abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Ancient Egyptian medicine refers to the common medical practices of Ancient Egypt in the period circa 3300 BC until the Persian invasion of 525 BC. The ancient Egyptians had highly advanced medical practices for their time, including surgery, setting of bones and an extensive set of pharmacopoeia. While their remedies were sometimes characterized by magical incantations and dubious ingredients, they often had a rational basis. Medical texts specified specific steps of examination, diagnosis, prognosis and treatments that were often rational and appropriate. This article is about the field and science of medical practice and health care. ... Khafres Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ... Look up Circa on Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Latin word circa, literally meaning about, is often used to describe various dates (often birth and death dates) that are uncertain. ... (34th century BC - 33rd century BC - 32nd century BC - other centuries) (5th millennium BC - 4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC) Events Unification of the first Ancient Egyptian state, marking the beginning of the Ancient Egyptian civilization. ... Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Dynasty was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire, including Cyrus II the Great, Darius I and Xerxes I. At the height of their power, the Achaemenid rulers of Persia ruled over territories roughly emcompassing some parts of todays Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon... Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 570s BC - 560s BC - 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - 490s BC - 480s BC - 470s BC Events 526 BC - Psammetichus III succeeds Amasis II as king of Egypt. ... A cardiothoracic surgeon performs a mitral valve replacement at the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. ... For other uses, see Bone (disambiguation), including Bones which redirects here. ... Pharmacopoeia (literally, the art of the drug compounder), in its modern technical sense, is a book containing directions for the identification of samples and the preparation of compound medicines, and published by the authority of a government or a medical or pharmaceutical society. ... An incantation is the words spoken during a ritual. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... In medicine, the physical examination or clinical examination is the process by which the physician investigates the body of a patient for signs of disease. ... Diagnosis (from the Greek words dia = by and gnosis = knowledge) is the process of identifying a disease by its signs, symptoms and results of various diagnostic procedures. ... ...

Sources of Information

Until the 19th century, the main sources of information regarding ancient Egyptian medicine were the writers from a later period of antiquity. Homer, writing in the Odyssey (c. 800 BC) remarked: "In Egypt, the men are more skilled in medicine than any of human kind". The Greek historian Herodotus visited Egypt around 440 BC and wrote extensively of his observations of their medicinal practices. Pliny the Elder also wrote favorably of them in historical review. Hippocrates (the "father of medicine"), Herophilos, Erasistratus and later Galen studied at the temple of Amenhotep, and acknowledged the contribution of ancient Egyptian medicine to Greek medicine. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Homer (Greek HómÄ“ros) was a legendary early Greek poet and aoidos (singer) traditionally credited with the composition of the Iliad and the Odyssey. ... Odysseus and Nausicaä - by Charles Gleyre The Odyssey (Greek: , Odusseia) is one of the two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to the poet Homer. ... Centuries: 10th century BC - 9th century BC - 8th century BC Decades: 850s BC 840s BC 830s BC 820s BC 810s BC - 800s BC - 790s BC 780s BC 770s BC 760s BC 750s BC Events and Trends 804 BC - Hadad-nirari IV of Assyria conquers Damascus. ... Bust of Herodotus Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: , Herodotos Halikarnasseus) was a Dorian Greek historian who lived in the 5th century BC (484 BC - ca. ... Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC Decades: 490s BC 480s BC 470s BC 460s BC 450s BC - 440s BC - 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC 400s BC 390s BC Years: 445 BC 444 BC 443 BC 442 BC 441 BC - 440 BC - 439 BC 438 BC... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19c portrait. ... Hippocrates of Cos II. or Hippokrates of Kos (c. ... Herophilos, sometimes Latinized Herophilus (335-280 BC), was a Greek physician. ... Erasistratus of Chios (330? BC - 250? BC) was a Greek anatomist. ... Greek: Γαληνός, Latin: Claudius Galenus of Pergamum (129 – 200 AD), better known in English as Galen, was an ancient Greek physician. ...

This situation began to change in 1822 with the decipherment of the Rosetta stone, which finally allowed the translation of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions and papyri, including many related to medical matters. The resultant upswing in interest in Egyptology in the 19th century led to the discovery of several sets of extensive ancient medical documents, including the Ebers papyrus, the Edwin Smith Papyrus, the Hearst Papyrus and others dating back as far as 3000 BC. 1822 (MDCCCXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Rosetta Stone in the British Museum. ... It has been suggested that Hieroglyph (French Wiki article) be merged into this article or section. ... Egyptology is the scientific study of Ancient Egypt and Egyptian antiquities and is a regional and thematic branch of the larger disciplines of ancient history and archaeology. ... The Ebers Papyrus of about 1550 BCE is among the most important ancient Egyptian medical papyri. ... Plates vi & vii of the Edwin Smith Papyrus at the Rare Book Room, New York Academy of Medicine The Edwin Smith papyrus is the worlds earliest known medical document, written around 1600 BC, but thought to be based on material from as early as 3000 BC. It is an... (31st century BC - 30th century BC - 29th century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2925 - 2776 BC - First Dynasty wars in Egypt 2900 BC - Beginning of the Early Dynastic Period I in Mesopotamia. ...

Medical information contained in the Edwin Smith Papyrus dates from as early as 3000 BC[1]. The earliest known surgery was performed in Egypt around 2750 BC (see surgery). Imhotep in the 3rd dynasty is credited as the founder of ancient Egyptian medicine and as the original author of the Edwin Smith papyrus, detailing cures, ailments and anatomical observations. The Edwin Smith papyrus is regarded as a copy of several earlier works and was written circa 1600 BC. It is an ancient textbook on surgery and describes in exquisite detail the examination, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of numerous ailments[2]. Plates vi & vii of the Edwin Smith Papyrus at the Rare Book Room, New York Academy of Medicine The Edwin Smith papyrus is the worlds earliest known medical document, written around 1600 BC, but thought to be based on material from as early as 3000 BC. It is an... (31st century BC - 30th century BC - 29th century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2925 - 2776 BC - First Dynasty wars in Egypt 2900 BC - Beginning of the Early Dynastic Period I in Mesopotamia. ... A cardiothoracic surgeon performs a mitral valve replacement at the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. ... (Redirected from 2800 BC) (29th century BC - 28th century BC - 27th century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2775 - 2650 BC - Second Dynasty wars in Egypt 2750 BC - End of the Early Dynastic I Period, and the beginning of the Early Dynastic II... A cardiothoracic surgeon performs a mitral valve replacement at the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. ... Statuette of Imhotep in the Louvre Imhotep (sometimes spelled Immutef, Im-hotep, or Ii-em-Hotep, Egyptian ) is the first architect and physician known by name in written history. ... Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Third Dynasty. ... Papyrus plant Cyperus papyrus at Kew Gardens, London Papyrus is an early form of paper made from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that grows to 5 meters (15 ft) in height and was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt. ... Greek anatome, from ana-temnein, to cut up), is the branch of biology that deals with the structure and organization of living things; thus there is animal anatomy (zootomy) and plant anatomy (phytonomy). ... Centuries: 18th century BC - 17th century BC - 16th century BC Decades: 1650s BC 1640s BC 1630s BC 1620s BC 1610s BC - 1600s BC - 1590s BC 1580s BC 1570s BC 1560s BC 1550s BC Events and trends Egypt: End of Fourteenth Dynasty. ...

The Ebers papyrus (c. 1550 BC) is full of incantations and foul applications meant to turn away disease-causing demons and other superstition, but in it there is evidence of a long tradition of empirical practice and observation. The Ebers papyrus also provides our earliest documentation of an awareness of tumors. The Ebers Papyrus of about 1550 BCE is among the most important ancient Egyptian medical papyri. ... (17th century BC - 16th century BC - 15th century BC - other centuries) (1600s BC - 1590s BC - 1580s BC - 1570s BC - 1560s BC - 1550s BC - 1540s BC - 1530s BC - 1520s BC - 1510s BC - 1500s BC - other decades) (3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC) Events 1700 - 1500 BC -- Hurrian conquests... Tumor (American English) or tumour (British English) originally means swelling, and is sometimes still used with that meaning. ...

Other information comes from the images that often adorn the walls of Egyptian tombs and the translation of the accompanying inscriptions. The tomb of Ankn-ma-hor of the 6th Dynasty (circa 2200BC) has a detailed rendering of a ceremonial circumcision.

Advances in modern medical technology also contributed to the understanding of ancient Egyptian medicine. Paleopathologists were able to use first X-Rays and later CAT Scans to view the bones and organs of mummies. Electron microscopes, mass spectrometry and various technical forensic techniques allowed scientists unique glimpses of the state of health in Egypt 4000 years ago. Basic schematic of a mass spectrometer Mass spectrometry (also known as mass spectroscopy (deprecated)[1] or in common speech mass-spec) is an analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. ...

Magic and religion

Magic and religion were part of everyday life in ancient Egypt. Gods and demons were thought to be responsible for many ailments, so often the treatments involved some supernatural element. Often the first recourse would be an appeal to a deity. Often priests and magicians were called on to treat disease instead of, or in addition to a physician. Physicians themselves often used incantations and magical ingredients as part of their treatments. The Sorceress by John William Waterhouse Magic and sorcery are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by mystical or paranormal means. ... Khafres Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ... Egyptian mythology or Egyptian religion is the succession of tentative beliefs held by the people of Egypt for over three thousand years, prior to major exposure to Christianity and Islam. ... St. ... Look up Supernatural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Roman Catholic priests in traditional clerical clothing. ... It has been suggested that mage: be merged into this article or section. ... The Doctor by Samuel Luke Fildes This article is about the term physician, a type of doctor; for other uses of the word doctor see Doctor (disambiguation). ... An incantation is the words spoken during a ritual. ...

Since the belief in magic and religion was so commonplace in Egypt, it is as though the use of magic and religion would have contributed to a powerful placebo effect. Since many medicines appeared to lack active ingredients, the perceived validity of the cure, including the authoritativeness of the magical incantations, would have contributed to its effectiveness. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Placebo. ...

The impact of the emphasis on magic is seen in the selection of remedies, or the ingredients for those remedies. Ingredients were sometimes selected seemingly because they were derived from a substance, plant or animal the had characteristics which in some way corresponded to the symptoms of the patient. This is known as the principle of simila similibus (similar with similar) and is found throughout the history of medicine up to the modern practice of homeopathy. Thus an ostrich egg is included in the treatment of a broken skull, and an amulet portraying a hedgehog might be used against baldness. Samuel Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy Homeopathy (also spelled homœopathy or homoeopathy) from the Greek words όμοιος, hómoios (similar) and πάθος, páthos (suffering)[1], is a form of alternative medicine that attempts to treat like with like. ...

Amulets in general were enormously popular with ancient Egyptians, being worn for many magical purposes. Health related amulets are classified as homopoeic, phylactic and theophoric. Homeopoetic amulets portray an animal or a part of an animal from which the wearer hopes to assimilate positive attributes (like strength or speed). Phylactic amulates were protective, warding off harmful gods and demons. The famous Eye of Horus was often used on a phylactic amulet. Theophoric amulets represented the Egyptian gods, such as one representing the girdle of Isis, used to stem the flow of blood at miscarriage. An amulet from the Black Pullet grimoire An amulet (from Latin amuletum, meaning A means of protection) consists of any object intended to bring good luck and/or protection to its owner. ... Hieroglyphic version of the Eye of Horus The Eye of Horus (originally, The Eye of Ra) is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection and power, from the deity Horus or Ra. ... Theophoric names are exceedingly common in the Ancient Near East and Mesopotamia, where the personal name of an individual included the name of a god in whose care the individual is entrusted. ... Isis is a goddess in Egyptian mythology. ...

Doctors and other healers

The ancient Egyptian word for doctor is swnw. There is a long history of swnw in ancient Egypt. The earliest recorded physician in the world is also credited to ancient Egypt: Hesyre, “Chief of Dentists and Physicians” for King Djoser in the 27th century BC [3]. The lady Peseshet (2400 BC) was possibly the mother of Akhethotep, and on a stela dedicated to her in his tomb she is referred to as imy-r swnwt, which has been translated as “Lady Overseer of the Lady Physicians” (swnwt is the feminine of swnw). This may make her the first recorded female doctor. General context: Ancient Egypt. ... Hesyre was “Chief of Dentists and Physicians” for Pharaoh Djoser of the Third Dynasty of Egypt in the 27th century BCE. Categories: | ... Netjerikhet Consort(s) Inetkawes, Hetephernebti Unknown Father Khasekhemwy? Mother Nimaethap? Major Monuments Pyramid of Djoser Step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, Egypt Netjerikhet Djoser (Turin King List Dsr-it; Manetho Tosarthros) is the best-known pharaoh of the Third dynasty of Egypt, for commissioning the official Imhotep to build his... (28th century BC - 27th century BC - 26th century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2900 - 2334 BC -- Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period 2775 - 2650 BC -- Second Dynasty wars in Egypt Germination of the Bristlecone pine tree Methuselah about 2700 BC, the... Peseshet was the earliest known female physician credited to ancient Egypt at the time at the Fourth Dynasty. ... Stele is also a concept in plant biology. ...

There were many ranks and specializations in the swnw. Royalty had their own swnw, even their own specialists. There were inspectors of doctors, overseers and chief doctors. Known ancient Egyptian specialists are ophthalmologist, gastroenterologist, proctologist, dentist, "doctor who supervises butchers" and an unspecified "inspector of liquids". The ancient Egyptian term for proctologist, neru phuyt, literally translates as "shepherd of the anus". Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine which deals with the diseases of the eye and their treatment. ... Gastroenterology or gastrology is the medical specialty concerned with the field of digestive diseases. ... Proctology is the medical field on the diseases of the rectum, anus and pelvic floor. ... X-rays can reveal if a person has cavities Dentistry is the practical application of knowledge of dental science (the science of placement, arrangement, function of teeth) to human beings. ... Butcher shop in Valencia A butcher is someone who prepares various meats and other related goods for sale. ...

Medical institutions are known to have been established in ancient Egypt since as early as the 1st Dynasty. By the time of the 19th Dynasty their employees enjoyed such benefits as medical insurance, pensions and sick leave. Employees worked 8 hours per day [4]. Khafres Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ... Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the First Dynasty. ... Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Nineteenth Dynasty. ... Health Insurance is a type of insurance whereby the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents. ... A pension (also known as superannuation) is a retirement plan intended to provide a person with a secure income for life. ... Sick Leave (or Sickness Pay or Sick Pay) is an employee benefit in the form of paid leave which can be taken during periods of sickness. ...

General overview

The Egyptians had a lot of knowledge about the anatomy of the human body even though they never dissected the body. For example, in the classic mummification process, they cleanly removed the brain out of the body via the nose using a long hook.

The Egyptian physicians also were aware of the importance of the pulse, and of a connection between pulse and heart. Author of the Smith Papyrus had even some vague idea of a cardiac system, though not of course of a circulation.Still, he was not able to distinguish between blood vessels, tendons, and nerves.

Medical knowledge in ancient Egypt was so advanced that other kings and emperors from different empires would write to the Egyptian pharaoh to send them their best surgeon to perform operations.

Mostly the Egyptian physician's advice for staying healthy was to wash and shave the body, including under the arms. This would have worked because cleaning would prevent microbes and viruses. The physicians would also advise their patients to look after their diet, and avoid foods such as raw fish or other animals which would not be clean.

While ancient medicine had some effective practices, such as many of the surgical procedures given in the Edwin Smith papyrus, it was not without its ineffective and sometimes harmful practices. For example, Homer's Odyssey declared regarding the ancient Egyptians that "the Egyptians were skilled in medicine more than any other art". [5] However, medical historians believe that ancient Egyptian pharmacology was largely ineffective. [6] For example, according to a paper published in the 10th Annual Proceedings of the History of Medicine Days by Michael D. Parkins, 72% of 260 medical prescriptions in the Hearst Papyrus had no curative elements. [7] Also, according to Michael D. Parkins, sewage pharmacology first began in ancient Egypt and was continued through the middle ages.[8] While the use of animal dung has curative properties [9] it is not without its risk. For example, Mamtani, Malhotra, Gupta, and Jain found in their comparative study of urban and rural tetanus in adults that practices such as applying cow dung to wounds, ear piercing and tattooing, and chronic ear infections were important factors in developing tetanus. [10] In addition, it has been found that Pakistani caregivers who use topical antibiotics for their babies' circumcision wounds instead of using dung, ghee, urine etc, prevent those babies from getting neonatal tetanus. [11] Frank J. Snoek, PhD wrote that Egyptian medicine used fly specks, lizard blood, swine teeth, and other such remedies, which he believes could have been harmful. [12]

References

• Ancient Egyptian Medicine, John F. Nunn, 1996
• The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A medical History of Humanity, Roy Porter, 1997
• A History of Medicine, Lois N. Magner, 1992
• Medicine in the Days of the Pharaohs, Bruno Halioua, Bernard Ziskind, M. B. DeBevoise (Translator), 200

Khafres Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ... For at least ten thousand years, the Nile valley has been the site of one of the most influential civilizations in the world. ... Ancient Egyptian art is five thousand years old. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This page lists articles on dynasties of Ancient Egypt. ... General context: Ancient Egypt. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article contains a list of the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, from the Early Dynastic Period before 3000 BC through to the end of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, when Egypt became a province of Rome under Augustus Caesar in 30 BC. Note that the dates given must be regarded in most... Map of Ancient Egypt List of Ancient Egyptian sites, throughout all of Egypt and Nubia Sites are listed with their classical name whenever possible, else their modern name and last if no other available their ancient name. ... The writing systems of ancient Egypt include: Egyptian hieroglyphs Cursive hieroglphs Hieratic Demotic the Coptic alphabet Other texts discovered in Egypt and dating to the period before Islam include those written in: the Greek alphabet the Latin alphabet the Cuneiform script the Old Persian cuneiform script Tifinagh the South Arabian... Egyptology is the scientific study of Ancient Egypt and Egyptian antiquities and is a regional and thematic branch of the larger disciplines of ancient history and archaeology. ... Egyptologist is the designation given to an archaeologist or historian who specialises in Egyptology, the scientific study of Ancient Egypt and its antiquities. ...

External links

• Medicine in Old Egypt - Transcript from History of Science by George Sarton