A ringing endorsement for Assyro-Babylonian medicine: The diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus in 1st Millenium BCE Mesopotamia

Abstract

Within this paper, the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus in ancient Mesopotamia is considered in relation to the medical practice at that time. The sources (clay tablets, dating back to 2000 BCE) are considered and the views on the causes of tinnitus discussed. The treatment is considered in terms of exorcism, possible masking and pharmacological therapy. Many of the approaches have strong parallels in modern treatment of the symptom.

• tinnitus therapy
• Mesopotamian medicine
• herbal treatments

Notes

1. For more details on the respective roles of these two healing specialists, and their professional relationship see 2.

2. A colophon is paragraph appearing at the end of a tablet and containing such information as the name of the work, the number of the tablet in the series, the first line of the next tablet, and the name of the scribe and/or owner.

3. Ref. 11, 9.113.

4. Ref. 11, 9.93.

5. The expression is used of applying plasters.

6. Ref. 11, 13.100.

7. Ref. 11, 13.274.

8. Ref. 11, 9.117

9. Ref. 11, 19.278.

10. Ref. 11, 13.220.

11. Ref. 11, 13.214.

12. Ref. 11, 13.256.

13. The translation of the term follows Labat (17).

14. Ref. 11, 15, 18.

15. Ref. 18, no. 132.

16. Ref. 18, no. 134.

17. Ref. 18, no. 135

18. Ref. 18, no. 131.

19. Ref. 18, nos. 154, 156.

20. Ref. 18, no. 151.

21. Ref. 18, no. 116.

22. Ref. 18, no. 155.

23. Ref. 18, no. 156.

24. Ref. 18, no. 147.

25. Ref. 18, no. 149b. Restorations are based on BAM 503 i 20′–23′ (ref. 6).

26. Ref. 18, no. 149a.

27. e.g. BAM 3 iv 14–16 (ref. 6).

28. Ref. 18, no. 139a. Compare also BAM 506:6′–7′//BAM 508 iv 3–10//CT 51.199:5–13 (ref. 6, 19); see ref. 19, no. 139b.

29. Ref. 18, no. 139a. Compare also BM 59593:14–16 (ref. 23).

30. Ref. 18, no. 136b. Compare also BAM 503 i 17′–18′//RSO 32.109ff v 13′–16′ (ref. 6, 28).

31. Compare also BAM 3 iv 28–30//BAM 503 iv 29–31//RSO 32.109ff iii 4–9 and CTN 4 113 ii 9–15 (ref. 6, 28, 29).

32. Ref. 21, pp. 457–463. Note, however, that salicylates can cause ringing in the ears.

33. Ref. 18, no. 143.

34. Ref. 18, no. 158.

35. Ref. 18, no. 150.

36. Ref. 18, no. 137a.

37. Ref. 18, no. 137b

38. Compare also BAM 503 iv 32–33 (ref. 6).

39. Ref. 18, no. 142. Compare also BAM 503 i 33′–34′ (ref. 6).

40. Ref. 18, no. 141.

41. Ref. 18, no. 138.

42. Ref.18, no. 144.

43. BAM 482 i 25//AMT 20/1 i 13//JMC 2003/2 r. 8 (ref. 5, 6, 34).

44. BAM 312:12 (ref. 6).

45. KAR 56 r. 11–13 (ref. 20).

46. BAM 379 iii 8 (ref. 6).

47. BAM 388 i 7//TCL 6 34 iii 6 (ref. 6, 35).