Hawass Center Organizes Lecture on Skills of Ancient Egyptian Physician

Zahi Hawass Center for Egyptology, in conjunction with the El- Sinary House and the Cultural Communication Sector of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, organized a lecture entitled "The Skills of Ancient Egyptian Physician and his Role in Treating Diseases" at the Archaeological House of Ms. Zainab.

The lecture was delivered by Dr. Mahmoud Al-Muhammadi Abd El-Hadi Salama, the Tourist Guidance Professor in Mansoura University.

Al-Muhammadi discussed the history of medicine in ancient Egypt, the methods of ancient Egyptians in treating diseases, and the most famous doctors, their work, specialties and writings.

He added that the ancient Egyptians did not rely only on spells, but they were experienced doctors with experience; they prescribed treatments and performed surgeries.

According to Herodotus, they had doctors who specialize in eyes, mouth, teeth, stomach pain, and even the anus. Also there were doctors who were tackling hidden diseases, as well as doctors for nonspecific diseases.

He explained several axes of the 1st axis, defining the sources of ancient Egyptian medicine, as well as medical schools and doctors, the second axis included best known doctors in ancient Egypt.

The third axis included the skills of the Egyptian doctor in treating diseases, and the Egyptian doctor skill in treating joint dislocation injuries, eye diseases and mental illnesses, as well as his skill in using various surgical tools in surgical procedures.

On other hand, El-Mohammadi explained that the skill of the ancient Egyptian doctor in treating eye diseases is summarized in the treatment of some different eye diseases like trachoma by putting analgesics and anti-inflammatory acacia.

Diseases like night-blindness, the physicians dealt with it through a single prescription, and it is the first of its kind that the ingredients of the prescription are taken orally as the liver contains vitamin A and is absorbed by the intestine.

Noteworthy, the Egyptians applied the objective anesthesia, which was necessary in the operations; they carried out the topic of acetic acid with a marble stone that came from Memphis city using reaction of acetic acid with the marble stone that was producing a sedative and had the anesthesia effect.