medeor

mĕdĕor, 2, v. dep. n. [root madh, to be wise; Zend, madha, the healing art; cf. mathos, also medicus, re-med-ium], to heal, cure, be good for or against a disease (syn.: medico, sano, curo); constr. with dat., rarely with contra, very rarely with acc. (class.).

I.

Lit.

A.

Of pers. subjects:

medico non solum morbus ejus, cui mederi volet, cognoscendus est,

Cic. de Or. 2, 44, 186.—Prov.:

cum capiti mederi debeam, reduviam curo,

i. e. to neglect matters of importance while attending to trifles, Cic. Rosc. Am. 44, 128.—

B.

Of subjects not personal:

contra serpentium ictus mederi,

Plin. 9, 31, 51, § 99:

oculis herba chelidonia,

id. 8, 27, 41, § 98:

dolori dentium,

id. 20, 1, 2, § 4:

capitis vulneribus,

id. 24, 6, 22, § 36:

medendi ars,

the healing art, art of medicine, Ov. A. A. 2, 735; id. M. 7, 526; Lact. 1, 18 fin. — Pass.:

ut ex vino stomachi dolor medeatur,

Hier. Ep. 22, 4; cf.:

medendae valetudini leniendisque morbis opem adhibere,

Suet. Vesp. 8.—

II.

Trop., to remedy, relieve, amend, correct, restore, etc.

(α).

With dat.:

huic malo,

Cic. Agr. 1, 9, 26:

dies stultis quoque mederi solet,

id. Fam. 7, 28, 3:

incommodis omnium,

id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 10:

afflictae et perditae rei publicae,

id. Sest. 13, 31:

religioni,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 51, § 114:

inopiae rei frumentariae,

Caes. B. G. 5, 24:

tum satietati, tum ignorantiae lectorum,

to provide against, Nep. Pelop. 1, 1:

rei alicui lege aut decreto senatus,

Tac. A. 4, 16.—

(β).

With acc.:

quas (cupiditates) mederi possis,

Ter. Phorm. 5, 4, 2; Just. Inst. 2, 7.— Pass.:

aquae medendis corporibus nobiles,

Vell. 2, 25, 4.— Absol.:

aegrescit medendo,

his disorder increases with the remedy, Verg. A. 12, 46.— Impers. pass.:

ut huic vitio medeatur,

Vitr. 6, 11.—Hence, mĕdens, entis ( gen. plur. medentum, Ov. M. 15, 629), subst., a physician ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

veluti pueris absinthia tetra medentes cum dare conantur,

Lucr. 1, 936; Ov. H. 21, 14:

Democrates e primis medentium,

Plin. 25, 8, 49, § 87; Plin. Pan. 22.