FO UNDA TIONS OF MEDICINE 



9 



the oldest Egyptian medicine, which previously had existed engraved 

 on pillars of stone, ascribed to the god Thot, who is regarded by 

 many experts as the Egyptian iEsculapius, though other authorities 

 assign this to Imhotep (meaning physician), whose temple was at 

 Memphis. This Ebers Papyrus is a compilation written by several 

 people, one of whom appears to have been an oculist living in Byblos, 

 in Phoenicia. It is thought that it was written at On (Heliopolis), 

 where medicine was taught by a kind of polyclinic. This papyrus 

 contains a great deal of medical knowledge, including remedies for 

 diseases of the stomach, abdomen, and urinary bladder. 



Directions for the removal of buboes and concerning diseases of 

 the eyes and other sense-organs, nerves, heart, etc., are given. 

 Further, it gives directions for getting rid of fleas and lice. It also 

 contains an account of a disease called 'AAA' and ' U H A,' caused 

 by a worm Heltu. The symptoms of the disease are described, 

 and a remedy is prescribed for the patient who has the worms 

 in his abdomen. There is a difference of opinion as to what disease 

 is referred to, and what kind or kinds of worms are meant. It is 

 quite possible that it was not such a small worm as an ancylo- 

 stome, but rather some other larger species — e.g., an ascaris, or 

 a tape-worm, or even an oxyUris, especially as these would be passed 

 per anum, and would be easily seen. The ancient Egyptians are 

 said not to have opened the bowels in embalming the body, though 

 they may have washed out the contents of the bowels, and thus 

 have found the ancylostome. The word ' A A T ' in inscriptions 

 on the temple of Denderah is said to refer to malaria. 



The Ebers Papyrus is considered by some authorities to belong 

 to the works of Hermes Trismegistus, which numbered forty, and 

 of which six treat of medicine, surgical instruments, anatomy, and 

 therapeutics. The Hearst Papyrus resembles the Ebers Papyrus 

 in being a collection of prescriptions and invocations. 



The principal Berlin Papyrus contains magical invocations and 

 prescriptions for medicaments; the other Berlin Papyrus contains 

 recipes for treatment of various diseases, including leprosy, to- 

 gether with some anatomical and physiological information of a 

 very elementary nature. 



The history of Egyptian medicine becomes merged into that of 

 Alexandrian, Arabian, and modern medicine; but before con- 

 sidering these, a few remarks will be made upon Jewish and 

 Grecian medicines, both of which owe much to Ancient Egyptian 

 medicine. 



Jewish Medicine.— The books which refer to Jewish medicine 

 are the Bible" and the Talmud. In the former there are several 

 references of interest in tropical medicine— in the Book of 

 Numbers there is a description of a plague of fiery serpents, which 

 quite possibly refers to the guinea-worm (Dracunculus medinensis). 

 Moreover, it appears as though Moses had taught the Israelites 

 how to extract the worm by winding it round a piece of stick, as 

 is done to-day in many parts of Africa. Further, he appears to 



