Chapter 91 : [Laws Concerning] One Who Feels Slightly Ill And a Sick Person Whose Condition is Not Critical

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§1

One who is slightly ill and makes an effort [and manages] to get around like a well person, is forbidden to be medically treated in any way, even in a way that no melachah is involved. [This applies] even to applying oil, whether this is done by himself or by someone else or even by a non-Jew.

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§2

All foods and beverages which are consumed by people who are well may be eaten and drunk as a cure, even if they have some bad side effects, and it is [therefore] obvious that it is being done for medicinal reasons, nevertheless, it is permitted. Anything that is not eaten or drunk by well people, is forbidden to be eaten or drunk as a cure. You may consume herbal juices, or drink a raw egg to make your voice more pleasant. This is not considered medicinal since your throat is not sore.

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§3

If you have a slight toothache but are not in great pain, do not rinse them (the teeth) with vinegar, or other liquid for medicinal purposes and then expectorate the liquid. Rather, you should rinse and swallow it, or dip some bread into it and eat it as usual. Similarly, if you have a sore throat do not gargle with some liquid, but, instead, swallow it and, if as a result, you feel better, then so be it.

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§4

If you have abdominal pains and the like, or if you have a rash on your scalp, since in our society we do not usually apply oil except for medical purposes, it is forbidden to apply oil, because it is obvious that you are doing this as a cure.

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§5

One who suffers from angina, and relieves his pain by sucking [milk] directly from a goat, may do so on Shabbos (because sucking milk is [considered] mefarek in an unusual manner, and due to the pain of the illness the Sages did not forbid it.)

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§6

If you have a stomach ache [and would feel relieved by heat] you may place on your stomach a cup front which hot water was emptied, although it still contains warm vapor. Similarly, you may warns up some clothes and put them on your abdomen.

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§7

If you have injured your hand or foot, you may soak it in wine to halt the bleeding, but not in vinegar because it is (more] potent, and is [therefore] obviously medicinal. For a delicate person. wine is the same as vinegar and is forbidden. If [the wound] is on the back of the hand or the back of the foot or was caused by a metal object you may do anything at all for a remedy. [For the significance of these wounds see later, Chapter 92, §5.]

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§8

For a slight pain of the eyes do not apply undiluted saliva (i.e. saliva that is in one's mouth before having eaten anything) because it is obvious that you are doing this as a remedy. However, if you are unable to open your eyes, you may moisten them with undiluted saliva, because this is not applied as a remedy but rather to enable you to open your eyes.

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§9

If you are suffering from overeating, you may insert your finger into your throat in order to regurgitate.

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§10

A wound which is not critical may not be bandaged with a dressing even if it was prepared the day before. Nor [may you apply] anything that acts as a remedy, even a leaf or an old dry rag, since it too serves as a remedy. However, you may apply something to prevent it from being scratched [or irritated]. If it was already bandaged the day before. you may open one end [of the dressing] slightly and cleanse the wound opening, and then open the other end and cleanse it. Do not wipe the dressing itself because you would be smearing. If the bandage fell off the wound onto the floor you may not restore it. If it fell on any object, you may restore it. If you are suffering great pain you may tell a non-Jew to restore it. However, you may not ask a non-Jew to prepare a dressing on Shabbos, because smearing the dressing is a d'oriso prohibition and is prohibited even through a non-Jew, unless you take completely ill (as [is discussed] later, paragraph 16).

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§11

You may not place a cloth on a bleeding wound because the blood dyes the cloth; and certainly [not] a red cloth because it is improved by this. It is also forbidden to squeeze the wound in order to extract blood. But, what may you do? You may bathe it in water or wine to remove the blood, and then wrap it in a cloth. If bathing does not stop the bleeding, you may apply a spider web and then tie a cloth around it. However, some have misgivings about this because spider webs are curative. Therefore, if possible, this should be done by a non-Jew.

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§12

One who punctures an abscess in order to enlarge the opening of the wound, in the manner of physicians when they attempt to facilitate healing by enlarging the opening of the wound, is guilty of a Shabbos violation, for this requires a doctor's skill. If his [purpose in] opening the abscess is only to drain the pus, which is causing him pain, and he is unconcerned if the [opening] closes up again immediately, this is permitted due to his pain. [This is permitted] only when he punctures it with a needle or something similar. But, [he may not do so] with his nails because he then tears some of the skin of the abscess, which makes him liable [for doing a melachah]. Even by means of a needle or something similar, there is concern that he may want the wound to remain open, so that the pus will continue to drain, therefore, wherever possible this should be done by a non-Jew.

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§13

If you have an incision on the arm, commonly referred to as "aftora" aperture and the opening has closed slightly, you may not insert a legume [for the purpose] of reopening it, because it is your intention that it remain open. A dressing (that was prepared yesterday) may be applied to the incision, because it is only to protect [the wound]. However, if you know that the dressing draws pus or blood, it is forbidden. Similarly, if you intend to wipe it [and] you know that [as a result] of wiping, blood or pus will be drawn out it is forbidden to wipe it. (This is not comparable to puncturing an abscess, because where the abscess is concerned, the pus and blood have accumulated in one spot and exist separately, and draining them is not considered making a wound, whereas in this situation where the pus and blood are still absorbed throughout the flesh, if you drain them you are [in effect] making a wound.)

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§14

If the wound has healed you may apply a dressing that you prepared yesterday, since it is only for protection. It is permitted to remove the crust around the wound.

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§15

If you were stuck by a splinter, you may remove it with a needle, provided you take care not to extract blood, for that would be making a wound.

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§16

A sick person who is confined to bed, but is not critical, or he has an ailment which causes his entire body to feel pain, whereby, although he gets around, is considered as someone who is bed-ridden; you may tell a non-Jew to do [anything required] for his cure, and to cook food for him. He may, eat on Shabbos that which the non-Jew cooked, since, today [Shabbos], cooking for him is permitted through a non-Jew.

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§17

He may also take any medications or do anything necessary for his cure, whether by himself or through someone else, provided that it does not involve any forbidden melachah, even if only a d'rabanan prohibition. But, if it involves even a d'rabanan prohibition, it must be done only by a non-Jew. If a non-Jew is unavailable, a Jew may do a d'rabanan prohibition by altering [the usual manner of doing it].

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§18

When a non-Jewish doctor comes to vaccinate children against smallpox, if the Jew can offer him compensation to postpone the vaccination till after Shabbos, he should do so. If not [i.e. the doctor adamantly refuses] and it must be done on Shabbos, in that case, the Jew should not hold the child, but let a non-Jew hold him.