The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1922-07-01
physicians OF OLD KNEW ABOUT
HEART ACTIONS.

lineage, June 15.-Egyptian phySi-
clans in the days of the Hebrew pat
riarch knew that the heart is the
center of system throughout
which its pulsatiOns are felt. Besides
formed operations. made diagnoses
catalogued cases and v.rdicts, and
pursued Investigations in a scientific
spirit according to study of the
Edwin Smith Payrus made by Prof.
!. H. Breasted of the University
OF Chicago
Professor Breasted will discuss
the papyrus at the Cosmopolitan cen
tenary at Paris on July 10, and his
paper will abe published in one or
two volumes, one containing articles
by scholars of France, the second
articles by scholars of other coun-
tries which are to be prepared in
honor of Champollan.
In preliminary account of less
technical nature appearing in the
quartely bulletin of the New York
Historical society, which owns the
papyrus. Professor Breasted de-
clared that this ancient document
lay in coffin for "some three and
q half milleniums" Pointing out that
lit was discovered by an American
Edwin Smith, the Chicago orientalist
asserted that it contained 'incom-
parably the most important body of
medical knowledge Which was sur
vived to us from the ancient Orient
anywhere" He explained that where
as the other known ancient Egyptian
medicsl documents were hodsepodges
of recipes dominated by magic"
part of the Smith I'apyrus contained
Ia systematic organization and dis
cussion of cases.
The passage about the heart reads
in part: "There is in it (the heart) a
canal leading to every member of
the body Concerning these-if the
ply Stefan places the fingers ON the
back of the head, on the hands, on
the pulse on the legs he discovers
the heart, for the hear leads to
every member and . 1t beats Otter
ally speaks) in the canals Of every
M mber." DR.. Br, asted said that
although similar account is given
in he Papyrus EbeIs, the account In
the Papyrus is longer. and FORMS an
explanatory gloss appended to a case
Of wound in the head-appar srtly
In an effort to account for dis
turbsnces carried throughout the
BODY through resting from the seem
ingly local trouble in the head This
effort t. reach a scientific explanation
OF the observed condition illustrates
the physician's interest in the
scientific aspects If his subject,
which we find throughout this
venei able document
The papyrus reavels tendency to
trust more to operations than to
drugs, ard a disposition to cooper
ate with nature which Professor
Breasted considers extraordinarily adj
vanced l'or example, the parcti-
tioner is advised Ia certain cases ito
moor the patients on his fingers
meaning to put him on his accus-
toned food without giving him medi-
cal treatment" Professor Breasted
suggested that the idiom wa1 derived
from the custom OF eating with the
fingers, and observed "rhe student of
English 5000 years hence will doubt
less find phrases about food. like
The text contains directions for
operations On fractures end disloca-
ton in the head and neck.
Part of the papyrus was sold to Mr.
Smith in January. 1862. by Egyptians
who had ransacked tomb. Two
months later they sold him a counter
felt roll patched together fror1 rub
hish which they gave the appearance
Of papyruss by wrapping around It
and gluing in place tattered frag-
ments which they have striDped from
the genuine roll Mr. Smith iecog-
nized and rescued the new fragments
which contained the discussion OF the
heart and It's 81 item Of canals.