LEECH BOOK. II. 203 



wound are these ; when the wound is bursten out then Rook ii. 

 the outrunning throvigh the wamb is as it were bloody ^^^- 



water, and tlte mans face is red and swollen ; and 

 when thou settest thine hand upon the liver then the 

 man feeleth very much soreness, and the man is very 

 tender, and from this disorder there cometh full oft a 

 dropsy. For a swollen sore : at starting one shall cure 

 with onlayings, that is, external applications, and 

 salves ; the salve shall be of barley gToats sodden in 

 ley, and of culvers sharn wrought with honey, and 

 then let one lay the salve on a hot cloth, or on a 

 skin, or on paper, beswathe with that, the swelling 

 soon becometh nesh and bursteth within. Let the onan 

 drink " mulsum," that is, dulcet drinks, every day, and 

 goats milk sodden, and water on which good worts 

 have been sodden. 



XX. 



Leechdoms for the abscess ot the liver, when the 

 purulent swelling bursteth ; take goats milk so warm, 

 newly milked, give the WjOjU that to drink. Form also 

 into a potion an adder, wrought so as leeches ken how 

 to work it, and when the sick will to drink anytliing, 

 let them drink nothing but water previously sodden 

 with worts, on wormwood and on other such, and 

 such onlayings as we before wrote of But one shall 

 previously batlie and wash the places with warm 

 squirtings and with hot water, and on the water let 

 there be sodden bunches of laurel berries or floivers, 

 and herdwort, that is, earth gall, and wormwood ; with 

 these do thou long previously foment the sore places, 

 and make the reek smoke them. If further the wound 

 of the liver be very ratteny, so much as that the man 

 hreaketh the ratten from his mouth, let him work 

 himself a mulled drink, that is, a mickle deal of boiled 

 water in a good deal of honey ; from it shall the scum 



