In C. P. Bryan's translation of the Ebers (https://www.scribd.com/document/527822181/Ebers-Bryan-CP-The-Papyrus-Ebers-searchable-1930), "crocus" only shows up as a generic ingredient in eye remedies, e.g. "a simple poultice of incense and crocus, equal parts, often sufficed to clear up bloodshot eyes." There's no species level identification and nothing that ties it specifically to Colchicum autumnale or colchicine.
Eric Yarnell, in a gout review (https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/act.2016.29075.eya), has a short historical note on this. He writes that although many modern sources claim autumn crocus is mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus, this "appears to be caused by confusion of this plant with Citrullus colocynthis (colocynth)."
Rosalind Park's conference paper "Catfish Remedy for Gout in Ancient Egypt" (2006/2010) makes a broader point that crocus/colchicum itself was unknown in Egypt in the pharaonic period, and that the colchicine story starts much later in Greek/Byzantine sources.
Ebers definitely has a plant translated as "crocus"/saffron in a few formulas... but the standard Egyptological translations don't identify it as Colchicum autumnale, & the specific "Ebers = autumn crocus/colchicine for rheumatism" lore seems to be a modern back projection.
Thanks for the interesting and informative article. It's nice to see quality in this era of click bait and simplistic bias. Keep up the good work!
Incredible piece.
I thought its plant form was recorded as a treatment for rheumatism and swelling in the Ebers Papyrus ~1500 BC?
Nope! Very common misconception though. Ebers Papyrus mentions a "crocus", but nothing tying it to the autumn crocus (colchicine).
Do you have a source for this?
Yeah, a couple of concrete ones:
In C. P. Bryan's translation of the Ebers (https://www.scribd.com/document/527822181/Ebers-Bryan-CP-The-Papyrus-Ebers-searchable-1930), "crocus" only shows up as a generic ingredient in eye remedies, e.g. "a simple poultice of incense and crocus, equal parts, often sufficed to clear up bloodshot eyes." There's no species level identification and nothing that ties it specifically to Colchicum autumnale or colchicine.
Eric Yarnell, in a gout review (https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/act.2016.29075.eya), has a short historical note on this. He writes that although many modern sources claim autumn crocus is mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus, this "appears to be caused by confusion of this plant with Citrullus colocynthis (colocynth)."
Rosalind Park's conference paper "Catfish Remedy for Gout in Ancient Egypt" (2006/2010) makes a broader point that crocus/colchicum itself was unknown in Egypt in the pharaonic period, and that the colchicine story starts much later in Greek/Byzantine sources.
Ebers definitely has a plant translated as "crocus"/saffron in a few formulas... but the standard Egyptological translations don't identify it as Colchicum autumnale, & the specific "Ebers = autumn crocus/colchicine for rheumatism" lore seems to be a modern back projection.
Thank you!!
Thanks for an interesting article. However, I don't know in which language "ephemeron" would mean "one-day killer".