Embalming and accumulation of knowledge about the structure of the human body. Ancient Egypt: medicine and healing

The study of ancient Egyptian texts began relatively recently, after the French scientist J. F. Champollion unraveled the secret of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. The first message about this was made on September 27, 1822 before a meeting of French scientists. This day is considered to be the birthday of the science of Egyptology. Champollion's discovery was associated with the study of the inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone, found by an officer of the Napoleonic army in 1799 while digging trenches near the city of Rosetta in Egypt. Before deciphering the ancient Egyptian script the only sources on the history of Ancient Egypt and its medicine there was information from the Greek historian Herodotus, the Egyptian priest Manetho, presented in ancient Greek, as well as the works of the Greek writers Diodorus, Polybius, Strabo, Plutarch and others. Numerous ancient Egyptian texts on the walls of pyramids, tombs and papyrus scrolls remained for researchers are "mute". For the first time, the existence of medical treatises in Ancient Egypt is mentioned in a record on the wall of the tomb of Uash-Ptah, the chief architect of the king of the V dynasty, Neferirka-Ra (XXV century BC). The same inscription states clinical picture sudden death of the architect, which, according to modern ideas, resembles myocardial infarction or cerebral stroke. The most ancient medical treatises were written on papyri. They have not survived to this day and we know about them only from the testimony of ancient historians. Thus, the priest Menetho reports that Athotis (the second king of the 1st dynasty) compiled a medical papyrus on the structure of the human body. Currently, there are 10 main papyri known, wholly or partially devoted to healing. All of them are copies from earlier treatises. The oldest surviving medical papyrus dates back to around 1800 BC. e. One of its sections is devoted to the management of childbirth, and the other to the treatment of animals. At the same time, papyri IV and V were compiled from the Romesseum, which describe magical healing techniques. Most full details Two papyri dated around 1550 BC provide information about the medicine of Ancient Egypt. e., - a large medical papyrus by G. Ebers and a papyrus on surgery by E. Smith. Both papyri appear to have been written by the same person and are copies of an older treatise. Egyptologists believe that this ancient, unsurvived papyrus was compiled by the legendary physician Imhotep at the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. e. Imhotep was subsequently deified.

2. The connection between the mythology of Ancient Egypt and healing. The Egyptian religion, which existed for almost four thousand years, was based on the cult of animals. Each Egyptian nome (city-state) had its own sacred animal or bird: cat, lion, bull, ram, falcon, ibis, etc. Snakes were especially revered. Cobra Wadjet was the patroness of Lower Egypt. Her image was on the pharaoh's headdress. Along with the falcon, the bee and the kite, she personified royal power. On amulets, the cobra was placed next to the sacred eye - a symbol of the sky god Horus. The deceased cult animal was embalmed and buried in sacred tombs: cats in the city of Bubastis, ibises in the city of Iunu, dogs in the cities of their death. Mummies of sacred snakes were buried in the temples of the god Amun-Ra. In Memphis, in a grandiose underground necropolis, discovered big number stone sarcophagi with mummies of sacred bulls. Killing a sacred animal was punishable death penalty. According to the Egyptians, the soul of a deceased person has been in the bodies of deified animals and birds for 3 thousand years, which helps it avoid dangers the afterlife. With this, Herodotus explains the severity of the punishment for killing a sacred animal. The main gods of healing were the god of wisdom Thoth and the goddess of motherhood and fertility Isis. He was depicted as a man with the head of an ibis bird or embodied in the form of a baboon. Both the ibis and the baboon represented wisdom in Ancient Egypt. He created writing, mathematics, astronomy, religious rituals, music and, most importantly, a system for treating diseases natural means. The most ancient medical treatises are attributed to him. Isis was considered the creator of the magical foundations of healing and the patroness of children. Medicines with the name of Isis are even mentioned in the works of the ancient Roman pharmacist Galen. Ancient Egyptian medicine also had other divine patrons: the mighty lion-headed goddess Sokhmet, protector of women and women in labor; the goddess Tauert, depicted as a female hippopotamus. Every newborn Egyptian, regardless of social status, lay next to a small figurine of Tauert.

The ancient Egyptian state, located in the valley and delta of the Nile, went through several stages in its development, starting from the Early Kingdom (end of the 4th millennium BC) to 395 AD, when, after the collapse of the Roman Empire, Egypt became part of Byzantium. The heyday of ancient Egyptian civilization dates back to the period of the New Kingdom (XVI-XI centuries BC).

The real border of the country passed where the black fertile land ended. Hence the name of the country - Khemet - in the ancient Egyptian language (black land). From the word cheme (black earth) comes the name of the science - chemistry (also means “Egyptian science”). Chemistry originates on Egyptian soil: high level Craft chemistry (pottery, glassblowing, dyeing, weaving, metal processing) reached development. Ammonia gets its name from the ancient Egyptian word Amonian. This was the name given to people who worshiped the god Amun: during ritual ceremonies they inhaled ammonia NH 4 Cl, which releases ammonia when heated (there is information that this substance was found near the temple of the god of the pharaohs Amun).

The life of the Egyptian population is closely connected with the main waterway - the Nile River. The need to calculate the periods of decline and rise of water in the Nile led to the development of astronomy. This is evidenced by star charts preserved on the ceilings of the tombs of the pharaohs. It was the Egyptians who divided the day into 24 hours and created a perfect calendar, according to which the year consisted of 365 days (12 months of 30 each and an additional 5 days at the end of the year). This calendar was also adopted in the Roman Empire. Along with astronomical, mathematical, and geographical knowledge, the ancient Egyptians had knowledge in the field of medicine. Healing was an integral part of the unique culture of ancient Egypt. It arose from practical experience people.

The main sources on healing in ancient Egypt are descriptions of historians and writers of antiquity (Herodotus, Plutarch, etc.), archaeological finds, inscriptions and images on the walls of tombs, papyrus texts. Only ten medical papyri have survived to this day, named after the first owners (Smith, Hearst, Chester-Beatty, Carlsberg), or by the place of discovery (Kahunsky, from Ramsessum), or by the name of the city where they are stored (Berlin, London , Leiden), or by the name of the first publisher (G. Ebers). The papyri that have reached us are laconic practical guides for healers, most of them date back to the New Kingdom period.

The first patron deities of medicine were Osiris, a symbol of the life-giving sun and the blessed Nile, and Isis, his sister and wife. The medical abilities of Isis are evidenced by the myth that this goddess, having found her son killed by the titans, brought him back to life and made him immortal, taught him medicine and the art of guessing the future. Complex medicines, called Isis, were in use until the new era.

God Thoth, who was depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or as a baboon (both symbols of wisdom), was considered a friend and helper of Osiris, the inventor of the olive tree culture, language, writing, religious rites, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music and medicine. All medical work was under the patronage of the god Thoth, who was called Phar-ma-ki (Far-ma-ki), which translated means “premonition”, “protector”, “healer”. Hence the origin of the words pharmacy, pharmacist, pharmacopoeia, etc. Imhotep, the famous healer and architect deified after death, was revered as the patron of medicine.

In ancient Egyptian medicine there was a mixture of rational-empirical elements with superstition and magical practice. Egyptian medicine was in the hands of the priests. Every priest in Egypt was also a doctor. When treating diseases, priests took into account healing power the souls and strength of demons, who were a cross between gods and people. 36 such demons were in charge of 36 parts of the human body. Hence the widespread belief in Egypt that for every disease there should be a special doctor. The profession of a doctor in Ancient Egypt was designated by two hieroglyphic signs - a scalpel and a mortar, thus combining the symbols of a surgeon and a pharmacologist.

Future doctors received their medical education in special schools of scribes located at churches - “houses of life.” Doctors, like all priests, received their support from the income of the temples. The social position of doctors was very high, but it was determined not so much by their professional qualities as by the ability to clothe their actions in religious forms. There was a custom, in gratitude for treatment, to bring images of diseased organs and limbs cast in gold or silver.

Anatomy knowledge human body The Egyptians received from the practice of embalming corpses - a custom associated with the funeral cult: ideas about the afterlife aroused the desire to preserve the body from destruction. The structure of the organs of the chest and abdomen was more or less known. However, they have not been studied in more detail. The Egyptians assigned a special role to the heart and blood vessels. According to them, there was a close connection between blood vessels and disease. The disease entered the body through the vessels and spread through them. Medicinal substances also spread throughout the body through blood vessels. Diagnostic methods included a detailed interview of the patient, examination using the senses: examination, listening, palpation, determination of body odor, sweat, exhalation, wounds, etc. There is an assumption that the ancient Egyptians knew how to count the pulse using a water clock - “ clepsydra."

The Egyptians associated the causes of the disease both with natural phenomena (unhealthy food, weather changes, etc.) and with ideas about the intervention of supernatural forces (for example, an evil spirit entering the body of a sick person).

The Egyptians knew a large number of medicinal substances and various forms of their preparation. Only people belonging to the highest caste of clergy had the right to prepare medicine. Simple and complex extracts, decoctions, gruels, ointments, pastes, solutions, pills (without honey for men and with honey for women), rinses, rubs (vegetable oil with chamomile flowers for diseases of blood vessels and nerves), compresses, patches, lotions were used (from honey - for stomach tumors), mustard plasters, poultices (for putrefactive diseases), fumigation. In Ancient Egypt, incense, an aromatic resin, was in great demand. Incense was valued by Egyptian priests not only for its ability to spread fragrance when burned, but also for its ability to prevent the spread of disease. This substance was also included in mixtures for fumigating patients’ homes and clothing.

During operations, the Egyptians used anesthetic substances - rubbing with mandrake juice. A piece of “raw meat” (the progenitor of a homeostatic sponge) was placed on a fresh bleeding wound, then the edges were stitched using a needle and thread. If the wound was not extensive, then a plaster was applied to it in a cross shape. The festering wounds were sprinkled with bread or wood mold. When making medicines, the Egyptians used appropriate technological techniques: grinding, sifting, infusion, straining, squeezing.

Cereals, cedar fruits, fig trees, palm wine, vinegar, henbane, wormwood, aloe, sea onion, opium (one of the main remedies), etc. were used as medicines. The poisonous properties of strychnine were known. Medicines of animal origin included human milk, honey (for eye treatment), ox bile, bitter fish bile, fats, brain, liver, and animal blood.

In addition to rational remedies used in ancient Egyptian medicine, there are irrational preparations, for example, ointment from a crushed donkey skull, an infusion on the tooth of this animal, an infusion on the excrement of various animals. It is possible that in some cases they were only folklore names of medicinal herbs and substances.

Of the mineral substances, saltpeter and saltpeter were used as medicines. copper sulfate, alum, table salt, etc.

The ancient Egyptians gave detailed recommendations regarding the time of taking medications and other features of medical prescriptions. Thus, such a signature was in use as the “morning and evening” reception.

The preparation of medicines was at a relatively high level among the Egyptians. Anti-putrefactive, skin and cosmetic products were especially well prepared. Medical cosmetics, the birthplace of which is Egypt, has received great development.

Many names of substances used in Ancient Egypt have survived to this day, for example, sodium, antimony.

Hygiene played an important role among the Egyptians. Traditions prescribed neatness in clothing, keeping the body clean, and moderation in food. Particularly strict hygienic requirements were imposed on priests. According to the testimony of the Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC), the priests wore only linen clothes, shoes made of papyrus, and washed twice a day and twice a night. The Egyptians believed that food products contained elements that caused diseases, and that they could protect themselves from diseases by periodically ridding their body of excess: spoiled juices, air, putrefactive substances, bad blood. Therefore, regular bowel cleansing was practiced using an enema (its invention is attributed to the Egyptians), taking an emetic, laxative, sweating, or completely abstaining from food.

The oldest medical papyrus is the Kahunsky, dating from about 1950 BC. it was found in 1889. The papyrus consists of three parts, devoted to medicine, veterinary medicine and mathematics.

The medical section consists of three sheets, and only fragments of the first two sheets have survived. The third sheet was reconstructed from 46 individual pieces. The first two sheets contain 17 gynecological prescriptions. Beer, milk, dates, herbs and some other substances are recommended as medicines. The third sheet contains 17 recipes relating to determining pregnancy (by the condition of a woman’s breasts, complexion and eyes), and determining the sex of the unborn child.

A separate section of the Ebers papyrus is devoted to cosmetics. It contains prescriptions for medicines for wrinkles, for removing moles, tinting eyebrows and eyelashes, and strengthening hair. To protect their eyes from the scorching sun and some infectious diseases, the Egyptians covered their eyelids with a green paste (salt, antimony, malachite powder). Hair was cut short (to prevent lice), and wigs made of many tightly intertwined braids were worn on top. They replaced a hat and protected from the sun.

The method of determining pregnancy by urine, used by the Egyptians, is contained in the Berlin Papyrus (13th century BC). The method works surprisingly accurately: the presence of the hormone in the urine of a pregnant woman was determined. Modern science it became known only in 1927. A series of tests showed that hormones in the urine of pregnant women accelerate the growth of cereals, while the urine of a non-pregnant woman (or man) slows germination. It also contains recipes for contraceptives used in ancient Egypt. The papyrus contains a method for determining the sex of an unborn child (it is recommended to moisten grains of barley and wheat with the urine of a pregnant woman and see what sprouts first: if there is wheat, there will be a girl, if barley, there will be a boy); Advice is given on determining a woman's fertility, and there are chapters on rheumatism and blood vessels.

The Hearst papyrus describes 260 cases of disease, of which 96 are mentioned in the Ebers papyrus, and there is a chapter on bone diseases, treatment of broken limbs and precautions for bites by poisonous insects. The Leiden Papyrus (c. 1250 BC) describes magical and empirical healing techniques similar to those given in other papyri. The London Papyrus focuses on magical healing techniques. At the same time, it also contains rational recipes, such as the use of bovine liver, which contains vitamin A in abundance, for the treatment of night blindness, and the use of castor oil, which contains castor oil, for stomach diseases.

Many recipes were accompanied by magic spells that ward off evil spirits. For the same purpose, unpleasant-tasting substances were often included in the medicines: parts of a mouse’s tail, discharge from a pig’s ears, animal excrement and urine.

In ancient Egypt, the oldest surviving text on the structure of the human body and surgical treatment was compiled - the surgical papyrus, dating back to the 16th century. BC. (named after its explorer the Smith Papyrus). It amazes with its exceptional scientific accuracy and clarity of presentation. The 17 columns of the obverse papyrus form part of a surgical treatise. The text on the reverse side is a collection of randomly obtained information, including magic spells against pests, recipes for the treatment of gynecological diseases, skin care recipes, and rejuvenation techniques.

The surgical treatise consists of sequential and interconnected descriptions of 48 different injuries. In style, these are clear instructions from the teacher to the student. Each description includes the name of the injury, a description of the symptoms, the wording of the conclusion, a list of treatment prescriptions, and an explanation of phrases and expressions used for the first time. The treatise is clearly systematized by the location of injuries, starting with damage to the head, then the nose, throat, collarbone, chest, and spine. The text ends literally mid-sentence when there is significant space unfilled with text. Treatment of injuries to the skull, brain, neck, collarbones, and spine was mainly carried out using rational methods through surgery. There is an indication of recourse to magical techniques, or, more precisely, to spells, in only one of 48 cases.

Egyptian medical ethics required that the doctor, after examination, tell the patient the prognosis in one of three phrases:

this is a disease that I can cure (auspicious),

this is a disease that I may be able to cure (undefined),

this is a disease that I cannot cure (unfavorable).

An unfavorable verdict was given in 14 cases, constituting a group of injuries that the doctor could not cure and which were, in modern terms, of scientific interest to him. The Egyptians knew about the existence of the crisis when acute diseases, the 10th day after the onset of the disease was considered critical.

Aromatherapy, or the treatment of patients with herbal oils, was born in Egypt. The Egyptians discovered the distillation of wine and cedar resin. They isolated turpentine oil and aromatic herbal extracts in the form of distilled oil. Pieces of wood, leaves and stems were placed in a clay vessel and placed on the fire. The hole in the vessel was covered with cotton cloth and the vessel was transferred to a reed mat. The oils were obtained by simply squeezing cotton soaked in steam. This procedure underlies the production of our tinctures and perfumes.

The papyri that have reached us, as shown by analysis of their contents and thorough paleographic examination, are copies of more ancient medical treatises. The antiquity of these sources is confirmed by direct references in the texts. Thus, the Ebers papyrus contains a remedy for hair growth, first prepared for the mother of the pharaoh of the 1st dynasty (beginning around 3000 BC). In the same papyrus there is a reference to a papyrus about blood vessels, found under a sculpture of the god Anubis in Letopolis during the reign of the third pharaoh of the 1st dynasty. The same fact is reported in the Berlin Papyrus.

By the 2nd millennium BC. The level of development of medicine in Egypt is becoming much higher than that of its neighboring states. Judging by surviving documents, the Egyptian pharaohs sent their doctors to foreign countries not only to cure their rulers and members of their families, but also to impress their allies with the skill of their doctors, and thereby strengthen their prestige.

Ancient Egyptian medicine has much in common with Mesopotamian medicine. She had a great influence on the medicine of Ancient Greece, as well as other states of the ancient world. But Egyptian medicine itself from the very beginning was placed within a strictly religious framework, which excluded any possibility of free research. Under such conditions, she could not move forward, and until the end of the existence of the ancient Egyptian state, she retained traditional knowledge and methods of treatment.

Medical practice in ancient Egypt was so advanced that many of the observations and routine procedures were not surpassed by the Western world for centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire. It was ancient Egyptian medicine that became the source of knowledge for doctors of Ancient Greece and Rome.

The Egyptians understood that disease could be treated pharmaceuticals, recognized the healing potential of massage and aromatherapy, gave important cleanliness when treating patients.

The fact that bacteria can be the source of diseases and infections became known even after the invention of the microscope - only in the 19th century, when this theory was confirmed by Louis Pasteur and proven by the work of the British surgeon Joseph Lister. However, even before their statements, the Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis in the 19th century suggested that doctors could reduce mortality among patients by simply washing their hands before examination or surgery.

The ancient Egyptians would certainly have agreed with Semmelweis's idea, since they valued cleanliness very highly. In ancient Egypt, mortality after medical procedures was probably less than in any European hospital during the Christian era.

Injuries and illnesses

The cause of illness was usually understood to be the result of sin or demonic attack. Therefore, the first “doctors” tried to rid the patient of his illness by casting spells. In addition, amulets, offerings to the gods, tattoos and figurines were used to ward off evil spirits or appease the gods who caused the disease.

From those times, many papyri have been preserved in which spells are recorded. In some of them you can find practical ways treatment. For example, a papyrus dating back to 1200 BC instructs cancer patients to use marijuana.

Another papyrus, the writing of which scientists date back to 1570-1069 BC, describes the first methods of contraception and pregnancy tests in history.

In the densely populated Nile Valley they were widespread infectious diseases. Almost the entire population of Egypt then lived on a narrow strip of land along the river, which was sometimes only a few hundred meters wide. Diseases could be distinguished depending on the time of year.

Smallpox, dysentery, typhoid fever and jaundice most often overtook the Egyptians in the spring and summer. Each year, the goddess Isis shed tears for her late husband Osiris, and the water level of the Nile rose from mid-July to September. Along with the fertile silt that helped the Egyptians survive, the river brought with it a specific set of diseases, the main one probably being malaria - the main cause of death in late autumn. Cooler winter weather favored the onset of respiratory diseases.

One of the most common complaints among Egyptians was eye infections. They fought it with bactericidal eye paint and drugs from the human brain. This is what one of them looks like universal recipes, following which was supposed to save not only from eye infection, but also all problems in the body in general: “ Human brain divide it into two halves, mix half with honey, spread on the eye in the evening. Dry the other half, sift, smear on the eye in the morning.”

Heavy physical work caused enormous damage to the joints and bones of workers. Those who lived to old age became victims of the same ailments that older people still suffer from: cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and probably dementia.

A restricted diet has caused or aggravated a number of diseases, and in some cases even led to fatal outcome. IN ancient egyptian history There were times when famine spread throughout the country. Data from ancient dental papyri indicate that during most of these periods the health of the population deteriorated significantly, but with more active introduction Agriculture these problems were reduced to nothing.

The meager diet also affected the growth of the Egyptians. The average height of men did not exceed 160 cm, women – 150 cm.

Doctor's profession

Goddess Sekhmet, bas-relief

Both men and women could become healers in Ancient Egypt. The first physician, later deified, was Imhotep, who combined the writing medical works with the construction of the step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara and was also a famous architect.

It was Imhotep who became the founder of secular medicine: he argued that the disease originates naturally and has nothing to do with spirits or the revenge of the gods.

Imhotep statue

The doctor had to be not only competent, but also pure in soul and body. In Egypt they were called “wabau” - ritually clean: they had to bathe as often and thoroughly as high priests.

Each doctor had his own specialty, but the sunu stood out - doctors general practice, and “sau”, who specialized in magical rituals. Midwives, massage therapists, nurses, attendants and seers also assisted the doctor.

Midwifery appears to have been the only female profession in ancient Egypt. After studying medical texts, which were written mainly by men, scientists found that they contained a lot of information on gynecology in general, but none described obstetrics. Additionally, men were never depicted in childbirth scenes.

Evidence medical training There are no midwives. In the Old Kingdom (the period of the reign of the pharaohs of the III-VI dynasties), the word “midwife” is associated with nurses who helped the doctor, but after this period the connection between these two professions was lost. Midwives could be female relatives, friends or neighbors. Apparently they were not considered medical specialists.

The work of nurses could be performed by both men and women. The Egyptians had great respect for nurses, although, as in the case of midwives, there is no evidence of school or vocational training. Nurses and nurses were most valued.

Women regularly died during childbirth, and legal documents of the time included agreements between wet nurses and families to care for the newborn in the event of the mother's death. Nannies who helped with raising children were given such respect that during the New Kingdom (the era of the highest prosperity of the ancient Egyptian state) they were associated with the divine.

Dental treatment

The first known dentist in the world was Hesire, the chief dentist at the court of Djoser (c. 2700 BC). Dental problems arose mainly from eating rough bread and failing to completely remove sand from their food. Dentists used honey and herbs to treat teeth, supposedly to stop infection or relieve pain. Some mummies were found to have dental bridges and gold teeth. It is unknown whether they were in the mouth during the owner's lifetime, or whether they were added during the embalming process.

Hesire

Ruler Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BC) died of a tooth abscess. Such cases were not uncommon among her subjects. Toothaches and other problems were believed to be caused by toothworms, which had to be exorcised with magical spells. This belief most likely originated in Mesopotamia, particularly among the Sumerians, whose cuneiform records were found to contain spells against the toothworm.

In addition to magic, Egyptian dentists used the healing power of herbs in their work. So, in order to save your patients from unpleasant odor from the mouth, they prepared gum from honey, cinnamon, myrrh, frankincense and piñon. There is evidence of tooth extraction with opium used as an anesthetic.

Medical instruments

Besides Hek, there were many other important gods of healing, such as Sekhmet, Serket (also known as Selket), Sebek and Nefertum. Serketa's priests were all doctors, although not every doctor was a member of her cult. The help of Sobek, the god of crocodiles, was sought during surgical operations and invasive procedures. Nefertum, the god of spirits associated with the lotus and healing, was invoked in treatments that today would be called aromatherapy.

Nefertum, figurine

The pharmaceutical preparations of the ancient Egyptian medical priests included antacids, copper salts, turpentine, alum, astringents, alkaline laxatives, diuretics, sedatives, antispasmodics, calcium carbonate and magnesium. The dosage of medicines was prescribed with special care in medical papyri, indicating the method in which the medicine should be taken orally (for example, with wine or food).

Surgical procedures were common, and many of the instruments of that time are still used in one form or another today. The Egyptians had flint and metal scalpels, pliers, bone saws, probes, catheters, clamps to stop bleeding, specules, tweezers, lancets for opening veins, sponges, scissors, vials, flax bandages and scales for calculating medicinal doses.

Surgical instruments

Surgeries were most often successful, as evidenced by mummies and other remains found that survived amputations and even brain surgery. They have also been found, usually carved from wood.

The role of ancient Egyptian medicine in history

Circumcision procedure

Since the nature of the infection was unknown to the Egyptians, it was considered the result of supernatural influence. This approach likely led to the deaths of many young people.

Egyptian doctors were in great demand in Ancient World, despite the fact that little new knowledge probably emerged after 2000 BC. Their treatment was based on examination and diagnosis. The description of the case - the most demanding work of the doctor - took longer than the diagnosis or recommended treatment.

In general, treatment was conservative: if a cure for a disease was unknown, then the doctor would take some steps that would not endanger the patient's life or relieve symptoms. For example, some head wounds, then considered incurable, were treated with an ointment to prevent infection.

Although Egyptian embalmers came to understand how the organs they removed from bodies were connected to each other, this knowledge was not shared with doctors. The two professions developed in completely different directions, and what each did in their line of work was not considered relevant to the other.

The ancient Egyptians had a special relationship with such an organ of the human body as the heart. In addition to being recognized as a “pump,” the heart was also considered the center of emotion, personality, and intellect. For this reason, the hearts of the dead were preserved, but the brain was scraped out and discarded as a useless organ.

Although they recognized liver disease, the Egyptians had no understanding of its functions. In Ancient Egypt, problems of miscarriages and infertility were regularly dealt with, but there was very vague understanding of the mechanism of these processes. The entire culture's reliance on the supernatural help of the gods prevented the Egyptians from exploring more immediate and practical solutions. medical problems that they encountered on a daily basis.

However, the Egyptian physician was highly respected for his skills and knowledge, and was called to court by the pharaohs and nobles of other nations. The Greeks especially admired Egyptian physicians, and adopted a number of beliefs and practices from them. Later such famous doctors Rome and Greece, like Galen and Hippocrates, studied Egyptian texts and symbols, thus passing on traditions and knowledge to the present day.

The Egyptians believed that a person continues to live
after death, their ideas about eternal life
assumed the existence of not only immortal
soul, but also an incorruptible body, this led to
the emergence of the ritual of mummification
(embalming).

Mummification tools

Embalming technology

Canopic pots

Second method of embalming

Third method of embalming

"Clothes" of mummies

Mummies don't like to travel

Idea of ​​the structure of the human body in the ancient world

Conclusion

Even in ancient times, representatives of some civilizations reached such heights in some areas of knowledge that even today it is difficult to believe. And some technological secrets of our predecessors are unknown to modern scientists. One of these amazing civilizations was ancient Egypt. Medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and construction reached a very high level there. And the topic of this article will be specifically healing.

Ancient Egypt: medicine and religious beliefs

Everything that was done here was inextricably linked with religious ideas. In general, this state of affairs is typical for many. It was believed that Egyptian medicine was the brainchild of the god of wisdom Thoth, who created 32 Hermetic books for people, six of which were devoted to medicine. Unfortunately, news of this storehouse of ancient knowledge has reached us only in indirect mentions. The works themselves were lost.

Ancient Egypt: medicine and biological knowledge

In addition to these books, knowledge about biology and anatomy also existed on papyri. The most famous of them are the Smith and Ebers papyri. They came to us from the middle of the 2nd century. BC. The Ebers Papyrus contains common medical topics, prescriptions and prescriptions. Smith's legacy describes valuable information about the treatment of bruises and wounds. In addition, archaeologists also found separate works on gynecology and pediatrics. At the same time, the medicine of ancient Egypt

had and weak sides. Despite the constant practice of autopsy and embalming of the dead, knowledge about the anatomy of the human body and its physiology has not received much development. First of all, this was due to the existence of many prohibitions regarding dead body. They significantly slowed down his study. Actually, embalming was not even carried out by doctors, but by individual specialists for whom the body was of no interest from the point of view of treating diseases.

Ancient Egypt: medicine and treatment of diseases

Texts that have reached modern days contain fairly complete information about various diseases, as well as methods of their treatment. At the same time, the development of medicine was hampered by ideas about human ailments, which were based on the idea of ​​​​possessing evil spirits into the patient. Other causes could also include poisoning and weather. Therefore, the most important component of treatment was magical rituals and conspiracies. In surgery, only the simplest procedures were carried out: splinting, reversing dislocations. And yet diagnostics were quite well developed. Thus, the Egyptians learned to determine the pulse in different arteries. Had enough full view about blood circulation, realized the importance of the heart. What reached heights in ancient Egypt was pharmacology, which existed in the form various types medicinal potions. Enough was known a large number of drugs. Their required doses for various diseases. For example, olive Castor oil, opium and saffron are still used today.