Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20
THE "PAPYRUs EBERs.u
Oldest Work on Observation-Disclosures
Hyppocrates Learned Much,

From the Hartford Times
Georg Ebers. who was widely known in
tho seventies as the author of several
Egyptian romances enjoyed at the same
unle more limited but more solid fame
DIS leading Psychologist. and his work
proved or abiding value in the regulation
OF the vast historic and literary heritage
which ancient Egypt has Committed to
modern eras.
Dr. Klein of Chicago has recently read
an extensive paper before the American
Academy OF Medicine on the ..Papyrus
Ebers." This is roll of papyrus acquired
by Dr. Ebers in the vicinity of Thebes in
the winter of 1872 from an Arab who made
ancient grave robbing business, and who
mad struck line of rock tombs undiscover-
ed as yet by the others of the guild. He
found this roll of papyrus between the legs
OF mummy 1t was single, tightly rolled,
yellow brown, about a foot wide and writ
ten over for the length of over sixty-fiye
feet IN regular columns that are numbered
II is exactly preserved, and after inyesti-
cation and translation was deposited in the
library Of the University of Leipzig 1t was
cut in sections there and placed between
glass; Tor purposes Of preservation and ex
animation. The script of this papyrus is
hleratic-other scrips are hieroglyphic and
aCn.otic-a running script in red and black
INKS Every heading is in red ink.
on the outside and an inscription which re.
fers to Amenophis 1, the date of this papy-
rus is placed at about 1852 before Christ.
But 1t has been established to the salts,
1actlon OF Psychologists that the paper Is
but transcription copy Of an older
work, which Is put 5000 years before that
and this places the original at a period of
over 1900 years ago.
But the most marvellous matter about
this papyrus Is that it is a comprehensive
treatise on medicine as well classified and
as logically arranged any modern text
book The diagnosis of diseases is carefully
given their nature treated of, and the rem
edies arranged In logical order. Diseases
of the abdomen, the chest, the heart, the
eyes and ears, and so on, are carefully
raLged and described in a manner that
would hold water at the present day. For
instance of the heart, the papyruS CLASH
fies the troubles as: Fatty degeneration,
dilatation. carditis angina or spasm. hyper
trophy enlargement, thrombosis (plug-
ging) and dropsy. That comes pretty near
to us. OF medicines over 700 different sub
stances are enumerated, and they are pre-
scribed in pills in tablets, in capsules, in
decoctions, powders, inhalations, lotions,
ointment, plasters.
The completeness of the work, the close
observation, the logical division and the
common sense in treatment manifested in
this ancient document are startlingly sur
prising to the modern man. These ancents
had their specialists, just as we. But,
above all, is the revelation how much we
thought was our own discovery, which, 1t
seems, was known to these Egyptian doc
tors seven thousand years ago. The ana
tcmical and medical hints In the law of
Moses are found closely related to the text
of this ancient papyrus. while many of the
teachings Of Hyppocrates are derived from
1t.
Seven more rolls of papyrus on medical
science have been found, but none as COM
plete and ancient as this The others are In
Berlin, London, Leyden, Turin, Brobeck
and I4eiDZig