Leprosy in the Epilogue to tiie Code of Hammurapi? • 203 



6. RLA 3 695. Note the hymn of Nebuchadnezzar to Ninkarak in 

 which Nebuchadnezzar appeals to her as a health goddess — for his 

 own health and longevity and that of his children and descendants 

 (von Soden and Falkcnstcin 1953:#33). 



7. See Kudurru (boundary stone) of MeliSihu VII 14-25 (Scheil 

 19(X): 1 10); Kudurru SB 33 IV 5-9 (Borger 1970); King 1912; no. 8 

 IV 16. 1 R 70iv6andp.4l 7 ii 29-31 and p. 79 11 iii 10-13. 



8. R)r an introduction to the subject see Braunwald et al. 1987; 

 du Vivier 1986; Fitzpatrick et al. 1987; Jopling 1984; Stein et al. 

 1983. 



9. R)r example, associated with the goddess Gula but with re- 

 gard to the heart: GIG Id pcidu ami lihhisu lifhsiC.') KAR 111 r.8 

 cited from CAD M/2 226a)/ "May (Gula bring) an illness without 

 pity into his heart." 



10. "A diffuse hypesthesia involving the peripheral portion of 

 the extremities is common in advanced leproiiiatous disease" 

 (Braunwald etal. 1987:635). 



1 1 . Kudurru SB 33 IV 7 which Borger translates as "unheilbare 

 LahmungC?)" ( 1970; 15). See also Goctze ( 1955; 12) who notes that 

 miqtii, literally "fall." is used of attacks for various sicknesses and 

 sometimes equated with bennu. "epilepsy." 



12. Here Jopling clarifies that "nerve damage in lepromatous 

 leprosy ... is different from the pathological process in the other 

 types of leprosy and is much slower to unfold." While in borderline 

 leprosy "clinical evidence of nerve damage, whether sensory or 

 motor, or both, is likely to antedate skin lesions by months or years" 

 ( 1984; 15). Tuberculoid leprosy patients may present with neural or 

 dermal symptoms or both (1984:34). 



13. Note the alliteration (particularly m. s, s, and k) and the 

 inelusio and wordplay, mursiim-nuirsam. 



14. The range of meaning of Akkadian simmum has been com- 

 pared to Greek elkos which embraces both notions of wound and 

 ulcer. (Stol 1979:62 n.232. kindly brought to my attention by Pro- 

 fessor W.L. Moran). 



15. Sec Jopling 1984:rigs. 4.15.18, erythema nodosum lep- 

 rosum in Type 2 reaction-which occurs almost exclusively in lep- 

 romatous leprosy or may be the stage at the patient's presentation 

 (1984:70). 



16. The image here has several levels; (1) Death is frequently 

 anthropomorphized as a maw; consequently, the image would be 

 particularly vivid for its indigenous readers/hearers. See also ina 

 sinnatisu izdb mutumi "from his (the demon's) teeth flows death." 

 (A 704: 16 cited from CAD M/2 318a). (2) The symbolic animal of 

 Gula is the dog. (3) Familiarity with an actual animal bite introduces 

 the elements of the unexpected and speed — a bite often cannot be 

 anticipated or prevented — thus heightening the sense of anxiety. (4) 

 The physical image; once the flesh has been pierced, although the 

 teeth may be removed, the evidence of the attack cannot — thus, the 

 omnipresent awareness of injury. 



17. CAD E 41 lb. Von Soden (1965:1 266a) who quotes this 

 passage under etlutu. defines the word as "Mannheit." Therefore, 

 our form <v/m/("v(/ = genitive of <'(/«/« + 3ms suffix. 



18. This study notes earlier reports stating that half of the males 

 with lepromatous leprosy develop testicular atrophy. 



19. Note as well that protein and red blood cells occur in the 

 urine. In this context it is most interesting to compare a difficult 

 passage in a parallel curse associated with CJula's persistent \immu: 

 surka u diimci/kimti me lirhimmiik. "so that he may pass light anil 

 dark blood like water ' (King 1912:7 ii 31; 11 iii 12-13). 



20. It is significant that in four other texts Gula is associated with 

 this same incurable affliction — \immt4 lazzti. "a persistent sore/skin 

 eruption" (Scheil 1900;I10|VII 19|;King 1912:41 1 7 ii 30]; Borger 

 1 967 ; 1 09 1 1 V 4 1 ); and simma aLfii lazza, "a terrible . persistent sore" 

 (Borger 1970;I5 |IV 6|). 



21. "The course of untreated lepromatous leprosy in presulfone 

 days was in general a progressive downhill one. with eventual fatal 

 termination. . . . The disease itself is seldom a direct cause of 

 death, ... but it .so enfeebles the patient in advanced eases that 

 other infections may have a fatal outcome" (Arnold and Fasal 

 1973:51-52). 



22. See note 1 1 . 



Literature cited 



Works frequently cited have been identified by the following ab- 

 breviations; 



AMT R.C. Thompson. Assyrian Medical Texts. Oxford 



1923. 

 ARM Archives royales de Mari. Paris 1950ff. 

 CAD The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the 



University of Chicago. Chicago 1956ff. 

 RLA E. Ebeling and B. Meissner, cds. Realle.xikon der as- 

 .nriologie. Berlin I928ff. 



Arnold, H.L., and P. Fasal. 1973. Leprosy Diagnosis and Manage- 

 ment. Springfield, III.; Charles C Thomas. 



Biggs, R. 1969. Medicine in Ancient Mesopotamia. History of 

 Science. 8:94-105. 



1978. Babylonien. In H. Schipperges, E. Seidler, P.U. 



Unschuld, eds., Krankheit, Heilkunst, Heilung, 91-114, 

 Munich: Verlag Karl Alber. 



Borger, R. 1963. Bahylonisch-Assyrische Lesestiicke. Ill Kommen- 

 tar die Texte in Keilschrift. Rome; Pontifical Biblical Institute. 



1967. Die Inschriften Asarhaddons Konigs von Assyrien. 



Osnabrijck, Germany; Biblio Verlag. 



_. 1970. Vier Grenzsteinurkunden Merodachbaladans I. von 



Babylonien. Archiv fiir Orientforschung. 23:15 (Kudurru SB 33 

 kol.IV5-6). 



Braunwald, E., K.J. Isselbacher. R.G. Pctcrsdorf J.D. Wilson, 

 J.B. Martin, and A.S. Fauci, eds. 1987. Harrison' s Principles of 

 Internal Medicine. New York: McGraw-Hill. 



Fitzpatrick. T.B.. A.Z. Eisen. K. Wolff. I.M. Frecdberg. and K.F. 

 Austen, eds. 1987. Dermatology in General Medicine. New 

 York: McGraw-Hill. 



Fritschi, E.P. 1987. Field Detection of Early Neuritis in Leprosy. 

 Leprosy Review. 58(1-3): 173-77. 



Goetze. A. 1955. An Incantation Against Diseases. Journal of 

 Cuneiform Studies. 9:8-18. 



Haussig. H.W.,ed. 1965. Worterbuch der Mythologie I Gotter und 

 Mythen im Vorderen Orient. Stuttgart, Germany; Ernst Klett Ver- 

 lag. 



Jacobscn. T. 1946. Sumerian Mythology: A Review Article. Jour- 

 nal of Near liaslern Studies. 5: 1 28- 1 52. 



Jopling. W.H. 1984. Handbook of Leprosy. London: Heinemann 

 Medical Books. 



King. L.W. \')\2. Babylonian Boundary Stones. London. 



Kinnier Wilson. J.V. 1966 Leprosy in Ancient Mesopotamia. Re- 

 vue d'Assyrudogie. 60:47-58. 



Zagivb Paleopathology Symp. 1988 



