If the patient should not be cured even by these means, let his head be shaved, anointed with old oil, adding to it vinegar and nitre, and salt water poured upon it; when he is fasting, let him drink castor and water; make use of no water for drink, unless it has been boiled. Some have cured themselves of such a disorder by drinking the warm blood of a gladiator slain. With such people a miserable remedy is rendered tolerable by a more miserable distemper. As to the assistance of medicine, the last remedy is to let a little blood from both legs near the ancle; to make an incision on the back of the head, and apply cucurbitals; with a hot iron also to make an eschar in two places, in the back of the head, and below, where the first vertebra is joined to the head; that by these the noxious humour may be discharged. If by this method the distemper has not been removed, it will probably continue for life. To alleviate it, exercise must only be used, and such food, as has been directed above; and especially every thing avoided, against which we have given cautions.
The distemper is equally known, which is called sometimes arquatus(39), sometimes regius. If this comes on after the seventh day of a fever, Hippocrates pronounces the patient to be safe, provided only the præcordia be soft. Diocles declares without reserve, that if it comes after a fever, it even does good; if a fever follows it, it is mortal. Now this distemper is discovered by the colour, especially of the eyes, in which, what ought to be white, becomes yellow. And it is generally attended by a thirst, pain of the head, frequent hiccough, hardness of the præcordia on the right side; and upon violent motion, a difficulty of breathing, and relaxation of the limbs: and when the distemper continues long, the whole body turns white, with a certain sickly paleness.
For the first day it is proper to enjoin the patient to abstinence; on the second to give a clyster; then if there is a fever, to remove it by proper diet; if there is not, to give scammony to drink, or white betes shred in water, or in hydromel bitter almonds, wormwood, anise, but of the last the smallest quantity. Asclepiades ordered also the drinking of salt water, and that for two days, with an intention to purge, rejecting the use of diuretics. Some omitting the former, by the latter and extenuating diet affirm they obtain the same purpose.