Modern science and medicines have now provided heavy-drinking crowds with a variety of cures to ease the pain of getting drunk. But can you imagine how ancient Egyptians brought back their soberness?
Experts recently translated and published a number of some 1,900-year-old pieces of papyrus with Greek writings that show how Egyptians practiced their hangover cure.
The translation, part of a research into these centuries-old documents, has been underway at the University of Oxford and University College London.
These texts were unearthed a century ago along with a stash of over half a million documents in the ancient Egyptian town of Oxyrhynchus.
According to the writings, Egyptians would string together leaves of the Alexandrian laurel shrub, and wear it just as a necklace.
The plant in Greek and Roman times was used to crown distinguished athletes, orators and poets. So far, whether the remedy works or not for the alcoholics has not been experimented or confirmed.
Besides the hangover treatment, the recent publication also contained some other 30 medical papyrus, which is "the largest single collection of medical papyri," Vivian Nutton, professor at University College London, wrote at the start of the published materials named as “Volume 80.”
The latest collection encompasses medical cures for a host of illnesses, such as hemorrhoids, ulcers, tooth problems and eye surgery.
By Ruchi Singh
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
