The Medicine of the Ancient Egyptians: 1: Surgery, Gynecology, Obstetrics, and Pediatrics

Ancient Egyptian medical papyri cover many dynasties and are “unparalleled in other cultures,” the authors assert, with good reason. Physicians and scholars in classical Greece, the Roman Empire and other lands expressed gratitude for the knowledge imparted by early Egyptian medical practitioners. This first volume of a three-part compendium on Egyptian medicine compiled by a physician/archaeologist and two Egyptologists focuses on Egyptian surgery, drawing most of its cases from the Edwin Smith papyrus (17th century BCE), with others taken from the Ebers papyrus (ca. 1550 BCE). The work concludes with writings on mother and childcare—gynecological, obstetric and pediatric symptoms and treatments—with translations from the Kahun papyrus (19th century BCE) and other texts. It becomes clear to readers that Egyptian medicine was sophisticated, highly rational and wide-ranging. The volume contains a wealth of helpful illustrations, including photos of informative murals and inscriptions and medical views of mummies.