NOTE: — 18 —

...sourdough spread thick upon a cloth, or mustard and sourdough kneaded together; see Number 95. 27. The patient’s food must be very light and easy to digest; that is to say, a soup of well-cooked groats or rice (if there be no costiveness in the belly), prepared with a little butter, or with pounded almonds, or with good olive oil; or give to drink the broth alone of well-boiled pullet or chicken meat, or the water of boiled dried black plums or of *alichu-kharu* [dried sour plums]; and for eating, one may give roasted apples and *komshi* (quince), with sugar or good honey put upon them. 28. Once every three days give a purging medicine, Number 4, or 5, or 6, or 7, or 8. Thou must not be distressed if the patient eateth little, or if he hath eaten nothing for a few days; thou must only take care that there be no costiveness in the patient's belly. 29. At the time of severe fever, it often happeneth that the patient’s eyes turn red, his head and his temples ache severely and [feel as though they would] burst forth; blood gusheth from the patient’s nose, which is of benefit, and often happeneth to become the cause of his complete recovery. 30. If on the seventh, ninth, or on the eleventh, fourteenth, or on the seventeenth day the patient feeleth chills, great distress, and confusion; if the body softeneth, becometh moist, and itcheth, and at last a copious sweat breaketh out over the whole body, we must consider this a sign that the patient is delivered from his affliction. 31. The cold-fever at all times continueth in the same manner at the beginning; but as the disease is prolonged, there sometimes appear, besides those things mentioned above, signs of other kinds of ailments as well; at this time we must employ the care and medicines written below, suited unto them. 32. If at the beginning the patient hath a tongue coated with yellow bile, and feeleth nausea of the heart, bitterness of the mouth, foul belching, or if he casteth up bile from the mouth; if he feeleth heat from within and coldness from without, then give an emetic medicine [taken] by the mouth, Number 1, or 2, or 3. If by this means the signs written above do not diminish...