The Michigan Medical Codex: P. Mich. Inv. 21 - Corso di Papirologia

134 L.C.Youtie
8-9. Herpes, often called shingles, is characterized by painful inflamed
clusters of small pustules and is frequently found in conjunction with dvDpO.
xEc and (pucrLnEXcc. The former are carbuncles or malignant pustules, caused
by inflamed subcutaneous tissues, often occurring on the neck. The latter,
erysipelas, is an acute, painful inflammation of the skin and mucuous memb
ranes; on this disease see Celsus, Loeb ed., vol. III, p. 590. For dv5pcxisc
see Gal. XIII 854ff. For all three conditions, cf. a cerate-recipe in Gal.
XI 439,11: axoL COL TOOTO nlpOC CPUC LTEXOLTOL aLcL PXEylLovOc 9PTflCTOC TE XtL dv,5po
iCLc dyCLoOv 9CTOLL sp&6P4jov. Cf. also VII 719; XIII 533, 694, 835-7; Dsc. Eupor.
I 160, 161; Orib. Syn. VII 12, 32, 33; Paul. IV 20, 21, 25. For papyri cf.
PSI X 1180, 56-57, TlpOc 6PUCLnLEX(aTa 4) 6-D' 56cLTOC, rEp6C (PTLJCTLCLI 41T
oCvou
ACyUTLTLoU.
9-10. VE(pWxV 6[L ] aon6c: ruptures of tendons. Cf. Gal. XIII 645, 15 xuLppa
fi TOO 'AXLECoc' TLOLEX lapoc TO. VvaL40L T63V TPCLcX0'TCOV 3CLL VEUP)V 6LOL{oTLcLC' TtOLEL
56 uCL'L TEPOC Tla rTcLXcLL. uCLaL 6UcETrO'UXCOTOL XCLL p?UWXTLXL TCOV ?Xwzv, "the yellow
plaster of Halieus: it works for the bloodclots of wounds and ruptures of
tendons; it is effective against old, hard to cicatrize, and discharging
ulcers;"43) XIII 778, 11 tEp& f iE TO) ?V MWPELs HHpOaLCTEOU rEOLEU ?TLL
TLpOC(pacTUV LVCLCLCOV,j EUVaLCLRTXV, rpOC VEUpCV 6LXLRoTLOc, TLaXcLLa . n, .
cTrte6ovac, dvapcaO.c, "the sacred plaster from the Hephaesteion in Memphis:
it is good for fresh bleeding, discharges, for ruptured tendons, long
standing ulcers, septic ulcers, carbuncles."
10-11. puncap& gXx[dn: foul or filthy wounds or ulcers. Cf. Gal. XII 682-3,
TLOL?L 6}(cL mC6c voCi?c XOC cCTLCn86vcLc L
(rCnLnacco11sv1n xacL mpoc Ta, bUT=p 'a
EXrn, Ev 4OTC- 1?Ta J I?vXLTIOC. "The remedy is effective against spreading and
septic ulcers when sprinkled on, and against foul ulcers when applied on a
lint pledget with honey." Aet. XV, p. 39.9 a'UTfI xoXXov TpablWaTa V4sy&X.a
5UVCLTCLL xa}L TOp IunCap& SXIx{n d4VaRa0aXLPELV 1{C.L TOL TLOXUTEPCO TC5V LXxG5V LdciDaL
1.L rlpOCcTs XXeLV xoXTLOUc uCLa OAX)c 6La(pOpSLV xa{ 6MOXpOUv6c&aL 6UVCLTCLL. "This
'remedy is able to agglutinize large wounds, to thoroughly clean filthy
ulcers, to heal massive ulcerations, and to draw in, disperse, and wholly
drive out fistulous ulcers." Cf. also Paul. III 79,6 TEpOc TOl v TC1) TTEXaLTL
pu-Ec.paQ EXxn g14OITOV; IV 41 ?Lvo.xcLaapuL1ua 1UTLO.pV ?Uwzv; VII 17.40 f 'Ai a
npoc gXw punapa xTX.
11-12. 6c]TEoL X6V6pOu nrAXL[68v: "bones bare of cartilage" are "exposed
bones", due to wounds or other physical damage. Cf. Aet. XV, p. 41,5, "the
highly esteemed and very useful plaster of Machaerion": noLs?C ){OL TEpOc vovtAc
... . TEL TI TE V ?iL X&16SV)V OCT6oV c&p'cxc aOEouco, "it is good for spreading
ulcers, ... and for bones laid bare, by encouraging growth of flesh." Cf.
42) Ed.pr. (puctreX(c). In the medical writers the word is usually found
in the plural.
43) Aet. XV, p.48, has the same recipe of Halieus.