Ancient Egyptian Medicine
Ancient Egyptian Medicine No one was able to ease the pain of the ill and the wounded better than the ancient Egyptian doctors, who understood the mysterious connection between the complexity of the human body, the supernatural world, and the hidden power of nature. In ancient times, the Egyptians declared medicine as a necessary art and the Egyptian doctors were the absolute elite and renowned all over the ancient world for their exceptional skill in this art form.
The medical practice in Egypt was highly advanced, it was the main reason for the rise of medical practice in Greece and Rome. But also, their explanations of these afflictions were based on the belief that they were the work of the gods, caused by the presence of the evil spirits, and that the only cure was to rid the body of their influence by praying to the gods, accompanied by various medications and a possible surgical operation.
Facts About Ancient Egyptian Medicine
The level of their advanced practices and traits was mind-blowing, as they understood that any illness or wound could be treated by using pharmaceuticals more than 3000 years ago, recognized the potential healing abilities of massage and aromas, had male and female doctors who specialized in different areas of medicine, and, more importantly,
understood the importance of cleanliness while treating. the patients, which indicated their early understanding of the concept of germs, which was later confirmed in the 19th century CE, All these factors and medical procedures led to the mortality rate in ancient Egypt being less than any European hospital in the Christian era until the mid-20th century. The art of medicine of the ancient Egyptians is extensively documented.
from the 33rd century BC until 525 BC.
One of the documents was a passage from the Odyssey in 800 BC where he states “the Egyptian men are more skilled in medicine than any of humankind” and “the Egyptians were skilled in medicine more than any of other art forms”. In 440 BC, the Greek historian Herodotus wrote extensively about the advanced medicinal practices of the Egyptians,
and Pliny the Elder wrote in favor of the Egyptian doctors. Many great Greek names studied medicine in ancient Egypt at the temple of Amenhotep, such as Galen and Hippocrates, Herophilos, and many others who acknowledged the contribution of ancient Egyptian civilization to Greek medicine and were able to study the Egyptian symbols, texts, and beliefs, and pass them on.
Doctors in Ancient Egypt
During ancient Egypt, the medical profession had its own hierarchy, as it was in third place after the chief medical officer and the inspector of physicians. The doctors had many ranks and specialized in every possible field like ophthalmology, gastroenterology, proctology, and dentistry. The doctors were referred to as “Wabau,” which means ritually pure, and were treated as priests who knew every form of magic.
Physicians in ancient Egypt could be male or female, as the earliest recorded physician in the world is Hesy-Ra, who was the “Chief of Dentists and Physicians” to Pharaoh Djoser of the 27th century BC while Lady Peseshet (2400 BC) is the first recorded female doctor who could be the mother of Akhethohep, she is known as Imy-R Swnwt according to her tomb which translates In the 1st dynasty,
there were institutions known as houses of life (Per Ankh) that had medical functions and was in inscriptions with physicians and the record shows that in the 19th dynasty (1292-1189 BC) the employees of the house of life enjoyed medical insurance, pensions, and sick leave. The profession of nurses was also highly respected and honored, nurses could be male or female, and there was no evidence for any kind of school or professional nursing training. Magic and Religion in Ancient Egyptian Medicine
Ancient Egyptian Medicine
Magic and religion walked hand in hand during the ancient Egyptian civilization and had a profound effect on the Egyptian medical order. The Egyptians believed that the cause of any disease was evil gods, demons, curses, or even an angry ghost and were treated by certain incantations, aromas, offerings, tattoos, amulets like the Eye of Horus, the knot of others, and many others and praying to a deity such as Sekhmet the goddess of healing, threats, and curses, or Heka the god of magic, who carried a staff entwined with two serpents.
Diseases in Ancient Egypt
The Ancient Egyptian society suffered from numerous diseases we have today which include bilharziasis which is a disease contracted and spread through contaminated water, trachoma, which is ‘an infection of the eye’, heart disease, malaria, liver disease, dysentery, cancer, smallpox, pneumonia, typhoid, arthritis, high blood pressure, the common cold, bronchitis, tuberculosis, appendicitis, dementia, kidney stones, the curvature of the spine, and ovarian cysts.
In the early days of the Egyptian civilization, doctors were considered the magicians who treated their patients with a recitation of magical spells and certain remedies with ingredients derived from the substance or animal that had characteristics in a way similar to the symptoms of the patient, this method called Simila Similibus (similar with similar), which can be tracked throughout history until the discovery of Homeopathy in the mother era written on papyrus scrolls.
Medical Papyrus In 1822 AD, the translation of the rosette stone allowed the interpretation
of the ancient hieroglyphic texts which led to the discovery of several medical documents dating back to 3000 BC like the Ever Papyrus, the Edwin Smith Papyrus, the Berlin & London Medical Papyrus, the Hearst Papyrus, and countless others were able to shed some light on the medical advances of the ancient Egyptians. Out of all the Papyrus, these two documents can showcase and inform a great deal about the medical aspect of the ancient Egyptian civilization:
