Author: Apiladey ApilSin
Date: Oct 20, 2002 - 02:36

This is the most commonly treated malady in ancient Mesopotamia. Some asu were probably skilled at pulling teeth. For treatment, one would mix beer, a lump of malt, and oil together, then repeat the following incantation of the tooth worm three times:

After Anu [had created the sky],
The sky had created [the earth],
The earth had created the rivers.
The rivers had created canals,
The canals had created the marsh,
The marsh created the worm.
The worm went forth weeping, before Shamash,
Before Ea in tears (saying),
"What will you give me to eat?
What will you give me to suck on?"
"I will give you ripe figs, armannu fruit, and apples."
"Of what use to me are ripe figs, armannu fruit, apples?
(instead), raise me up and let me live between the teeth and the jaw!
I will suck the blood from the teeth!
I will chew upon the food in the jaw!"
"Because you have spoken thus, O worm,
May Ea strike you with all the strength of his hand!"

The mixture is to be put on the teeth and the incantation includes instructions for the dentist to, "Drive in a pin and seize its foot". I don't know if this means to drive the pin between some teeth (allowing the mixture to penetrate a distance between the tooth and gum) or to drive the pin into the gum near the base of the tooth (essentially bleeding it). The source for this post was Civilizations of the Ancient Near East (see first post).