Najstarija receptura za pripremu lijekova potiče iz Sumerske medicine, a pisana je na glinenoj ploči klinastim pismom oko 2400. godine p.n.e. Ova sumerska ploča iskopana je na mjestu drevnog grada Nippura u Mezopotamiji (moderni Irak). Pismo je klinasto, drevni stil pisanja koji koristi pet različitih jezika iz perioda oko 3000 godina.

Klinopis su pisali pisari koristeći se iglom ili trskom s oštrim vrhom. Ove glinene pločice služile su za svakodnevnu komunikaciju i kao nastavna sredstva.

Sumerski farmaceut/liječnik je za pravljenje lijekova koristio materijal iz biljnih, životinjskih i mineralnih izvora. Njegovi omiljeni minerali bili su natrijev hlorid (kuhinjska sol), riječni bitumen i biljno ulje.

Životinjski izvori bili su vuna, nerc, oklop kornjače i vodena zmija. Poput svojih modernih kolega, većina medicinskih sastojaka koje koristi dolazi iz biljnog svijeta. Biljni izvori uključuju majčinu dušicu, gorušicu, šljivu, kruške, smokve, vrba, jela, bor i proizvodi poput piva, vina i biljna ulja. Recepti koji se nalaze na glinenim pločama podijeljeni su u tri grupe: obloge, napitci i složeni lijekovi što uključuje i obloge.

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The oldest recipe for the preparation of medicines comes from Sumerian medicine, and was written on a clay tablet in cuneiform around 2400 BC.
This Sumerian tablet was excavated at the site of the ancient city of Nippur in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq).
The script is cuneiform, an ancient writing style used by five different languages over a period of 3,000 years.

Cuneiform was written by scribes using a needle, a reed with a sharp tip; he made these wedge- shaped shapes in clay. These clay tablets were used for everyday communication and as teaching aids.

The Sumerian pharmacists/physicians went to botanical, zoological, and mineralogical sources for his materia medica.
His favorite minerals were sodium chloride (table salt), river bitumen, and vegetable oil. Animal sources were wool, mink, turtle shell, and water snake. Like their modern counterparts, most of the medical ingredients came from the botanical world. The plant sources included thyme, mustard, plum tree, pears, figs, willow, fir, pine, and products such as beer, wine, and vegetable oil.

Prescriptions found on tablets are divided into three groups: poultice, potion and a complex group that includes poultices.