From Greek Theory to Coptic Practice: Continuity and Discontinuity in the Fumigation and Fomentation Recipes of C.Pharm.Copt.

The recent publication of Anne Grons’ Medizinische Rezepttexte in Koptischer Sprache (C.Pharm.Copt., DeGruyter 2025) provides a vital foundation for systematically evaluating Coptic pharmacology. This communication investigates two specific modes of administration within this newly edited corpus: fumigation and fomentation. Attested since the Pharaonic period, these external treatments offer unique insights into the intersection of therapeutic efficacy and material realities of Late Antique Egypt.
The analysis focuses on the transmission of knowledge from Classical Greek medicine into the Coptic milieu, specifically examining patterns of continuity and discontinuity. By scrutinizing the lexical and technical descriptions of these procedures, this study explores how Coptic terminology correlates with Greek vocabulary, while highlighting divergences in ingredient selection. This communication argues that the recipes in C.Pharm.Copt. reveal a dynamic process of selection and adaptation: rather than serving as mere copies of Hippocratic or Galenic prototypes, these texts demonstrate how Coptic practitioners curated Classical medical knowledge to suit the specific environmental and social context of Christian Egypt.