Egyptian medicine used plants and minerals for therapies that set the groundwork for the healing arts to this day. Egyptian medicine utilized a wide variety of drugs found in nature – from plants animals and minerals. Some of the remedies involved complicated formulas made by some of mankind’s earliest pharmacists. The Egyptians had a broad understanding of physiology. They specialized in surgical procedures following written guidelines passed on and elaborated on over centuries. Recent translations of an ancient Egyptian papyrus show a clear outline of their pharmacy usage. This was demonstrated in a medical document called at Papyrus Ebers. This papyrus is a compilation of remedy treatments used over thousands of years. Prescriptions were based on specific conditions such as diseases of the eye, skin or extremities.
Goddess Skhmet and Egyptian Medicine
The priests and priestesses of Skhmet combined ritual healing with diagnosis, surgery, and therapeutics. The goddess Skhmet was represented by a woman with a head of a lion. The root of her name means might, power and the power of destruction. She is the personification of the destroying heat of the sun’s rays. Her name means lady of transformation, ruler of the desert, great wand of healing, lady of the water’s of life, and destroyer of rebellions. Skhmet is usually pictured seated on a double cube. The larger cube represents the inner world and the smaller one represents the outer physical world. On her head is a cobra, which represents the awakened third eye. Beneath the body of the cobra is a disk that signifies the light of conscious illumination. The staff in her hand represents the spinal column of man, a link between heaven and earth. Her left hand holds the ankh, which joins Spirit to matter, indicating the capacity to heal.
Papyrus Ebers and methodology of Egyptian Medicine
Egyptian medicine diagnosed and healed by rituals, drugs, and surgery, utilizing whichever method was most suitable for the patient.
In selecting plants for medicine, the Egyptians used three different rules. In some instances, they used parts of plants because they looked like a human body, according to the Doctrine of Signatures. Sometimes they used plants because their colors resembled human body fluids. Parts of some plants for were utilized because they looked like the disease itself, and some because they looked like the cause of the disease. Sometimes, plants were selected because they looked like the desired result of the application. In this way, the Egyptians matched the characteristics of the plant mineral or animal to the environment and to the health of the patient.
They also used incantations to heal. A quote from the Papyrus Ebers reads as follows.
“My son Forrest is burned in the desert. Is water there? There is no water there. I come to extinguish the fire.” The Egyptians used resonant healing in these affirmations. In other words they spoke with a wanted to have visual. These incantations often accompanied the medicines. For instance the healer might say, “Flow out, fetid nose, son of fetid nose.”
Sources of Egyptian Medicine
Some of the minerals employed in Egyptian medicine include gypsum, calcium sulfate, sodium carbonate, and iron. They used substances from plants such as barley (as a diuretic), crocus, dates, ebony wood, garlic, grapes, lettuce, saffron, and coriander. From the animal kingdom they burned hedgehog quills to treat baldness, and pig’s eyes for blindness. Other animal kingdom drugs included crocodile dung, burnt leather, lizard’s blood, ostrich eggs, and shells. They also use drugs substances from human sources such as saliva. Minerals used in Egyptian medicine include alabaster, clay, copper, granite, lapis lazuli, lead, opals, sea salt, and granite. Egyptian medicine also utilized therapeutic dreaming as therapies, adding aromas to induce dreams or self-hypnosis. They also used energized water. For example, one therapy involved pouring water over a healing statue while affirmations are recited, then pouring water over the patient.
Our understanding of Egyptian medicine is incomplete for numerous reasons. Many of the words in the Papyrus Eber remained untranslatable. Many of the names do not correlate to other Egyptian papyrus. Egyptian medicine practices were passed on a teacher to student and many not written down. In spite of this, it is clear that many of our modern medical models stem from ancient Egypt, including the use of herbs and minerals in pharmacy, and the use of the healers training students in the use of the substances. We owe a great debt to Egyptian medicine.
An award-winning screenwriter, Melanie has taught creative writing, and authored medical textbooks.
She writes about health, natural medicine, food as medicine, herbs, homeopathy, and travel.
You can follow her blog at
http://melaniegrimes.com/
To order professional quality vitamins, visit her online vitamin shop at
https://www.healthwavehq.com/welcome/mgrimes
