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Plates vi & vii of the Edwin Smith Papyrus at the Rare Book Room, New York Academy of Medicine
Plates vi & vii of the Edwin Smith Papyrus at the Rare Book Room, New York Academy of Medicine

The Edwin Smith Papyrus is the only surviving copy of part of an Ancient Egyptian textbook on trauma surgery. The New York Academy of Medicine was founded in 1847 by a group of leading New York City Metropolitan area Physicians as a voice for the medical profession Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now A textbook is a manual of instruction or a standard book in any branch of study Treatment of physical trauma is described here and in First aid. Surgery (from the χειρουργική cheirourgikē, via chirurgiae meaning "hand work" is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental It is the world's earliest known example of medical literature. Medical literature refers to articles in journals and texts in books devoted to the field of Medicine. Written in the hieratic script of the ancient Egyptian language around the 16th to 19th century BCE, it is thought to be based on material from a thousand years earlier. Hieratic is a Cursive writing system used in pharaonic Egypt that developed alongside the hieroglyphic system to which it is intimately Egyptian is an Afro-Asiatic language most closely related to the Berber, Semitic, Somali and Beja languages The 19th century BC was the century which lasted from 1900 BC to 1801 BC This brief document, the entire translation of which can be seen online, [1] consists of a list of 48 traumatic injury cases, each with a description of the physical examination, treatment and prognosis. Physical examination or clinical examination is the process by which a Health care provider investigates the body of a Patient for signs

The surgical procedures in the papyrus were quite rational given the time period,[1] although it does describe magical incantations against pestilence[2]. The text begins by addressing injuries to the head, and continues with treatments for injuries to neck, arms and torso, where the text breaks off. Among the treatments are closing wounds with sutures (for wounds of the lip, throat, and shoulder), preventing and curing infection with honey and mouldy bread, and stopping bleeding with raw meat. Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the WikipediaManual_of_Style#National_varieties_of_English --> Molds (or Immobilisation was often advised for head and spinal cord injuries, which is still in practice today in the short-term treatment of some injuries. The spinal cord is a long thin tubular bundle of Nerves that is an extension of the Central nervous system from the brain and is enclosed in and protected It also contains a prescription for a wrinkle remover using urea, which is still used in face creams today. Urea is an Organic compound with the Chemical formula ( N[[hydrogen H]]22 C[[oxygen O]] The use of magic for treatment is resorted to in only one case (Case 9). Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and

The papyrus also describes anatomical observations in exquisite detail. Papyrus (/pəˈpaɪrəs/ (Rhymes -aɪrəs)is a thick paper-like material produced from the Pith of the papyrus plant Cyperus papyrus Human anatomy, which with physiology and biochemistry is a complementary basic medical science is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult Human body It contains the first known descriptions of the cranial sutures, the meninges, the external surface of the brain, the cerebrospinal fluid, and the intracranial pulsations. The meninges (singular meninx) is the system of membranes which envelops the Central nervous system. The human brain controls the Central nervous system (CNS by way of the Cranial nerves and Spinal cord, the Peripheral nervous system (PNS Cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF) Liquor cerebrospinalis, is a clear Bodily fluid that occupies the Subarachnoid space and the Ventricular system [3] The papyrus shows that the heart, vessels, liver, spleen, kidneys, ureters and bladder were recognized, and that the blood vessels were known to be connected to the heart. The heart is a muscular organ in all Vertebrates responsible for pumping Blood through the Blood vessels by repeated rhythmic The blood vessels are part of the Circulatory system and function to transport Blood throughout the body The liver is a vital organ in the human body and is present in Vertebrates and some other animals The spleen is an organ found in all Vertebrate animals In humans the spleen is located in the abdomen of the body where it functions in the destruction of redundant Red The kidneys are complicated organs that have numerous biological roles In human Anatomy, the ureters are muscular ducts that propel Urine from the Kidneys to the Urinary bladder. In Anatomy, the urinary bladder is a hollow muscular, and distensible (or elastic organ that sits on the Pelvic floor in Mammals It is the Other vessels are described, some carrying air, some mucus, while two to the right ear are said to carry the breath of life, and two to the left ear the breath of death. In vertebrates mucus is a slippery secretion produced by and covering Mucous membranes It is a viscous Colloid containing Antiseptic enzymes (such as The physiological functions of organs and vessels remained a complete mystery to the ancient Egyptians. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now [4]

Contents

Authorship

Imhotep, credited with being the founder of Egyptian medicine, was also thought to be the original author of the text,[5] but internal evidence suggests it was written and edited by at least three different authors. Imhotep (sometimes spelled Immutef, Im-hotep, or Ii-em-Hotep, circa ( fl

History

Edwin Smith bought the ancient manuscript from a dealer named Mustapha Aga in 1862 in the city of Luxor, Egypt. Edwin Smith ( 1822-04-27 –1906 was an American dealer and collector of antiquities who gave his name to an Ancient Egyptian medical papyrus, Luxor (in Arabic: الأقصر al-Uqṣur) is a city in Upper (southern Egypt and the capital of Luxor This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Although he recognized the importance of the manuscript and attempted to translate it, he never published it. He died in 1906, leaving the papyrus to his daughter who gave it to the New-York Historical Society. The New-York Historical Society is an American organization located in New York City and dedicated to the preservation of the city's history [6]

In 1920, the Society asked James Breasted to translate it, a task he completed by 1930. James Henry Breasted ( August 27 1865 &ndash December 2, 1935) was an American Archaeologist and Historian. [7] It changed our understanding of the history of medicine, demonstrating that Egyptian medical care of battlefield injuries was based on observable anatomy and experience, in stark contrast with the often magical modes of healing described in other Egyptian medical sources, such as the Ebers papyrus. The Ebers Papyrus of about 1550 BC is among the most important Medical papyri of Ancient Egypt. In 1938 the Smith Papyrus was sent to the Brooklyn Museum, and in 1948 it was transferred to the New York Academy of Medicine where it remains. The Brooklyn Museum, located at 200 Eastern Parkway, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, is the second-largest Art museum in The New York Academy of Medicine was founded in 1847 by a group of leading New York City Metropolitan area Physicians as a voice for the medical profession [8]

The Papyrus was exhibited for the first time since 1948 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from September 13, 2005 to January 15, 2006. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Coinciding with the exhibition James P. Allen, curator at Met, prepared a completely new translation of the papyrus, which is included in the catalog for the exhibition.

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Rutkow, op. cit. , p. 3
  2. ^ The New York Academy of Medicine website: Academy Papyrus to be Exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. ^ Wilkins, op. cit. , p. 1
  4. ^ Hakim & Papalois, op. cit. , p. 5
  5. ^ Peltier, op. cit. , p. 16
  6. ^ Rutkow, op. cit. , p. 3
  7. ^ Rutkow, op. cit. , p. 4
  8. ^ David, op. cit. , p. 41

See also

External links

The Ebers Papyrus of about 1550 BC is among the most important Medical papyri of Ancient Egypt. The history of Anatomy as a Science extends from the earliest examinations of sacrificial victims to the sophisticated analyses of the body performed by All human societies have medical beliefs that provide explanations for birth, Death, and Disease. Medical literature refers to articles in journals and texts in books devoted to the field of Medicine.
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