7
fore proceeding to give details of its contents, one more peculiarity is worth mentioning. Though the pages are carefully numbered the figures 28 and 29 are omitted, while the text is continuous. Ebers conjectures that the writer either accidentally forgot his count, abstained from using these numbers for superstitious reasons, the discussion of which we cannot here enter upon.
As already remarked the work is divided into chapters or sections. We cannot give Ebers’ synopsis in full, but a fair insight into the character of the treatise may be obtained from the selected headings of sections, and extracts here following:
Contents of Papyrus Ebers.
Heading of chapters (selected). The numbers refer to the pages of the papyrus.
1. Of the preparation of medicines.
25. Of salve for removing the uhau.
47. Catalogue of the various uses of the Tequem tree.
48. Medicines for curing the accumulation of urine and diseases of the abdomen.
55. The book of the eyes.
65. Medicaments for preventing the hair turning gray, and for the treatment of the hair.
66. Medicines for forcing the growth of the hair.
79. Salves for strengthening the nerves, and medicines for healing the nerves.
85. Medicines for curing diseases of the tongue.
89. Medicines for the removal of lice and fleas.
91. Medicines for ears hard of hearing.
99. The Secret Book of the Physician. The science of the beating of the heart, and the science of the heart as taught by the priestly physician, Nebsecht.
* Verily, “there is no new thing under the sun” (Eccl 1:9); hair invigorators, hair dyes, pain killers, and flea powders, were evidently fashionable 3,400 years ago !
