Egyptian medical papyri

Egyptian medical papyri
Plates vi & vii of the Edwin Smith Papyrus (around the 17th century BC), among the earliest medical texts

Egyptian medical papyri are ancient Egyptian texts written on papyrus which permit a glimpse at medical procedures and practices in ancient Egypt. The papyri give details on disease, diagnosis, and remedies of disease, which include herbal remedies, surgery, and magical spells. It is thought there were more medical papyri, but many have been lost due to grave robbing. The largest study of the medical papyri to date has been undertaken by Berlin University and was titled Medizin der alten Ägypter ("Medicine of ancient Egypt").[1]

Early Egyptian medicine was based mostly on a mixture of magic and religious spells. Most commonly "cured" by use of amulets or magical spells, the illnesses were thought to be caused by spiteful behavior or actions. Afterwards, doctors performed various medical treatments if necessary. The instructions for these medical rituals were later inscribed on papyrus scrolls by the priests performing the actions. [2]

Contents

Important medical papyri

Kahun Papyrus

Main article: Kahun Gynecological Papyrus

Dated to circa 1800 BCE, the Kahun Gynecological Papyrus is the oldest known medical text. It was found at El-Lahun by Flinders Petrie in 1889, [3] first translated by F. Ll. Griffith in 1893, and published in The Petrie Papyri: Hieratic Papyri from Kahun and Gurob. The papyrus contains 35 separate paragraphs relating to women's health, such as gynaecological diseases, fertility, pregnancy, and contraception.[1] It does not describe surgery.

Edwin Smith Papyrus

Main article: Edwin Smith Papyrus

Dated to circa 1600 BCE, the Edwin Smith Papyrus is the only surviving copy of part of an Ancient Egyptian textbook on trauma surgery. The papyrus takes its name from the Egyptian archaeologist Edwin Smith, who purchased it in the 1860's.[4] The most detailed and sophisticated of the extant medical papyri, it is also the world's oldest surgical text. Written in the hieratic script of the ancient Egyptian language,[5] it is thought to be based on material from a thousand years earlier.[6] The document consists of 22 pages (17 pages on the recto, and 5 pages on the verso). 48 cases of trauma are examined, each with a description of the physical examination, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.[1][7] An important aspect of the text is that it shows that the heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, ureters, and bladder were all known to the Egyptians, along with the fact that the blood vessels were connected to the heart. The entire translation is available online.

Ebers Papyrus

Main article: Ebers Papyrus

The Ebers Papyrus was also purchased by Edwin Smith in 1862. It takes its name from Georg Ebers who purchased the papyrus in 1872. The papyrus dates to around 1550BC and covers 110 pages, making it the lengthiest of the medical papyri. [1] The papyrus covers many different topics including; dermatology, digestive diseases, traumatic diseases, dentistry and gynecological conditions. It makes many references to treating ailments with spells or religious techniques.[citation needed] One of the most important findings of this papyrus are the references to migraines which shows the condition dates back to this time.[8]


Hearst Papyrus

Main article: Hearst Papyrus

The Hearst Papyrus was offered in 1901 to the Hearst Expedition in Egypt. It is dated around 2000 BC, though doubts subsist about its authenticity. It concentrated on treatments for problems dealing with the urinary system, blood, hair, and bites. It has been extensively studied since its publication in 1905.[1][9]

Other medical papyri

Other medical papyri include:

  • The Chester Beatty Medical Papyrus – This papyrus is named after Sir Alfred Chester Beatty who donated 19 papyri to the British Museum. The remedies in these texts are generally related to magic and focus on conditions that involve headaches and anorectal ailments.[1]
  • The London Medical Papyrus – This is located in the British Museum and dates back to Tutankhamun. Although in poor condition, study of it has found it to focus on magical spells as remedy for disease.[1]
  • The Ramesseum Papyri – These consist of 17 individual papyri that were found in the great temple of the Ramesseum. They concentrate on the eyes, gynecology, paediatrics, muscles and tendons.[1][10]
  • The Carlsberg Papyrus – It is the property of the Carlsberg Foundation. The papyrus covers diseases of the eye and pregnancy.[1]
  • The Greater Berlin Papyrus, also known as the Brugsch Papyrus (Pap. Berl. 3038) – Discovered by Giuseppe Passalacqua. It consists of 24 pages and is very similar to the Ebers Papyrus. Later sold to Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia with other objects in 1827 for the Berlin Museum, the Greater Berlin Papyrus was translated into German in 1909.[1] (Not to be confused with the Berlin Papyrus - number 6619.)
  • The Berlin Papyrus and the Ramesseum Papyrus IV cover much of the same ground as the Kahun Gynecological Papyrus, often giving identical prescriptions.[11]
  • The Brooklyn Papyrus – Focusing mainly on snakebites, the Brooklyn Papyrus speaks of remedial methods for poisons obtained from snakes, scorpions, and tarantulas. The Brooklyn Papyrus currently resides in the Brooklyn Museum.[1][12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k indigo.ie - Ancient Egyptian Medical Papyri, retrieved 24 October 2007
  2. ^ www.egyptologyonline.com - Egyptian medicine, retrieved 26 October 2007
  3. ^ Worton & Wilson, op.cit., p.192
  4. ^ osiriweb.com - The papyrus page, retrieved 24 October 2007
  5. ^ "Academy Papyrus to be Exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art". The New York Academy of Medicine. 2005-07-27. http://www.nyam.org/news/2493.html. Retrieved 2008-08-12. 
  6. ^ Wilkins, Robert H. (1964-03). Neurosurgical Classic-XVII Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus. Article reprinted with author permission from Journal of Neurosurgery, March 1964, pp 240-244. Cybermuseum of Neurosurgery: translation of 13 cases pertaining to injuries of the skull and spinal cord, with commentary. Retrieved from http://www.neurosurgery.org/cybermuseum/pre20th/epapyrus.html.
  7. ^ Dunn, Jimmy (1996). The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus. Retrieved from http://www.touregypt.net/edwinsmithsurgical.htm.
  8. ^ migrainesandheadaches.com - A brief history of migraines, retrieved 24 October 2007
  9. ^ tebtunis.berkeley.edu - The Hearst Medical Papyrus - Hearst Papyrus, retrieved 25 October 2007
  10. ^ www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk - The Ramesseum Papyri - Ramesseum Papyri, retrieved 26 October 2007
  11. ^ David, op.cit., p.124
  12. ^ aic.stanford.edu - The Brooklyn museum, retrieved 26 October 2007

Further reading

v · d · eHistory of medicine
Basic sciences
History of anatomy • History of biochemistry • History of biology • History of biotechnology • History of chemistry • History of embryology • History of genetics • History of immunology • History of medical diagnosis • History of microbiology • History of molecular biology • History of neuroscience • History of nutrition • History of pathology • History of pharmacology • History of physiology • History of viruses • History of virology
 Treatment of a skull injury
Medical specialties
History of alternative medicine • History of dermatology • History of endocrinology • History of general anesthesia • History of invasive and interventional cardiology • History of neurology • Timeline of psychiatry • History of surgery
Other topics

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Medical papyri — are ancient Egyptian texts written on papyrus which permit a glimpse at medical procedures and practices in ancient Egypt. The papyri give details on disease, diagnosis, and remedies of disease, which include herbal remedies, surgery, and magical …   Wikipedia

  • Ramesseum medical papyri — The Ramesseum medical papyri constitute a collection of ancient Egyptian medical documents dating back to the early 18th century BC, found in the temple of the Ramesseum.cite web|title=Ancient Egyptian Medical Papyri|url=http://indigo.ie/… …   Wikipedia

  • Medical Ostraca of Deir el-Medina — The Medical Ostraca of Deir el Medina are a collection of ostraca containing notes of medical importance. These ostraca were written in the New Kingdom Egyptian village of Deir el Medina during the 18th and 19th dynasties (c.1550 c.1190 BCE).[1]… …   Wikipedia

  • Egyptian mathematics — refers to the style and methods of mathematics performed in Ancient Egypt.IntroductionEgyptian multiplication and division employed the method of doubling and halving (respectively) a known number to approach the solution. The method of false… …   Wikipedia

  • Egyptian religion — Polytheistic belief system of ancient Egypt from the 4th millennium BC to the first centuries AD, including both folk traditions and the court religion. Local deities that sprang up along the Nile Valley had both human and animal form and were… …   Universalium

  • Chester Beatty Medical Papyrus — The Chester Beatty Medical Papyrus is one of the extant medical papyri from ancient Egypt. It is dedicated to magical incantations against headaches[1] and remedies for anorectal ailments,[1][2] and is dated around 1200 BC. Part of the papyri… …   Wikipedia

  • Papyri Kahun — Les papyrus de Kahun auraient été écrits vers la fin de la XIIe dynastie égyptienne. Ils reproduisent des traités plus anciens et comprennent, entre autres, un traité de gynécologie et un traité de mathématiques. Bibliographie Le livre de Sylvia… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Egyptian Mathematical Leather Roll — The Egyptian Mathematical Leather Roll (also referred to as EMLR) was a 10 x 17 leather roll purchased by Alexander Henry Rhind in 1858. It was sent to the British Museum in 1864, along with the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus but the former was not… …   Wikipedia

  • Medical cannabis — American Cannabis Indica purchased at a Medical Cannabis dispensary …   Wikipedia

  • Greek Magical Papyri — The Greek Magical Papyri (Latin Papyri Graecae Magicae, abbreviated PGM) is the name given by scholars to a body of papyri from Graeco Roman Egypt, which each contain a number of magical spells, formulae, hymns and rituals. The materials in the… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”