Anicent Egyptian Medicine

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  • By about 3400BC, there was a thriving Ancient Egyptian civilisation along the fertile banks of the River Nile.
  • This allowed farming and the production of surplus food, which meant that some people did not have to spend all day hunting or working hard on the land
  • Although Ancient Egyptians invented writing, they had a dual approach to illness and medicine similar to that of prehistoric people.

Ancient Egyptians theories and cures

Although the civilisation of Ancient Egypt had thinkers, priests and doctors, and was more advanced that that of prehistoric groups, there were some similarities of beliefs about illness-including supernatural explanations.

  • Ancient Egyptians believed there were many gods, goddesses and evil spirits. As most illnesses had no obvious causes, they believed that some of these god or spirits caused or cured illness.
  • Sekhmet was a goddess who caused and cured epidemics; Thoth was the god who gave doctors the skill to cure; Tawaret could ensure safe pregnancy and childbirth
  • To keep away evil spirits and illnesses sent by the gods, many people wore charms, for example the scarab beetle as a brooch or amulet
  • Doctors often used a wide range of prayers and spells to 'cure' people.

However, like prehistoric people, Ancient Egyptians also had a wide range of natural

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