CHAPTER III

TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE THAT HAS ALREADT BEGUN TO BE
INFECTED

In dealing with the substance that is not yet completely cor—
rupted, but is already imperilled, there is one general rule,
namely to aim at checking both the causes of the putrefaction
and the principle of the affection that has already been intro—
duced; and this method is common to other diseases also that
consist in putrefaction. But the mode of putrefaction is not
ecommon to all, nor are the causes or the charaeter of the putre—
faction in these diseases common to other diseases also. For
in other diseases the main causes are plethora, obstruection and
malignancy of the humors, whereas in those that I am now
considering no one of these conditions is necessarily present
per se, but is present accidentally or as a& contributory cause
merely, but not as a principle (primary agent) per se. There—
fore, if in contagions these contributory causes are also pre—
sent, they must certainly not be neglected, but must be dealt
with and removed by suitable means.  But the special and in—
dependent consideration and aim of your treatment in dealing
with the substance that is imperilled is this: Mou must resist
by every resource at your command the putrefaction that is
gaining ground. I have said how you may fight the germs on
which the putrefaction depends, and I shall now say how you
must deal with the substance itself.

In every case, the process of putrefaction is a kind of dissolu—
tion of the combination, by evaporation of the innate heat and
moisture. Now these evaporations occur when the parts of
the combination are softened by moisture, and lifted by ex—
traneous heat. Hence it is evident that you must prevent
these conditions, first by removing the extraneous heat that is
being introduced, secondly by drying out the moisture that is
softening the parts, and lastly by checking the dissolution of
the combination. For this last purpose resinous remedies are

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