde wederis pe ache is moost greuous. And if pis humour [145v] be of pe brayo, pe foreheed is pale and heuy and ake}:> a f. 107 litil. And if it comep of / pe stomake, pen }:>e stomake is y-greued by sum colde and ha}:> but litil talent to mete. 10 And comenly }:>e ache of pe eeris come}:> not of coold, but if it be with sum postern, ne of grete heet, but if it be with a feuer. And if }:>er is a postern withinforp, pe ache is greuous withinfor}:>. And if }:>e postern be outeward, }:>en }:>e eere is swolwe withouten. And if pe eere akep and }:>es 15 forseide tokenes folowep not, loke in pe 3eere if pou may see if eny-ping is falle peryo pat makep it so ake. Ache pat comep of hete is a corrupte humour by }:>e encheson perof. Let him be purgid with suche pingis }:>at purgen coller and purgen also blode. And aftir pat he is f. l07v 20 purgid, worche as pou / shuldest if per were no corrupte humour, pat is to sey, stuwe his eens ouer a watir }:>at hockes ben soden yo, and also violet, planteyo, roses, wormod, verueyo, and smale chaf of barliche or of oten. And aftir pat, bringe him to bed and put in his eeris }:>e 17lJe] ins. above. 66 The Eeris iuse of an oyoon and woman-is mylke, or pe iuse of senegren with oile of roses, or pe oile of violet with pe iuse of coliandre, or ellis aftir his stufe, let him haue a sleep and swete weI. And pat shal do awei pe ache. And 5 vndirstonde pat aIle pe medicyoes pat shullen be doon in pe 3eris muste be warme and smalle y-grounde. And stronge f. 108 medicyoes / shullen not abiden in pe 3eris, lest pei drawen to myche mater to pe eeris, ne no-pinge shal be doon in pe [l46v] 3eere but it be with oile or with sum opir fatnes, pat 10 mowe come li3tly oute a3en; ne no medicyo shal be doon in pe 3eere but if pe heed be y-stufed and pe heed y-purged before, and pis y-vndirstonde per-as pe sekenes is oolde. And suche stufes or fumigacions shullen be...