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

V. The Nose

78 Deefnes of}le Eris childe. And medle alle togedre. Pen put a drope or iio in pe ere and stoppe it. Or take pe ius of syngrene and pe fatnesse of an eel yliche moche, and put perof in pe eere, or pe deen grees pat dropep from a rosted eel, or castor, 5 or gumme of yuy and mirre y-medlid with pe iuse of radiche, of rwe, or wormod, or of yuy. And if it comep of hete, aftir purgacions and stufes, put pe iuse of syngrene in pe f. 120 ere y-med/lid with pe fatnes of an eel. per-as defnes is olde, take synegrene and put it in an erpen vessel y-dosid [?] 10 twelue monpes vndir pe erpe. And at pe 3ere-is ende, take pe moistnes pat deuep by pe pottis side and do perof in pe deef ere. Oper pingis pat Y tolde in pe ache of pe eris ben good for defnes, and also pe iuse of houndestonge and of saueyn ben good, bope for oynementis and stufes of pe 15 eris, for pei open weI pe poores pat ben in pe eris, and y-stoppid with corrupt humours. Chapter V, The Nose Part 1, The Pose Here beginnepe pe fiuepe chaptir of pis boke pat contenip foure titlis or practiues. [15Ov] In a man-is nose per ben meny greuauncis, as pe pose, f.12Ov 20 stynche of pe nose-pirles, and flowing of blode at pe nose; and withouten, per is a greuaunce y-depid gutta rosacea. Oper greuauncis per ben also / of pe nose, as cancre, and flesshe pat stoppep pe nosepirles, as noli me tangere. Of an vnkyndeli humour and corrup pat is aboute pe brayn is pe 4 deen] CO". from deer. 5 or] ins. above. 103ere-is] prec. bye canc. in red. 17-18 Here ... practiues.] in bottom margin. 192-line initial in gold. 79 Pose in }le Noose [151] pose engendrid, for pat humour stoppep pe ouer-parte of pe nose and lettep a man of his smelling. And as sum men seyen pe pose is a stopping of pe nose-pirles poroughe a revme, for as pei seien, pe revme fallep 5 opirwhilis dovne into pe nose and makep pe pose. Opirwhiles it fallep into pe chekis, and makep hem swellen and aken. Opirwhilis, it fallep dovne to pe rote of pe teep, and pen it makep hem ake and rote. Opirwhilis, it fallep to pe rote of pe tunge, and pen it makep hir f. 121 10 swelle / and to be ouer-Iaxe, and bringep hir into a palesie, and makep a man to leesen his speche. Opirwhilis, it fallep dovn to pe brest, and makep pe breste stri3te. Opirwhilis, it fallep dovne to pe li3te, or to pe stomake, or to pe reines, or into a mannes guttis. And but if pe 15 membre be pe more mi3ti to put it awei fro him, it wole make per aposteme. Opirwhilis, it fallep doune amonge pe veynes and guttis in diuerse placis of pe bodi. And opirwhilis, it rotep and hetep in pe veynes and makep a man to falle into a feuer. AIle pes greuauncis comen of revme, 20 and perfore it is ful nedeful for a man to kepe him from pe f. 121v greuaunce of revme, lest he falle in/to pes forseide sekenessis and greuauncis. In pe pose, a man hap moche greuaunce and ache in his forhede and in his i3en, and snesep ofte, and smellip febeliche. And if it comep of 9 hir] in I. h. margin. 80 The Pose Hou It is Engendrid hete, a man shal feel sharpnes and grete hete in his nosepirles. And if it comep of colde, he shal fele colde peryn. Nepeles, of salte humour pat flowip poroughe pe nose, per comep smerting and sharpnes, and syppe pis 5 greuaunce comep of pe hede. In pe begynnyng, 3yue him a purgacion and forbidde him to wasshe his hede and his fete. And 3yue no medicines, whepir he be with a feuer or withouten. And ley no dissolutiues perto in pe beginnyng, f. 122 ne sharp pingis, as stronge / wiyn; ne suche pingis pat 10 dissoluen more pen consumen and wasten, as pingis pat moche pepir is yn; ne soure pingis, for pei wolen make pe mater falle doune to pe breste and make him to chache...