mĕdĕor, 2, v. dep. n. [root madh, to be wise; Zend, madha, the healing art; cf. μάθος, 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.