Diagnoses in Assyrian and Babylonian Medicine: Ancient Sources, Translations, and Modern Medical Analyses

9. Eyes, Ears, and Nose

chapter 9 Eyes, Ears, and Nose If a person [sees] flashes in his eyes [. . .] a {roving?} ghost of the wastes [afflicts him]. —AMT 85/2:4–5 Eye Diseases The importance of good vision to an individual’s activities and his or her functioning within society caused the amshipu to be acutely aware of the signs and symptoms of eye diseases (IGI.GIG).1 He also devised a series of technical terms to describe various degrees and types of vision loss in his patients. It would appear that there were three similar but distinguishable types of vision loss: “clouding,” “confusion,” and “dimness,” and that these were further subdivided into patients experiencing a simple diminution versus those having serious difficulty seeing. Frequently, the minimal vision loss words appear together, which might imply that whatever difference there was did not always matter when it came to treating the eyes. APÛ versus ERE MPU Apû is related to a word for a type of cloud;2 ereµpu is related to another word for a type of cloud3 (the kind that forms into shapes and delivers rain, i.e., cumulus). In principle, then, ereµpu should indicate a more severe degree of “clouding” than apû and what the amshipu apparently wanted to know was whether the patient’s vision was merely “clouded” (apû) or “heavily clouded” (ereµpu). 9.1 KA.INIM.MA IGIII a-pa-ti IGI.MESH[. . .] (BAM 516 i 55⬘)4 **Recitation for apû’d eyes,[ . . . ] face . . . 9.2 DISHina SAG.DU-s hú SÌG-s.i-ma IGIII-shú ur-ru-pa SHU dN[IN].GÍR.SU (DPS III C r. 15 = TDP 26:75)5 **If he was wounded on his head and consequently his eyes are ere mpu’d, “hand” of {Ningirsu}. AS hÛ versus DALAmHrU As hû literally means “to confuse”;6 dala mhru means “to trouble” (as in troubled waters). Here, what the amshipu apparently wanted to know was the degree of the eye problem, namely, whether the patient’s vision was merely “confused” (as hû) or actually “troubled”(dala mhru). The nature of the eye problem is uncertain, but could be referring to visual changes or degrees of irritation. 9.3 DISHNA i[na UGU I]GIII-shú SÍG a-s.a-at u IGIII-shú a-shá-a . . . (BAM 515 i 17) **If a hair grows {toward} a person’s {eyes} and his eyes are ashû’d . . . 9.4 [DISH NA I]GIII-s hú MÚD t.i-ri LÙ.MESH . . . (BAM 522:6⬘)7 **[If a person]’s {eyes} are dala mhru’d with penetrating blood . . . BARAmRU versus ETÛ Bara mru is related to a word for (the dim light) of evening;8 et.û means “to darken.” In principle, et.û should indicate a more severe degree of “darkening” than bara mru, and what the amshipu apparently wanted to know was whether the patient’s vision was merely “dimmed” (bara mru) or actually “darkened” (et.û). 9.5 DISHNA IGIII-s hú i-bar-ru-ra . . . (BAM 159 iv 26⬘;SpTU 2.50:15//BM 54641+BM 54826 obv. 18⬘; SpTU 2.50:20)9 **If a person’s eyes become bara mru’d . . . 9.6 DISH i-na IGI[II-shú . . .]x i-te-ni-t.a-a NA BI KIN-s hú SUMUN-ma IGIII-s hú ip-pa-a ana TI-s hú . . . (BAM 515 i 54⬘–55⬘; cf. BAM 22:1⬘) **If (there are) [. . .] in [his] eye[s], they continually are et.û’d (and if) that person’s work is prolonged,10 his eyes become apû’d, to cure him . . . Fincke11 gives an alternative explanation for bara mru, suggesting that the patient is squinting to reduce scattered light (as from a scarred cornea or a lens with a cataract) to thereby improve clarity of vision. lal/MAT.Û versus dugud/KABA mTU “Eyesight” (diglu) is said “to diminish” (LAL/mat.û) or “to be difficult/heavy” (DUGUD/ kaba mtu). Frequently, apû, ashû, and bara mru (the minimal vision loss words) appear together, which might imply that the significant difference was between “diminished” and “difficult” vision. 186 Eyes, Ears, and Nose 9.7 DISHNA di-gi-il IGIII-shú ma-a-t.i . . . (BAM 516 ii 8⬘) **If a person’s eyesight is diminished . . . 9.8 DISHNA IGIII-s hú [. . .]x di-gal-shu DUGUD... (BAM 515 ii 54) **If a...