Therapeutic alternatives in ancient Egypt

By – Dr Hadeer Obaid.

PhD in ancient Egyptian archaeology

Care with love and kindness is considered a very important therapeutic method for dealing with patients not only in ancient Egypt but in all ages because of its often positive impact, especially in cases of chronic pain and serious psychological diseases; Therefore, when trying any treatment regimen or a worthy drug to know its positivity, its results should be compared with the results of care with kindness and love.

The confessions that the dead admit when they are held accountable in the afterlife, chapter 125 of the Book of the Dead, indicate that the ancient Egyptians had great sympathy with their patients and that doctors and other people in charge of treatment were concerned with the psychological care of the sick; The ancient Egyptians resorted a lot to magic and begging to benevolent deities to heal the sick, and we find in the papyri many supplications, souvenirs and chants that they used alone or in accompaniment to medicines and traditional treatment. The sources refer to many cases that improved by using these non-medical methods practised In all civilizations from the dawn of history to the present day.

Food was given a great deal of attention to maintain health and general condition. Through examining human remains and reading medical papyri, we find no indication of nutritional disorders other than obesity and thinness; Therefore, we believe that the Egyptian doctors did their duty and gave advice on eating good food and following a healthy diet, and there are many recipes in the medical papyri that include nutrients that they used as medical drugs, and not only to reform the diet.

As for surgery, it was an important treatment option in some cases. The Edwin Smith papyrus reveals completely appropriate surgical interventions in cases of injuries; Such as suturing wounds, fixing bone fractures and restoring dislocated joints. Until the beginning of the Greco-Roman era, there were only simple surgical interventions such as opening abscesses and removing some superficial tumours.

There was also a practice of some forms of massage and physical therapy as mentioned in the West Carr Papyrus, as it was mentioned in some tomb inscriptions depicting physical therapy sessions, but there is no evidence in the medical references that the doctor performed this kind of treatment; This indicates that there is a person who meets a physiotherapist in our modern age.

With the therapeutic alternatives, one of the most important and most common methods is pharmacological treatment by confiscating various natural, animal and plant substances. It is used in several ways. The ancient Egyptians were known for their ingenuity in this field.