Study Avodah Zarah folio 28B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
בפיקעא, אורי ליה רבי אמי, ואמרי לה רבי אסי אורי ליה: ליתי שב ביני אהלא תולנא, וצייר ליה בחללא דבי צוארא, וליכריך עילויה נירא ברקא, וטמיש ליה בנטפא חיורא, וליקליה ובדר ליה עילויה. אדהכי והכי, ליתי קשיתא דאסנא, לינח פיקעא להדי פיקעא.
from hemorrhoids. R' Ami instructed him, and some say that R' Asi instructed him that he should bring 7 seeds of ice plant that are red like a worm and bind them in the collar of a shirt, and then he should wrap a strip of hair around it, and dip the bundle in white naphtha and he should burn it and spread the ashes upon the sores. In the meantime, he should bring the kernel of a bramble [asna] fruit and place its crevice against his own crevice, i.e., the anus.
The Talmud remarks: And this matter applies only to the upper crevice, which is located at the outer edge of the anus and can be treated with bramble fruit. What should one do if he is experiencing pain in the lower crevice, located deeper within the rectum? He should bring the fat of a goat that has not yet opened, i.e., given birth, and he should melt it and then he should apply it to the irritated area.
And if this is not possible, he should bring 3 pumpkin leaves that were dried in the shade and he should burn them, and then he should spread the ashes upon the irritated area. And if this is not possible, he should bring snail shells instead. And if this is also not possible, he should bring oil mixed with wax [kira] and he should smear it upon worn flax clothing in summer, or worn cotton clothing in winter, and place it upon the irritated area.