Medicine in Ancient Egypt

Introduction
Ancient Egyptians were
known for many things
like their technology,
science, religion, and
pyramids. The societies
we live in today are
greatly influenced by
the Egyptians culture.
The Pyramids of Giza
From 2000 B.C. to about 400 B.C., Egyptians
practiced highly advanced medicine, such as invasive
surgery and setting of bones. The Egyptians mixed
science, religion, and magic when they practiced
medicine. There were doctors as well as specialists
who applied himself to one disease. They also knew
over 50 medical procedures that were proven
effective. Although Ancient Egyptians were capable
of doing all these things, the average life span was
29, and if you were lucky you made it to 50.
 Mummification
Another thing Ancient Egyptians are famous for are mummies. They
wanted to preserve the body for the person’s afterlife and if the body
was decayed or unrecognizable, then the soul would go hungry and the
afterlife of the deceased would be jeopardized.
In the mummification process, the internal organs were removed and
then placed in jars. After that, the people would cover the body with dry
natron (a naturally occurring compound of sodium carbonate and
sodium bicarbonate). The body would be left to thoroughly dehydrate for
some forty days. Once dried out, the body would be stuffed, bandaged,
and then put into a coffin where it was covered by a death mask. This
entire process, from death to burial, took around seventy days to finish!
Because the Egyptians studied anatomy, they were the best physicians in
the ancient world in that period. Even rulers in other countries like Persia
relied on Egyptian doctors. Egyptian doctors understood the anatomy of
a dead body but did now always know the physiology.
 An old, dehydrated Egyptian mummy

King Tutankhamen’s death mask

 Magic and Religion
Magic and religion were an important part of
everyday life in ancient Egypt. The people
believed Gods and demons were thought to be
responsible for many ailments and so there
were treatments involving spells, and dubious
ingredients. Amulets were also popular and
were used in connection with a belief in magic and the
powers embodied in each of their gods. The
Ancients believed that amulets could protect them
from evil spiritual powers that could harm them.
Anubis, the Egyptian god of the afterlife

Egyptian amulets
 Drugs
The Egyptians had many special remedies
made of magical incantations and ingredients.
They may sound ridiculous but were often
effective. Cranky babies were given pods of a
poppy plant to calm down and sleep. Acacia
and honey were used as a form of birth
control, and hot wine and a salt mixture was
used to treat earaches.
 Medical Books
The Egyptians experimented with a large
number of drugs and treatments. The
successful methods were taught to new
generations of doctors by using scrolls. Scrolls
were the first medical textbooks in history.
They were the most important documents
pertaining to medicine in the ancient Nile
Valley.
The Edwin Smith Papyrus

Ancient Egyptian medical instruments depicted

in a Ptolemaic period inscription on the temple
at Kom Ombo.
 Bibliography
• Streissguth, Thomas. Life in Ancient Egypt. San Diego:
Lucent, 2001. Print.
• Woods, Geraldine. Science in Ancient Egypt. Canada:
Children’s, 1998. Print.
• National Home Study. “The Mummification Process.”
Egyptology Online: Discovering Ancient Egypt. The
Astra Corp. Ltd, n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.egyptologyonline.com/‌mummification.
htm>.