The investigation — one of the largest studies of its kind — represents a partnership between England's University of Manchester and the Egyptian Medicinal Plant Conservation Project in St. Katherine's, Sinai.
"Around 50 percent of the plants used in ancient Egypt remained in clinical use up to the mid 20th century, and some are still in use today," Metcalfe, a scientist in the university's School of Medicine, said researchers are even discovering "new" cures based on old remedies, such as eating celery to help curb inflammation associated with arthritis.
"The ancient Egyptians used a diverse range of plants for an equally diverse range of medical conditions," lead researcher Ryan Metcalfe told Discovery News. "Laxatives dominated the field, with bulk laxatives, such as figs, bran and dates in common use."
One ancient remedy, believed to relieve excess gas and indigestion, consisted of cumin, a hefty portion of goosefat and milk. All were boiled together, strained and consumed.
Metcalfe, added that the Egyptians used bowel stimulants such as the bitter fruit coloynth and castor oil, "which remained in clinical use until about 40 years ago."
The early Egyptians also seem to have recognized that stress could contribute to illness. They established sanitariums where people would undergo "dream therapy" and treatments with "healing waters."
"For example, acacia was used to treat coughs and eye complaints in ancient times and is still used for that to this day," explained Metcalfe. "Colic was treated with anti-spasmodics, such as hyoscymus, cumin and coriander, still vogue today."
The scientists believe Egyptians obtained their medical knowledge from nomadic tribes that united to form ancient Egypt, as well as from people in Mesopotamia and Nubia. Current medical practices by the Bedouin in the Sinai region and by some groups in parts of Egypt show similarities to Pharaonic medicine.
Taylor believes the ancient Egyptians mixed their medical knowledge with spiritual healing techniques, such as incantations and rituals. Metcalfe agreed, and said the Egyptians often prayed for healing, although they believed the gods were not always on their side.
"Some illnesses were thought to be the result of evil spirits or a god's displeasure," Metcalfe explained "and in these cases it may have seemed more sensible to use magic-religious techniques to treat the patient."
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Cannabis was first used in Egypt around 2000 BC to treat sore eyes and according to Diodorus Siculus (the Sicilian Greek historian who lived from 90 to 21 BC) Egyptian women also used cannabis "as a medicine to relieve sorrow and bad humour."
During his campaign in Egypt (1798-1800) the French General Napoleon prohibited his men from using hashish.
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Posts: 1549 | From: California, USA | Registered: Jan 2006
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The scientists believe Egyptians obtained their medical knowledge from nomadic tribes that united to form ancient Egypt, as well as from people in Mesopotamia and Nubia. Current medical practices by the Bedouin in the Sinai region and by some groups in parts of Egypt show similarities to Pharaonic medicine.
I don't doubt that at some points in time that there were likely bidirectional exchanges of ideas, including in Medicine, but the manner in which it is presented above, seems to imply that Kemetians were more of 'followers' [and recipients of knowledge] rather than 'leaders' [and iniators] in the medical field, in which case I beg to differ. To reinforce that standpoint, I'll just repost this piece:
I had pointed this out earlier elsewhere, but it has been said that the ancient Egyptian skillfulness at mummification may have contributed to the development of their then advanced medical practices, which other peoples like the Greeks and Syrians incorporated into their own...
"It was not practiced by witch doctors as in primitive tribes, with mixture of magic, herbal remedy, and superstitious beliefs. This was acknowledged by Homer in the Odyssey:
“In Egypt, the men are more skilled in Medicine than any of human kind”.
...A wall painting in a Thebean grave of the 18th dynasty (1400 BC) depicts “Nebamun”, scribe and physician of the king, receiving a Syrian prince paying him for his services in gifts. According to Herodotus, King Cyrus of Persia has requested Amasis (Ahmose II of the 26th dynasty, 560 BC) to send him the most skilful of all the Egyptian eye-doctors...
THE CAUSES OF DISEASES, ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY:
... their study of anatomy and physiology was so advanced. No doubt, this was **due to their embalming of the dead, when other nations at that time used to burn them.**
For instance, the process of emptying the skull through the nostrils by means of a long hook could have never been devised without a good knowledge of the anatomy of the head and brain. In our modern medicine, many brain surgeries are nowadays performed through this route.
They obtained a good knowledge of the meninges, the cerebrospinal fluid, and the twitches and pulsations, and were aware that the brain was the seat of the body control.
"If thou examines a man having a gaping wound in his head penetrating to the bone, smashing his skull, and rending open the brain of his skull, thou shouldst palpate his wound. Shouldst thou find that smash which in his skull like those corrugations which form in molten copper, and something therein throbbing and fluttering under thy fingers, like the weak place of an infant's crown before it becomes whole- when it has happened there is no throbbing and fluttering under thy fingers until the brain of his skull is rent open and he discharges blood from both his nostrils, and he suffers with stiffness in his neck."
The Ebers Papyrus describes the position of the heart precisely, and illustrates some of its disorders, as dropped beats. Egyptian physicians recognized the heart as the source of blood vessels. They were aware that the blood vessels were hollow, having a mouth which opens to absorb medications, eliminate waste elements, distribute air and body secretions and excretions, in a confusion between blood vessels and other passages, as ureters.
The physiology of blood circulation was demonstrated in the Edwin Smith Papyrus, together with the its relation to the heart, as well as awareness of the importance of the pulse.
“It is there that the heart speaks”, and “It is there that every physician and every priest of Sekhmet places his fingers……. …he feels something from the heart”.
They also knew that blood supply runs from the heart to all organs of the body.
"There are vessels in him for every part of the body”. “It speaks forth in the vessels of every body part”.
However, their inability to distinguish between blood vessels, nerves, tendons and channels has limited their full understanding of the physiology of circulation..."
Source: Full content, aside from intro statements, are by Dr. Sameh M. Arab, Associate Professor of Cardiology - Alexandria University - Egypt, member of several scientific societies, both national and international, of which are: Egyptian Society of Cardiology, the European Society of Cardiology, Founder member and Member of Board of Directors of the Egyptian Society of Pediatric Cardiology and Founder of the Congenital Heart Division of the Alexandria Patients' Welfare Association for financing charity treatment for children with congenital heart dieasesm, and has several publications in the field of diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart diseases in children and newborns, paticularly by catheter (non-surgical) interventions.
^Clearly here, the Kemetians are acknowledged as 'leaders', and not casual 'followers'.
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I wonder why the reserchers are attempting to use only the knowledge of the bedouins I am sure some of the herbal remedies used by rural Egyptians and Nubians go back to the pharonic period. The knowledge of the bedouins is useful but should not be the only primarily source for reconstructing of ancient pharoanic herbal knowledge.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote:Originally posted by ausar: I wonder why the reserchers are attempting to use only the knowledge of the bedouins I am sure some of the herbal remedies used by rural Egyptians and Nubians go back to the pharonic period. The knowledge of the bedouins is useful but should not be the only primarily source for reconstructing of ancient pharoanic herbal knowledge.
I also wonder why, over 3,000 years of dynastic Egyptian history, they do not clarify what periods are being studied and how medicinal herb remedies changed. Over that time period the Egyptians would have had contact with MANY other cultures, so pointing out Mesopotamia as the only source of contact outside other African cultures being a very curious point. Likewise, focusing on Bedouins on the Sinai only furthers the idea of looking for connections between Egypt and the Levant versus Egypt and other parts of Africa.
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as always supercar.
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