EBERS PAPYRUS: HISTORY AND MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE - HISTORY - 2025

The Ebers Papyrus is a compilation of Egyptian medical texts dating from 1550 BC. It is recognized today as one of the oldest and most important medical works in the world. It was recovered and restored by the German Egyptologist George Maurice Ebers.

The scroll contains 700 formulas and folk remedies for curing diseases, infections and many other health-related problems. In addition, it offers detailed descriptions of certain workings of the human body anatomy.

Ebers Unknown scribe papyrus, via Wikimedia Commons

The diseases treated by the Ebers papyrus range from crocodile bites to nail pain. The document includes sections for intestinal diseases, diabetes, arthritis, burns, and fractures.

It also has a complete section with topics related to gynecology, dentistry and psychiatry. The circulatory system is described with impeccable precision, as is the role of the heart and blood vessels.

Likewise, the document offers a large number of "magic" recipes to attack the ailments of the body and the demons that supposedly cause diseases.

History

Origin of Egyptian medical papyri

The practice of Egyptian medicine was so advanced that many of its common observations and procedures were the basis for Greek and Roman medicine.

The Egyptians understood that diseases could be treated with natural products. In addition, they explained the importance of hygiene during the treatment of patients.

Egyptian medicine dates from approximately 2,900 BC; it is as old as Chinese or Hindu medicine. Studies of medicine in the time of the pharaohs were found in documents known as "papyri", which were objects used by the Egyptians for writing.

While there were a large number of texts available in ancient Egypt, few survived to the present. These few papyri provided essential information to improve the health status of patients. In some instances, they also explain how to cure certain diseases.

These documents used to be used by the doctors of the time during the medical visits that they made to the inhabitants of Egypt. The Egyptians referred to medicine as "the necessary art."

Historic context

The Ebers papyrus dates from around 1550 BC and is a collection of complete and detailed texts on Egyptian medicine.

Most of the papyri are located in the so-called Hermetic Books of the god Thoth (identified by the Greeks as the god Hermes). Various fragments of these books have been lost over time; however, many papyri are currently located in libraries and museums.

The papyrus appears to have been written during the reign of Amenhotep I (18th dynasty), but it is speculated that some data was included long before that time. In fact, it is thought that the papyrus may have begun to be written during the early Egyptian civilization.

The lack of an exact date is due to the fact that the papyrus refers to medical practices and formulas older than those of the year 1550 BC. C.

Discovery and purchase of the Ebers papyrus

The Ebers papyrus was first purchased in 1862 by Edwin Smith, in Luxor (a city in southern Egypt). Edwin Smith was an American living in Egypt known for being a passionate antiques dealer.

There are not enough references of how the American acquired the Ebers papyrus or where it was located before the purchase. However, the last information that is handled is that the papyrus was located between the legs of a mummy from the necropolis of Thebes.

In 1872, the papyrus was purchased by the German Egyptologist George Maurice Ebers and he set about making a cover, as well as adding an introduction in English and Latin.

Three years later, Ebers managed to publish an exact color copy of the entire papyrus along with a Latin hieroglyphic dictionary, which served to more easily handle the terminology.

Medical knowledge

Main topics

The Ebers Papyrus dedicates several paragraphs to the treatment of magic spells to protect against supernatural interventions. In total, it contains 700 magic formulas and remedies to cure sadness and depression.

In addition, it contains innumerable spells intended to ward off demons believed to be causing disease. It has examples of observations and cases that occurred at the time to treat ailments.

Make an extensive explanation on the cases of stomach diseases, including intestinal parasites and conditions in the anus. It also contains information on skin diseases, head diseases, detailed migraine treatments, urine streams, and treatment for burns.

It addresses other diseases such as tongue, tooth, ear, nose and throat ailments; in general everything related to nasal congestion. In the gynecological field, there are discussions about the diagnosis of pregnancy, birth control, contraceptives and pain in the female sexual organs.

The papyrus contains an extensive treatise on the heart, noting that this organ is the center of the blood supply, with blood vessels attached to every limb and limb of the body.

Other sections

The papyrus also features discussions of treatments for tumors, trachoma, and fractures. Interestingly, the renal knowledge of the Egyptians was quite limited. This was reflected in the information on the papyrus: they claimed that sperm and urine were pumped by the same human heart.

Mental disorders and issues related to psychiatry are detailed in a chapter called "Book of Hearts." Various sections of the document explain depression and dementia disorders.

Some remedies

In the papyrus are described a series of remedies and natural procedures to improve ailments and cure diseases. To improve asthma, for example, the Egyptians suggested using a mixture of herbs dissolved in hot water. The patient had to inhale the smoke from the formula to see improvement in his discomfort.

For stomach pains, they advised making a drink based on cow's milk, honey and certain types of grains. It was to be taken several times a day until the pain stopped.

Castor oil was widely used as a purgative, in addition to being used as fuel for lamps. Also, they made a list of the most important plant products; for example, basil was used to treat heart problems.

Aloe Vera was used for parasites and the belladonna plant for insomnia or severe pain. To combat diarrhea, they recommended a mixture of figs, grapes, corn, onion, and strawberry mixed with water. This mixture formed a kind of juice that had to be ingested by the patient.

References

1. Egyptian medicine, Joshua J. Mark, (2017). Taken from ancient.eu
2. Ebers Papyrus, publishers of Encyclopedia Britannica, (nd). Taken from britannica.com
3. Ebers Papyrus, Portal New World Encyclopedia, (nd). Taken from newworldencyclopedia.org
4. The Ebers papyrus, Website in Colombia, (nd). Taken from encolombia.com
5. Ebers Papyrus, Wikipedia in English, (nd). Taken from Wikipedia.org