Introduction
Medical treatise (Washington University inv. 412). Papyrus fragment (4,2x8,8 cm) which preserves the ends of thirteen lines from the bottom of a column writing. The verso is blank, suggesting that the piece belonged to a roll, rather than a codex. The original book must have been of outstanding quality. The vocabulary indicates a medical treatise rather than a medical description dealing with case histories or descriptions of disease (like e.g. in Hp. Aph.). The writing is small, firm and clear and can be counted among Turner's category of the formal round. Moreover, strict bilinearity, the early alpha form and several seriphs on vertical strokes suggest a placement in the early second century AD. The hand may also be compared to P.Oxy. 41 2944, due to several distinct features that they have in common.
(This papyrus has been digitally edited by Marcel Moser 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 (Z.M. Packman, P.Wash.Univ. II 67).)
DCLP transcription: 63306 [xml]
1[ -ca.?- ] ̣ ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣]
[ -ca.?- ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ε̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣]
[ -ca.?- ] ̣ ̣θ̣ι̣ζειν δοκεῖν̣
[ -ca.?- κ]ο̣υ̣φι̣σ̣θέντα ἰ̣σ̣(*)-
5[ -ca.?- ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ς̣ καὶ ἠθ-
[ -ca.?- ]τ̣αι(*) χαλεπω
[ -ca.?- ]ο̣νη(*) πάντων
[ -ca.?- ]μενων(*) μενον
[ -ca.?- ]λ̣ον(*) ἐπιγενο
10[ -ca.?- ]φ̣ορ̣α(*) ἢ σπασμὸς
[ -ca.?- ]ι̣αρ̣ρ̣ο̣ια(*) ὑ\δ̣ά̣/τ̣ων
[ -ca.?- ]ω̣ν̣(*) σ̣υμ̣πτω̣μ̣α̣
[ -ca.?- ]οι(*) τὸν θάνατον̣
Apparatus
^ 4. or ι̣ε̣
^ 5-6. M. Moser (cf. Plate IV in reference edition) (via PN) : νε|[ -ca.?- ]τ̣αι (or νε|[φρῶν γίγνε]τ̣αι) prev. ed.
^ 6-7. or χαλεπω|[τάτη φλεγμ]ο̣νὴ
^ 8. or [τῶν προειρη]μένων
^ 8-9. or μενόν|[των ἢ καὶ μᾶλ]λ̣ον, or [ -ca.?- ]α̣ον
^ 9-10. or ἐπιγενο|[μένων κατα]φ̣ορ̣ὰ
^ 11. or [κοιλιῶν καὶ δ]ι̣άρ̣ρ̣ο̣ια
^ 12. or [καὶ πλῆθος ἄλλ]ω̣ν̣
^ 12-13. or σ̣υμ̣πτω̣μ̣ά̣|[των, ἃ προδηλ]οῖ
Editorial History; All History; (detailed)
© Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Notes
- 3.
Possibly καθίζειν (Gronewald), since this word appears in prescriptions for treatment (e.g. Hp. Fist. 7), but also in descriptions of patients' behavior (e.g. Gal. de loc. aff. 8.121). Also ἐθίζειν can be found in medical texts (e.g. Gal. de san. tuenda 6.47).
- 4.
For the use of κουφίζω in medical texts confer Hp. Prorrh. 1.132 or Gal. de cris. 9.629
- 5.
Before καὶ νε- probably κύστεως (e.g. Gal. de loc. aff. 8.438) or σπληνός (e.g. Gal. de anat. admin. 2.290).
- 6-7.
χαλεπω[τάτη: For the more likely comparative or superlative use of the adjective compare Gal. de san. tuenda 6.421
- 7.
With πάντων following, it might be possible that the supplemented φλεγμ]ονή is wrong and the word in question is merely μονή. On the other hand, φλεγμονή and σπασμός combined occur very naturally in lists of symptoms (e.g. Gal. de loc. aff. 8.245).
- 9-10.
ἐπιγίγνομαι is common in medical texts for the onset of secondary symptoms like fever or catarrh.
- 10.
σπασμός is common in lists of symptoms and case histories (e.g. Hp. Aph. 7.9). In Gal. In Hipp. Prorrhet. 1,16.502 it is also linked with καταφορά.
- 11.
ὕδωρ is normally used by medical writers to describe drinking or bathing water, whereas the related adjective ὐδατώδης is applied to bodily fluids (e.g. Hp. Coac. 448).