Skin diseases in ancient Iraq in the light of cuneiform sources

Al-Jboory, Reyadh Ibrahim

	Skin diseases in ancient Iraq in the light of cuneiform sources
Kirkuk University Journal: Humanity Studies
Article 45, Volume 19, Issue 2, December 2024 PDF (966.02 K)
Document Type: Research Paper
Author
Reyadh Ibrahim Al-Jboory^*
University of Kirkuk - College of Education for Woman
Abstract
Skin diseases are diseases that affect human skin due to the growth of fungi and bacteria. As the skin is the body most vulnerable to environmental factors. As its weight ranges between (2.7-4) kg, the skin is divided into three main layers: the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutaneous layer. The thickness of the skin varies according to its location on the body. The skin helps prevent water and fluid loss from the body. The skin protects the human from the external environment that includes many types of bacteria and viruses. Dermatological diseases are common in the summer because of the high temperatures. The skin is exposed to a number of diseases and problems that vary in severity and symptoms. The causes of skin diseases vary. Some are genetically and adverbial. Dermatology is divided into two parts: chronic skin diseases and temporary skin diseases. There are also infectious skin diseases and non-infectious skin diseases. Many medicinal medical texts, diagnostic texts, prescriptions and plant lexical texts touched upon dermatology and its treatment methods in ancient Iraq. Several skin diseases have been mentioned in cuneiform texts in ancient Iraq, including chronic skin diseases represented by scabies, (gurābu - garbu), eczema (laqlaqu-kurāštu - šiqu), smallpox (šullanu), leprosy (eqpu- pisallurtu), and disease leprosy (saḫaršubbu) and disease Baldness (ḫamṣu - ḫummuṣu).
Keywords
disease; skin; medical texts; treatment; infection

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