A CULTURAL HISTORY OF PUS

Definition of pus in English (OED): 

pus

NOUN

mass noun

• A thick yellowish or greenish opaque liquid produced in infected tissue, consisting of dead white blood cells and bacteria with tissue debris and serum.

• Origin

  Late Middle English: from Latin.

• Pronunciation

  pus

  /pʌs/

Diccionario español de la RAE:

pus

Del lat. pus, puris.

1. m. Líquido espeso de color amarillento o verdoso, segregado por un

tejido inflamado, y compuesto por suero, leucocitos, células muertas y 

otras sustancias.

• 
  

And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of the Pharaoh.

9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.

10 And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before the Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.

11 And the magicians (priests of the Egyptian gods) could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

12 And the LORD hardened the heart of the Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

The Sixth Plague, Exodus 9.

Suscipit alia: 'ego vero maritum articulari etiam morbo complicatum curvatumque ac per hoc rarissimo venerem meam recolentem sustineo, plerumque detortos et duratos in lapidem digitos eius perfricans, fomentis olidis et pannis sordidis et faetidis cataplasmatibus manus tam delicatas istas adurens nec uxoris officiosam faciem sed medicae laboriosam personam sustinens. -Jason Weiser renders this "fomentis olidis" as "his pus-ridden gout boils." "She stained her perfect, soft hands when she was forced to rub his pus-ridden gout boils."
The second or middle sister (who represents Free Will) on her gouty husband, Asinus aureus, Apuleius. She "nursed a mate [···] crippled with gout." (as described by Pasquale Accardo)


Ubi pus, ibi evacua.
Anonymous surgical Latin adage.

»-Amigo, señor, salieron unas anpollas a mi padre en las espaldas e el fésigo (médico) nos dixo que tomásemos farina de adárgama (harina de fuerza) e que la amasásemos con manteca e con miel e que gela pusiésemos en aquellas anpollas, e quando uviésemos lavado e enxugado toda la podre (el pus), que gela tirásemos. E yo tomava aquella masa en escuso (secreto) e fazíala pan, e levávalo aquel mercado a vender e vendíalo. E, loado Nuestro Señor, es ya sano e dexámoslo de fazer.

»E el mercador dio grandes bozes del gran asco que avía de aquel pan que avía comido e quando vido que provecho ninguno non tenía, dixo contra su moço:

»-Mezquino, ¿qué faré que busquemos con que lavemos nuestras manos e nuestros pies e nuestras bocas e nuestros cuerpos? ¿Cómmo los lavaremos?

Panes (The Buns of Bread), Sendebar (Islamic medieval fairytale collection). This tale is not dissimilar to present-day suburban legends about sperm on pizzas,


Y pues hueles a cisco y alcrebite, 
y la podre te sirve de pebete, 
juega con tu pellejo al escondite. 
Sonnet "Vieja verde, compuesta y afeitada" (To a Dirty Old Lady, Riddled with Make-Up), Francisco de Quevedo.