The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-11-12
.,on.aru for a s,tnro nnhlioatinn

commentary for future publication. A
hieroglyphfc translation of portion OF
the Hieratic manuscript also accompa-
nies the plates; the latter, LOT in num-
Der, are faithful and beautiful reproduc-
tions of the original papyrus in'the same
yellow-brown color. The second vol
ume contains hieroglyphic Latin CLOS
sary by Stern, and the remainder OF the
plates. Before proceeding to give de-
tails Of its contents, one more peculiar
ity is worth mentioning. Though the
pages are carefully numbered, the hg- !
ures, % and 20 are omitted, while the
text is continuous. Ebers conjectures
that the writer either accidentally forgot
his count or abstained from using these
numbers for snperstitious reasons.
The work abOunds in prescriptions, OF
which the following are samples:
Beginning of the Book Of Medicines.
To remove illness from the stomach.
Rub up the seed of the Ihehui plant with
vinegar and give the patient to drink.
The same for sick bowels:
Caraway seed. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1-64 Dram.
SGGse Siis fat. fat.......'.............. asa%. tesat
Boil, stir, and eat.
| The same;
Pomegranate seed, d.,................... u dram.
sycamore frult D.........'........ oram'
Treat as above.
In the original the arrangement of the
substances and quantities in two col
umns is the same as here given. The
weights are written in red ink. Other
prescriptions contain reference to pills
made by mixing certain substances with
honey and rolling them into little balls.
The weights and measures In this unique
work deserve q longer notice than space
will permit. Certain characters with
dots above them represent weights, and
series of special signs indicate meas
ures OF volume. The unit of weight en-
ployed ID believed by Ebers to bear close
relation to the later Arabic dirhem, or
dram, which is equivalent to about As
English grains. But owing to the small
ness of the quantities given in the pre-
scriptions, the unit is probably double
the drachm in value. This units repre-
sented in hieroglyphics by spindle
shaped figure, and divisions OF this unit
into eighths, sixteenths, thirty-seconds
and siXty-fourths were Indicated by ar
bitrary dots and other characters placed
beneath the sign of the unit, in certain
positions: the fractions 1-S, 1-l6, 1872,
1-64, always recurring, and 1-16 pre-
dominating; a quaternary arrangement
which was superstitiously regarded as
beneficial.
The union of volume is thought to be
the tenat, which is equivalent to six
tenths OF liter. This union and its sub
divisions are represented in the hieratic
scriptby arbitrary signs: When equal
parts OF the components Of a prescription
are taken, the TACT is indicated by a
| llight>short vertical dash placed oppo-
size each substance.
Ebers states in his Practice that not
withstanding there arctic be found in
this wonderful work many incantations
and conjurations from which the
priestly physicians could not abb
stain, still there is no h0cus pocus nor
gibberish in it. On the contrary, it shows
that it was possible to write in the six
teenth century, b. c., complex recipes,
and that they understood how to admin
lister with care the medicines prescribed.
Moreover, sorcery was forbidden in the
ancient times in the strongest manner,
and the alchemistic magi were punished
in the reign OF Rameses Ill with death.
The art of the physician was lost in the
post-C Christian era; science became more
and more tinged with magic, and was
gradually obscured and degraded by it.
The Librarian Of the Astor Library
says. with reference to the intrinsic
value of this papyrus: alt is hardly
possible to exaggerate the literary, sci
entitic and historical, Importance of this
remarkable document. 1t is the largest,
best preserved and most legible text in
the language of hieroglyphics, and does
mot speak vaguely OF incomprehensible
and fantastic ideas, but furnishes in.
dubitable insight into different phases oi
| the ancient Egyptians"