DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6444#0021
12
KAHUN PAPYRI.
PLATE VII.
VETERINAR
Kahun, LV. 2.
[PL VII.]
Found at Kahun, November, 1889. A long
narrow sheet. Length, 23J inches = 58*5 cm.,
besides fragments. Width, 5f in. — 14-5 cm.
There is a junction of two leaves at 20 in. -
50*5 cm. from the right-hand edge.
Recto.—A text relating to the treatment of
diseases (of the eye ?) in anim,als, written in
black and red, in vertical columns with hori-
zontal titles above. The papyrus is ruled with
black lines dividing and enclosing the writing,
which is linear hieroglyphic ; and the order of
the columns is from left to right, while the
characters themselves and the groups face the
usual way.1
Verso.—Blank.
This papyrus is unique, no other veterinary
papyrus being known.
The long strip pieced together, 11. 19-69 (to
which the fragment L seems also to belong),
gives 48 columns and 3 horizontal headings,
1 This was the usual plan in the case of linear hiero-
glyphics in columns, but not in columns of hieratic. The
former script was used chiefly for religious works, and it seems
probable that in very ancient times the hand of the writer
was allowed to rest on the papyrus, and thus a right-handed
scribe would have smudged the lower parts of the columns
if they succeeded each other from right to left. Subsequently
the scribe wrote free-handed, with the action of a painter,
and avoided this difficulty ; nevertheless, in religious and
other formal writing he retained the old custom of proceed-
ing from left to right. Except in monumental writing, the
characters themselves, and the groups, still faced the usual
way, because it was difficult to reverse them.
Y PAPYRUS.
the first of which is imperfect. These headings
are as follows :
1. [Treatment for the eyes (?) of a ............with]
a nest of a worm.
2. Treatment for the eyes (?) of a bull with uej't
(wind or cold ?).
3. Treatment for the eyes (?) of a bull with ushaic
in winter.
The position of the rest of the fragments
will probably never be known; they would
seem on close examination to come from
different leaves: probably the papyrus was
of great length. The fraying of the top edge
towards the left-hand end of the main fragment
is slightly in favour of placing the frayed frag-
ments, E, A, B, H, K, D, at that end; but
this is very doubtful.
L seems to contain the end of a repetition
of the first title of the main fragment, and
should therefore be placed with it.
H, the fifth and sixth lines of which are
completed by 0, refers to some quadruped,
perhaps a dog, which appears again on D; to
these fragments K possibly belongs, and all
may be placed conjecturally near the beginning
of the main portion.
A has two titles, (1)............ m ...... (?);
(2) Treatment for the eyes (?) of a fish. Under
this latter should be placed the obscure frag-
ment B (in the autotype plate), on which the
figure of a fish is discernible.
B has one title : Treatment for the eyes (?)
of a bird in..................
F, G, and I are of no importance.
KAHUN PAPYRI.
PLATE VII.
VETERINAR
Kahun, LV. 2.
[PL VII.]
Found at Kahun, November, 1889. A long
narrow sheet. Length, 23J inches = 58*5 cm.,
besides fragments. Width, 5f in. — 14-5 cm.
There is a junction of two leaves at 20 in. -
50*5 cm. from the right-hand edge.
Recto.—A text relating to the treatment of
diseases (of the eye ?) in anim,als, written in
black and red, in vertical columns with hori-
zontal titles above. The papyrus is ruled with
black lines dividing and enclosing the writing,
which is linear hieroglyphic ; and the order of
the columns is from left to right, while the
characters themselves and the groups face the
usual way.1
Verso.—Blank.
This papyrus is unique, no other veterinary
papyrus being known.
The long strip pieced together, 11. 19-69 (to
which the fragment L seems also to belong),
gives 48 columns and 3 horizontal headings,
1 This was the usual plan in the case of linear hiero-
glyphics in columns, but not in columns of hieratic. The
former script was used chiefly for religious works, and it seems
probable that in very ancient times the hand of the writer
was allowed to rest on the papyrus, and thus a right-handed
scribe would have smudged the lower parts of the columns
if they succeeded each other from right to left. Subsequently
the scribe wrote free-handed, with the action of a painter,
and avoided this difficulty ; nevertheless, in religious and
other formal writing he retained the old custom of proceed-
ing from left to right. Except in monumental writing, the
characters themselves, and the groups, still faced the usual
way, because it was difficult to reverse them.
Y PAPYRUS.
the first of which is imperfect. These headings
are as follows :
1. [Treatment for the eyes (?) of a ............with]
a nest of a worm.
2. Treatment for the eyes (?) of a bull with uej't
(wind or cold ?).
3. Treatment for the eyes (?) of a bull with ushaic
in winter.
The position of the rest of the fragments
will probably never be known; they would
seem on close examination to come from
different leaves: probably the papyrus was
of great length. The fraying of the top edge
towards the left-hand end of the main fragment
is slightly in favour of placing the frayed frag-
ments, E, A, B, H, K, D, at that end; but
this is very doubtful.
L seems to contain the end of a repetition
of the first title of the main fragment, and
should therefore be placed with it.
H, the fifth and sixth lines of which are
completed by 0, refers to some quadruped,
perhaps a dog, which appears again on D; to
these fragments K possibly belongs, and all
may be placed conjecturally near the beginning
of the main portion.
A has two titles, (1)............ m ...... (?);
(2) Treatment for the eyes (?) of a fish. Under
this latter should be placed the obscure frag-
ment B (in the autotype plate), on which the
figure of a fish is discernible.
B has one title : Treatment for the eyes (?)
of a bird in..................
F, G, and I are of no importance.