DCLP

Introduction

Medical prescriptions (O.Bodl. 2.2181). The potsherd is the earlier of the small medical dossier found among the ostraka owned by the Bodleian Library (O.Bodl. 2.2181-2189), dating around the 2nd century AD on palaeographical grounds. It contains a series of recipes (at least four: only the end of the first survives at ll. 1-2, and just the heading of the fourth at l. 9) that, considering the ingredients mentioned, could have been directed to ophthalmic uses.

(This papyrus has been digitally edited by Nicola Reggiani, with former contributions by Erica Angolani, as part of the Project "DIGMEDTEXT - Online Humanities Scholarship: A Digital Medical Library based on Ancient Texts" (ERC-AdG-2013, Grant Agreement no. 339828) funded by the European Research Council at the University of Parma (Principal Investigator: Prof. Isabella Andorlini). The digital edition is mostly based on the previous editions (ed.pr. = C. Préaux, O.Bodl. II 2181; ed.alt. = C. Préaux, CE 31, 1956, pp. 136-9).)

Apparatus

Notes

• 2.

  ἐρείκης - "heather" was commonly used in kollyria for its astringent properties: see Gal. 12.702 K. and Aet. 7.103 Olivieri.

• 3-5.

  The title points to an "ancient astringent" medicament, and indeed κρόκος "saffron" and τραγάκανθος "adragant gum" were commonly use as astringent ingredients against ophthalmic catarrhs: see e.g. Hp. Epid. 5.133,22 Littré; Dsc. 1.26 and 3.28 Wellmann; Gal. 12.702 and 718 ff. K.

• 5.

  τραγακάνθης - the feminine form of τραγάκανθος "adragant gum" is found in Miletus (LSJ s.v.).

• 6.

  A new recipe, for a milk-based medicament, likely started towards the end of l. 5.

• 7.

  λίθου σχιστοῦ - the "powdered schist" occurs in P.Oxy. 8.1088 (see note to l. 5) and has, again, astringent properties for the treatment of eye diseases (e.g. Gal. 12.720 K).