There are no laws governing non‑surgical treatments by the ashipu, and this is in keeping with the Mesopotamian view of disease:  if someone became sick it was his fault for having sinned, or he had become the victim of outside agents, such as evil spirits, a god, cold, dust, or a bad smell. To ward off these evils)  [slide 1672] The ashipu could not be held responsible for these supernatural causes.  In contrast a wound willfully caused by a man, ashipu or commoner, had to be the responsibility of that man.