Ancient Egyptian medicine

byKiran Goushika

Introduction• Ancient Egypt (3300BC to 525BC) is where

we first see the dawn of what, today, we call "medical care". The Egyptian civilization was the first great civilization on this planet. Egyptians thought gods, demons and spirits played a key role in causing diseases. Many doctors at the time believed that spirits blocked channels in the body, and affected the way the body functioned. 

Their research involved trying to find ways to unblock the "Channels". Gradually, through a process of trial and error and some basic science, the profession of a "doctor of medicine" emerged. Ancient Egyptian doctors used a combination of natural remedies, combined with prayer.

Unlike prehistoric peoples, ancient Egyptians were able to document their research and knowledge, they were could read and write; they also had a system of mathematics which helped scientists make calculations. Documented ancient Egyptian medical literature is among the oldest in existence today.

Until the 19th century, the main sources of information about ancient Egyptian medicine were writings from later in antiquity. Homer c. 800 BC remarked in the Odyssey: "In Egypt, the men are more skilled in medicine than any of human kind" and "the Egyptians were skilled in medicine more than any other art"

Imhotep

The earliest physician whose name has been recorded, Imhotep," was the wazir of Zoser, founder of the Third Dynasty, in the thirtieth century was a personal doctor to the Pharaoh c. 2600 BC. Imhotep was a learned man, astronomer, physician, architect (he may have been the builder of the first pyramid, the step pyramid of Saqqara). In later times he was worshiped as a hero, as a blameless physician, and later still as the god of medicine, the prototype of Asclepios (even as the learned God Thoth was the prototype of Hermes and Mercury. He was made a god and worshipped as the founder of Egyptian medicine. People believed that leaving gifts before his statue in temples would ensure a cure for their illness.

The channel theory and how the gods impacted on

human health

The Channel Theory - this came by observing farmers who dug out irrigations channels for their crops. They believed that as in irrigation, channels provided the body with routes for good health. If the channels became blocked, they would use laxatives to unblock them.

They thought the heart was the center of 46 channels - types of tubes. To a certain extent, they were right, our veins, arteries, and even our intestines are types of tubes. However, they never came to realize that these channels had different functions.

The Gods were the creators and controllers of life, the Egyptians thought. They believed conception was done by the god Thoth, while Bes, another god, decided whether childbirth went smoothly. Blockages in the human "channels" were thought to be the result of the evil doings of Wehedu, an evil spirit.

The channel theory allowed medicine to move from entirely spiritual cures for diseases and disorders, towards practical ones. Many medical historians say this change was a major turning point, a breakthrough in the history of medicine.

Ancient medicine was highly advanced

• Egyptian doctors were sought after by kings and queens from faraway lands because they were considered as the best in the world.

Archeologists have found Papyri (thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant) where Egyptians had documented a vast amount of medical knowledge. They found that they had fairly good knowledge about bone structure, and were aware of some of the functions of the brain and liver.

The medical knoweledge

•  A few papyri have survived, from which we can learn about Egyptian medicine:The Edwin Smith Papyrus describing surgical diagnosis and treatments,

• the Ebers Papyrus on ophthalmology, diseases of the digestive system, the head, the skin and specific maladies like aAa, which some think may have been a precursor of aids and others, perhaps more reasonably, consider to have been a disease of the urinary tract, a compilation of earlier works that contains a large number of prescriptions and recipes,

• the Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus,• the Berlin Medical Papyrus,• the London Medical Papyrus.• the Hearst medical papyrus repeats many of the recipes

found in the Ebers papyrus.• the Demotic Magical Papyrus of London and Leiden contains a

number of spells for treating physical ailments.

Edwin Smith Papyrus

The treatments in these texts are often organized into groups. The Edwin Smith Papyrus for instance opens with eight texts concerning head wounds, followed by nineteen treatments of wounds to the face (forehead, eyebrows, nose, cheeks, temples, mouth, chin), six descriptions of how to deal with injuries to throat and neck, five dealing with collar-bones and arms, and seven with chest complaints. It appears that all this knowledge dates to the third millennium BCE, even though the papyrus itself is of a much later date. Some important notions concerning the nervous system originated with the Egyptians, a word for brain is used here for the first time in any written language:

.. the membrane enveloping his brain, so that it breaks open his fluid in the interior of his head.The Edwin Smith papyrus, case 6Acting conservatively, they knew how to treat injuries to the brain without killing the patient, but on the whole their understanding of the brain and its functions was superficial: they considered thinking to be a function of the heart.    Their dissection of bodies during mummification seems not to have added greatly to their knowledge of the inner workings of the human body, possibly because mummifiers and physicians did not move in the same circles, but also because of the way the organs were removed: ripped out through a small incision in the corpse's flank or, in the case of the brain, scooped out in small portions through a nostril. They had some anatomical knowledge though, had made the connection between pulse and heart, but did not have any understanding of the circulation of the blood

The Disease

The various disease found during those periods are: BilharziasMalariaTrachomaBubonic plagueTuberculosisElephantiasisTrichinae (worms)Small poxPolioPneumoniaArthritis etc.

Remedies  Everyday complaints like stomach upsets, bowel trouble and headaches went probably mostly untreated, even if the physicians could offer remedies:For the evacuation of the belly:Cow's milk, 1; .grains, 1; honey 1; mash, sift, cook; take in four portions. To remedy the bowels:Melilot (?), 1; dates, 1; cook in oil; anoint sick part. To refresh an aching head:Flour, 1; incense, 1; wood of wa, 1; waneb plant, 1; mint (?), 1; horn of a stag, 1; sycamore (?) seeds, 1; seeds of [ (?)], 1; mason's plaster (?), 1; seeds of zart, 1; water, 1; mash, apply to the head. To renew bowel movements in a constipated child:An old book, boil in oil, apply half on the belly to reestablish evacuation.

Cure for Cataract

Mix brain-of-tortoise with honey. Place on the eye and say: There is a shouting in the southern sky in darkness, There is an uproar in the northern sky, The Hall of Pillars falls into the waters. The crew of the sun god bent their oars so that the heads at his side fall into the water, Who leads hither what he finds? I lead forth what I find. I lead forth your heads. I lift up your \necks. I fasten what has been cut from you in its place. I lead you forth to drive away the god of Fevers and all possible deadly arts.

Common cold  The common cold plagued the ancient Egyptians as it still does us today, and their remedy, the milk of a mother who has given birth to a boy, was probably as effective as anything we have got today . Moreover they had a tried and true spell to go with it

May you flow out, catarrh, son of catarrh, who breaks the bones, who destroys the skull, who hacks in the marrow, who causes the seven openings in the head to ache.

Fertility diagnosing test

Fertility was diagnosed by placing a garlic in the vergina for one night. The next day if the woman

can feel or taste the garlic in her mouth then she is fertile. This is based on the connection between the

genital part and interior part of the body. Such connection would be lost in case of obstructed

Fallopian tube. In modern medicine, phenolphthalein injected in the uterus would appear

in urine based upon the same principle. A test known to gynecologists as “Speck’s Test”

Pregnancy test

Diagnosis of pregnancy and sex determination of future child was based on the fact the pregnant urine germinates cereals more rapid then non-pregnant one. If the child was a male, the urine will germinate wheat, and if a female, it would germinate barely. The same tests have been used in Europe up till the middle age.

Delivery was performed in the squatting position, with the woman supporting her arms on kneews and sitting on the brick. Difficult laborsWere aided by burning resin, or Massaging the abdomen by saffron powder and beer. Abortion was done by introducingOil and fat in the vergina.

Delivery

Contraception

It was performed by the insertion of crocodial oil, gum acacia or honey consperge and

natron into the vergina. Gum acacia when dissolved produces lactic acid, very effective known spermicidal. The Ebers papyrus say:“To cause a woman to stop being pregnant, be it one, two or three years: part of acacia,

colocynth, dates, finely ground in a hin of honey, fibers are moistened therewith,

introduced into her virgina” .

Herbal Medicines

• Herbs played a major part in Egyptian medicine. The plant medicines mentioned in the Ebers papyrus for instance include opium, cannabis, myrrh, frankincense, fennel, cassia, senna, thyme, henna, juniper, aloe, linseed and castor oil - though some of the translations are less than certain. Cloves of garlic have been found in Egyptian burial sites, including the tomb of Tutankhamen and in the sacred underground temple of the bulls at Saqqara. Many herbs were steeped in wine, which was then drunk as an oral medicine

Garlic and OnionEgyptians thought garlic and onions aided endurance, and consumed large quantities of them. Raw garlic was routinely given to asthmatics and to those suffering with bronchial-pulmonary complaints. Onions helped against problems of the digestive system. (e.g. pEbers 192)     Garlic was an important healing agent then just as it still is to the modern Egyptian and to most of the peoples in the Mediterranean area: Fresh cloves are peeled, mashed and macerated in a mixture of vinegar and water. This can be used to gargle and rinse the mouth, or taken internally to treat sore throats and toothache. Another way to take garlic both for prevention as well as treatment is to macerate several cloves of mashed garlic in olive oil. Applied as an external liniment or taken internally it is beneficial for bronchial and lung complaints including colds. A freshly peeled clove of raw garlic wrapped in muslin or cheesecloth and pinned to the undergarment is hoped to protect against infectious diseases such as colds and influenza. 

Coriander

•   Coriander, C. Sativum (e.g. pHearst 102, 124 ) was considered to have cooling, stimulant, carminative and digestive properties. Both the seeds and the plant were used as a spice in cooking to prevent and eliminate flatulence, they were also taken as a tea for stomach and all kinds of urinary complaints including cystitis. Coriander leaves were commonly added fresh to spicy foods to moderate their irritating effects. It was one of the herbs offered to the gods by the king, and seeds were found in the tomb of Tutankhamen and in other ancient burial sites. 

Cumin

•    Cumin, Cumin cyminum (e.g. pHearst 28, 55, 125 ) is an umbelliferous herb indigenous to Egypt. The seeds were considered to be a stimulant and effective against flatulence. They were often used together with coriander for flavoring. Cumin powder mixed with some wheat flour as a binder and a little water was applied to relieve the pain of any aching or arthritic joints. Powdered cumin mixed with grease or lard was inserted as an anal suppository to disperse heat from the anus and stop itching. 

Malachite

• It is used as an eye –liner also had therapeutic value. In a country whereEye infection were endemic, the effectsOf its germicidal qualities were

appreciated even if the reasons for its effectiveness were not understood.

Surgery

 At Saqqara there is the tomb of Ankh-Mahor, known as The Tomb of the Physician. In one of the wall pictures two men are having their extremities treated variously explained as manicure, massage or surgery. In the accompanying text the patient implores the physician: Do not let it be painful. The answer was ironical: I do (it) so you will praise it, (O) king! perhaps not in the best Egyptian bedside manner. 

    At any rate, people at least occasionally survived surgery. Bodies of amputees from as early as the Old and Middle Kingdoms have been found which display signs of

healing. Prostheses which show signs of wear, have also been discovered. The reasons for these amputations are unknown and none of the surviving medical texts mention

the possibility of, let alone reasons for amputation as a therapeutic treatment.

Suturing

The Edwin Smith Papyus shows the suturing of non-infected wounds with a needle and thread. Raw meat was applied on the first day, subsequently replaced by dressing of astringent herbs, honey and butter or bread. Raw meat is known to be an efficient way to bleeding. Honey is a potent hygroscopic material (absorbs water) and stimulates the secretion of white blood cells, the natural first body defense mechanism. The application of sour or moldy bread was practiced in European medicine until the Renaissance.

MummificationEgyptians believed that their bodies were required for the afterlife, and so they practised mummification to preserve the bodies of the dead. This involved removing all the internal organs, except the heart, treating the body with spices (embalming) and then wrapping it in bandages as a mummy. Through the mummification process the Egyptians learnt something about the make up of the body (anatomy).