Two Physical Treatises: On the Imposture of Healing Wounds by the Weapon Salve and On the Bleeding of Corpses

that the weapon is not so useful, unless we thought we should not linger on manifest things.
64. It also happens to this weapon that it is bound, removed from the air, protected from rust, and fixed in ointment, fat, earth, bread, etc.
65. None of these of themselves heal a wound.
66. For not only the weapon, but other things as well, insofar as they were added, would obtain the same power. These are the things that can be considered regarding the weapon.
67. If the power is from elsewhere, it will be either from the medicine, or through the medicine. Unless the latter is applied in vain.
68. If from the medicine: the care of the weapon is rash, when it ought rather to cure the wound, and that far more correctly.
69. But if the medicine is tempered in such a way that it could not otherwise be conveniently accommodated to the suffering part: I say first that no necessity compels the physician to act thus, since there are many preparations.
70. Afterwards, I deny that a disease can be healed in this way naturally, even if the material of the weapon receives power from the medicine, as we will demonstrate below.
71. If through the medicine: they indeed use a splendid argument, but a fallacious one, concerning the kinship made through certain constellations, and the friendship of lower things with higher ones.