Medicine in ancient Egypt

The medicine of the ancient Egyptians is some of the oldest documented.

From the beginnings of the civilization in the late fourth millennium BC until the Persian invasion of 525 BC, Egyptian medical practice went largely unchanged but was highly advanced for its time, including simple non-invasive surgery, setting of bones, dentistry, and an extensive set of pharmacopoeia. Egyptian medical thought influenced later traditions, including the Greeks

If one had to be ill in ancient times, the best place to do so would probably have been Egypt. Not that an Egyptian's chances of survival would have been significantly better than those of his foreign contemporaries, but at least he had the satisfaction of being treated by physicians whose art was renowned all over the ancient world.

Herbal and mineral Medicine.

Ebers papyrus

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.

Egyptians 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.

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, “C. Sativum” 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 cyminum” 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.

Medical instruments relief on temple walls

Leaves from many plants, such as willow, sycamore, acacia  or the ym-tree, were used in poultices and the like . Tannic Acid derived from acacia seeds commonly helped for cooling the vessels and heal burns. Castor oil, and dates, were used as laxatives.

  Tape-worms, the snakes in the belly, were dealt with by an infusion of pomegranate root in water, which was strained and drunk. The alkaloids contained in it paralyzed the worms' nervous system, and they relinquished their hold. Ulcers were treated with yeast, as were stomach ailments.

Plants in medicine

Some of the medicines were made from plant materials imported from abroad. Mandrake, introduced from Canaan and grown locally since the New Kingdom, was thought to be an aphrodisiac and, mixed with alcohol, induced unconsciousness. Cedar oil (an antiseptic) originated in the Levant. The Persian henna was grown in Egypt since the Middle Kingdom, and - if identical with henu mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus - was used against hair loss. They treated catarrh with aloe, which came from eastern Africa. Frankincense, containing tetrahydrocannabinol (a painkiller) was used like the hashish. It was imported from Punt.

Minerals and animal products were used too. Honey and grease formed part of many wound treatments, mother's milk was occasionally given against viral diseases like the common cold, fresh meat laid on open wounds and sprains, and animal dung was thought to be effective at times.

Cosmetics

A jar of cosmetics at the Cairo Museum bears the legend: "Eye lotion to be dispersed, good for eyesight." An Egyptian papyrus from 1500 BCE discusses recipes for treating conjunctivitis and cornea, iris, and eyelid problems. Lead-based chemicals like carbonates and acetates were popular for their therapeutic properties.

  Malachite used as eyeliner also had therapeutic value. In a country where eye infections were endemic, the effects of its germicidal qualities were appreciated even if the reasons for its effectiveness were not understood.

It is worth noting that: Dr. Paul Ghalioungi wrote many books and articles on that subject. refer to "Dr. Ghalioungi and ancient medicine" on Goole search... 

Scrolls Reveal Hangover Cure

Egyptian Scrolls Reveal Hangover Cure.

A 1900-year-old text medical papyrus suggests that wearing a leathery-leafed plant will cure a night of drinking. Why the ancient Egyptians may be the best doctors we have.

If a night of revelry has awoken you to a morning of agony, you’re in luck.

According to a medical papyrus from ancient Egypt, the leaves of the Alexandrian shrub chamaedaphne are the answer. If you’ve never heard of them you aren’t alone. The directions, from a recently translated 1,900-year-old-text, instruct sufferers to string the leaves into a garland to wear around their neck.

Used by the Egyptians for general headaches, the treatment could prove a successful remedy for whiskey-induced discomfort. The finding is just one potential new cure discovered in the largest collection of medical papyri now sitting at the Egypt Exploration Society at Oxford University’s Sackler Library.

Under translation until now, this current volume was among 500,000 others discovered in Oxyrhynchus—a city in Upper Egypt—in 1915. The papryi made its way to the Egypt Exploration Society and Oxford University’s Sackler Library after Arthur Hunt, a papyrologist, and Bernard Grenfell, an Egyptologist, assisted with the exaction of Oxyrhynchus Papyri with other archeologists.

The documents found at Oxyrhynchus, ranging from literary works to medical ideas, were written in Greek, Latin, and Arabic. The recently translated texts reflect the influence of Greek medical expertise.

1900 year old Papryi from Egypt

Translation of such a tremendous amount of papyri is no small task. Researchers have been working on translations for a possibly headache-inducing 100 years. Volume 80 is fresh off the press with 30 newly translated medical papyri including treatments for ailments such as hemorrhoids, ulcers, tooth complications, and even eye surgery.

“These texts are hugely important as they give us an insight into daily life at the time,” said Dr. Margaret Mountford, a papyrologist at the Egypt Exploration Society to The Daily Mail. “Some were copies of ancient Greek medical texts but there were some original medical texts—which look more like magical spells in some ways.”

One of the treatments involves removing the head of an ant and rubbing into a stye. Rainwater, dried roses, starch, poppy juice, white lead, gum Arabic, copper flakes, antimony oxide, washed lead dross and Celtic spikenard (a plant) apparently cure discharge from the eyes when mixed together.

Though wearing a leathery-leafed plant may or may help after a night of drinking, the discovery of these translations is an “eye-opening” look at the lives of ancient Egyptians and their doctors.

With cures ranging from wacky to brilliant, the findings represent "the largest single collection of medical papyri to be published," according to Vivian Nutton, a professor at University College London.

Spices still used as medication

The distinction is a major one considering the influence that previous Egyptian papyri have had on the medical community thus far. The “Edwin Smith Papyrus,” for example, was one of the first to be discovered in 1862, containing early roadmaps to surgical procedures. Another, the “Ebers Papyrus” brought some of the first knowledge of obstetrics and gynecology.

Whether or not the cures actually work remains to be seen. That people will be testing out a new cure to drinking as soon as possible, however, seems certain.