0 ▁B CE . ▁ ▁It ▁described ▁a ▁p ess ary ▁of ▁cro cod ile ▁d ung ▁and ▁fer ment ed ▁d ough . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁low ▁p H ▁of ▁the ▁d ung ▁may ▁have ▁had ▁a ▁s per mic idal ▁effect . ▁ ▁Further ▁form ulations ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁E bers ▁Pap yrus ▁from ▁approximately ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁B CE . ▁ ▁It ▁recommended ▁mixing ▁seed ▁w ool , ▁ac acia , ▁dates ▁and ▁h oney , ▁and ▁placing ▁the ▁mixture ▁in ▁the ▁v ag ina . ▁It ▁probably ▁had ▁some ▁effect iveness , ▁in ▁part ▁as ▁a ▁physical ▁bar rier ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁thick , ▁stick y ▁consist ency , ▁and ▁also ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁la ctic ▁acid ▁( a ▁known ▁s per mic ide ) ▁formed ▁from ▁the ▁ac acia . ▁ ▁Writ ings ▁by ▁Sor anus , ▁a ▁ 2 nd - century ▁Greek ▁phys ician , ▁contained ▁form ulations ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁acid ic ▁con co ctions ▁claimed ▁to ▁be ▁s per mic idal . ▁ ▁His ▁instructions ▁were ▁to ▁so ak ▁w ool ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁mi xt ures , ▁then ▁place ▁near ▁the ▁cer v ix . ▁ ▁Labor atory ▁testing ▁of ▁subst ances ▁to ▁see ▁if ▁they ▁in hib ited ▁s perm ▁mot ility ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 0 0 s . ▁ ▁Modern ▁s per mic ides ▁non ox yn ol - 9 ▁and ▁men f eg ol ▁were ▁developed ▁from ▁this ▁line