Medicine in ancient Egyptian civilization
Medicine in ancient Egyptian civilization The Edwin Smith Papyrus is a medical text on surgery from Ancient Egypt written around 1600 BC. It shows that the Egyptians invented medical surgery – predating the Hippocratic Oath by a thousand years. It describes surgical cases of head, neck and chest injures and includes a list of instruments used during surgeries. The first instruments were found within the Tomb of Qar, who was known as “the Physician of the palace and keeper of the secrets of the king.” It is also known to be the starting point of neuroscience. Egyptian medicine was a mixture of magical and rational treatments. Both methods were equally valid: when the cause was visible and objective, scientific treatments were used; and when the cause was hidden (could be punishment of the gods or the ill wishes of the enemies), magic was employed. Everything was based on the great knowledge of anatomy (as a result of mummification practices).