Author: Apiladey ApilSin
Date: Oct 21, 2002 - 03:58

The asipu made many prognostications based on seemingly unrelated observations. For instance, if while traveling to see a patient, the asipu sees pigs which keep lifting up their tails, then concerning this man, ..anxiety will not come near him. If he sees a black pig, the patient will die or, at least will suffer a great deal. If he sees a white pig, the patient will be cured. If he sees a red pig, the patient will die on the 3rd month or the 3rd day. If a snake falls on a sick man's bed, that man will get well.

From a collection of 40 tablets with 3,000 entries, referred to as the Treatise of Medical Diagnoses and Prognoses, we find a passage applicable to expectant mothers. The prognosis is better if the nipple of the expectant woman has 7 to 10 openings. Five and six are a bad sign. Perplexing? Amusing? Curious, to say the least. I wonder how much honest concern this may have caused. Might not a few wives of high ranking men have been cast aside for a reason like this?