Judgments about vomiting

We also already talked about vomiting in Book One, but it is imperative for us to present here some of what was said, as well as other information that is more suitable for this place. So, we will say that vomiting is most useful when the mucus and bile expelled are highly mixed and not very thick. The purer the vomit, the more malignant it is; clear bile indicates extreme heat, and clear mucus indicates extreme cold.

Vomit of an unusual color - which is usually white, watery or yellow - is not good. Such, for example, is green or leek-colored vomit - especially fetid, as well as beetroot-colored or bright scarlet or brown, but worst of all is verdigris-colored or black vomit, especially when it is accompanied by spasms; such vomiting kills immediately if the patient has little strength, otherwise he sometimes lives for two more days. At the same time, you must take into account whether the color has appeared from any food. If a patient vomits all the colors indicated, it is very bad. Foul-smelling vomit is not good; pure vomiting, as we have already said, is also not good.