BOOK XXIII. XXIV. 47-49 



cleanses, is beneficial to chest and bowels, and also 

 for pain in the uterus if there be no fever, for chronic 

 catarrh, ulceration, rupture, spasms, abscesscs, weak 

 sinews, flatulence, cough, asthnia, and for sprains if it 

 be apphed on unwashed wool. For all these purposcs 

 that wine is niore beneficial which has naturally 

 the flavour of pitch and is called pitchy wine in the 

 Helvian distiuct," although taken in excess it flies, as 

 is generally agreed, to thc head. As far as fevers 

 are concerned, wine should undoubtedly not be 

 given when fever is present unless the patient be 

 old,'' and then only when the disease has passed the 

 crisis ; in acute diseases only when thc patients 

 experience undoubted remissions, and these <^ by 

 preference at night — there is only half the danger 

 for those who drink at night, that is, to induce 

 sleep— nor should it be taken after deUvery or a 

 miscarriage, nor by those ill through sexual excess, 

 nor with headache, nor when exacerbations are 

 attended with chill in the extremities, nor in feverisli 

 coughs, tremulousness; pains in the sinews or throat, 

 or if the violence of the disease is felt in the region 

 of the groin ; nor is it suitable when thcre is 

 induration of the hypochondria, violent throbbing of 

 the veins, nor in opisthotonus or tetanus, nor in hic- 

 coughs, nor if there be difficulty of breathing accom- 

 panied by fever ; least of all if the eyes be rigid and 

 staring, or weak and heavy, nor should it be given 

 when the eyes of those who have closed them are full 

 of Hght,'' or when the lids do not cover them, or when 



■^ Probably when the patient perceives bright light, or per- 

 haps "sees stars ", \\ heu his eyes are closed. Verbally it seems 

 to raean : " when the eyes of those who have closed them still 

 shiue through." 



447 



