The concept of health and diseases in ancient Egypt

 In ancient Egyptian civilizations, it was believed that physical health was linked to spiritual health, and when someone got sick, healers would recommend a lot of prayer and some natural treatments, so it is not unlikely that the priests were the ones who practiced medical professions, and it was believed that the illness and pain that a person suffers from

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happens to him. Because of the sins he committed, that is, as a form of punishment, or to take a lesson in life, or because of the anger of God and evil spirits, and the treatment was to read some incantations and prayers, and the Egyptians compiled a book that collects more than 700 treatments and incantations for many mental, cardiac, physical, and surgical diseases, This book is considered the oldest book related to medical practice, as it was written around 1500 BC Medical practices in ancient Egyptian medicine

Medical practices in ancient Egyptian medicine Archaeologists have discovered a number of written records describing ancient Egyptian medical practices, including the Ebers papyrus, which contains more than 700 recipes and treatments for many diseases, and some information about bone structure, and the working mechanism of the brain and liver, as follows: Explanation of some medical practices: Heart: The Egyptians believed that the heart was the center of blood supply in the body, and that it represented a meeting point for blood vessels from all parts of the body, and that the blood in the blood vessels contained tears, urine, semen and blood. Researchers described in 2014 AD the Egyptian understanding The ancient heart system was surprisingly sophisticated, although it was not precise.

Mental illnesses: Ancient Egyptian records detailed the characteristics, causes, and treatment of mental disorders, such as depression and dementia. It was believed that mental illnesses resulted from the influence of evil spirits and the anger of the gods. Family planning: Ancient Egyptian records also contain matters related to birth control, and how to know whether a woman is pregnant or not, in addition to other women’s issues. General health problems: Egyptian and Pharaonic medicine provided medical advice on treating skin problems, teeth, eye diseases, intestinal diseases, treating parasites, treating tumors and abscesses, treating burns, and broken bones.

Medical advice: Egyptian doctors provided some medical recommendations, such as eating foods carefully and avoiding contact with unclean animals and raw fish. On the other hand, there were some completely unhealthy beliefs. Like putting crocodile dung on the vagina; For the purpose of birth control, etc. Dentistry: The Egyptians also practiced some treatments related to dental problems, such as tooth decay. They used to treat the most important dental problems, using cumin, incense, and onions to treat swollen gums, and the anesthetic plant opium to treat toothache. They used to dig some holes to drain tooth and gum abscesses.

Diagnosis and treatment in ancient Egyptian medicine Exposure to injury was easier to understand than illness, as injury was attributed to a clear cause and effect that could be seen and treated. However, the causes of illness were less clear and therefore more difficult to diagnose. The cause of illness was usually explained as a result of the wrath of God, or the attack of Satan. The treatment is done by reciting some spells by the healer, due to the prevailing belief at that time that the disease is the result of an evil force entering the body.

Surgery in ancient Egyptian medicine Basic surgery was a common skill for the Egyptians, as they knew how to sew wounds effectively, and how to use and apply some plant products to bandages to treat infections, such as willow leaves, but because there were no anesthetics or antiseptics, they did not perform any surgery inside the body. Surgeons have some simple surgical tools, such as pliers, spoons, and tweezers, in addition to prosthetic limbs, but their use was not common, as they used them for the dead as a kind of decoration during funerals.

Materials used in ancient Egyptian medicine Egyptian doctors used some ingredients and foods in treatments, because they contain therapeutic properties, such as acacia leaves, castor oil, cedar oil, coriander, dates, fish, honey, garlic, thyme, frankincense, juniper, pomegranate, willow leaves, and juniper. There were some recipes that contained very strange ingredients, such as lizard blood, dead mice, and horse saliva, and applied to the body as topical ointments.

Some medicines were mixed with wine or honey, to obtain more medical benefits, and mercury was used, although today it is considered a toxic substance, it was used in Egyptian civilization, as a strong liquid that increased the lifespan of an individual. They even claimed that the person gained He gained eternal life and supernatural powers when drinking mercury, until the Chinese Emperor Quin Shi Huang died later due to mercury poisoning. In some cases, the Egyptians recommended taking an elixir containing mummy powder, human flesh, blood, or bones, because they thought it contained magical properties to treat headaches. In contrast, headaches were treated with harsh measures, such as drilling a hole in the skull to relieve the pressure. Or to expel evil spirits from the patient, and to get rid of several mental illnesses......To be continued in another article......