BookIII OF LENTICULAR FEVER—TVPHUS 295

that three or four persons have been observed to recover after
taking emerald, it would not be safe to draw any general infer—
ence from this, since we cannot be sure whether it happened
by chance, or was due to the properties of the emerald per se,
unless we ecould reason from its general nature. But at any
rate we may reason thus, that the emerald ought to be a valuable
remedy for fevers of this sort, because it is cold and dry, as has
been said above of other remedies also. But there can be no
good reason assigned for regarding it as preöminent and superior
to other remedies, as though it were a sort of sacred antidote,
for we cannot know either by reasoning or experience whether
it works by means of a spiritual antipathy. Still we may call
it a sovereign remedy, and it sells for &a high price.

Now if you ask me whether guaiae wood or the root of cinarum
(china root),** about which I shall speak when I come to French
Sickness, are of service in this fever, inasmuch as both of them
are very dry, and they induce sweat and resist putrefaction,
I reply that I have no experience of these remedies in these
fevers, but as far as I can form an opinion by reasoning, we may
believe that they are both of great value in such cases, guaiae,
at any rate, because it is composed of the very finest, hot, dry
particles and hence has great drying power and induces sweat.
"TThis tree is resinous too, and therefore has wonderful power
against contagions. It should be decocted in water, with vin—
egar added, so as not to increase the fever, hence it will be more
suitable to use when the patient's blood is rather pituitous.
China root, on the other hand, though very dry, is not resinous,
or hot, so far as we can perceive by the senses. Hence it is a
question why it is so provocative of sweat. However, perhaps
it is one of a class which has these qualities in potency, but not
immediately, I mean that its hot particles are slow to act; and
that is why, though it does provoke sweat, it is only when the
combination has been broken up and the fiery and very volatile
particles at last begin to be active. Or it may be that, even
though the particles of which this root is composed are not of
themselves hot, nevertheless, on account of their dryness and
fineness, they are kindled by our bodily heat and thus induce
sweat. 'Therefore this remedy also may be of service in these
fevers, since it is extremely drying, induces sweat, and opens
the pores of the skin.

"The following syrups are good: Acetose syrup, oxymel,**?