Ancient Hang Over Cure Found in ANcient Greek Texts

Largest collection of medical papyri

Got Hang Over?  How about a Leafy Necklace?  According to a Live Science report, Ancient Greeks recorded an age-old medical cure in practice by the Egyptians. 

"The alcohol victim would have strung together leaves from a shrub called Alexandrian chamaedaphne (Ruscus racemosus L.), possibly wearing the strand around the neck, the text revealed."

The study of Ancient Papyri, found at Oxyrhynchus by  Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt, has been a long & grueling task taking over a century.  30 new translations have been published in Volume 80. The medical papyri are now owned by the Egypt Exploration Society and are kept at the Sackler Library at Oxford University.

"The writers of these ancient papyri relied heavily on Greek knowledge. The ancient residents of Oxyrhynchus strongly embraced Hellenistic (Greek-influenced) culture, something that spread throughout Egypt, and the wider Middle East, after the conquests of Alexander the Great, Nutton said."



In addition to the treatment of hangovers, some of the more interesting treatments deal with the eyes.  An eye-lotion called collyrium containing copper flakes, antimony oxide, white lead, washed lead dross , starch, dried roses, rainwater, gum Arabic, poppy juice and Celtic spikenard; is thought to have been used to treat 
 rheum.  


The full report can be read on LiveScience