On the natures of simple medicines

We have already explained in Book One what our words mean: “this medicine is hot”, “this medicine is cold”, “this medicine is dry”, “this medicine is wet”, and we explained that this takes place in comparison with our body. In doing so, we proceeded from the fact that the basis of all complex mineral, plant and animal bodies are four elements and that they mix and act on each other until they establish themselves in a state of mutual equilibrium or predominance of any element, and when they are on something - or they will be established, this will be the true nature. We also explained that as soon as nature arose in a complex body, it thereby prepared it for the perception of the powers and qualities that it tends to have after the emergence of nature.

We have already explained how many varieties of nature there are, what is meant by a balanced nature in people and what is meant by a balanced nature in medicines. By this we mean, we said, that if the human body, encountering a medicine, acts on it with its innate warmth, then the medicine can cause cooling, warming, moistening or drying in the human body, greater than usual for a person. However, we did not mean by this that the nature of medicines is similar to the nature of man, for the nature of man is characteristic only of man. Know also that there are two types of nature: primary nature and secondary nature. Primary nature is the original nature that arises from the basic elements, and secondary nature is the nature that arises from the influence of things that themselves have nature. This is, for example, the secondary nature of complex medicines and teryak. After all, each of the simple medicines included in the composition of teryak has a nature inherent in it alone, and when they are mixed, combined with other medicines up to the point of unification, and acquire a different nature, a secondary nature of teryak arises. This secondary nature is not all generated artificially sometimes it is also formed naturally. Milk, for example, consists of a mixture of watery and curdled particles with fatty particles, and each of these three components is not simple in nature, but also represents a mixture and has its own special nature. This secondary nature arose under the influence of nature, and not artificially.

Secondary nature is of two types: strong nature and weak nature. A strong nature arises, for example, when each of two simple components is connected to the other so firmly that it is difficult for our natural warmth to separate them Moreover, sometimes it is difficult to separate them even with the heat of fire, as, for example, in the substance of gold.

Indeed, the wet and dry nature of gold reaches such a limit that the fiery principle cannot separate them. When fire causes the watery particles of gold to flow in order to sublimate them, the earthy particles stick firmly to all the watery particles, and fire cannot lift up the watery particles and deposit down the earthy particles, as it does with wood and even with tin and lead. Since such strength is inherent in nature, it is quite possible for the existence of such a nature, the elements of which cannot be divided by the innate warmth that exists in us. This is a nature that is called durable. If it is balanced, then it remains as it is throughout the body until it changes the shape of the body and makes it balanced again. That element in a solid nature which tends to predominate remains predominant in the body until it destroys its form. In general, only one action comes from such a nature.

When nature is not strong, but, on the contrary, is loose and soft until it disintegrates, then it is possible to assume that its elements are separated from each other when our nature influences it. Their forces are different, so that part of them produces one effect, and the other part produces the opposite.

When doctors say that the property of such a medicine is combined from forces opposite to each other, they do not think, and you should not think either, that a separate particle of a medicine carries both warmth and coldness together, and that these qualities act separately, like two separate ones. started, because it is impossible. On the contrary, these qualities lie in the two different parts of the medicine from which it is combined.

In the same way, it should not be assumed that drugs of any other kind are not combined from mutually opposite forces, for all drugs are combined from mutually opposite forces. You must understand the words of the doctors in the sense that the medicine has mutually opposite forces actually or in a potency close to reality, for it contains different particles that do not have such a complete effect on each other that between all particles similar in properties, perfect identity was established they are not interconnected and have not merged together {to such an extent that if one particle ends up in any part of the organ, the other would necessarily be there with it. After all, if their forces were similar, then their effect on the body would not be different in any way, and if we consider that their particles are mutually connected, and their properties are different, then it is acceptable that their effect on the body is also not different. On the contrary, when one of the elements of the medicine ends up in any organ, it is accompanied by another, inseparable from it. From both elements then the same action and influence arises in all parts of the organ, caused by the action of these elements. After all, in every part of the organ there is something that prevents the medicine from having its full effect and takes possession of it. This always happens, unless a part of the organ perceives the action of only one of the elements preferably over the other, and nature uses one of them and rejects the other, as often happens.

But we are not talking about this, but about a variety of drugs that have different effects for a reason inherent in themselves, and not for a reason inherent! in anything else. This reason is that the mixing of simple particles in these drugs is so weak that the drugs are subject to decomposition under the influence of our innate heat. Simple medicines, about which we said that they have mutually opposite forces, belong precisely to those in which there is no complete mixture.

Among these medicines there are some that are more strongly mixed, so that neither boiling nor washing can divide their strength. Such, for example, is chamomile, which simultaneously has both a dissolving and astringent property when it is boiled for medicinal dressings, both properties do not leave it.

However, there are also medicines whose powers can be separated by cooking, such as cabbage. Its substance is mixed from earthy, astringent matter and from matter that has the properties of bavrak, purifying and rarefied. Therefore, if cabbage is boiled in water, its cleansing agent, which has the properties of bavrac, will dissolve and only an earthy astringent substance will remain. Thus, the cabbage decoction becomes laxative due to the content of bavrac, and its body becomes astringent. The same applies to lentils, chickens and garlic, for they have cleansing and burning power, as well as heavy moisture, and cooking separates them. These are also onions, radishes and other vegetables. Therefore, they say about radish that it promotes digestion, but is not digested itself. This does not apply to all its particles, but only to the rarefied and softer substance present in it. If this substance dissolves, then the dense substance of the radish will remain, not susceptible to digestive force, and viscous, while the other part of its substance tears off the viscous juices.

This category also includes medicines in which the elements can be separated by washing, such as chicory and many vegetables. The substance of these plants consists of abundant earthy-watery cold matter and a small amount of rarefied matter they cool thanks to the first matter, and open blockages and conduct more juices thanks to the second the main part of this rarefied matter spreads on the surface of the plant, rising to it and spreading over it. When the plants are washed, the rarefied matter dissolves in the water and only such a fraction remains of it, which should not be taken into account. Therefore, washing them is prohibited by Sharia law and medical science.

For the same reason, many medicines, when a person takes them orally, are very cold, and when they are applied as a medicinal bandage, they dissolve. An example is coriander. When taken orally, its cooling ability becomes very strong, and if you apply a medicinal bandage from it, especially when mixed with oatmeal, it sometimes resolves tumors, for example, mumps. This is explained by the fact that coriander combines a highly cooling, earthy, watery substance and a rarefied substance that can dissolve when consumed internally, it perceives innate heat, and the heat dissolves the rarefied substance in it. The amount of the latter is not so great as to have any effect on the nature on the contrary, it is removed and passes through the pores, and the coolant remains alone, producing extreme cooling.

And if you apply a medicinal dressing from coriander, then the earthy substance, apparently, does not penetrate the pores and does not have any effect. As for the rarefied fiery substance, it penetrates through the pores and causes

warming if it is accompanied by a certain amount of cold substance, then it is useful for diverting juices and detecting extraneous warmth. This is close to what is said in Book One about the pungency of onions in medicinal dressings and their harmlessness in food, since we recognized that one of the reasons for this phenomenon is something close to what is being discussed. Therefore, this thought must be approved and known. A

There are also medicines that seem to contain two naturally different substances in the complete absence of mixing. Sometimes this is obvious to the senses, as in the citron particles, and sometimes it is hidden. Thus, the shell of the seeds of the flea plantain and what is on top of the shell seem to be very cool, and the mealy substance inside is very warm, so that it almost turns out to be a means of causing redness or ulceration. Its shell thus serves as a barrier separating these two properties.

But if you drink the seed of the flea plantain not ground into flour, then the hardness of its shell will not allow the force of the internal powdery substance to penetrate out on the contrary, it will act only with its external parts and its sliminess.

If you crush it, it acts differently. Perhaps crushed plantain is considered poison because its mealy substance and filling come out when crushed. It seems that the ability of crushed plantain to accelerate the opening of abscesses and the ability of whole plantain to prevent their ripening and disperse them is explained by the same reason. What has been said is enough to teach this basic science.