Ancient Egyptian Medicine: Practices, Tools, and Discoveries

Introduction

Civilizations throughout history have dealt with disease and illness in numerous ways. It is interesting to examine the Ancient Egyptians and determine how they practiced medicine during their time and how it relates to modern medicine. It is also important to consider the materials and tools involved in their medical practices, major medical discoveries, and the methods used by physicians to heal patients.

Medical Discoveries and Practices

The Ancient Egyptians made several major medical discoveries and began treating diseases in a physical manner alongside older spiritual cures. Though much of the advancement in medical knowledge and practice was a side effect of religious ceremonies, the effect on public health and knowledge of the human body was tremendous. Fueled by a desire to enter the afterlife, Egyptian knowledge of the workings of the body encompassed new areas of medicine — ranging from a basic understanding of anatomy to the introduction of some surgical skills.

In Ancient Egypt, physicians were known for their advanced medical practices. They performed a number of procedures which ranged from embalming, to faith healing, to surgery, and autopsy. There was no strict separation between Physician, Priest, and Magician in Egypt. It would not have been unusual, for example, for a patient to receive a bandage for a dog bite, a paste of berries and honey, an incantation said over the wound, and a magical amulet to wear — as healing was an art addressed on many levels.

Ancient Egyptians also created the processes of embalming and autopsies, both of which are still used today. It was common for an embalmer to examine — or perform an autopsy on — a body to determine the cause of death. The use of surgery also evolved from a knowledge of basic anatomy and embalming practices. From such careful observations made by early medical practitioners of Egypt, healing practices began to center upon both religious rituals and the daily lives of the Ancient Egyptians.

Physicians, Priests, and Magicians

The Ancient Egyptians believed that the prescription for a healthy life meant that an individual undertook stringent and regular purification rituals, which included frequent bathing, often shaving one's head and body hair, and maintaining dietary restrictions against raw fish and other animals considered unclean to eat. While living in a purified state, Egyptians would also undergo dream analysis to find a cure or cause for illness, and would ask a priest to aid them with magic — illustrating that religious, magical, and purificatory rites were intertwined in the healing process as well as in creating a proper lifestyle.

One of the most famous physicians of Ancient Egypt is Imhotep, who was also a designer of pyramids. There were numerous methods by which patients were treated, but much of their practice was based upon religious belief, as physicians were also priests. It was common for different priests to act as physicians for different parts of the body — in much the same way that doctors specialize today — as they believed that different gods governed different sectors of the human body.

It was a common belief among Egyptians that most illnesses — at least those caused by no obvious accident — were the work of hostile powers: an adversary, a spirit, or a dead person. For this reason, magicians as well as physicians were concerned with curing the ills of the populace. The Egyptians were often plagued with bites from snakes and scorpions, and records show that due to the lack of specific ointments or balms, magicians treated these bites with spells and magical charms.

Conclusion

Ancient Egyptian physicians exhibited knowledge about medicine that was extremely advanced for their time. These physicians can be credited with developing a number of treatments and procedures that continue to be used in modern medicine today.