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

VIII. The Tongue and Throat

f. 138v [?] 97 TbeTunge rapir. And also mirre, and egrimoyne, and verveyn, and gallis pat enke is made of, and olibanum, kepen pe teep from rotyng, / and comforten hem moche. To drye pe teep aftir mete with a drye lynen doop is profitable, for pat 5 shal dense hem, pat no mete deue not, ne no corrupcion amonge pe teep to make hem roten. Chapter VIII, The Tongue and Throat Part 1, The Tongue Here beginnep pe viii chaptre of pis boke, which conteniep but iiO titlis. [164v] A man-is tonge hap two serUlClS. Oon is to taast with 10 a mannes metis and drinkis; anopir is to speke. And poroughe diuerse greuauncis pat comen of corrupte humours, a mannes tunge is operwhiles indisposid, pat a man may neipir speke ne taast. Greuauncis of pe tunge ben postemes, and bledders, eipir stopping of hir sneWlS f. 139 porou3 / corrupte humours pat maken pe tonge laxe, and fallen into a palesye. And if per be a postem eipir a blayne ouer pe tonge, if it be of blood, pe tonge is toswolle , and reed, and hoot, and nesshe, and aking. And if it is of coler, pe tonge is ful hoot, and cytryn, pat is to 20 sey, a derke reed. I>e ache is more sharpe pan of blood, and pe swalme ne pe sooftnes is not so moche as of blood. But if it is of fleume, pe tunge is colde, and swelling, and nesshe, and of white colour. Of malencoly, comep cooldnes, and swarte 3elov colour. And pe tunge swellip 1 also] CO". from perfore. 2 kepen] prec. by for pe canc. in red. 8 iiO titUs] CO". from 00 iio chaptres.9 5-line initialin gold. A] I. a cued in margin. 12 indisposid] prec. by v canc. in red. 15 tonge] ins. above. 98 f.139v The Tunge not, but is sumwhat y-drawe togedir. I>ese ben pe tokenes by pe whiche pou may knowe what humour is pe cause of pe palesie of pe tunge. And if pe blei/nes of pe tunge be blacke eipir grene, it is a token pat pe tunge is 5 y-cancrid. For postoms and bleynes pat comen of colde, lete him vse hote gargarisme to chewe in his moop and to make him snese; and hoot fumigacions for pe heed, as with anet, mellilote, camomille, and sansuke, y-soden. And let his heed be anoyntid with hote oynementis pat moun dissolue pe 10 materis. But if it be of hete, lete him vse fumigacions, gargarisms, and oynementis, and emplastris on his heed of colde pingis, as Y tOlde in pe sekenes of pe heed. And let him bleed in bope pe veynes vndir pe tunge, and pen wasshe his moop with colde pingis. And anoynte pe tunge as Y toljf . 140 15 de in cleuing of pe lippis hou pe bleines of pe moop shulde be helid. And if pe complexion of pe tunge be colde, vse suche pingis as Y wol telle in pe palesy of pe tunge. And if pe posteme is harde, make him a gargarisme of mylke, and [165] of watir pat drie figes and fenel ben y-soden yn. And if 20 it be of colde, wasshe it with watir of camomille, and make a gargarisme of syneuey and of hony. For pimples pat ben of heet, let him holde pe iuse of sycomour eipir of weybrode vndir his tunge, or pe iuse of solatre, and medle pat with rede sandris and watir pat sumac, eipir balaustia, 5 y-cancrid] corr. from cancrid. 6 and] ins. above. 7 him] in I. h. margin. 12 heed]pree. by pingis underd. 22 sycomour] pree. by licoris cane. in red. f.l40v [165v] 99 The Tunge eipir mirre, eipir roses, ben y-soden yn. A poudir for postemes of pe tunge: Take of dispu/med hony, oz. sex; of pe iuse of erpe appel and of pe milke of a fyge tree, oz. ii; and seep hem on an esy fyer. I>en medle 5 with hem pis poudir: Take tartarum of whijt wiyn, and synevei, of eipir, oz. i; of white pepir, and of sugir, oz. 1/2; of borace, oz. ii; of olibanum, and os sepie, dr. ii. Poudir al pes and medle hem with pe oper forseide pingis, and perwith anoynte pe soor withyn pe moop. If pe tunge...