Saturday, January 26, 2013

Herbal medicine in ancient Egypt

Herbs played a major part in Egyptian medicine. The  plant medicines mentioned in the Ebers  Papyrus  for  instance include opium, cannabis, myrrh, frankincense,  fennel, cassia, senna, thyme, henna, juniper, aloe,  linseed and castor oil  -  though some of the translations  are less than certain. Cloves of garlic have been found in  Egyptian burial sites, including the tomb of Tutankhamen  and in the sacred underground temple of the bulls at  Saqqara. Many herbs were steeped in wine, which was  then drunk as an oral medicine .  Egyptians thought garlic and onions aided endurance,  and consumed large quantities of them. Raw garlic was  routinely given to asthmatics and to those suffering with  bronchial-pulmonary complaints. Onions helped against  problems of the digestive System.






Garlic was an important healing agent then just as it  still is to the modern Egyptian and to most of the peoples  in the Mediterranean area: Fresh cloves are peeled,  mashed and macerated in a mixture of vinegar and  water. This can be used to gargle and rinse the mouth, or  taken internally to treat sore throats and toothache.  Another way  to take garlic both for prevention as well as  treatment is to macerate several cloves of mashed garlic  in olive oil. Applied as an external liniment or taken  internally it is beneficial for bronchial and lung complaints  including colds. A freshly peeled clove of raw garlic  wrapped in muslin or cheesecloth and pinned to the  undergarment is hoped to protect against infectious  diseases such as colds and influenza.  Coriander, C. Sativum was considered to have cooling,  stimulant, carminative and digestive properties.  Both the seeds and the plant were used as a spice in cooking to  prevent and eliminate flatulence; they were also taken as  a tea for stomach and all kinds of urinary complaints in- cluding cystitis. Coriander leaves were commonly added  fresh to spicy foods to moderate their irritating effects.  Cumin,  Cumin  cyminum  is  an umbelliferous herb  indigenous to Egypt. The seeds were considered to be a  stimulant and effective against flatulence. They were  often used together with coriander for flavouring. Cumin  powder mixed with some wheat flour as a binder and a  little water was applied to relieve the pain of any aching  or arthritic joints. Powdered cumin mixed with grease or  lard was inserted as an anal suppository to disperse heat  from the anus and stop itching.







Leaves from many plants, such as willow, sycamore,  acacia or the ym-tree, were used in poultices and the like.  Tannic Acid derived from acacia seeds commonly helped  for  cooling the vessels  and heal burns. Castor oil, figs  and dates, were used as  laxatives. Tape  worms, were  dealt with by an infusion of pomegranate root in water, which was strained and drunk. The alkaloids contained in  it paralyzed the worms' nervous  system,    

 quished their hold. Ulcers were treated with yeast, as  were stomach ailments . Some of the medicines were made from plant materials  imported from abroad. Mandrake, introduced from  Canaan and grown locally since the New Kingdom, was  thought to be an aphrodisiac and, mixed with alcohol,  induced unconsciousness. Cedar oil, an antisep- tic, originated in the Levant. The Persian henna was  grown in Egypt since the Middle Kingdom, and was used  against hair loss. They treated catarrh with aloe which  came from eastern Africa. Frankincense, containing tetra- hydro-cannabinol and used like hashish as  pain killer,  was imported from Punt .




Minerals and animal products were used too. Honey  and grease formed part of many wound treatments,  mother's milk was  occasionally given against viral  diseases like the common cold, fresh meat laid on open  wounds and sprains, and animal dung was thought to be  effective at times. Lead-based chemicals like carbonates  and acetates were popular for their therapeutic proper- ties. Malachite used as an eye-liner also had therapeutic  value. In a country where eye infections were endemic,  the effects of its germicidal qualities were  appreciated .  It is interesting to note that ancient Egyptian chemists  invented some other drugs, commonly known as house- hold drugs (pesticides), meant to eliminate domestic  pests. A popular recipe for pest control was to spray the  house with nitron water and firewood coal, mixed with  ground  “pipit  " plant. Goose fat was used to protect  against fly bites and fresh oil to cure mosquito bites.  Other interesting recipes were made to control reptiles  and rodents. For example, a dried fish or a piece of nitron  placed at the entrance of a serpent’s hole, will keep it  inside.  A piece of cat fat spread around the house will  keep rats away .

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