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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    resemble that of the Papyri of the 19th Dynasty, and it is probably to be referred to the close of the 70th [20th 1] or beginning of the 22nd Dynasty.* The breadth of the Papyrus is very narrow, measuring about 7 inches wide ; its length is about 8 feet. It is, unfortunately, much worm-eaten, and much of the lower part of the commencement is wanting, the lower part having been devoured by worms or lost. It is written on both sides, and, what is more remarkable, is a palimpsest, traces of the former writing still remaining on both sides. The script is neat, but rather coarse and thick, and it is accompanied throughout by numerous rubrics, the heading -.of the chapters and the directions. The formulas of the cures are very short, but the pages are closely written, and contain from nine to fourteen lines. . . . The manner of charming or addressing the wounds is by invoking the gods, as— V 'Oh Ra, oh Su, oh Seb, oh Osiris, oh Creator of the gods, oh Nu, adoration to the great gods, bringing the of the gateway, placing the unpleasant on the floor, praising the Sun as he comes out of the Horizon, turning in the cabin, proceeding in the ark, pass ye me along, renew ye me, avert from me all evil things, all evil maladies, all wounds which are in this iiesh (ha) on all these limbs.' The remainder of this formula is neither so well preserved nor so intelligible. The rubric at the end of the chapter—not, however, written in red—states as follows (Fig. 4) :— [See Fig. 4, on next page.] Dr. Birch goes on to say :— The whole expresses :— ' This cure was discovered at night by the hand of a minister of the temple of the goddess who happened to go into the Hall in the temple of the city of Tebmut in the secret places of that goddess. The land at the time was in darkness, but the moon shone on that book all over it. He [it] was brought as a valuable treasure to His Majesty King Cheops.' The Papyrus, however, is not of the age of this monarch. * The 21st Dynasty is put down as extending from 1100-9G6 b.c.