PLATE VI
Front of the temple of I-em-hotep, Island of Philae
PLATE VII
Eastern wall of courtyard of temple of I-em-hotep, Philae; showing door and apertures into narrow wall chamber
In reading this very imperfect list one does not wonder that Homer speaks of ‘the abundant herbs of Egypt, healing and baneful, used by men more skilled in medicine than any of human kind.’[30] The Berlin Medical papyrus alone mentions fifty medicines of vegetable origin. Some of the prescriptions in Ebers’ papyrus are stated to have come from the great medical temples of Sais and Heliopolis. The copy of Ebers’ papyrus has evidently been in use by the priest physicians, for various notes have been added on the margin by later hands in reference to the prescriptions—‘Good,’ ‘Very good,’ ‘Try this,’ etc.
It is an interesting fact that upon the walls of some of the ancient temples hieroglyphic records have been cut referring to medicine, and containing, in some instances, prescriptions; in other cases descriptions of various chemical processes; some of the temples seem to have had laboratories attached to them. The hieroglyphic name for the land of Egypt was Khami, whence are derived the words ‘Alchemy’ and ‘Chemistry.’[31]
Surgical instruments and the actual cautery were in use, also steam inhalations, massage, ointments, plasters, poultices, suppositories, injections, and emetics, and the importance of temperature in disease was to some extent recognized.
Prescriptions were written out in due form and sometimes at great length, fully equalling those of the most enthusiastic therapeutist of our own day. Some hundreds of prescriptions have come down to us in papyri. The longest prescription which I have read contained thirty-five ingredients. To read it was a formidable task; to take it I should think a much more formidable one. Some prescriptions are wise and rational, a few strange and repulsive, and some are associated with charms and spells.
Human nature is the same in all ages; hence one was not surprised to meet with hair invigorators, hair dyes, cosmetics, pain killers, insect powders, and a soothing syrup for small children containing opium in use three thousand five hundred years ago. It was rather interesting to find that the symbol for a half tenat often used in their prescriptions is identical with that indicating a drachm with us, though the amounts are not the same. I trust that the drachm will soon be as obsolete as the tenat.
The writings of Dr. Grant Bey contain the information that during the Hyksos period a law was enacted to the effect that if any physician adopted a method of treatment not authorized by the sacred books and in case the patient died under that treatment, the life of the physician should also be forfeited. It is to be hoped that a principle so absolutely fatal to all progress was not permitted long to remain in operation.[32]