The following is an example of a treatment found in a medical compendium on a set of Akkadian clay tablets:
"(If his ears cause him to suffer), thou shalt take water of a pomegranate or an apopanax and thou shalt moisten a tuft of feathers (therewith) to introduce into his ears. Thou shalt do so for three days. On the fourth day, thou shalt remove the tuft from inside his ears which thou shalt then wash carefully. When the pus no longer flows except drop by drop, thou shalt grind alum, and by means of a reed, blow it into his ears."
quoted from Labat, R. (1957) Mesopotamia. In Taton, R. (ed.) La Science Antique et Médiévale, Presses Universitaires de France; English translation by A. J. Pomerans (1967) "Ancient and Medieval Science", Thames and Hudson, London.551 pp., p. 82. (Volume 1 of "A General History of the Sciences")