910 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[May 13,1871- 
MEDICAL PAPYRUS WITH ANCIENT 
PRESCRIPTIONS. 
The medical papyrus presented to tlie British 
Museum by the Itoyal Institution is about 7 ft. C in. 
long by 7 in. wide. It is unfortunately much muti¬ 
lated, and has been considerably worm-eaten. The 
commencement is wanting, but its contents are a 
series of recipes or modes of cure for different mala¬ 
dies, unaccompanied by any diagnosis or account of 
the disease itself. The papyrus is written on both 
sides, and is a palimpsest, and on the endorsement is 
the commencement of a second series of cures for a 
malady, the nature of which is not known, but the 
remedy for which is said to have been miraculously 
found in an old book discovered in a hole in the 
wall of a certain temple by a priest. The book so 
found was written in the days of Cheops, the cele¬ 
brated monarch of the 4tli dynasty, and the builder 
of the great pyramid. The remedy for this malady 
consisted of incantations and prayers, and no drugs 
were employed. Other recipes are given for the eyes, 
both right and left. Amongst the drugs mentioned for 
.some maladies are wax, fat, and incense. One remedy 
is for a stoppage of haemorrhage from the head and 
other parts of the body,—shavings or twigs of acacia, 
grains of a substance called Icasjpr, to be burnt, also 
milk, branches of olive, the liah* of a cat, and honey. 
One prescription orders the chapter to be said, and 
the breast to be rubbed with drops of the Water of 
an animal called tesh-tesh, some extract of a material 
called matn, and wax and honey mixed with a prepa¬ 
ration called tart. Another mixture was a preparation 
of sycomore and lizards. Fig leaves, gum, and excre- 
mentitious matter were also employed, and eked out 
with prayers and adjurations, but the meanings of the 
names of many of the substances are as yet not in¬ 
terpreted. This papyrus has not, like that of Berlin, 
the quantities attached, but many of the recipes date 
from an early period, as that of Amenophis III. of the 
18th dynasty. The papyrus is, however, very re¬ 
markable for its mention of these drugs at all, as 
some of the other medical ones known, as that of 
Leyden, have prayers and adjurations only. 
A Society has lately been formed under the presi¬ 
dency of Mr. Henry Deane, F.L.S., with the title of 
the South London Microscopical and Natural History 
Club. It is proposed to hold its meetings monthly, 
so that by the delivery of lectures and the reading 
of papers, and occasional excursions into the country, 
a taste for the study of microscopy, zoology and 
botany may be developed among the members. It 
is also hoped eventually that a cabinet and her¬ 
barium may be formed, illustrative of the indigenous 
fauna and flora of East Surrey. The first meeting 
was held on April 1, at Gloucester Hall, Brixton. 
The annual subscription is fixed at ten shillings. 
tonsactions af % Hjjitnramttintl Kudrin. 
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL, 
May 3 rd, 1871. 
MR. HASELDEN, F.L.S., VICE-rRESIDENT. IN THE CHAIR. 
Present—Messrs. Abraham, Atherton, Bottle, Bourdas,. 
Carr, Dymond, Edwards, Evans, Groves, Hills, Sandford, 
Savage and Williams. 
The Minutes of the last meeting were read and con¬ 
firmed. 
Mr. Haseldcn was elected President, in the place of. 
Mr. Sandford, resigned. 
It was moved by Mr. Edwards, seconded by Mr. Hills, 
and 
Resolved unanimously—That the best thanks of this 
Council be given to Mr. George Webb Sandford for 
the very efficient manner in which he has always* 
conducted the affairs of the Council, and they regret, 
that any circumstance should have arisen to neces¬ 
sitate his retirement from a position so ably filled 0 
by him. 
The Report of the House Committee was received; 
and adopted. 
The Report and recommendations of the Finance Com¬ 
mittee were received and adopted. 
The Report of the Library, Museum, and Laboratory- 
Committee was received and adopted. 
The Annual Report of the Council presented by this 
Committee, after careful consideration, was agreed to. 
The Report of the Parliamentary Committee was re¬ 
ceived and adopted, and it was 
Resolved—That the Registrar be authorized to erase 
from the Register the namo of Catherine Forman, 
of Glasgow. ’ 
Toison Regulations. 
The Regulations to be submitted to the Annual Meet¬ 
ing of the Society for voluntary adoption, in conformity 
with the Resolution passed at the last meeting of the 
Council, were presented by the Committee appointed to 
revise them, and, with some amendments, were agreed 
to in the following form : — 
1. That in the keeping of poisons each bottle, vessel, 
box or package containing a poison be labelled with the 
name of the article, and also with some distinctive mark 
indicating that it contains poison. 
2. Also that in the keeping of poisons, each poison bo 
kept on one or other of the following systems, viz.:— 
(a) In a bottle or vessel tied over, capped, locked 
or otherwise secured in a manner different from that 
in which bottles or vessels containing ordinary arti¬ 
cles are secured in the same warehouse, shop or dis¬ 
pensary ; or 
(b) In a bottle or vessel rendered distinguishable 
by touch from the bottles or vessels in which ordinary 
articles are kept in the same warehouse, shop or dis¬ 
pensary; or 
(c) In a bottle, vessel, box or package kept in a 
room or cupboard set apart for dangerous articles. 
3. That all liniments, embrocations and lotions con* 
taining poison be sent out in bottles rendered distin¬ 
guishable by touch from ordinary medicine bottles, and 
that there also bo affixed to each such bottle (in addition 
to the name of the article, and to any particular instruc¬ 
tions for its use) a label giving notice that the contents 
of the bottle are not to be taken internally. 
The Report of the Conversazione Committee was re* 
j ceived and adopted. 
