Part 2

Non-diet information

On the first day, the head was painted with a ‘lotion’ of durrameal and fruit-of-the-dompalm, warmed in soft fat and was bound up. On the second day, the head was anointed with fish oil; on the fourth day with abra oil. After this course of intensive treatment the offending head, if the eczema still persisted, was smeared daily with breadmeal and dressed with rotted cereals.

—The first recorded treatment for eczema, from ancient Egypt (Wright, 1979)