1876.] Papyrus Ebers. 99 
48. Medicines for alleviating the accumulation of urine 
and diseases of the abdomen. 
55. The book of the eyes. 
65. Medicaments for preventing the hair turning grey 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. Medicine 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 knowledge of the heart as 
taught by the priestly physician Nebsecht. 
Verily “ There is no new thing under the sun.” Chapters 
65, 66, 79, and 89 show that hair invigorators, hair dyes, 
pain-killers, and flea powders were desiderata 3400 years ago. 
Ebers encountered immense difficulties in the work of 
deciphering this papyrus on account of the large number of 
technical terms ; as an example of the obstacles met, he 
gives the following literal translation of a diagnosis beginning 
on plate xxxvi., line 4: — ■ 
“ Rules for the re-het, that is, suffering in the pit of the 
stomach (pylorus or cardia.) When thou findest any- 
body with a hardening of his re-het, and when eating he 
feels a pressure in his bowels {chet), his stomach {het) is 
swollen, and he feels ill while walking, like one who is 
suffering from heat in the back, tau nu peht , then look at him 
when he is lying outstretched, and if thou findest his bowels 
hot and a hardening in his re-het, then say to thyself this is 
a liver complaint, sepu pu n merest. Then make thyself a 
remedy according to the secrets in botanical knowledge from 
the plants diestet and from scraps of dates. Mix it and put 
it in water. The patient may drink it on four mornings to 
purge his body. if after that thou findest both sides 
of his bowels {chet), namely, the right one hot and the 
left one cool, then say of it : That is bile. Look at him 
again, and if you find his bowels entirely cold, then say to 
thyself : His liver, (?) merest, is cleansed and purified ; he 
has taken the medicine, sep nef sep, the medicine has taken 
effect.” 
In view of the direction to look at the patient “ when 
lying outstretched, “ it is curious to note that (according to 
Dunglison) the priestly physicians of Egypt are said by 
Diodorus to have formed their diagnosis principally on the 
position which the patient assumed in bed. 
