The poor sufferers who gathered at street corners in Babylon to make mute appeal for cures believed that they were possessed by evil spirits.  Germs of disease were depicted by lively imaginations as invisible demons, who derived nourishment from the human body.  When a patient was wasted with disease, growing thinner and weaker and more bloodless day by day, it was believed that a merciless vampire was sucking his veins and devouring his flesh.  It had therefore to be expelled by performing a magical ceremony and repeating a magical formula.  The demon was either driven or enticed away.

A magician had to decide in the first place what particular demon was working evil.  He then compelled its attention and obedience by detailing its attributes and methods of attack, and perhaps by naming it.  Thereafter he suggested how it should next act by releasing a raven, so that it might soar towards the clouds like that bird, or by offering up a sacrifice which it received for nourishment and as compensation.  Another popular method was to fashion a waxen figure of the patient and prevail upon the disease demon to enter it.  The figure was then carried away to be thrown in the river or burned in a fire.

Occasionally a quite effective cure was included in the ceremony.  As much is suggested by the magical treatment of toothache.  First of all the magician identified the toothache demon as “the worm “.  Then he recited its history, which is as follows:  After Anu created the heavens, the heavens created the earth, the earth created the rivers, the rivers created the canals, the canals created the marshes, and last of all the marshes created “the worm”.

This display of knowledge compelled the worm to listen, and no doubt the patient was able to indicate to what degree it gave evidence of its agitated mind.  The magician continued: 

    Came the worm and wept before Shamash,
    Before Ea came her tears: 
    “What wilt thou give me for my food,
    What wilt thou give me to devour?”

One of the deities answered:  “I will give thee dried bones and scented ... wood”; but the hungry worm protested: 

    “Nay, what are these dried bones of thine to me? 
    Let me drink among the teeth;
    And set me on the gums
    That I may devour the blood of the teeth,
    And of their gums destroy their strength—­
    Then shall I hold the bolt of the door.”

The magician provided food for “the worm”, and the following is his recipe:  “Mix beer, the plant sa-kil-bir, and oil together; put it on the tooth and repeat Incantation.”  No doubt this mixture soothed the pain, and the sufferer must have smiled gladly when the magician finished his incantation by exclaiming: 

    “So must thou say this, O Worm! 
    May Ea smite thee with the might of his fist."[270]