The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-07
PAPYRUS EBERS

cine" Thf. Distinction. how
IL ever. has been wrested from
the ancient Greek by the dis
covery and translation OF an early Egyp-
tian papyrus treating OF the subject Of
medicine, with date so remote as almost
TO place Hippocrates within the rank OF
modern physicians.
English medical literature - about 10 he
enriched by the translation of this pspy-
rus, generally admitted by Psychologists
TO be the oldest book devoted TO the
science Of medicine extant. The work Is
known to scientists as the papyrus Eb-
ers, and Is supposed 10 have been written
during the reign Of Blcheras. a king OF the
fourth dynasty, &6sS to tess Is. g. Thus the
original document is nearly s.eoo years Old
and II contains the written genesis OF tho
art Of healing.
Although brought to light In is7s. no
complete translation OF the Papyrus Cheers
has been made The document IL care
fully preserved in the library OF the t'nt-
versity Of Lcipsic and l; remained Cor
Chicago man TO make the FIRST English
and the only complete translation. The
work was undertaken about a year ago by
Or Carl II. Won Klein, Of Chicago. "a we'll
known student of the Oriental languages
and. the author OF a number OF medical
works. among them book on the "Medi-
cine OF the Talmud' Dr. won Klein Is "A
member OF the various medical and scien-
tffic societies Of the world and devotes his
iabors exclusively 20 the translation OF
medical works. His English translation
of Papyrus Ebers. volume OF several
hundred pages. viii soon be ready for the
press.
Page ss OF the Papyrus Ebers is devoted
almost entirely TO remedies for household
Ills. Its contents clearly indicate that the
ancient Egyptian housewife was beset
with cares similar TO those Of the modern
housekeeper. IL reveals likewise the fact
that woman early made use OF cosmetics,
The remedy given for the falling out OF
the hair IL ascribcd to the mother OF King
Teta OF the first dynasty, The contents
Of page 81 are as follows:
Lines to 2-Preparation 10 prevent
mice from getting into articles.
Lines to s-Preparation 10 prevent
hawks from stealing
Lines TO e--Preparation TO prevent
rats from eating corn In gransry.
Lines to le-Preparation for killing
lizards.
Lines IL TO 21--Preparations for making
housekeeping pleasant, followed by re-
ceipt for fumisation'
Instructions for the mixing OF COM
pound containing dry myrrh, juniper ber-
ries incense. mystic branches. buckshorn.
nebat aud raisins are given with the In
formation that they are to he mixed and
placed over the fire.
The author gives directions for SINH
lar preparet alton to which 10 added honey.
the whole to be boiled, mixed and made
into little pills. which are to he used by
women for scenting purposes Other pills
concocted In q somewhat similar manner
are for seeming the breath.
tonic for the hair, medicine for re-
moving superfiuous hair. and a hair dye
complete the page.
r. - he AnA.
ing Of Papyrus Ebers possesses all the
characteristics OF a romance. In the win
ter OF is7s-Ta Georg Ebers, OF I,eipsic,
and his friend. Ludwig Stern. spent sew
eral months at Thebcs In quest of rare
documents. For time the two scientists
made their dwelling place In one OF the
tombs OF Abd-ei-Gurnah and associated
daily with the Arabs Of Luxor. A
wealthy citizen OF Luxor showed 10
Ebers the antiquities which he little by
little, had obtained from the feilah on
the other side of the Nile, and al length
revealed 10 him the fact that he was the
possessor Of a papyrus obtained from the
same source.
Upon close inspection OF the papyrus
Ebers made the startling discovery that
IL was document OF great value and in
an unusual condition OF preservation. He
longed TO possess the document himself
OF the owner who WAS not altogether
aware OF iis full value. However. receiv.
ing thk financial assistance OF Max Gun
Their. a wealthy Engiishman, Ebcrs pur-
chased the treasured papyrus and con-
vey.d II 20 his home In I.etpsIc. there to
study its contents at leisure, II was
finally turned over 20 the library VI the
University OF f.elpsc for safe keeping.
In order 10 better preserve the valuable
fesfss 4fsaas
pieces and each piece placed under a
glass.
According 20 the statement Of the f.gyp-
lian pos~essOr. PapyruS Ebers was found
ia a tomb IN the xo-calied II Asnakslf. a
part % the Metropolis 81 Thebes. repos-
ting between the legs 81 a mummy. Since
the finder OF The papyrus was dead. "
was Impossible 10 refer 20 the exact
tomb which formerly contained the
treasure
when Ebers came into possession Of
the psp4rna n consisted ~ a single.
tightly rolled piece % tho finest yellow
bro~n papvrus The width ~ The doc
uunsnt vas thfrty csntinefers, and the
length 81 the written part 3l meters
No other papyrus kEewa 20 Ezyptcios
xisfs - better preserved. md not a single
letter 81 the document Il missing.
The text % this perfect ancient record
- 1fkfAfH1 AftAH tNtFHf TAsi" - WV -
numbered The page numbers are placed
over the arxt line In the middle ~ each
pags ara run from ! 20 ia. Singulativ.
the numbers = and y are missing. al
fhaagh the text eeuflnues uuiuferfupFsd-
h.. The omission e explained On the
ground that the Egyptians considered
no 60 b. a perfect number. saa bY this
means the wFiier WAS enabled 20 com.
pists ~. book sfh the required number
~ pages
Each pags 81 she aapYras contains stih-
81 tWsnfv-ans o. fwemtY-'Ho Hnea Win
the exnaqfinn ~ psEs@ ~ n. whioh are
considerably sfpailef. ths rsKes are
fweaty-twa eeafimetfTs "a With Tha
srsfft ~ uhlch fhe napFrQa q written r.
extraordinarily regular. ard & partly IN
bsars snA rarslv tu RES gnk This form
of arfilng ts ku0Nn A. fhs hiFfaiic. snt
u nne 81 tha three forms pses hE The
ancient ExgptiaH# Tie others ere TIE
suisfnloxrarhlr sns the intercollegiate
The exact date 81 The writing - me
I book - Witch Papvrss Ehers = ? epgT
I Il nas known. hm n ~ te'ieysf thaf Il
safss Nark % tsf y The dorunrnt