Oil was produced from the linseed plant and there was a limited selection of spices and herbs. Vegetables and fruits of many types were widely grown. Consumed in the form of loaves which were produced in a variety of types through baking and fermentation, with yeast greatly enriching the nutritional value of the product, one farmer’s crop could support an estimated twenty adults. The main crops for most of ancient Egyptian history were emmer wheat and barley. Owing to Egypt’s great endowment of fertile land, food production was never a major issue, although, no matter how bountiful the land, paupers and starvation still exist. The ancient Egyptians were at least partially aware of the importance of diet, both in balance and moderation. Spikes (ears) of cultivated emmer wheat / Wikimedia Commons Electron microscopes, mass spectrometry and various forensic techniques allowed scientists unique glimpses of the state of health in Egypt 4000 years ago. Paleopathologists were able to use X-Rays and later CAT Scans to view the bones and organs of mummies. Advances in modern medical technology also contributed to the understanding of ancient Egyptian medicine.
Other information comes from the images that often adorn the walls of Egyptian tombs and the translation of the accompanying inscriptions. Other documents such as the Hearst papyrus (1450 BC), and Berlin Papyrus (1200 BC) also provide valuable insight into ancient Egyptian medicine. Dating to 1800 BC, it is the oldest surviving medical text of any kind. Thirty four cases detailing diagnosis and treatment survive, some of them fragmentarily.
The Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus treats women’s complaints, including problems with conception. It also contains documentation revealing awareness of tumors, along with instructions on tumor removal. 1550 BC includes 877 prescriptions (as categorized by a modern editor) for a variety of ailments and illnesses, some of them involving magical remedies, for Egyptian beliefs regarding magic and medicine were often intertwined. There is evidence of oral surgery being performed as early as the 4th Dynasty (2900–2750 BC). Treatments consisted of ointments made from animal, vegetable or fruit substances or minerals. Medical information in it dates from as early as 3000 BC. It was probably written around 1600 BC, but is regarded as a copy of several earlier texts. The Edwin Smith Papyrus is a textbook on surgery and details anatomical observations and the “examination, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis” of numerous ailments. The resultant interest in Egyptology in the 19th century led to the discovery of several sets of extensive ancient medical documents, including the Ebers papyrus, the Edwin Smith Papyrus, the Hearst Papyrus, the London Medical Papyrus and others dating back as far as 2900 BC. In 1822, the translation of the Rosetta stone finally allowed the translation of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions and papyri, including many related to medical matters (Egyptian medical papyri).
Hippocrates (the “father of medicine”), Herophilos, Erasistratus and later Galen studied at the temple of Amenhotep, and acknowledged the contribution of ancient Egyptian medicine to Greek medicine. Pliny the Elder also wrote favorably of them in historical review.
The Greek historian Herodotus visited Egypt around 440 BC and wrote extensively of his observations of their medicinal practice. Until the 19th century, the main sources of information about ancient Egyptian medicine were writings from later in antiquity. Ebers Papyrus treatment for cancer: recounting a “tumor against the god Xenus”, it recommends “do thou nothing there against” / Wikimedia Commons
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