The Nineveh Medical Encyclopaedia

The titles of the treatises comprising the Nineveh Medical Encyclopaedia are known from a combination of surviving texts, notes at the end of tablets, and ancient catalogues. They are as follows:

I CRANIUM   II EYES   III EARS   IV NECK   V NOSEBLEED   VI TEETH   VII BRONCHIA   VIII STOMACH   IXa EPIGASTRIUM   IXb ABDOMEN   X KIDNEY   XI ANUS   XII HAMSTRING  

I CRANIUM

Title: šumma amēlu muhhašu umma ukâl "If a man's skull/brain contains heat (fever)"

[NIGIN2 5] DUB.MEŠ DIŠ N[A UGU-šu2 KUM2 u2-kal EN ku-r]a-ri kib-ši ⌜gi⌝-iṣ-ṣa-te gu-[riš-tu DIRI x x x x (x)] ⌜a⌝-šu-u DAB-⌜su⌝

"[Total of five] tablets of (the section) 'If a man's [skull contains heat (fever)'. Including (prescriptions) for the case that he is full of] kurāru-boils, kibšu-skin complaint (lit. fungus), giṣṣatu (shedding of skin), guraštu-[lesion ... (and remedies for the case that)] ašû-disease afflicts him."

II EYES

Title: šumma amēlu īnāšu marṣā "If a man's eyes are sick"

NIGIN2 4 DUB.MEŠ DIŠ NA IGI.II-šu2 G[IG EN (...) šum4-m]a ⌜IGI.SIG7.SIG7u sin-⌜lu-ur-ma-a

"Total of four tablets (of the section) 'If a man's eyes are si[ck.' Including (prescriptions) for the case] that (he has) jaundice or night-blindness."

III EARS

Title: šumma amēlu uzun imittīšu [(...)] iltanassi "If a man's right ear [(...)] constantly rings (lit. screams)"

1 DUB GEŠTU2 ZAG-[šu2 GU3.GU3-si EN DIŠ NA GEŠTU.I]I-šu2 TA[G.MEŠ-šu2?]

"One tablet (of the section 'If a man's) right ear [rings constantly'. Including (prescriptions) for the case that man]'s [ears] are constantly affected [(lit. keep touching him).]"

IV NECK

Title: šumma amēlu labânšu ikkalšu šugidimmakku "If a man's neck tendons hurt him due to ghost affliction"

NIGIN2 6 DUB.MEŠ DIŠ NA SA.G[U2-šu2 GU7-šu2 ŠU GIDIM.MA EN ...]x ṭi4-p[i x x (x)] NIG2.LA2 di-ik-še lu ša2 [ZAG lu ša2 GÙB ana p]a-ša2-r[i4-ma?]

"Total of six tablets (of the section) 'If a man's neck tendons [hurt him due to ghost affliction'. Including (prescriptions for) ...] poultices [...], bandage(s) [for] relieving a swelling, whether on the [right or on the left side.]"

V NOSEBLEED

Title: šumma amēlu dāmu ina appīšu illak "If blood flows from a man's nose."

VI TEETH

Title: šumma amēlu šinnāšu marṣā "If man's teeth are sick"

[NIGIN2 2 DUB.MEŠ DIŠ NA ZU2.MEŠ-šu2 GIG E]N KA-šu2 GIG-uṣ ZU2-šu2 na-di-a[t][. . .] x : ta-a-bi-i-lu DAB-su bu-'-ša2-nu ⌜DAB⌝-s[u(...)] ša2 LU2.TUR

"[Total of two tablets (of the section) 'If a man's teeth are sore].' Including (prescriptions for the case that) his mouth is sore (and) his tooth fallen out, [...], (for the case that) dryness troubles him, bu'šānu-disease troubles him,(including prescriptions for bu'šānu-disease?) in an infant."

VII BRONCHIA

Title: šumma amēlu appašu kabit "If a man's nose (breathing) is difficult".

[NIGIN2 6 DUB.MEŠ DIŠ NA KIR-šu2 DUGUD EN DIŠ NA G]I.GID2 MUR.MEŠ ši-i-qi u3 LU2.TUR su-alu GIG

"[Total of six tablets (of the section) 'If a man's breathing becomes difficult.' [Including (prescriptions) for the case that a man's] bronchial tube (is sick), (for) šīqu-illness and (for) an infant suffering from suālu-cough."

VIII STOMACH

Title: šumma amēlu suāla maruṣ ana kīs libbi itâr "If a man is sick with suālu-cough (which) turns (for him) into intestinal disease (lit. binding of the belly)"

[NIGIN2 5 DUB.MEŠ DIŠ NA su-a-lam GIG ana ki-is Š]A3 GUR-šu2 EN TU15 iš-biṭ-su-⌜ma⌝[...] x U2 NAG-ma ⌜la⌝ i-⌜ar2-ru⌝[ṣe-me-er ... DIŠ NA KA]Š NAG-ma SUHUŠ.MEŠ-šu2 pa-al-qa [di-ig-la ma-a-ṭi? .... GI]G ki-ṣir ŠA3 GIG ki-is ŠA3 [... DIR]I u3 nik-mat TU15 u UD.DA

"[Total of five tablets (of the section) 'If a man is sick with suālu-cough (which)] for him turns into intestinal disease'. Including (prescriptions for the case that) 'wind' has bloated him, [...] he drinks medicine and then does not vomit, [(and his belly) is inflated ..., (including prescriptions) if a man] drinks beer and then his lower extremities are unsteady, [and his eyesight is weakened ... he is] sick with [...], sick with 'belly-knot' (and) intestinal disease (lit. binding of the belly), [(including prescriptions for the case that) ... he is] full of [...] and (prescriptions for) bloating (lit. heaping up of wind) and ṣētu-fever."

IXa EPIGASTRIUM

Title: šumma amēlu rēš libbīšu naši "If a man's epigastrium is swollen (lit. risen)."

⌜NIGIN2 4⌝ D[UB.MEŠ DIŠ NA SAG ŠA3-šu2 na-ši EN (DIŠ)...]x x x x ne-he-[es gišGIGIR ........]

"Total of four [tablets (of the section) ['If a man's epigastrium is raised.' Including (prescriptions for) ...] ..., 'reversing-[of-the-chariot', ...]."

IXb ABDOMEN

EN 8 DUB.ME[Š...KA.INIM.MA UŠ11.BUR2.RU.]⌜DA⌝.[KAM (x)] EN EN2 u2[a2-an-ni na-mir-tum (u) DIŠ NA ... ina DU/KI.NU2-š]u2 re-hu-su [DU-ma?] "Including eight tablets of [..., (including) incantations to remove witch]craft [(...)], including the incantation: 'It has chan[ged its brightness]'. (And prescriptions) for the case that a man ... (and) his] semen [flows when] he [walks/lies down (in bed)]."

X KIDNEY

Title: šumma amēlu kalīssu ikkalšu "If man's kidney hurts him"

NIGIN2 3 DUB.MEŠ DI[Š NA ELLAG2-su GU7-šu2 EN (...)] ša2 mu-⌜ṣi

"Total of three tablets (of the section) 'If [a man's kidney hurts him'. Including (prescriptions) (...)] for discharge (mūṣu)."

XI ANUS

Title: šumma amēlu ina lā simānīšu qablāšu ikkalāšu "If a man has pain in his hips prematurely""

NIGIN2 5 DU[B.MEŠ DIŠ NA ina la si-ma-ni-š]u2 MURUB4.MEŠ-šu2 GU7.MEŠ-šú ša2 DUR2.GIG.GA.KAM2 EN DIŠ N[A . . .] x u UD.DA DIRI-u2 "Total of five tablets (of the section) 'If a man has pain in his hips prematurely'. (With incantations of the genre) 'It is rectal disease'. Including (prescriptions) for the case that a man'[s ...] are full of ... and ṣētu-fever."

XII HAMSTRING

Title: šumma amēlu sagalla maruṣ "If a man suffers from sagallu-hamstring problems"

[NIGIN2 4 DUB.MEŠ DIŠ NA SA.GAL GIG (EN) ...] ša2 MURUB4 EN maš-ka15-<du3> SA.GAL ša2-aš-ša2-ṭa [... DIŠ NA GIRI3.II-šu2 ki-is]-sa-tu4 GIRI3.II-šu2 GIG.MEŠ DIRI-u2 [.....]x-ma ⌜IGI⌝ GIG-šu2 BABBAR ŠUB a-si-da ŠU.SI u UMBIN

"[Total of four? tablets (of the section) 'If a man suffers from sagallu-hamstring problems.' Including ... ] of the hip(s), including (treatments for) maškadu-disease, hamstring problems (and) šaššaṭu-disease of the joints, [(prescriptions for the case) ... that a man's feet] (are full of) 'gnawing sickness', (or if) his feet are full of lesions, [...] and the surface of his lesion is dotted white (as well as treatments for) the heels, toes and nails."

Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor, 'The Nineveh Medical Encyclopaedia', The Nineveh Medical Project, The Nineveh Medical Project, Department of the Middle East, The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG, 2021 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/asbp/NinMed/ninevehmedicalencyclopaedia/]

 
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