How good was ancient Egyptian medicine?

Thanks to the practice of mummification, ancient Egyptian doctors were relatively well-versed in the mechanics of the human body

The world of Ancient Egyptian medicine is as intriguing as it is startling. Far from being primitive, the physicians of the pharaohs developed an incredibly broad approach to health, a potent blend where science, magic, and religion were all intertwined and frequently got results.

Our knowledge is primarily sourced from remarkable papyrus documents like the Edwin Smith Papyrus (c. 1600 BCE), the Berlin Medical Papyrus (c. 1250 BCE), the Kahun Papyrus (c. 1900 BCE), the London Medical Papyrus (c. 1250 BCE) and the Ebers Papyrus (c. 1600 BCE), which record over 800 medical procedures and remedies. Treatments were diverse and made good use of plants and spices to form the basis of medicines. Everyday items like mint, caraway, mustard seeds, aloe, juniper, and poppy seeds were being used to treat everything from chest pains and headaches to insomnia and burns. Many of these natural remedies have survived to this day.

What’s particularly interesting is that the practice of mummification was a huge boon to medics of this period. Access to cadavers afforded healers an intimate knowledge of human anatomy, though their understanding of how internal organs functioned remained limited. They correctly connected the pulse to the heartbeat and, inspired by the Nile’s irrigation channels, postulated a “channel theory” within the body – a system of 46 physical conduits (veins, arteries, intestines) that needed to be kept free from obstruction.

Yet, this was an age where magic was an equal partner in medicine. The presence of demons or malevolent spirits was often presented as the cause of an ailment. Treatment involved not just a salve made form herbs, but also incantations, amulets, and incense to placate deities. The practice of “sympathetic magic” saw the consumption or application of animal parts – such as a pig’s eye – with the hope of transmitting a positive trait, like sight, to the patient.

Surgery, while common, focused on external trauma only, as no true anaesthetics (save alcohol) were available to anything more invasive safely. Physicians, who were often also priests, were expected to perform other procedures like setting broken bones with splints, stitching large open wounds, and performing amputations, sometimes using fire (cautery) or willow to treat the resulting injury. Their tools included flint and metal scalpels, bone saws, and forceps.

Despite all of the limitations of their era, Egyptian doctors were well-trained, respected figures. Medical schools, such as those in Alexandria, produced graduates who were known for their prowess across the ancient world. Furthermore, the profession was open to both men and women, with figures like Peseshet, the supervisor of female doctors around 2400 BCE, proving an early example of women in medicine.

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