Chap. 6.] 
COLIC. 
155 
in Italy before the time of Pompeius Magnus. This nialady> 
too, like those already mentioned, mostly makes its first ap- 
pearance in the face. In its primary form it bears a consider- 
able resemblance to a small lentil upon the nose ; the skin 
gradually dries up all over the body, is marked with spots of 
various colours, and presents an unequal surface, being thick 
in one place, thin in another, indurated every here and there, 
and covered with a sort of rough scab. At a later period, the 
skin assumes a black hue, and compresses the flesh upon the 
bones, the fingers and toes becoming swollen. 
This disease was originally peculiar to Egypt. Whenever it 
attacked the kings of that country, it was attended with pe- 
culiarly fatal effects to the people, it being the practice to 
temper their sitting-baths with human blood, for the treatment 
of the disease. As for Italy, however, its career was very 
soon cut short : the same was the case, too, with tlie disease 
known as gemursa "^^ to the ancients, a malady which made 
its appearance between the toes, and the very name of which is 
now buried in oblivion. 
CHAP. 6. COLIC. 
It is a remarkable fact that some diseases should disappear 
from among us, while others, again, should continue to prevail, 
colic for example. It was only in the reign of Tiberius 
Caesar that this malady made its appearance in Italy, the 
emperor himself being the first to be attacked by it ; a cir- 
cumstance which produced considerable mystification through- 
out the City, when it read the edict issued by that prince 
excusing his inattention to public business, on the ground of his 
being laid up with a disease, the very name of which was till 
then unknown. To what cause are we to attribute these various 
diseases, or liow is it that we have thus incurred the anger of 
the gods ? "Was it deemed too little for man to be exposed to 
Lucretius, B. vi. 1. 1111, seq.^ attributes it to the water of the Nile, It 
is but rarely known in Europe. 
Fee thinks that this may have been a sort of abscess similar to those 
between the fingers which are known as fourches by the French, and by 
medical men as *' Aposthema phalangum." Gruner considers it to be a sort 
of Elephantiasis, and Triller identifies it with the disease called Gumretha 
by the Talmudists. 
" Colum." Fee takes this to be Schirrus of the colon. 
