Book III TREATMENT OF THE GERMS 193

The remedies which have power to extinguish and destroy
the germs are very hot or very cold, but especially those which
are called 'burning' or akin to burning, whether you prefer
to use fire or those remedies called caustic. For by these means
the germs are extinguished, and in such a way that, once they
have been destroyed, the whole imminent disease is utterly
destroyed at the same time, since nothing is left over that can
generate offspring. For though the force of the fire burns out
the place where it is applied, it leaves behind nothing injurious
in relation to the original malady, or that could bring on a new
and worse malady. '"Therefore when this means can and ought
to be applied, there is none more helpful. Very cold remedies
also destroy the germs, for instance cold drinks, of which I shall
speak in their proper place,' and also washing in cold water,
which is of the greatest value in dealing with those germs which
are contained in fomites.

Next in order is the resource of evacuation. 'This may be
very hard to effect, because the germs are scattered hither and
thither and cannot per se be very easily expelled. But there
is nothing to prevent their being expelled along with the humors
to which they have adhered; though this cannot be done ex—
cept by very violent means. 'The best method of producing
the evacuation is by the use of drugs that move the bowels,
and encourage sweat and urine; and there are also other means
of which I shall speak later in dealing with each malady in par—
ticular, for instance, cupping, phlebotomy and so forth.

"TThe germs are broken and altered by certain things which
have a material antipathy towards them, that is, they are op—
posed to them by virtue of their known qualities. For since,
as I have said, these germs have a certain acuteness (invasive—
ness), and also consist in a certain viscosity, we shall break up
that acuteness by cold remedies, and the viscosity by remedies
that have the power to dry.  Some things dry in virtue of their
inherent quality of dryness, though this has slight activity in
all nature?; others dry in virtue of their heat, others by absorp—
tion, such as powders and various meals and the like; while
others dry by all these means, for example, salt; and, among
them all, sometimes one sometimes another is more suitable.
Hence we must have a good supply of them at hand, so that we
may be able to choose those that are especially suitable.

The germs are repelled by remedies that have a peculiarly