Egypt Flashcards
Why was the Nile a factor of the progression f medicine in Ancient Egypt?
- It provided food and money
- It gave Egyptian doctor the theory of the channels
Why was money a factor of Egypt’s progression in medicine?
- Money was made through growing and selling crops. Because the Nile flooded each year and fertilised the soil, farmers made a lot of money.
- The richer society meant that people could afford to pay doctors and priests.
- They could also afford to make fine bronze medical instruments
Why was writing a factor of the progression of medicine in Ancient Egypt?
The invention of papyrus and hieroglyphics meant they could record illnesses and treatments for future doctors to learn from.
Why was trade a factor of Egypt’s progression in medicine?
Merchants traded with China, India and other parts of Africa so could bring new herbs and medical methods to Egypt.
Why was religion a factor of Egypt’s progression in medicine?
Mummification meant that people learned about anatomy; they had to remove the liver, lungs, stomach, intestines and brain.
How the religion hinder Egypt’s progression in medicine?
Because people believes that the body was needed in the afterlife, human dissections were not allowed, so people couldn’t learn about the function of organs.
How did Egyptians natural treat illnesses?
For physically obvious injuries, Egyptians treated in the most logical way they thought possible.
Give two examples of natural Egyptian treatments.
- For blindness:
Mix mashed pig eye with honey and pour it into the patients ear. By giving the patient a whole new eye it was supposed to fix whatever was wrong with their own eye. - For indigestion:
Crush a dog tooth and put it into 4 sugar cakes to be eaten over 4 days.
Give 2 examples of supernatural treatments.
- For lesions of the skin:
After the scab had fallen off they put a scribe’s excrement mixed with fresh milk into the skin. They believed that people with different jobs had different powers. - For burns:
A mixture of breast milk from a woman who had a son, gum and sheep hair was rubbed into the burn and a chant was said that was supposed to “extinguish the fire”
Who treated illness?
- Women
- Specialist doctors e.g. ‘The one who understands the internal fluids’ and ‘the guardian of the anus’
What did the Ancient Egyptians believe caused illness?
Blockages in the channels of the body.
What was the theory of channels?
- The idea that there are 40 channels from the heart to every part of the body.
- Healthy channels were vital for good health as they carry air and water around the body.
- Rotting undigested foods in the bowels caused disease by letting of gases that restricted the flow of blood, air and water.
Name an Egyptian God who was thought to cause and cure epidemics.
Goddess Sekhmet of War.
Give an example of an Ancient Egyptian surgery.
Cataract surgery.
