Source edition
Hippocrates. Oeuvres complètes d'Hippocrate, Vol. 6. Littré, Émile, editor. Paris: Baillière, 1849
Source data
A Digital Corpus for Graeco-Arabic Studies · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a practical medical treatise that explains the causes and treatments of anal fistulae and related rectal disorders. It begins by explaining that fistulae are caused by contusions, tumors, or suppuration, and emphasizes the importance of early incision to prevent further complications. The text then describes detailed surgical and pharmacological procedures, including ligature excision using raw flax and horsehair, as well as the use of garlic stalks and spurge juice. In the latter half, the author addresses the treatment of blind fistulae, injection therapies for deep fistulae, and thermal therapies for complications of rectitis, such as rectal prolapse and dysuria. Finally, the treatise outlines manual reduction procedures and bandaging techniques for rectal prolapse, concluding with various prescriptions of herbal and mineral poultices and liquid remedies with astringent or anti-inflammatory properties.