Many individuals do not consider Egyptology among the most appealing and influential matters, particularly the study of developments and modifications in Egyptian medicine. Ancient Egypt has long been seen as an archetypally conservative culture dedicated to the preservation of antiquated concepts and practices that have been scrupulously sustained over the years with little to no change.
As a result, when comparing Ancient Egyptian practices to those of the powerful and fast-developing civilizations, Egypt can be seen by some as inferior. Still, when delving deeper into the medicine of Egyptians, the significance of this ancient nation’s practices cannot be understated. These people believed in a strong connection between the mind and spirituality, and physical health. Thus, despite the appearance that Egyptians used simple therapeutic techniques, they actually employed a variety of techniques and used both mind-altering substances and healing herbs as their treatments.
Common Diseases of Egyptians
When it comes to Ancient Egyptian herbal medicines, pharmacology, and treatment practices, it is first vital to see the kinds of diseases and ailments treated by the people at these times. The origins of several medical issues and the most efficient treatment method were discovered via experience and straightforward observations. The Edwin Smith Papyrus may be the best example since every one of the 48 instances on the recto of the document, which describes wounds or abdominal diseases, has a description that starts with a term that indicates “knowledge gained from practical experience” (Allen 2005:9). However, many ailments’ physiological origins remained obscure to the Egyptian civilization (Allen 2005:9). In this sense, most diseases and conditions were described in manuscripts.
The manuscripts indicate that many ailments were similar to modern days. For instance, gastrointestinal issues, intestinal problems, and migraines were among the frequent daily symptoms, all of which were likely to disappear largely unaddressed even if doctors may suggest treatments. The milk of a woman who has delivered a boy or herbal teas were a particular cure for the common cold that was likely just as efficient as anything available today (Aboelsoud 2010:83).
However, it is noteworthy that the indicated conditions are heavily connected to the Mediterranean region, its flora, and its fauna. In a nation that has months of annual flooding, it can be challenging to avoid catching bilharziasis (schistosomiasis) (Aboelsoud 2010:83). This condition frequently results in anemia, infertility, a crippling lack of tolerance to other illnesses, and ultimately death.
Many other diseases are described and depicted in manuscripts in columns. The Ebers Papyrus explains the condition’s manifestations in two columns and offers advice on curing and avoiding urogenital hemorrhage (Aboelsoud 2010:83). Antimony disulfide is listed as a treatment in the document. Insect-borne illnesses such as malaria and trachoma were widespread, outbreaks traveled along the trade networks, and some believe that most epidemics mentioned in Egyptian records were black plague breakouts (Aboelsoud 2010:83). The disabling elephantiasis was brought on by filarial worms, which were also carried by flies (Aboelsoud 2010:83). In the very highly populated Nile region, where nearly the entire community resided within a limited area of land, often just a few hundred yards wide, smallpox and cholera were quickly transmitted. Thus, as can be seen above, Ancient Egyptians had to face ailments that were easily transmitted due to rich flora and fauna.
Medical Practices in Ancient Egypt
It is interesting that the Egyptian civilization had advanced medical technology for its time. Egyptians were specialists in bodily structures and medical care because of their extensive mummification practices (Allen 2005:3). During this treatment, the bulk of the essential organs had to be removed (Ritner 2000:108). The function of the body’s organs was generally understood by the Egyptians (Younis Haggag et al. 1997:45). They had a profound grasp of physiology, and in later times, the Greek empire and other cultural groups exchanged information, which led to a solid understanding of organ function and a great number of other medical specializations.
Therefore, as was mentioned earlier, while medical practices in Ancient Egypt were not sophisticated and based on herbs, they were still effective. The vast majority of the remedies and prescriptions in Ancient Egypt were the result of experimentation and failure over the span of centuries (Allen 2005:11). The majority of portrayals of vital organs are of bovines as well as other mammals instead of humans because surgery was uncommon and dissection was the domain of butcher shops and mortuaries (Allen 2005:11). This was the reason why herbs were preferred over serious interventions in human health.
A broad pharmacopeia of organic drugs was used by doctors. Moreover, many remedies had various applications, such as pomegranate juice, which functioned as an antiseptic and delicacy (Allen 2005:11). Additionally, honey was valued for its therapeutic benefits and sugary taste (Allen 2005:11). Although the plant itself possesses healing properties and might have occasionally been used for that reason, water lilies were cherished as representations of the brightness and vitality. Likely, Egyptian doctors were indeed familiar with opium, a tranquil poppy derivative. During the era of the New Kingdom, unique sailing ships may have carried supplies of this material from Central Asia (Allen 2005:11). In this case, while some vegetations were available in Egypt, some goods were imported.
In earlier Egyptian civilizations, medicinal herbs have indeed been employed as a basis for cures. Numerous medicinal plants were known to the ancient Egyptians, who also understood their application in treating a wide range of ailments (Haggag 1997: 45). Religious physicians who produced and dispensed medications helped the ill recover quicker. In ancient Egyptian tombs, the earliest documented prescriptions were discovered (Haggag 1997: 45). Egyptians utilized various herbal medications for the same goals they do now, according to inscriptions on stone inscriptions and in ancient manuscripts.
Egyptians mostly exploited substances from animal, botanical, and mineral sources. They utilized excrement, blood, flesh, horn, milk, eggs, and honey from the first group (Haggag 1997: 45). Moreover, among the employed herbs were acacia, aloes, gums, pomegranate, colocynth, linseed, squill, coriander, cumin, onions, anise, grapes, castor oil, and wine, among other plant-based remedies (Haggag 1997: 45).
All plant parts were utilized, including the stems, roots, petals, foliage, fruits, seeds, and oils (Haggag 1997: 45). They administered their medications as lotions, pastes, injections, granules, tablets, and balms. Thus, every part of the herb was vital and it was not wasted. Later, as the Arabs arrived in Egypt, Arabic pharmacy was already being applied, and the science of treatment drew on all the wisdom that had been amassed from other civilizations, including the Persian, Chinese, Greek, and Classical Egyptian (Haggag 1997:48). The writings of several well-known authors, such Rases, Ibn Sina, and Ibn El-bitar, are still available and serve as the primary sources in herbal stores (Haggag 1997:48). Due to the low cost and higher perceived safety of herbal treatments, some individuals continue to visit these Attareen stores.
Pharmacology in Ancient Egyptian Civilization
As was noted, the ancient Egyptians had access to both trade and local herbs for medication. However, along with applying herbal medications, according to historical records, Egyptians from the ancient civilization’s healthcare and pharmaceutical industries allegedly performed special incantations when producing or delivering drugs. In this situation, herbs played a vital role in their therapeutic strategies. For instance, the Ebers Papyrus lists cannabis and opium as two instances of plant cures (Aboelsoud 2010:85). Additionally, the Nymphaea plant species known as the water lily was used in ancient Egypt for both religious rituals and as a type of medicine (Emboden and Dobkin de Rios 1981:276). This can lead to the thought that practitioners believed that treatment could only be efficient when it was holistic and involved spirituality in the process of making.
While herbal treatment might seem like the usual practice, it was actually a part of local medical schools.The use of unique Egyptian animal components in Herophilean treatment, including hyena gall or crocodile excrement, was equally important to the plant and mineral inputs and provided additional proof of the influence of the local practice of medicine on Herophilus and his Alexandrian school (Ritner 2000:116).
Even the way pharmaceuticals were administered was greatly impacted by Egyptian medical practice since it was only with Alexandrian treatment that Greeks made their first attempts to measure particular components in regimens, mimicking the conventional accuracy of local druggists (Ritner 2000:116). In the 18 Egyptian manuscripts that have survived, certain medicaments are recommended. For instance, in Table 1, the most common herbal drugs that were prescribed for ailments in Ancient Egypt are demonstrated. To this day, many of these herbs are applied in treatments.
Table 1. Herbal Drugs Prescribed for Ailments (Haggag 1997:50).
Common Herbal Drugs in Ancient Egypt
When it comes to common herbal drugs in Ancient Egypt, it is vital to note that Egypt had a good climate for growing many herbs. In its locales, which vary in the kind of soil, environmental conditions, and a number of vegetation types, Egypt has roughly 2000 plant species (Haggag 1997:45). In this region, several plants have also been successfully acclimated (Haggag 1997:45). As a result, this is why in Egyptian therapy, herbs were a significant component. Opium, cannabis, myrrh, frankincense, fennel, cassia, senna, thyme, henna, juniper, aloe, linseed, and castor oil are just a few of the botanical remedies described in the Ebers Papyrus, however, some of the interpretations are questionable (Haggag 1997:45).
Among the most common remedy are garlic cloves, which were discovered in Egyptian tombs, notably Tutankhamen’s and Saqqara’s revered subterranean sanctuary (Aboelsoud 2010:84). Numerous plants were soaked in wine and then consumed as an internal remedy. The Egyptians ingested a lot of garlic and onions because they believed they improved their strength (Aboelsoud 2010:84). Patients with bronchial-pulmonary conditions and those with asthma were frequently administered raw garlic. Thus, onions were effective in treating digestive tract issues and protecting strength.
However, the majority of the people in the Mediterranean region, including modern Egyptians, continue to use garlic as a significant medicinal agent: Sliced, crushed, and powdered cloves are added to a solution of vinegar and water. This shows how such remedies of Ancient Egypt prove to be effective. Garlic was ingested to alleviate toothaches and throat irritation as well as used to rinse and clean the mouth.
Macerating many crushed cloves of garlic in olive oil seem to be an additional way to consume garlic, both as a preventative measure and a therapy (Aboelsoud 2010:84). It is helpful for bronchial and lung conditions, particularly common cold, whether applied externally or taken orally (Aboelsoud 2010:84). It is believed that a recently sliced fresh garlic clove covered in muslin or cloth and fastened to the undershirt would guard against contagious illnesses like the flu and the common cold.
Another common herb that was applied in Ancient Egypt medicine is coriander. The qualities of coriander, C. sativum, were thought to be soothing, stimulating, carminative, and gastrointestinal (Aboelsoud 2010:84). All elements of the plant were consumed as a tea for stomach and other urinary ailments, especially cystitis, as well as used as a seasoning in food to avoid and treat bloating (Aboelsoud 2010:85). To lessen the uncomfortable symptoms of spicy dishes, coriander stems were frequently added raw. Additionally, Egypt is home to the umbelliferous plant known as cumin, or Cuminum (Aboelsoud 2010:85).
The seeds were regarded as a booster and a constipation remedy. They were frequently used with coriander to add flavor. To treat any painful or rheumatic joints, cumin powder was combined with additional flour as an adhesive and some liquid (Aboelsoud 2010:85). To distribute warmth from the rectum and alleviate scratching, powdered spice combined with fat or oil was administered as a rectal suppository.
Role of Magic in Ancient Egyptian Treatment
As was mentioned, Ancient Egyptian mysticism was associated with preparing remedies. Even ordinary water may be given therapeutic qualities to the Egyptians just by entering into touch with the right symbolic representations (Allen 2005:12). Two artifacts from contrasting periods of Egypt’s pharaonic past represent this topic. The inscriptions meaning vital energy (a pair of grasping hands) and life (the ankh, or crux ansata) are incorporated into a beautiful beverage cup from the Predynastic Period so that liquid from it might have these effects (Allen 2005:12). Thousands of years later, the similarly beautiful Metternich Stela was cut, and it is practically filled with magical words and symbols; it was believed that water applied to the stela would take both amuletic and curative properties from them. Therefore, Egyptians believed in the unity of spirituality and physical self in terms of treatment.
The Use of Water Lilies
However, aside from healing patients with herbal treatments and other remedies, Ancient Egyptians used mind-altering drugs as a way to connect to spirits and health psychological disorders. According to studies, water lilies had a significant role in ancient Egyptian culture as a decorative element (Emboden et al. 1981:280). The aquatic plants of the Antilles are highly potent mind-altering drugs and capable of replacing opium (Emboden et al. 1981:280). It was mentioned that Nymphaea stellaw and caerulea were employed to extract a psychoactive infusion from the flower (Emboden et al. 1981:280).
When ingested, the flowers of Nymphaea are a sedative. Nupharine is a chemical that stimulates breathing and is responsible for all symptoms (Emboden et al. 1981:280). It is vital to know that this plant has some odd pharmacological characteristics. In Western civilization, apomorphine has a longstanding experience of therapeutic usage as an emetic that causes strong, ongoing vomiting (Emboden et al. 1981:280). An Egyptian healer might not want such a pharmacological reaction to interfere with their quest for a spiritual experience. However, from a pharmaceutical standpoint, a sleepy, lethargic time ensues after the emetic impact wears off.
Yet, apomorphine has demonstrated therapeutic effects among individuals who are mentally sick as well. According to some theories, drug plants that induce altered states of mind together with vomitive therapies would be highly appealing to communities throughout the globe who believe in sorcery, witchcraft, and paranormal causes of sickness (Emboden et al. 1981:280). The severely vomiting qualities of one botanical hallucinogen, ayahuasca were highly valued by both practitioners and patients. Additionally, it can be suggested that it contributes significantly to the hypnotic trance that is so crucial to shamanic conceptualization and conduct (Emboden et al. 1981:280). Both drugs working together would aid in the recovery of people with psychiatric disorders.
The Influence of Egyptian Pharmacology and Remedies in Modern Times
Regardless of the fact that little scientific information was brought to the domain of research following the First Intermediate Period, Egyptian doctors were commonly demanded in the Ancient World. Many kings, including the Persian Achaemenids, had Egyptian specialists in court and even Ramses II sent medics to the king of Hatti (Aboelsoud 2010: 85). Inspection was the first step in their therapy, then diagnosis (Aboelsoud 2010: 85).
The most meticulous aspect of a doctor’s profession, the evaluation, is described in more detail than the diagnosis or suggested course of action. The emergence of more logical theories about the origins of illnesses and their treatments may have been slowed down by the dependence on religion and magic (Aboelsoud 2010: 85). However, the patient’s profound faith in the cure’s heavenly sources may have played a significant role in its success, and in the lack of any other options, this was frequently the only assistance a doctor could offer to the body’s own healing mechanisms (Aboelsoud 2010: 85). Greeks provided many of the Roman Empire’s doctors, and via them, Arab and European medicinal thought was impacted by Egyptian theoretical approaches for future decades and centuries.
Conclusion
In sum, Egyptians adopted a range of therapeutic methods and used both mind-altering narcotics and healing plants as their remedies, despite the impression that their medicinal practices were mediocre. First, it is noteworthy to state that among common diseases of Ancient Egyptians were similar to today’s issues, such as gastrointestinal ailments, migraine, and others, though there were diseases, such as malaria, which were caused by local flora and fauna.
The reason why Ancient Egyptian medical experts applied herbs, along with remedied from human and animal elements, is that they could not perform any internal interventions, such as surgeries. As a result, the nation used 2,000 species of vegetation, which were grown in the region and exported from China. However, all remedies were applied along with religious practices. While treating physical ailments, practitioners additionally provided remedies for psychological disorders via mind-altering drugs. As a consequence, Egyptian experts were revered in different nations at that time and were even asked to work for different kings.
References
Aboelsoud, Neveen H. 2010. Herbal Medicine in Ancient Egypt. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research 4(2):82-86. Web.
Allen, James P. 2005 The Art of Medicine in Ancient Egypt. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Emboden, William A. and Marlene Dobkin de Rios 1981 Mayan-Egyptian Uses of Water Lilies (Nymphaceae) in Shamanic Ritual Drug Use. In Folk Medicine and Herbal Healing, edited by George G. Meyer, Kenneth Blum, and John G. Cull, pp.275-286. Thomas.
Ritner, Robert K. 2000. Innovations and Adaptations in Ancient Egyptian Medicine. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 59(2):107-117. Web.
Younis Haggag, M., V. H. Heywood, and M. Skoula 1997 Herbal Medicine in Egypt. Cahiers Options Méditerranéennes, 23:45-55. Web.