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) but the diarrhea and birth flow continued, and she died on the 26th.

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