A comprehensive survey of medical knowledge and practice in ancient
Egypt focusing on internal medicine written by leading authorities in
the field
Ancient Egyptian medicine employed advanced surgical practices, while
the prevention and treatment of diseases relied mostly on natural
remedies and magical incantations. Following the successful first volume
of The Medicine of the Ancient Egyptians , which dealt with surgical
practices and the treatment of women and children, this second volume
explores a wide range of internal medical problems that the Egyptian
population suffered in antiquity, and various methods of their
treatment. These include ailments of the respiratory, digestive, and
circulatory systems, chiefly heart diseases of various types, coughs,
stomachaches, constipation, diarrhea, internal parasites, and many other
medical conditions.
Drawing on formulas and descriptions in the Ebers papyrus and other
surviving ancient Egyptian medical papyri, as well as physical evidence
and wall depictions, the authors present translations of the medical
treatises together with commentaries and interpretations in the light of
modern medical knowledge.
The ancient texts contain numerous recipes for the preparation of
various remedies, often herbal in the form of pills, drinks, ointments,
foods, or enemas. These reveal a great deal about ancient Egyptian
physicians and their deep understanding of the healing properties of
herbs and other medicinal substances.
Illustrated with thirty-five photographs and line drawings, The
Medicine of the Ancient Egyptians: 2: Internal Medicine is highly
recommended reading for scholars of ancient Egyptian medicine and magic,
as well as for paleopathologists, medical historians, and physical
anthropologists.
