Ancient Babylonian Medicine by Geller Markham J

Author:Geller, Markham J.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Published: 2015-07-13T16:00:00+00:00

A somewhat different view of medical incantations is provided by an Assur text, KAR 73, now BAM 7 9–10 (see Böck 2008: 307f.). This single-column tablet contains two poetic incantations, with one medical extract between them sufficient to show that the context is medicine, not magic. The format of the tablet is unusual, since the incantation on the obverse is ruled while that on the reverse is not.139 We give the reverse here only, since the obverse, although an incantation, is essentially a hymn to the healing goddess, Gula.

1 When (it is the case): if a man (suffers from) either pardannu or sahhihudisease,

2 discharge or stricture or a rectal disease,

3 he constantly has dripping urine,

4 as if being struck down by a weapon – like a (menstruating) woman –

5 or whatever other illness which is not recognized,

6–7 its remedy (lit. ritual): you sprinkle pure juices of juniper in front of Gula, you set up a small altar, on a roof, the place of ritual preparation,

8 (on which) you sprinkle dates and sasqû-flour, you place mirsu-cakes of honey and butter,

9 you set up an adagurru-vessel (and) you either make a pure offering or a prayer.

10 You set (on the altar) the shoulder, the fatty meat and the roast-meat,

11 crush together hašû, ata’išu, sweet-plant, “single”-plant, šumuttu, sahlû,

12 and put (them) into premium beer, and place it before Gula.

13 Have the patient kneel and you fumigate your hand over him,

14 you withdraw and that patient raises up in [his] hand the premium beer which you set out and he recites thus:

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15′ Incantation. I beheld your face, [O Gula], august healer,

16′ [.………], you are supreme and pre-eminent (var. the pure one),

17′ I beheld this drug which I hold up before you.

18′ On this very day, (the patient) has either pardannu or šahhihu-diseases,

19′ either discharge (var. or stricture) or rectal disease or loin disease, or dribbling of urine, or one is struck by a weapon like a (menstruating) woman, or whatever illness with which I am sick,

20′ and you know what I do not know: am I to drink this drug?

21′ With these drugs let me be healthy, let me be well, let me be happy,

22′ so that I may praise your great divinity! [Incantation spell.]

23′ “In every corner let them bless Gula,

24′ who is supreme in spells and healing,

25′ great is her medicine, Gula heals those who revere her.

26′ By the command of Baba I will praise and call her name to everyone,

27′ when I go before her.” Three times you will have him recite it (the incantation and he will bow down,

28′ he will drink this drug and bow down, and recite thusly:

29′ “I drank this healing drug of my goddess,

30′ [..] and I was cured.” He says this three times and bows down.

31′ [.…….] he keeps drinking this drug and he will recover.

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