Étudier et comprendre le lexique médical mésopotamien : vésicule biliaire et bile
Studying and understanding the Mesopotamian medical lexicon: gallbladder and bile

Summary/Abstract: This paper focuses on the Sumerian and Akkadian anatomical lexicon, and in particular on terms referring to the “gallbladder” and “bile”. It addresses the issues surrounding the creation and understanding of the scholarly lexicon. By examining the written production of diviners and therapists, as well as non-specialised corpora, it highlights the relationship between medical and other sources. First, the variety of literature mentioning the gallbladder and/or bile is presented. Subsequently, the lexical sources, the most direct evidence of Mesopotamian anatomical knowledge, are confronted with other types of texts in order to approach the best possible definition of technical terms. The final section focuses on the transfer of knowledge between scholarly disciplines and sheds light on the way in which the understanding of the lexicon is likely to influence our appreciation of ancient medical knowledge and practices.

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