6 THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



equations involving one unknown, and had a hiero- 

 glyph for a million (the drawing of a man overcome 

 with wonder), and another for ten million. 



The Rhind mathematical papyrus in the British 

 Museum is the main source of our present knowledge 

 of early Egyptian arithmetic, geometry, and of what 

 might be called their trigonometry and algebra. It 

 describes itself as " Instructions for arriving at the 

 knowledge of all things, and of things obscure, and 

 of all mysteries." It was copied by a priest about 

 1600 B.C. the classical period of Egyptian culture 

 from a document seven hundred years older. 



Medicine, which is almost certain to develop in the 

 early history of a people in response to their urgent 

 needs, has been justly called the foster-mother of 

 many sciences. In the records of Egyptian medical 

 practice can be traced the origin of chemistry, anat- 

 omy, physiology, and botany. Our most definite in- 

 formation concerning Egyptian medicine belongs to 

 the same general period as the mathematical docu- 

 ment to which we have just referred. It is true some- 

 thing is known of remoter times. The first physician 

 of whom history has preserved the name, I-em-hetep 

 (He-who-cometh-in-peace), lived about 4500 B.C. 

 Recent researches have also brought to light, near 

 Memphis, pictures, not later than 2500 B.C., of surgi- 

 cal operations. They were found sculptured on the 

 doorposts at the entrance to the tomb of a high official 

 of one of the Pharaohs. The patients, as shown in 

 the accompanying illustration, are suffering pain, and, 

 according to the inscription, one cries out, "Do this 

 [and] let me go," and the other, " Don't hurt me 

 so ! ' Our most satisfactory data in reference to Egyp- 



