History of Medicine Lecture 3 Revision

Use this to study.

Mtw-vessels

22 vessels that link up at crucial junctures, being the heart and the anus. They acted as canals through which materials are transported throughout the body. Health depended on the balance (MAAT) of this transport of substances.

Weighing of the heart against a feather

After death, the heart was weighed against a feather (representing the goddess of truth Ma’at). If the heart was heavier, than the deceased would not enter the afterlife, and their souls would be consumed by the demon Ammut. This ritual was overseen by Osiris, the lord of the underworld

Purity of the body and the soul

Purity, or wab, was an important milestone in ancient Egypt, especially for individuals who aspired to engage in divine affairs. Purification was achieved through sexual abstinence and dietary restrictions, maintaining MAAT in the body.

Canopic jars

Canopic jars were used to store specific organs harvested from the body after death. In particular, the lungs, stomach, intestines, and liver were stashed and placed under the protection of Horus, Hapy, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuef, and Imsety, respectively.

Illness as a imbalance

Illness and ailments were seen as a result of MAAT imbalance. Foreign toxic substances, called wekhedu, were believed to block the mtw-vessels.

Medical practitioners in ancient egypt

1) Swnw → A sort of surgeon who treated trauma cases on top of being a physician.

2) Sau (magician) → Appears in conjunction with the goddess Serqet, possessing both the ability to heal and destroy. Sau acted on behalf of the gods and played a more divine role in treating the ill.

3) Wab (pure/priest) → Possesses a connection to religion, specifically of the goddess Sekhmet, who is simultaneously capable of healing and destruction. Wab also focused on the divine aspect of healing.

The House of Life (per ankh)

A primitive educational institution that recorded medical knowledge, but it was not exactly a medical school. Scribes were entrusted with passing down this information via medical papyri.

Medical Papyrus Records

Documents that held significant amounts of medical information, such as the treatment and diagnosis of certain diseases. The most popular example would be the Edwin Papyrus, which describes 48 cases of injury and trauma in addition to the mechanisms of the injury, clinical examinations, diagnosis and treatment.

Imhotep

A widely revered ancient Egyptian polymath who was the first physician known by name. As a physician, surgeon, medical herbalist, and dentist, he treated over 200 diseases, ranging from diseases of the abdomen, bladder, rectum, eyes, skin, hair, nails, and tongue. He was later deified long after his death and identified with Greece’s god of medicine.

Medical substances used by ancient Egyptians

Gastrointestinal complaints → common juniper tree, caraway, and cardamom.

Gases, flatulence, and digestion → Mint.

Rheumatism → Celery and saffron.

Laxative → Castor oil and colocynth.

Garlic and onions were used to increase vitality, and workers were given these to ward off infections.

Respiratory problems, expulsion of phlegm, alleviation of liver and pancreas → Liquorice

Diarrhoea and closing wounds → Henna

Pain relief → Poppy mandrake and thyme

Alleviation of headaches, toothaches, and backaches → Myrrh

Eradication of tapeworms → Pomagranate

Treating skin conditions (burns, ulcers, allergies) → Aloe vera