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

XIII. The Guts

190 f.253v [?] 5 10 A Flux of Dissinterie meel y-temperid with pe iuse of mynte. And pIastre it fro pe moop of pe stomake dounward, bope bihinde and bifore. And for pis sikenes is ful violent and drawip pe marie oute of a mannes bones and wastip his kindeli moistnes, it behouep to staunche pe flux as sone as it may be don, as it shal be told in pe chaptir of pe flux. And it is nedful to 3yue him comfortable medicines to restore / him to his kyndely moistnes as it is y-tolde in feuer etike, for moche of his moistenes is y-wastid porou3 violence of pe flux. Chapter XIII, The Guts Part 1, Dysentery Here begynnep pe xiii chaptir of pis boke pat conteinep viii titles or practi[se]s. In a mannes guttis per ben meny sikenessis: pe flux, and anopir greuaunce pat is clepid collica passio, and wormes ben y-gendrid also in a mannes guttis pat greuep a 15 man ful moche. Anopir greuaunce is whan a man may not shite and 3it he hap grete wille perto. Anopir greuance f.254 20 [217v] is whan pe gut pat goip to a mannes fundement fallip oute at pe ers. Of fluxes, per ben foure maner of kindes. Oon is clepid dissinterie, and pat is whan a man shitep blood y-medlid with pe / shauing of his guttis. Anopir flux is whan blood passip from a man withouten suche medling, and pat is clepid pe bloodi flux. Anopir per is pat is clepid a simple flux, and pat is whan a man is deliuered of pat pat is in his wombe soon aftir pat it is defied, 10 Here] followed by N a canc. in red. xiii] xv. 11 practises] practis. 12 4-line initial in gold. [219] 5 Dissenterie 191 A Flux of Dissenterie but it passip awei from him a1 neisshe. But pe iiiie maner of flux is whan a man is deliuered of his mete as hool as he etip it, and pat is clepid lienterie. Dissenterie comep of diuerse enchesons, eipirwhilis from withouten, eipirwhilis from within. From withouten, it comep as of ful-kene medicines, eipir of metis and drinkis pat ben ful laxatif; eipir of falling a-doun from an hi3e place; eipir of a stroke on a man-is rigge; f. 254v eipir of a cold pat a / man hap y-cau3t on his wombe eipir Thre maneris of dissenterie 10 in his feet. From withinforpe, pis sekenes comep of corrupt humours pat ben in pe guttis, as of coler, eipir of sori blood, eipir of salt fleume, eipir malencolie. Eipir it IS of a feble retentif, eipir of a strong expulsif, pat is to sei, eipir pe guttis ben feble to holden pe 15 mete within, eipir to put oute pat pat is within hem. Of dissenterie per ben pre maneris: Oon IS m pe ouermost guttis, anopir is in pe middel guttis, and pe pridde is in pe nepirmost gutis. And in oon maner of dissenterie, pat pat passip from a man is as pou3 it 20 were waisshing of flesshe, and pat flux mai be li3tH y-helid. In anopir dissenterie, per passip from a man as pou3 it were pe shauyng of parchemyn. But in pe prid f. 255 maner of dissenterie, per / passip from a man hool gobetis of his guttis, and pat is incurable. Whan pis sekenes 1 neisshe] CO". from nesshe. 15 oute] prec. by it cane. in red. 192 A Flux of Dissenterie come}l of }le ouer-guttis, }lei felen greuaunce aboute }le navel. And }le mater }lat passi}l fro hem is like }le wasshing of flesshe without suche shauyng, for }lei ben so }lyn }lat }ler come}l no suche shauing fro hem. But when }lis sikenes 5 come}l from }le ne}lir-guttis, }lan }le greuaunce is bine}le }le nauel, and }lei ben deliuerid of mater like }le shauing of guttis and of blood togedir. And}le blode is not medlid with }le drit, but lie}l gobet-mele bi himsilf. But whan }le flux come}l from }le ouer-guttis, }le blood is y-medlid with 10 }le drit, for it goi}l a long wey, and me shal not weI perseyuen }le blood. But when it come}l of }le middel-gut/f . 255v tis, }len}le greuaunce...