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British Journal of Healthcare and Medical Research - Vol. 11, No. 5

Publication Date: October 25, 2024

DOI:10.14738/bjhmr.115.17247.

Appenzeller, O. (2024). Second Century Trauma to The Eye. British Journal of Healthcare and Medical Research, Vol - 11(5). 27-27.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Second Century Trauma to The Eye

Otto Appenzeller

University of New Mexico, Department of Neurology and Medicine

ABSTRACT

We scrutinized a number of mummy portraits and found one with evidence of

trauma to the left eye. This is the first evidence from the second century AD to show

that children were beaten perhaps for disciplinary reasons then and also now. Why

the trauma to the eye occurred in this girl will for ever remain a mystery.

INTRODUCTION

Clinical paleoneurology is non-existent, but recognition of trauma to the eye in ancient people

might be possible by scrutinizing portraits representing people as they appeared in life. We

examined mummy portraits painted in color at the beginning of the first millennium from

Hawara in the Fayum (northern Egypt) [1] and found one portrait of a girl who shows evidence

of trauma to her left eye (see the figure). Red arrow, supra-orbital scar above the eyebrow from

injury to the brow; broken arrow green, cut to the cantus; thick arrow erythema of the sclera.

The lower lid appears swollen also. [1].

CONCLUSION

Mummy portraits were affordable only to the affluent. However, they offer opportunity to

glimpse life as it probably was about 1800 years ago.

Reference

1. Appenzeller O, Stevens JM, Kruszynski R, Walker S. Neurology in ancient faces. J Neurol Neurosurg

Psychiatry. 2001 Apr;70(4):524-9. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.70.4.524. PMID: 11254781; PMCID: PMC1737287.