Ancient Egyptian medicine : a bibliographical demonstration in the library of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 12th January, 1893 / by James Finlayson.

  • James Finlayson
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ancient Egyptian medicine : a bibliographical demonstration in the library of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 12th January, 1893 / by James Finlayson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    ally on the names of the drugs, diseases, &c., mentioned. In the second portion of the monograph he goes over the same ground, giving a continuous translation into German alone. In such a chapter we naturally look to see how far the discrimination of different forms of disease extended; evi- dently the knowledge of this subject was very considerable. In addition to such general terms as blindness, blood in the eye, inflammation, remedies to improve the vision, and remedies to be used at certain seasons of the year, the following more definite disorders are recognised by Ebers, as indicated by the Egyptian names descriptive of the dis- orders (several occur repeatedly):—Hydrophthalmus, Staphy- loma, Infiltration of Cornea, Muscee Volitantes, Lippitudo, Stillicidium, Cataract, Leucoma, Iritis, Ectropium, Entropium, Trichiasis, Pinguecula or Xanthelasma (fat in the eyes). Granu- lations, Chalazion, Contracted Pupil, Blepharitis, Pterygion, Abscess of Lids, Chemosis, Cancer, Dacryocystitis, Ophthalmo- plegia. Professor Macalister calls attention to the sources from which two of the eye prescriptions were derived. One ointment for the eye, whose formula he (the writer of the Papyrus) gives, was invented by Chui, the President of the College [page 63 of Papyrus, line 4]; another is a foreign prescription in use among the Phoenicians at Byblus [page 63 of Papyrus, line 8]. The following short extracts, selected as specimens, are rendered from Ebers' translation. The remedies, however complex and potent, do not seem to have superseded entirely the necessity for reciting formuljB of words over the prepara- tions.* Thus we have on page 60 of the Papyrus:— Another (Remedy) for Driving Away the Cataract in the Eyes : Come verdigris ointment! Come verdigris ointment ! Come thou verdant one ! Come efflux from the eyes of Horus ! * Compai-e the incantations and magical formulae in the Berlin Medical Papyrus, the British Museum Medical Papyrus, and others referred to in the sequel.