N. 19

The 18th of this month a male slave complained to me about pain on the chest, coughing. He had a strong pulse and was breathing heavily. I found out that he had pleurisy and pneumonia so I immediately gave him a bleeding. I laid a geroon with cumin and resin on his painful side and every three hours I gave him a teacup of a sudorific mixture (Prescription 9). Every half an hour I gave him a mugful of an extract (Prescription 10) but it did not cause him to vomit. He died on the 23rd.

N. 20

A girl died on the 23rd of June. She had been skinny and meager, but I never detected any disease that could have so emaciated her. For several weeks I had been giving her an elixir of saffron, aloe and myrrh. I also gave her a cumin drink with deer antler, but she kept getting more emaciated. I purged her again with:

• Pulverized rhubarb: two scruples
• Cream of tartar: one scruple
• F. Pulvis

On the last day she fell to the disease, even though I tried everything. She had become completely emaciated and passed away on the aforementioned date.

N. 21

On the 23rd of this month a female slave gave birth to a girl. She had been very ill for very long, however, and had serious diarrhea. She had a heavy birth flow and white discharge. Three to four times a day I gave her the following:

• Herb mixture on opium days: 30 drops
• Cinnamon water
• Fennel water: half a drachm

Sometimes I gave her a glass of wine and some of the decoction (prescription 8).

N. 23

The 23rd of this month an elderly male slave complained to me about chokes on his chest. He coughed but did not release any phlegm and continued to feel congested. I laid geroon with the resin plaster and I also gave him some of the decoction (prescription 8). I often let him lick of the eclegma (prescription 11).

Prescription 8: to drink in cases of heavy thirst, hot fevers and of all burning diseases

R/ Fiat decoctum [liquid]

• Herba altheae [agrimony]
• [Herba] menthae [peppermint]
• Cornu cervi rasparati [grated cornu-cervi]: manupulum unam
• Radix liquiritiae [liquorice]: ℥ I
• Aqua communis [normal water] quantum sufficit
• Spiritus nitri dulcis [spiritus aetheris nitrox, ethyl nitrite] gutta, plural guttaedropguttae XXXX

• ℥ uncia = ounce = 8 drachmae, so approximately 31 g
• āā en ān: and ānn = ana (Gr.) take an equal amount of all
• man: = manupulus = a handful

Prescription 11: To suck from in cases of cough, pleurisy, shortness of breath

R/ Fac eclegma [make an eglegma: a syrup on licorice root sucked for the relief of cough]

• Balzamum peruvianum [balsam from Peru; weak antiseptic]: ʒ I
• Oleum anisi [anise oil]: guttae XX
• Mel guinee [honey from Guinea]
• Sijrupus altheae [common marshmellow syrup]: ℥ II

• ʒ drachma = 3 scruple, so approximately 4 g
• ℥ uncia = ounce = 8 drachmae, so approximately 31 g