Ancient Egyptian Medicine
By Allison Ryan
Anubis and other Egyptian GodsAncient Egyptian Medicine
By Allison Ryan
Quick Cool Facts about Medicine
Introduction
The
Ancient Egyptians’ medicine was extremely advanced for their time period.
Their extensive knowledge in anatomy, physiology, and chemistry led them
to discover new information about the human body. They developed many cures
for patients with as simple of a problem as a cough or a stomachache using
herbs or magic. Many of the treatments of early doctors were written down
on what has become known as the Edwin Smith Papyrus, one of the most important
documents pertaining to medicine in Ancient Egypt. Using their extensive
knowledge of the time period, the Egyptians were able to help patients
cure diseases, conduct surgeries, and use herbs and animals and magic to
drive out “evil gods” or “evil souls.” Many mummy autopsies have shown
that many of these procedures were effective from dental medicines to bone
fractures.
Egyptian Beliefs
The human body was believed tohave been born
healthy and could not die or become ill unless there was an outside factor.
To the Egyptians disease and death were not natural but very often caused
be the spirital world. A god, spirit, or soul of a dead man was often responsible
for enterin a living person and leaving a disease, pain, or disorder. The
Egyptian doctor's first job was to first find the nature of the nature
of the particular spirit possessing the patient. HIs second job was to
attack it, drive it out, or otherwise desroy it. This was done by powerful
magic that included spells, rituals, color healing, massage, or therapudic
herbs or foods. Physical medicine such as herbs were used only to calm
the pain while the actual magic affected the cure.
Surgery
For non- infected wounds the
Edwin Smith Papyrus shows that the Egyptian doctors performed operations
with a needle and thread. In the beginning of the process for treating
these wounds, raw meat was applied, then was replaced by herbs, honey,
and butter on bread. Applying raw meat is known to be an effective way
to prevent bleeding. Then the doctors would begin the needle and thread
surgery. Surgical tools included drills, saws, knives, hooks, forceps,
pinchers, probes, scalpels, spoons, scales, and a vase with burning incense.
http://www.arabworldbooks.com/articles8b.htm
http://www.arabworldbooks.com/articles8b.htm
This
is a fractured forearm with a splint of a munny from the 5th dynasty. It
shows signs of healing.
Herbal Treatments
Many herbs were used to help the process of healing physical or mental conditions in patients. There were dozens of uses for garlic. Fresh cloves could be peeled, mashed, and macerated in vinegar and water. This would be gargled or taken internally for sore throats or toothaches. Another use of garlic was to mash several cloves in olive oil for an external liniment or bronchial and lung illnesses like colds. Garlic would even be wrapped in cheesecloth and pinned to an undergarment to protect against colds and flus. Also, it could be used externally or internally to stimulate digestion, relieve pain, heal, treat insomnia, and destroy or prevent paracites. It has been proven that garlic is able to effectively treat all diseases except the ones it causes.
Other herbs include:
~Coriander: Commonly used by the Egyptians to have a cooling, stimulant, and digestive properties. The seeds and the plant can be used for the stomach and urinary problems.
~Cumin Seeds: An herb that can be mixed together with wheat flour and water to make something that will relieve pain or any kind including arthritic joints.
~Cyperus: The most famous cyperus is the Egyptian papyrus. Its small tuberous rhizomes were used both as food and as medicine.
~ Caster Oil: Combined with figs and dates, this could be used as a laxative.
~ Tannic Acid: It usually derived from
the Acadia nuts, and was used to help heal burns.
~Senna, Sycamore, Acacia Gum, Mint,
Linseed, & Yeast
