The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-07
SUCCESSFUL TRANSLATION OF
THE OLDEST BOOK ON MEDl.
CINE - REMARKABLE SCIEN.
TlFlC ATTAINMENTs OF THE
ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. .ssss


is Of the opinion that the calendar calls
attention TO the date OF transcription and
that the original was written much ear
Tier.
Psychologists agree that between the
tweEty-eighth and sixteenth centuries n.
&. the practice OF medicine was In the
hands OF wttehcraft. During this period
the law was SO stringent that a person
advancing theory Tor the treatment OF
disease other than that established by
the priests Nas PAT To death. Consequent
ly the work. which bears the marks 81 me
period Of witchcraft. AZ writSea At all
Iiior to the date named In the calendar.
must have been written at least list seafs
before. This makes Il highly preoapAe
that the original hook was written dalng
the reign 81 iiicheres. OK 81 gc.tas ssea "a
{. AT ali events, the copy u tae paryFgs
Is Itself The oldest medical wvrS eNtanl.
aud eontains the historical genesis ot
medicine.
\ large proportion os the diseases
known TO modern medical science ar0
carefully classified and their symptoms
infinitely described by Papyrus r.bvrs.
The prescriptions recommended aEc ~
many cases exactly the same as those
given at the present time. The work men
lions 30 different substances, the greater
part OF which are taken from
the vegetable kingdom. Some met
ais and a considerable number
OF animal extractions were also
used. of the salts only natron tSaltpeter).
common salt and salt are mentioned.
The use OF such ingredients As lEsrds
blood and pigs teeth are In some cases
recommended.
The author OF the work begins his treat
Use witi an enumeration OF the diseases
OF the abdomen. Universal remedies for
headache and stomach troubles. which.
as the author says. the gods prepared for
themselves" are also given
Pages - to ial contain formulas for dts
eases Of the eye, remedies Tor bites Of
man or least, dizziness. badness, diseases
Of the liver. burning OF the skin. gan-
creme exorcisms at the outbreak OF a
| fire wounds ernpticns of the skin, hruis-
es. WEAKNESS Of the limbs, pcrspiration OF
the tect sore toes. eorns. trembling OF tho
| fingers. diseases Of the tongue, toothache.
| Influenza. discharge Of cars and diseases
OF women. Cosmetics and medicines TO
take cut wrinkles are also given.
| Tibet the methods OF diagnosis and
1 treatment would be considered somewhat
crude by modern physicians may he gath
! cred iron, the following rules given for
! liver complaint.
/ Rules for rehet-thas is. suffering IN The
| pit OF the stomach: When thou findcst
anybody with hardening OF the rehet
/ and when eating ne feels q pressure In hts
| bowels, his stomach 10 swollen and he
| feel. 81 while Walking. like one suffering
| from heat In .he bark, then look at him
when he ~ lying ontstretched. and II
| than fndest his bowels hot. and "A harden
1 ing In his fehe,. this Is a liver complaint
1 Then make myself "A remedy according
J a. the secrets In botanical knowledge from
| the plant of chestnut and from the scraps
| OF dates Mix " and put II In water. Tho
1 pastcpt may drink IL on four mornings 10
| nnrre his body II after that thou fndest
/ both sides ~ his bowels namely, the
| right one and In. left nnc-cooi. then say
OF IL, that is tile. Look at him again. ana
\ II you nna hts bowels entirely cold, 'hen
say 20 thvseif. his liver In cleansea ana
| purified. he has taken the medlrine~the
! medicine has taken effect
From the contents Of Pnpyras Ehsrs !,
ia conchyively proved that the carly
| Fryp,tan yhyticians were extremely SUI
/ perstisious aud especially the prfeaf-phy-
| ~lrians rhe work gives various mean
| fatfona or formulas. 90 be chan'en ~ 'nu
! Tim. az taking the particular prescription,
These are In the nature 81 prayers 10 the
gods that the medicine may work s~nuy
| and well.
| Tn. gsyn,lanm were rot s.one In this
| ,,..cttn. +, was customary with both
| the Rabyioniane and the Jews. ara the
| Greeks we're not wholly free from y.
. survival Of this ancient custom y found
| ~ pu.s,a today, where the Irregular ply
1 sieisns ,nate n a practice 90 chant whis
/ medicine IL being prepared ana anm'h-
| istered.
The discovery ~ papyrns isbers demon
| styatea that the Egyptians aa early ~
| $3.50 or sna wears before Christ possessed
| an astonishing knowledge % great va
I rlsty ~ remedies. and thst their learned
4 men could make observation 81 disease,
I ae4S ma.
| with Judgment According 30 this early
T, writer there were three different classes
| q, medical practitioners In EnYgii NJ tbs
| date 81 the manuscript ~namsiy Tho
/ real physician. shs surgeon and Tho cone
tasers The relative standing of tho sew
I eral classes II rot known.
| The orfgin ~ medicine n certainly
20 be looked FOR In IN. valley az the Nile.
I and the paayras Ebers opens vide era
\ Tor the students ~ the history ~ madeleine
/ AMI pharrnaeoiogy TIE EKEp3ias rhysi-
/ clans we're wen advanced "a arfithslmoi-
oey. The eoiieeilon - Ilipp~rrntss r'isiad
/ ffp9 years later. 03d nos spntsin
more eve diseases. although more clearly
ara more AErsssily dfseeihsd Tho hume
/ her ~ aissasrp nasntlaued IN The payyt
\ rggs Ebers. 40 well 80 the nr9fmaion %
| medicines prescribed. Il : sourr~ ~ waD<
der 90 rnosern PHYSICIANS TIE sncisns
/ Y.1vtsian physicians must have ksen sx Z
| a knowiedse * pFuphyi&etie and c0snsaiid
| remedies.
TIE Egvpiian ocastsi was renowned. In
/ she third book - Hfrpdatus 10 90. fol-
| i9winx passage "cYFgs sent 70 Amasis
/ ~ n sn3 ans saAe him tyr an nr1llss--
| me best To- Ire whole ia~s ~ EEgys's
| Darius also seff fAifhes faf a body ply
| sirfsa. ana in the tm@ ~ Tfosrias ard
/ Nero E1Ffntas HhFsiei8ns regularly eatss
I 10 Hunss ususfg 20 heal ektn Diseases.
/ fgeYadasus tells as that fhs Egyptian ahy.
I siesAns wwfe accustomed - fraptiea Re~-
I siaitiss ana thar TIE csurifY wAs fall
I II rhYaiflane Some esnahea thsir at
I tenflon IA disease - the eFa ~ b~ad
Z ofherz 70 fhs teeth. sfefusck and tnteM-
( tines
I f5fesce isrE augrNaed 20 - the birth
. rlaes - tns1ieiae. f. H0~ krawn 70 have
: ssFiYs9 IL kng~letsRF fFuFn SO EsypfisnA
I FTArA gof2s. s}fhnuEh fFara KOS. the faWn
wheFe WifgorFafee wRa hNru ana where