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Wednesday reading —delightful remedies
Nov. 12th, 2014 07:51 pmI did not get to do a lot of reading this week, for various reasons. However, one of the books I did read is the greatest thing ever and I need to share it immediately.
What I've been reading
I read Ancient Egyptian Medicine: The Papyrus Ebers, because I was sending my protagonist in my NaNovel to the doctor for a broken ankle, and while I had some familiarity with the content of ancient Egyptian medicine in general I was looking to see if any of the extant medical papyri covered this ailment or its treatment specifically. I was searching for a translation of the Ebers Papyrus online and discovered that the Oriental Institute has a PDF scan of James Henry Breasted's copy of this book, which is a translation of the Ebers Papyrus and so much more.
It contains a great deal of commentary along these lines:
Another excerpt, lengthier but so worth it:
(Nowadays, of course, giving opium to children is frowned upon, but in 1930 the man had a point.)
I read Egyptian Boats, because I figured that the ancient Egyptian equivalent of sending your characters on a road trip when you're stuck with your plot would be a boat trip and I wanted to be prepared. It does what it says on the tin. It is well-illustrated, too.
What I'm reading now
I have only read a little farther in The Widow's House, though not for a lack of interest.
What I've been reading
I read Ancient Egyptian Medicine: The Papyrus Ebers, because I was sending my protagonist in my NaNovel to the doctor for a broken ankle, and while I had some familiarity with the content of ancient Egyptian medicine in general I was looking to see if any of the extant medical papyri covered this ailment or its treatment specifically. I was searching for a translation of the Ebers Papyrus online and discovered that the Oriental Institute has a PDF scan of James Henry Breasted's copy of this book, which is a translation of the Ebers Papyrus and so much more.
It contains a great deal of commentary along these lines:
Another remedy for Constipaton which not only claims to act as a purgative but drives out all the diseases in the body, smacks more of a dawn-of-history cocktail than a purgative. It consists of Half-an-Onion mixed in Froth-of-Beer, and is further described as 'A DELIGHTFUL REMEDY AGAINST DEATH.' The remedy still persists in the shape of the 'life-saver' dispensed at the public bar, but the ingredients are no longer the same and its purgative action has long since disappeared.
Another excerpt, lengthier but so worth it:
REMEDY TO STOP THE CRYING OF A CHILD
Pods-of-the-Poppy-plant (Opium)
Fly-dirt-which-is-on-the-Wall
Make into one, strain, and take for four days.
IT ACTS AT ONCE!
This is startling! No other word can convey the amusement with which one finds that the means employed to quell the squalling infant five thousand years ago are identically the same as many a modern mother employs to-day. Let us compare them:
REMEDY TO STOP THE CRYING OF A CHILD (NEW STYLE)
Powder-which-contains-Opium
Fly-dirt-which-is-on-the-Dummy
Mix in the Child's mouth.
IT ACTS AT ONCE!
(Nowadays, of course, giving opium to children is frowned upon, but in 1930 the man had a point.)
I read Egyptian Boats, because I figured that the ancient Egyptian equivalent of sending your characters on a road trip when you're stuck with your plot would be a boat trip and I wanted to be prepared. It does what it says on the tin. It is well-illustrated, too.
What I'm reading now
I have only read a little farther in The Widow's House, though not for a lack of interest.
