Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Rosa Anglica (Author: [unknown])

section 19

19

The cure of this fever called synochus is accomplished in two ways, by bleeding, and by cold water. Galen says a vein avails always if the force be strong, but it is not good as a rule to use cold water unless there be signs of digestion of food in the flux,56 in the pulse or in the urine, and when the fever is greatest and sharpest. And therefore it is that if the blood be choleric cold water avails before the digestion of the matter, as it digests by cooling and by checking the malice, on the before-mentioned conditions, because cold water increases oppilation at times, and when a man drinks his fill thereof; for sometimes it cures, or at other times it turns to phlegmatica. Averroes57 says, this is preferable to death, and therefore he says it is better and more proper to give him camphor in electuaries and foods and drinks; for a drink of barley water, and andivia mixed with camphor, is made against the thirst, because it greatly cools.