The world's oldest poultices are described in this famous Sumerian tablet, which is also the world's oldest medical text. The style of writing dates it from the Third Dynasty of Ur, 2158-2008 BC or a little earlier. The oldest Egyptian papyrus, the Kahun papyrus was written around 1850 BC. The poultice has been used for healing over thousands of years; in fact, we can consider the poultice to be one of the earliest forms of medicine. Among the first that we know of, are mud and clay poultices. A poultice, also called cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. It can be used on wounds such as cuts.