Ancient Egyptian Medicine

Illness is in no way a new thing, and if you happened to be alive and sick during the time of the pharaohs, there was most likely a medicine treatment of some sort to help you through. However, in ancient Egypt, medicine the way we think of it now was not always the preferred method of curing diseases.

The Egyptian culture was a religious one, and as such, there were plenty of healers who relied on prayer and the use of magic and faith in their gods. In ancient Egypt , magic medicine was the order of the day. It was believed that sickness was due to evil spirits that poisoned the body, and the best way to cure the body of this sort of influence was by cleansing. 

Cleansing sickness involved prayers to the goddess Sekhmet, the holy overseer of healing, curses, and threats. This, in conjunction to some very nasty "medicines," was hoped to fix whatever problem the person was having.

It was important, the Egyptians believed, to take proper care of themselves in preventing sickness as well: this included praying to certain gods and goddess, the wearing of amulets, and the eating of a healthy and balanced diet.

Herbs were frequently used to help relieve symptoms for people in pain and discomfort. And with other forms of ancient Egyptian medicine, often charms and invocations were included to help encourage the cure to take hold.

Imhotep

Imhotep, vizier to the Pharaoh Djoser, was the author of what is called the Edwin Smith papyrus, which catalogs several treatments for several different illnesses and problems. It also listed many internal organs including the spleen, liver, kidneys, bladder, and others, as well as the ureter and various blood vessels.

Other papyrus found over the years detail the Egyptians' knowledge of the body and how it works, like the Ebers Papyrus, the Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus, Berlin Medical Papyrus, London Medical Papyrus, and the Hearst Medical Papyrus. They give steps to treat an assortment of wounds and illnesses, from misaligned vertebrae to head trauma.

Over the years, the Egyptians' findings soon spread to other nearby countries. Greece in particular benefited from the knowledge, as their medical understanding at the point was basically superficial at best. So the Egyptians helped further the world's understanding and gave other cultures the means to advance the basic understanding of medicine and treatments of illnesses, conditions, trauma, and diseases.