1919. No. I. GRECO-ROMAN AND ARABIC BRONZE INSTRUMENTS. II 
»A'thai«. Concerning:this name it is said by Lidzbarski in his »Handbuch 
der Nord-Semitischen Epigraphik« that it is a hypokoristikon (pet name, 
diminutive) of Ati’agäb. It is very interesting that the name A'thai in the 
same epitaph, according to de Vogüé, is applied to sun médecins. — It 
might be supposed that also our Atíakab was been a physician and the 
owner of the instrument and that the name might be his — and not the 
maker's. 
It cannot be decided whether the instruments PI. III, 16—2ı and 23— 
24 came from Palmyra or Ascalon. 
Among the unsold bronzes in the Ustinov collection, I also found 
after my lecture the following instruments which are drawn on PI. I, 25 
—32 in natural size: Four spatula sounds 25— 28; in 25 and 26 is a bit 
of the spatula broken off, in 27 and 28 the sound parts. One very elegant 
sound knob (29) A broken sharp spoon (30) A small sewing needle, 
round in section (31). — Besides was a bundle (32) of the following ar- 
ticles in bronze: In an open elastic »key-ring« are put eight closed rings 
one of which carries two tools — a) tweezers, probably for epilation and 
b) stiletto, which has probably served to several purposes such as un- 
doing seams, loosening knots etc. 
I have further acquired the following pieces represented on PI. IV, 
33— 35 in natural size: 
A bronze tube (33) of 2 millimeter diameter, in which I found inserted 
a sound with an small oval oblique spatula in the upper end; the lower 
end was broken. If the latter end has been sharply pointed the instrument 
may have been a trocar e. g. for puncturing hydrocele. Still it must be 
remarked, that the supposed stiletto was not fixed by oxydation in the 
tube, and may have been placed there afterwards. The tube is possibly 
a fragment of a catheter for the infantile urethra. 
A bronze balance lever with two equal arms and index (34 a); the 
crook of suspension and the two scales are missing. Each arm has a joint 
by which more then ?/; of its length may be placed parallel to the 
index (34 b). In this way the balance might easily be reduced in size for 
being put into a case for travelling purposes. The balance was only fitted 
for light weights e. g. for very effective drugs; a similar one — without 
joints — was found besides a steelyard among the instruments of the 
above named Roman oculist from Rheims But as our balance surely has 
been an instrument for travelling purposes it may more probably have 
served as a money balance, as the ancient gold coins very often were 
debased. 
