Egyptian and Greek Medicine.

University Degree Historical and Philosophical studies

Egyptian and Greek Medicine

When comparing Egyptian and Greek medicine there are a few factors that we must consider; the type of society, belief in Gods, natural and supernatural beliefs, knowledge of anatomy, use of herbs and surgery. All these factors contribute to the medical progress made in the two different societies.

By 3000BC the Egyptians had moved on from prehistoric times as the civilisation was developing in the Nile Valley. Egypt was a wealthy country, with powerful rulers, international trade, large cities, writing and one of the most advanced civilisations the world had known. Egypt’s wealth was based on land around the river Nile. When the river flooded over every year it covered the surrounding land with fertile soil which gave rich harvests of good crop. Farming was so successful that landowners in Egypt became rich. Therefore man no longer had to go of in search for food this was very important to the progress of medical knowledge. Also the skill of writing had been developed, first clay tablets were used then papyrus was used. So man could now work out solutions to their problems and record them.

From about 1600BC Greek civilisation was starting to develop. The Greeks were ruled by Kings and Chiefs who lived in palaces and were buried surrounded by rich possessions in beehive shaped tombs cut into the hillside. From about 1200BC towns and villages were governed by councils of the most important men. Like Egyptians, Greeks no longer spent time gathering food and seeking shelter. Their craftsmen were busy. There were sailors, trades and merchants who kept records in a primitive type of writing. According to legend the first Olympic Games were held in 776BC. The Greeks also had time to spare for past times such as sport and music.

Egyptians believed that events were caused by something caused beyond their senses and had some connections with spiritual beings. The Egyptians had many Gods. Like their primitive ancestors, the Egyptians believed that the Gods had created the world and that nothing happened in it with out their approval or command. Egyptians had devised myths and legends which helped explain certain natural phenomena. They believed for example that there were waters under the earth which swelled up each year from subterranean caverns and caused the river Nile to flood. According to their legend, it was the God Osiris and his wife Iris who caused the crops to grow each year after the flood.

The Greeks also had worked out supernatural explanations for many of the common facts of nature. According to Greek legend the sea was governed by a God called Poseidom who lived in a golden palace beneath the sea. So just like the Egyptians they believed in the supernatural and thought that it was the Gods that caused events that they had no natural explanation for.

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The religious beliefs of the Egyptians hindered the progress in medical knowledge, as Egyptians believed that people had life after death and that they would need their bodies in the afterlife so the dissection of bodies wasn’t allowed. Therefore the bodies of important people were embalmed ready for the afterlife. Parts of the body, such as the liver, were taken out and preserved. The rest of the body was embalmed, which involved treating it with spices and wrapping it in bandages to make a mummy.

The Greeks had many Gods. They believed that Gods caused events like earthquakes or thunderstorms. If the crops were rich they would have said that the Gods were pleased. If someone was a great solider they would have said that the Gods favoured him. With such a great belief in Gods they also had a God of healing. By the sixth century BC, many Greeks turned to the Asclepios a legendary hero turned God, to heal and cure them. There were temples built for the Greeks to go to, to worship Asclepios in hope that he would cure them. These temples were called Asclepia and were built in quiet places. Here people came to bathe, sleep, meditate and beg Asclepios to cure them.

Egyptian medicine included a mixture of old and new ideas supernatural explanations and magical remedies were mingled with a great deal of common sense and a willingness to investigate and enquire. In Ancient Egypt the treatment of sickness was no longer carried out by magicians and medicine men but it was there were doctors or physicians. But it was only the rich that could afford to be treated by a doctor. Where there were no obvious reason to an illness, many Egyptian doctors and Priests believed the disease was caused by a spiritual being. In such cases, doctors and Priests often recommended spells and magical potions to drive out the evil spirit. The Egyptians knew about the heart, pulse, liver, brain, lungs and the blood. However they did not know the proper roles of these parts of the body. Egyptians said that the heart was the most important organ in the body. As mentioned before the Egyptians learned little about the anatomy of the body due to religious beliefs and the heat. There is evidence that the Egyptians believed in purging, vomiting and bloodletting. These treatments seemed to be connected with a ‘new theory’ about the causes of diseases. This theory shows that Egyptian doctors did not believe that all diseases were caused by spirits. The River Nile had channels and the Egyptians believed that the human body also had channels. Just like when the irrigation canals were out of order then the land suffered. Similarly certain disease would result if the internal channel of the body becomes blocked by blood, mucus or food. When such blockages happened then the doctors would prescribe remedies to clear them. Remedies included treatments like feeding the person with fish and beer so that they would vomit while also having the persons fingers bandaged with watermelon.

The Greeks also had their theories. In the sixth century BC other developments were taking place which were to affect Greek medicine. At this time certain Greek thinkers began to develop more rational explanations for the many happenings in the world of nature. No longer were there men happy to accept that the Gods cause everything. This is all due to trade and travel. Trade and travel brought new ideas from other countries. The Greeks believed in a theory ‘The Four Humours’. This theory was based on the ideas of the Philosophers about the four basic elements and the balance of health. This theory suggested that the body was made up of four humours. These were blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. Doctors observed that when a man was sick one of these liquids was usually present. The patient for example might be bleeding, coughing phlegm or vomiting bile. Egyptian doctors therefore came to the conclusion that the humours in some way must be the cause of a disease. The doctors then came to a final decision that the humours got out of balance depending on the qualities of the season. For example if it was winter, cold and moist, the humour that would be out of balance would be phlegm and the symptoms would be sneezing and colds.

Many Egyptians believed that the only way to prevent you from getting a disease or illness was to scare of evil spirits. They did this by wearing charms. Scarab beetle was thought to be most effective. Elaborate pendants and brooches were made for the rich. More homely charms were used by the poor. This is an example of a charm that a mother made for her child to be protected by evil spirits, “This charm is made from evil smelling herbs and from garlic which is harmful to you; from honey which is sweet or men and horrible for spirits, from a fish tail and a rag and a backbone of a perch.” Along with using herbal remedies, simple surgery, charms and spells Egyptians also were aware of the relation between hygiene and health. This is the code of hygiene from Egypt in the 5th Century BC; drink from cups of bronze which are cleaned daily, always wear newly washed linen clothing, twice a day and every night wash in cold water. Both rich and poor washed frequently in the morning and in the evening and before every meal. Soda, scented oil and ointments were used as soap. Ointments were considered so important that they formed part of payments in kind made to workers in place of wages.

In Greece they prevented disease by careful observation, herbal remedies, charms and spells, rest, diet and exercise, personal hygiene and bleeding. The theory of observation to prevent disease came from the doctor Hippocrates. Hippocrates showed how important it was to observe and record carefully the symptoms and developments of diseases. This had two advantages. Doctors were more likely to choose the right cure if they took care to find the cause of the problem. These notes could also be used to help with the diagnosis and treatment of future patients. Hippocrates developed the theory of the four humours to explain the causes of disease. He also encouraged people to look for natural treatments for illnesses rather than going to the Gods for help. Hippocrates began collecting all of his notes from observation and put them into one collection for others doctors to use and refer to. This collection of books was called the Hippocratic Collection. This collection is important because it was the first detailed list of symptoms and treatments. Greeks believed that rest contributed to a person’s health, they believed in doing everything in moderation. They also realised the link between diet and exercise. Athletics and sport had been a part of the Greek life for hundreds of years. Stadiums and gymnasiums were built throughout Greece. We can even see from the Asclepia that they were aware about the need for exercise as there was a stadium and gym there also. Hippocrates also had written a book on diet. He advised people to consider the season in which they happen to be and try and adapt their meals and exercise to it as best they can. Greek doctors also advised their patients to do everything in moderation, not eating too much, not exercising to much and so it did help to make them more healthy.

The Greeks had improved greatly in their knowledge of medicine compared to the Egyptians. Through dissection Greeks knew a lot more about the anatomy of the body. The Greeks surgical instruments also were developed to be stronger and sharper due to the increased use of iron and steel. Hippocrates also had a big influence on the medical knowledge of Greek doctors.

After 460 BC Greek doctors such as Hippocrates developed many important ideas about medicine, disease and health. It has sometimes been said that Greek doctors set scientific medicine on its course. Certainly many Greek doctors, like modern, believed that medicine should be based on the knowledge of the patient and his or her symptoms gained through observation. At the same time however that the methods of Greek doctors were not the same as those of the modern scientists. Greek theories were not proved correct by experiments and the same Greek doctors thought a lot could be learned by reflection and argument. More over, the Greeks were not the first to realise the importance of observation and examining the patients. The Egyptians had already done this. We must not forget that the Asclepia played an important part in the treatment of many sick people both during and after the time of Hippocrates.

The Egyptians laid the foundations for development. The Greek’s through using some Egyptian ideas about maths, geometry and possibly medicine, did not simply copy their ideas. The Greek’s succeeded in further developing medical knowledge threw the simple art of observing and recording their patient’s illness, and also through the use of common sense and rational explanations.

Orla Mallon 11.C