18 TREATMENT OF THE SUBJECT-MATTER. 
and myrrh. It is, indeed, possible that through these primeval 
trade relations spices and medicinal substances found their way 
to Egypt’ even from southern and eastern Asia. In the 
Inscriptions of temples,” and in the rolls of papyrus, frequent 
reference is made to such things, the correct interpretation of 
which is still in part uncertain; only a few of them have actually 
been brought to light from burial-vaults.* Especially in the 
oft-recurring, but not corresponding recipes for Kyphi, a medi- 
cinal compound which served for manifold purposes, there occur 
a large number of drugs, as, for example, mastic, cardamom, 
curcuma, ladanum (resin of Cistus ladaniferus) and fenugreek." 
Tt will only be after a still more extended investigation of 
Egyptian antiquities that the extent of the knowledge in ques- 
tion among the ancient Egyptians can be established. Through 
their highly developed knowledge of agriculture they also 
engaged in the cultivation of several of the plants which here 
come under consideration, as, for example, coriander, fenugreek, 
flax, poppy, ricinus, and sesame.* 
‘ Diimichen, ‘* Die Flotte einer agyptischen K6nigin,” 1868, and 
*‘ Historische Inschriften,” 1869. Mariette-Bey, ‘‘ Deir-el-Bahari,” 
1877. Flickiger, ‘‘ Pharmakognosie,” second edition, pp. 6, 35, 41, 560, 
935. Schumann, ‘‘Zimmtlander,” Gotha, 1884 (Supplement No. 73 to 
Petermann’s Mittheilungen). 
_ _* Dimichen, “ Das Salbélrecept aus dem Laboratorium des Edfu- 
Tempels.” Zeitschr. fiir agypt. Sprache und Alterthumskunde, Decem- 
ber, 1879. 
_ * Braun (Ascherson and Magnus), “Ueber die im Museum zu Berlin 
aufbewahrten Pflanzenreste aus altigyptischen Grabern.” Zeitschrift. 
fiir Ethnologie, IX., Berlin, 1877, pp. 289 to 310, and Schweinfurth, 
‘‘ Ueber Pflanzenreste aus altdgyptischen Grabern.” Ber. d. deutsch. 
botan. Ges., IIT. (1884), p. 351. 
_. * Lepsius, in the Zeitschr. fiir Agypt. Sprache und Alterthumskunde, 
October, 1874, p. 106: « Kyphirecept aus dem Papyrus Ebers.” 
*Compare further Thaer, “Die altdgyptische Landwirthschaft,” 
Berlin, Parey, 1831, 4to, pp. 36, with six plates. Unger, ‘‘ Botanische 
Streifziige auf dem Gebiete der Culturgeschichte,” Sitzungsberichte 
der Wiener Akademie, 1857 to 1859, especially in volume 45, “Inhalt — 
eines gyptischen Ziegels an organischen Kérpern,” and volume 54 
_ (1866): “Ein Ziegel der Dashurpyramide in Aegypten nach seinem — 
_ Inhalt an organischen Einschliissen.” Sehweinfurth, ‘ Blumen- 
* 
