e subject of varicosities is quite complete in
its suggestions. "The term varices," he says, "is applied to dilated
veins, which occur sometimes in connection with the testes and sometimes
in the limbs. Operations on testicular varices patients do not readily
consent to; those on the limbs may be cured in several ways. First,
simple section of the skin lying above the dilated vessel is made, and
with the hook it is separated from the neighboring tissues and tied.
After this the dilated portion is removed and pressure applied by means
of a bandage. The patient is ordered to remain quiet, but with the legs
higher than the head. Some people prefer treatment by means of the
cautery." Gurlt, in his "History of Surgery," calls attention to the
fact that two of our modern methods of treating varicose veins are thus
discussed in Aetius, that by ligation and that by the cautery. The
cautery was applied over a space the breadth of a finger at several
points along the dilated veins.

Aetius' chapters on obstetrics and gynaecology are of special interest,
because, while we are prone to think that gynaecology particularly is a
comparatively modern development of surgery, this surgical authority of
the early Middle Ages treats it rather exhaustively. His sixteenth book
is for the most part (one hundred and eleven chapters of it) devoted to
these two subjects. He has a number of interesting details in the first
thirty-six chapters with regard to conception, pregnancy, labor, and
lactation, which show how practical were the views of the physicians of
the time. Gurlt has given us some details of his chapters on diseases of
the breast. Aetius differentiates phagedenic and rodent ulcers and
cancer. All the ordinary forms of phagedenic ulcer yield to treatment,
while malignant growths are rendered worse by them. Where ulcers are
old, he suggests the removal of their thickened edges by the cautery,
for this hastens cure and prevents hemorrhage. With regard to cancer,
he quotes from Archigenes and Leonides. He says that these tumors are
very frequent in women, and quite rare in men. Even at this time cancer
had been observed and recognized in the male breast. He emphasizes the
fact that cancerous nodules become prominent and become attached to
surrounding tissues. There are two forms, those with ulcer, and those
without. He describes the enlargement of the veins that follows, the
actual varicosities, and the dusky or livid redness of the part