Medicine in Ancient Egypt vs Ancient Greece Essay Example

Ancient civilizations played a massive role in how physicians today practice medicine. Without the ideas of ancient Egypt and ancient Greece, modern medicine may have been different. I feel that these two civilizations are responsible for many diagnostic tools we use today. I will be comparing and contrasting the medicinal practices of ancient Egypt and ancient Greece. By reading various papyri we are able to dive into the Egyptian practice of medicine. These papyri explore various illnesses and their cures. Papyrus texts reveal that doctors had detailed knowledge of the various body systems. The knowledge of medicine, anatomy and the functioning of the human body has been attributed to the embalming procedures practiced by the Egyptians. They were very advanced in herbal remedies. Radishes, onions, juniper berries and garlic were a big part of this civilizations diet. The antibodies in these foods are raphanin, allicin, and allistatin, which all contain sulfur which we use as an antibiotic to treat different types of infections. They were known to prescribe castor oil as a laxative. Pain was eased by mandrakes and henbane. They were very skilled in treating injuries such as breakages, burns, and infections. Broken bones were set with splints made of strips of bark wrapped in linen, honey was used to treat burns and mold from bread was used as an antibiotic. Egyptian physicians also performed surgeries like relieving pressure on the brain and were adept at performing eye surgery. They also believed highly in cleanliness. They would perform a purification ritual before proceeding to treat a patient. Another part of Egyptian medicine was magic. They used charms and spells to help treat patients. The physician would perform rituals involving incantations of various spells. These spells were believed to rid patients of evil spirits. Physicians were trained at the Per Ankh or ‘The house of light’. physicians also treated their patients here. The Egyptians