Healing Across Time: The Timeless Bridge Between Ancient Egyptian and Modern Medicine
- Tehreem Adil
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Long before modern hospitals, suitable and sterile equipment, and evidence-based
procedures became the norm, healers from ancient Egypt laid the groundwork for
numerous modern treatments.
Several papyri that record the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases have been
discovered from the remains of the majestic civilization of Egypt. The Edwin Smith Papyrus and Eber Papyrus are two notable examples that brim with fruitful knowledge regarding more than 700 medicinal herbs and ingredients. The Eber Papyrus was found between the legs of a mummy in the El-Assasif District of the Theban necropolis, which corresponds with the Egyptian belief that the Mummies would rise from death and require products of essential nature for a healthy resurrection.
It carries a great deal of information about anatomy and physiology, toxicology, spells, and how to deal with diabetes. Among other remedies in the text, it mentions how to treat animal-borne diseases, plant irritation, and mineral toxins. There is significant focus on the heart and cardiovascular system, based on the theory that the heart was responsible for the regulation and passage of bodily fluids such as blood, tears, urine, and semen.
The healers or ‘swnw’ as they were referred to, recognized honey as nothing less than a magical elixir with spiritual powers. The role of honey in Egyptian society can be linked to its divine nature, as the Egyptians believed that it came from the tears of their god Ra. The procedure of using honey as a contraceptive may not sound very effective, but modern science proves the validity of the practice, as Dr Richard-Alain Jean, an independent medical researcher, states that the simple contact of honey and sperm is sufficient to immobilise them as it breaks the cell membrane, provoking osmolysis. The ancient Egyptians offered honey to their deities as a sacrifice. They also used honey for embalming the dead. Honey was utilized for its antibacterial properties that helped heal infected wounds. Moreover, honey was used as a topical ointment. You may have heard of the use of music therapy to treat neurological disorders in the elderly and adolescents, but ancient Egyptians knew more than us. They regarded the sound of vowels with acoustic powers that could heal the listeners by restoring the body to its harmonic patterns.
Ancient Egyptians’ advancements in Medicine were so advanced that many of their common practices hadn’t reached Europe until after the fall of Rome, hence rightfully earning them the title of ‘Fathers of Modern Medicine.’ Before the advent of Germ Theory, the Egyptians showed a clear understanding of Transmissible diseases and ensured the cleanliness of their apparatus and pharmaceuticals.
Though treatment of injuries was highly advanced for their time, the treatment and prevention of diseases were often neglected because of their beliefs that the patient was under demonic influence, plagued by a ghost, or punished by god for sinful excursions. While physicians in ancient Egypt often practiced dentistry, specialized dentists existed as early as the Early Dynastic Period. Dental issues were widespread in ancient Egypt, largely due to a diet of coarse bread and the constant presence of sand in food, which wore down teeth. Queen Hatshepsut (1479–1458 BCE), one of Egypt's most powerful rulers, is believed to have died from an abscessed tooth—an all-too-common fate. Toothaches were often attributed to a mythical "tooth-worm," a belief originating in Mesopotamia, where ancient cuneiform incantations have been discovered, aimed at expelling the worm through magic and spells.
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