Ancient Medical Practices: Egypt, Greece & Rome

Ancient Medical Practice: Egypt, Greece & Rome

Ancient Egypt (3000 – 500 BCE)

• Medicine and Magic: Ancient Egyptians believed sickness was caused by evil spirits or angry gods. Healing involved both spells and natural remedies.

• Doctors and Priests: Some priests were also doctors, especially in temples dedicated to the healing god Imhotep, who was later worshipped as a god of medicine.

• Medical Texts: The Ebers Papyrus (a scroll from around 1550 BCE) listed over 700 treatments.

  • Honey for wounds (kills bacteria).

  • Herbs for stomach aches.

IMHOTEP

• Imhotep lived in ancient Egypt around 2650 BCE and is recognized as one of the earliest recorded physicians in history.

• He moved medicine away from magic and focused on practical treatments using natural substances like plants.

• Imhotep is thought to have diagnosed and treated diseases, including arthritis, tuberculosis, and gout. He contributed to early surgical techniques, such as suturing wounds and setting fractures, as described in ancient medical texts like the Edwin Smith Papyrus 124.

Mummification

• Mummification was the process the Ancient Egyptians used to preserve dead bodies because they believed in life after death.

• The process involved removing internal organs, drying the body with natron (a special salt), and wrapping it in linen bandages.

• Important people, like pharaohs and nobles, were often buried with treasures, food, and other items for the afterlife.

Ancient Greece (c. 1200–146 BCE)

• Natural Causes of Illness: Greek thinkers started believing disease had natural causes, not just magic or gods.

• Hippocrates – “Father of Medicine”:

  • Lived around 460–370 BCE.

  • Believed in the Four Humors (blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile).

  • Health = all humors are balanced.

  • Created the Hippocratic Oath: doctors promise to do no harm (some version is still used today!).

  • Observation & Records: Greek doctors carefully observed symptoms and kept case notes, a step toward modern science!

HIPPOCRATES

• Hippocrates was a famous ancient Greek doctor, called the "Father of Medicine."

• He believed that illnesses had natural causes, not punishments from the gods. He encouraged doctors to observe their patients carefully and keep records.

• He also created the Hippocratic Oath, a promise that doctors still follow today to care for patients honestly and ethically.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH

The Hippocratic Oath is a special promise that doctors make before treating patients. It was first written by Hippocrates.

In the oath, doctors promise to:

• Do no harm to their patients

• Keep patient information private

• Always do their best to help people

• Act honestly and respectfully

Ancient Rome (c. 753 BCE–476 CE)

• Borrowed Greek Ideas: The Romans admired Greek doctors and their knowledge; many doctors in Rome were Greek.

• Galen (c. 130 CE):

  • Expanded on Hippocrates’ ideas.

  • Dissected animals (like pigs and apes) to learn about anatomy.

  • His ideas were followed for over 1,000 years.

Public Health

Romans excelled at public health:

• Aqueducts brought clean water into cities.

• Public baths were for hygiene and relaxation.

• Sewers and toilets removed waste.

• Army hospitals cared for wounded soldiers.

Summary:

Civilisation

• Egypt

• Greece

• Rome

Key Beliefs

• Magic + natural medicine

• Illness from natural causes

• Built on Greek ideas

Famous Person

• Imhotep

• Hippocrates

• Galen

Contribution

• Herbal remedies, early surgeries

• Four Humours, medical ethics

• Anatomy, public health systems