remarkable Egyptian Ebers papyrus (dating to 1550 BCE) lists spices used for both medicinal and embalming procedures. Cassia and cinnamon, named in the papyrus, were essential for embalming; as were anise, marjoram and cumin all used to rinse-out the body cavities of the worthy dead. Of these spices, cassia and cinnamon are both native to south-east Asia.
Hammurabi (17921750 BCE) in his legal codes introduced severe penalties for sloppyorunsuccessful surgeons. This led to the use of medicinal