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

VI. The Mouth

87 Gutta Rosacea quytour. If it comep of coler, per is iching and pricking in pe nose and pymples pat ben peron quiterip not but litil. And pe place of pe greuaunce is harde in pe handling. And if it is of blood eipir in pe necke or in pe 5 cop of pe nose, he muste blede or be y-cuppid vndir pe chyn. Whepir it be of blood or of coler, make him a purgacion. But firste, to defie pe mater, 3yue him to drinke of pe [157] syrip of fumiter and oximel y-medlid togedir, of bope f. 129 iliche moche. / Aftir pis, make him a stufe of colde [?] f.129v [156v] 10 herbis, as of fumiter, scabious, and suche oper. And aftir his purgacion, lete him blede, to drawe awey pe blood from his visage. And aftir, make a stufe of watir pat wormod, and hockis, and violettis, and pe smale chaf of barly and otis been y-soden yn. And aftir, anoynte him with pis 15 oynement: Take barly mele, and femigreke, and as moche of madir, and of planteyn y-poudrid, and medle hem with pe iuse of oynons and hony dispumed. Of cancre of nose and 20 of noli me tangere, Y wol speke withinforpe. Chapter VI, The Mouth Part 1, Cracked Lips Here beginnep pe sixte chaptir of pis boke pat contenep iio titles or practi[s]es. Capitulum vim: In a man-is moupe per ben meny greuauncis, as deving of lippis, stenking of moop wipinforpe, ache, and oper greuaunce / of pe teep, and sekenes of pe tunge. Cleving of lippis is in meny maneris, as of pimples y-broke, or of 19-20 in bottom margin. 20 practises] practies. 214-line initial in gold. 88 The Mou}le smyting, eipir of an yvel humour and a corrupt pat devip to pe lippis, or of colde, or of wiynde, or of cancre. But if it be of smyting, it shal be helid as oper woundis. And if it be eny of pes oper maneris, it may ben y-helid with 5 an oynement y-made of oile of violet or of roses, and waxe y-medlid togederis; or with an oynement y-made of pe iuse of sorel and of oile and wexe togedir; or with wexe and henbane sede soden in oile. Also pe poudir of portulake helip and hidep pe deving of mesel lippis, if portulak be f. 130 10 y-brent. For deving of pe lip/pis or of pe tunge and for bledders withyn pe moop, make an oynement of pe poudir of licium, and amyde, and penides y-medlid with pe watir of roses. And anoynte perwith pe same greuaunces. A-nopir for pe same greuauncis, and for deuyng of pe roof of pe 15 moop: Take dragagant, and resolue it in colde watir, and dense it, and medle perwith pe poudir of amyde. And perwith anoynte pe soor with a fepir. And if pe greuaunce be of moist pemplis, anoynte it with deen hony, or with pe poudir of benes y-brent and hony, or with pe poudir of 20 portulake and hony y-medlid. Also pe iuse of centory, and of wormod, and of aristologie pe rounde is good perfore. f. l30v Also for deving of pe lippis and of / tittis, melte wex, and oile of violet or oile de olyf togedir. And put perto pe poudir of mastike and of olibanum togedir. And perwith 1 ei}Jir] in I. h. margin. 4 if] CO". from of. 89 The Moo}> and }>e Lippis anoynte pe soor. Or take poudir of roses and medle it with gumme resolued in watir. Or medle sandris and pe poudir of roses, and gumme, and ceruse, with watir of roses, and anoynte pe sore lippis. For deuing of pe lippis poroughe 5 cold or porou3 contageous wiynde, anoynte hem with hony. And pen strawe peruppon pe povdir of colofoyne. And if pe lippis swellen, make an oynement of pe iuse of pasnep leues and of litarge y-medlid togedir, and perwith anoynte his lippis. Chapter VI, Part 2 Stinking of the Mouth 10 Stynking of pe moup comep operwhilis of corrupcion of [158v] pe gummes and of pe teep; operwhilis it comep of pe f. 131 stomake; oper/whilis it comep of pe li3te. If it comep of pe teep and of pe gummes, frote and rubbe...