DCLP

Introduction

Medical Recipe. The fragment (3.1x6 cm) is broken on three sides and the upper margin (c. 0,8 cm) suggests the line 1 to be heading of a prescription. On the recto along the fibres there are remains of five lines of a documentary text. The prescription was intended to heal 'calloused protuberances' and 'cracks' of the skin with an amount of lithargyros, a metal drug with disinfectant properties in form of a compress. This passage can be compared to Galen Comp. sec. loc. 1,17 (13 447.3-12 K.). The script is a coarse half cursive which can be dated to the late first century BC or the beginning of the first century AD. Epsilon has a detached midstroke, the projecting top of delta is made with a right-hand diagonal, rho's circle is marked with a short horizontal stroke, and the base of upsilon is upright. This hand can be compared to PSI 10.1099, P.Mert. 1.8 and also P.Mert. 1.9.

(This papyrus has been digitally edited by Nicoletta Canzio 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 edition (I. Andorlini, GMP I 12).)

Apparatus

Notes

• 1.

  The sequence could suggest a form of κόνδυλος or κονδύλωμα. These terms denote a kind of protuberance developing on bones and muscular or vascular tissues, but its common seat is the anal region: cf. Ps. Gal. Def. med. 420 (19 446.16-7 K.). On the right edge there is the bottom of an upright descending below line-level, maybe a part of mu, nu, rho or kappa. Since a formula on the therapeutic use is here expected, the heading may have contained a term denoting the remedy 'title', as it can be found in Gal. Comp. sec. loc. 13 312.1; 422.12; 447.6; 512.1; 516.9; 533.2; 560.2 and in Orib. Syn. 7.43.7 (CMG 6 3.238.10-2 Raeder). Hippocrates uses κονδυλῶδες or κονδύλωμα and κονδύλοσις to describe the swelling that forms in the blood vessel in the anal region, cf. Haem. 4.1 148.7-9 Joly and Ps. Gal. Introd. 3 (14 681.9-13 K.). In modern pathology, condylom still indicates a small tumefaction of the anus or genitals, which could be surgically trated (Hipp. Haem. 5, p. 148-9) or shrunk by applying astringent poultices to the affected areas: cf. Orib. Ecl. med. 82-3 (CMG 5 2.2, p. 258-61 Raeder).

• 2.

  σπληνίον refers to the category of bandages and compresses, and its procedure is described in detail in medical literature (cf. e. g. Hipp. Fract. 27 and Cels. Med. 6 18.b). A simple supplement might be το]ῦ̣ σπληνίο̣[υ ἐπιτιθέντος: cf. Gal. Comp. sec. loc. 4,9 (13 731.7-8 K.).

• 3.

  In medical papyri, this term denotes a product used for ophtalmic remedies and poultices, and together with psimithion, a lead carbonate, it is included among the ingredients of a specific anal remedy which can be traced back to Hierophilus (fl. 330-20/260-50) according to Andromachus ap. Gal. Comp. sec. loc. 9 6 (13 308 K.).

• 4.

  At the beginning perhaps ] ι̣ or ]ν̣. The final instructions up to lines 4-5 probably refer to the phases or times of application. Alternatively, the focus of the attention may be the first treatment to be given to the specific case under discussion. Or else, as the term σπληνίον occurs twice, the matter at issue could regard a bandaging method or the appropriate type of tampon which has to be used in one or other phase of the therapy. For combined directions on the method and phases of the application, cf. Ps. Galen's Introductio seu medicus 20 (14 793.8-13 K.).

• 5.

  Since the recipe is likely to end with σπληνίῳ, a formula such as ἐν σπληνίῳ ἐπιπλάσας or χρώμενος σπληνίῳ comes into question: cf. Gal. Comp. per gen. 2 14 (13 525.12-3 K.) and Orib. Syn. 8 58.1 (CMG 6.3, p. 269.16).

• 6.

  This is the beginning of a second recipe for a poultice against anal rhagades. A remedy against rhagades is mentioned in P.Mich. 17. fr. Dv. 9-11. The phaenomena described in the two partially-preserved headings of our papyrus (1,6) are often associated: cf. Paul. 3 75.1 (CMG 9.1, p. 294.12-15 Heilberg).

• 7.

  The remains on the left edge cannot be reconciled with the number of preserved letters, and what follows is even more difficult because the word appears to have been re-written on a preceding letter. Only a final alpha above the line seems quite certain, and indicates an abbreviation. A term indicating measure, such as ο̣γ̣κ̣ί̣α̣(ν) or ο̣γ̣κ̣ί̣α̣(ς), would be more suitable to the context than κ̣(ε)κ̣α̣(υμέν-), and is made by comparison with Asclep. ap. Gal. Comp. per gen. 1 17 (13 443.9-16 K.).

• 9.

  Wine (or another liquid) was added when making an ointment out of dry ingredients.