Ancient Egyptian Medicine: Discover Best Healing Practices

Ancient Egyptian medicine is considered one of the most prominent fields that showed scientific and human progress, as the ancient Egyptians were among the first peoples to practice medicine in an organized manner.

There is part of Ancient Egyptian medicine still used today, as they relied on a combination of scientific knowledge and spiritual traditions. They excelled in diagnosing and treating diseases using medicinal herbs and natural drugs, in addition to performing simple and advanced surgeries, benefiting from their deep understanding of anatomy.

Priests and doctors played a role in ancient Egyptian society, as they were considered mediators between humans and the gods, believing that healing is a process that combines medical treatment and prayer. In this article, we talk in detail about ancient Egyptian medicine.

Overview about ancient Egyptian medicine

Ancient Egyptian medicine was very advanced, as it included simple surgeries, repairing bone fractures, and manufacturing many medicines.

The ancient Egyptians used medical papyri such as the Edwin Smith Papyrus and the Ebers Papyrus, which contain diagnoses and treatments for some injuries and diseases.

Egyptian doctors were highly respected not only in Egypt but also in neighboring countries.

One of the most famous doctors in ancient Egypt was Imhotep, who is considered the founder of medicine in ancient Egypt, and was revered as the god of healing in the late ages of the Pharaohs.

There are many Ancient Egyptian medicine facts, as it combined scientific medicine with magical medicine because they believed that diseases might be caused by evil spirits or the wrath of the gods. However, they had advanced knowledge of human anatomy thanks to the mummification processes they performed.

Diseases in Ancient Egypt

In ancient Egypt, there were many diseases that affected the population, the most famous of which are:

• Malaria: It was transmitted by mosquitoes and caused high fever.
• Schistosomes: It was transmitted through polluted water and caused problems in the urinary system.
• Plague: It was widespread at certain times and caused great deaths.
• Respiratory diseases: Such as tuberculosis, which was common among the ancient Egyptians.
• Eye diseases: They were common due to environmental conditions and dust, and the ancient Egyptians treated them using herbal medicines.

Diagnostic Methods in Ancient Egypt

Throughout Ancient Egyptian medicine history, diagnostic methods relied on a combination of medical knowledge and religious traditions. Ancient Egyptian doctors used a variety of methods to diagnose diseases and injuries. Among the methods they relied on were:

• Visual examination: Doctors would carefully examine the patient, noting any visible signs on the skin, eyes, or mouth.
• Listening to symptoms: They would listen to the patient’s description of the symptoms he was experiencing, such as pain, fever, or fatigue.
• Feeling and pressure: Doctors would use their hands to feel and press on different parts of the patient’s body to identify areas of pain or swelling.
• Using magic and religion: In some cases, they would resort to priests and magicians to diagnose diseases that they believed were caused by evil spirits or the wrath of the gods.

Therapeutic experiences in ancient Egypt

There were many advanced therapeutic experiences that showed the extent of the development of ancient Egyptian medicine, including:

Surgery

The ancient Egyptians performed complex surgeries such as suturing wounds and repairing fractures, and they used advanced surgical tools such as scalpels and forceps.

Herbal Medicine

The ancient Egyptians used a wide range of herbs and medicinal plants to treat diseases. The Ebers Papyrus contains over 700 herbas from Ancient Egyptian medicine recipes.

Mummification

The process of mummification was not only to preserve bodies, but also reflected a deep understanding of the anatomy of the human body and how to keep it from decomposing.

Treatment with amulets and charms

The ancient Egyptians believed that diseases could be caused by evil spirits, so they used amulets and charms as part of their treatment.

Water Therapy

They used holy water in treatment, as they believed it had healing properties.

The most famous doctors in ancient Egypt

In ancient Egypt, there were many doctors who were famous for their medical skills and knowledge. Among these doctors are:

Imhotep

Imhotep is considered one of the most famous Ancient Egyptian medicine names in ancient Egypt. He was a minister to King Zoser and was famous for his medical skills. It is believed that he wrote a medical papyrus containing prescriptions.

Hesy-Ra

He was the chief dentist during the reign of King Zoser, and is considered the first recorded dentist in history.

Peseshet

She is considered one of the pioneers of ancient Egyptian medicine, as she was the first known female doctor in history, and worked as the chief physician of the palace in the Fourth Dynasty.

Merit Ptah

She was a famous doctor in the Third Dynasty, and is considered the first known female doctor by name in history.

Bentu

He was a doctor during the reign of King Akhenaten, and was famous for his medical skills and service in the royal palace.

FAQs

What kind of drugs did ancient Egyptians use?

The ancient Egyptians used a variety of medicines that were largely based on herbs and medicinal plants called Herbal medicine in ancient Egypt. Among these medicines, there were plant drugs such as aloe vera, garlic, flax, and colocynth, which were used to treat a wide range of diseases. In addition, there were recipes based on such as honey and wax to treat various diseases such as infections, wounds, and digestive system diseases.

What plants were used in ancient Egyptian medicine?

In ancient Egyptian medicine, the ancient Egyptians used a variety of medicinal plants such as aloe vera to treat skin diseases, garlic as a natural antibiotic, flax to treat wounds, colocynth for digestive system problems, licorice for respiratory problems, chamomile to calm the nerves, thyme to treat respiratory problems, mint to improve digestion, and cumin to relieve gas symptoms.

Did ancient Egypt invent surgery?

Surgery was widely used in ancient Egyptian medicine as they performed complex surgeries using advanced tools made of flint and metal. The Edwin Smith Papyrus, dating back to around 1550 BC, contains detailed medical prescriptions and surgical procedures, reflecting their progress in this field.

Who is the Egyptian god of medicine?

Imhotep is the god of medicine and healing in ancient Egypt, as he was the vizier of King Djoser in the Third Dynasty and was famous for his medical skills. After his death, Imhotep was deified and considered the god of healing, and was worshipped in temples and asked to heal diseases.