Note 714 — BOOK III.—OF THE EPIDEMICS.
Francis Adams translation
It is impossible not to recognize this as a description of purulent ophthalmia. Celsus thus describes the ficus: “Est etiam ulcus quod a fici similitudine σύκωσις Græcis nominatur, ubi caro excrescit; et id quidem generale est. Sub eo vero duæ species aunt. Alterum ulcus durum et rotundum est: alterum humidum et inæquale. Ex duro exiguum quoddam et glutinosum exit: ex humido plus, et mali odoris.” See the Lexicons of Hesychius and Phavorinus, and also Paulus Ægineta, Book III., 3. It will be remarked that Hippocrates also makes mention of fungous excrescences about the pudenda. Were they syphilitic? In other words, did they derive their origin from elephantiasis? See the Annotations on Paulus Ægineta, Book IV., 1, Sydenham Society’s edition.