seal their mouths. The second section then continues with many remedies and a few spells for those bitten by snakes. The format for the remedies is strictly pragmatic, and most are based on the species of snake responsible for the bite, or the symptoms suffered by the victim. The remedies are in the typical format of prescriptions that appear in the Ebers Papyrus and other medical papyri which were apparently intended for lay doctors. This papyrus provides the most striking evidence for the closely parallel roles of the physician swnw and the various priests concerned with healing. History The date of the scroll's discovery is not known. It was purchased around 1889 by Charles Edwin Wilbour and donated to the museum by his daughter Theodora Wilbour in the early 1930s. The manuscript might originate from a temple in Heliopolis. In 1989, French Egyptologist Serge Sauneron published an extensive description of the manuscript in his book Un traité égyptien d’ophiologie - Papyrus du Brooklyn Museum nos 47.218.48 et 85 The ancient Egyptians were well aware of both snake's usefulness in controlling vermin and the dangers posed by its poison. Snake deities were worshipped in hopes of preventing potential attacks by their earthly representatives. At present the manuscript is not on display at the Brooklyn Museum. The archive numbers are 47.218.48 and 47.218.85. Snakes listed in Part One of the papyrus 1 Can be saved if the snake is weak 2 Female pronoun used throughout the description Numbers of teeth refer to the bite wound The word fy may mean viper, or a snake resembling a viper Gallery See also List of ancient Egyptian papyri References Notes Literature External links 5th-century BC works Ancient Egyptian medical works Egyptian papyri Collection of the Brooklyn Museum Herpetological literature