Ancient Egyptian Medicine.

Rowling, John Thompson

This is a splendid book and one that the world has been waiting for. Until now Egyptologists, while familiar with the medical texts and papyri, have had to rely on a somewhat scanty acquaintance with medical matters. Conversely, the medical historian, who is happily familiar with clinical medicine, has to rely on the Egyptologist for his translation of the texts. But here we have an author who is not only a clinical consultant but also an authority on the texts themselves. It is the happiest of combinations and one which is unique in our generation.

The book itself is well produced, and by using a small typeface the contents fill 240 pages. It is freely illustrated in black-and-white and the quality of the reproductions is excellent. It would have been advantageous to see Dr Nunn's many qualifications on the title-page rather than on the dust-cover.

The text starts with a short but very comprehensive review of the geography, history and conditions of life in Egypt, intended as an introduction for the non-specialist reader. The medical papyri are then considered in some detail, including the Brooklyn papyrus dealing with snake-bites, which may be unfamiliar to many readers. The Edwin Smith papyrus rightly takes pride of place, but the section on the Ebers papyrus is particularly valuable and many of the uncertainties of the Ebbell translation are resolved. The Egyptian concepts of anatomy, physiology and pathology are discussed, followed by a review of specific diseases and their occurrence and treatment in Egypt. Some diseases are difficult to equate with present-day pathologies, and one wonders how much the pattern of disease has changed over the centuries. Were there diseases on old Egypt which are unknown to us today? This part of the book concentrates more on the physicians - swnw - than the surgeons or Priests of the Goddess Sekhmet. Surgeons, generally speaking, are a touchy lot and one wonders if the ghosts of the Egyptian surgeons feel aggrieved. There is a clear description of hernia, for example, in the Ebers papyrus, with its treatment which pre-supposes that surgery was carried out at least in Old Kingdom times. The enormous influence of magic and religion on medicine occupy a further chapter, followed by an account of Egyptian physicians. A comprehensive review of the Egyptian pharmacopoeia is given. Next there is a short section on Egyptian surgery including the management of trauma. The reasons for the decline in definitive surgery at the very time when it might have been expected to develop leave the reader hungry for more information from so erudite an author. The final chapter deals with specialities, such as gynaecology, urology, ophthalmology, etc. There is a short epilogue, which precedes a chronological table, and lists of know Egyptian physicians and also of materia medica available. There is also a most interesting list of transliterations, hieroglyphs and their meanings. There is a comprehensive bibliography, and a good index which is most welcome.

One question which the author passes over lightly is that concerning the dissection and post-mortem examination of bodies. Athothis is mentioned as having written works on anatomy, and how can this be without dissection, bearing in mind that embalmment was uncommon in the Old Kingdom? Case 33 of the Edwin Smith papyrus strongly suggests an autopsy, but after this all is silence until Herophilus and Erasistratus emerge in Ptolemaic times. It leaves the reader wishing for more of the author's opinions.

This is not a book for the casual reader. It presupposes an acquaintance with Egyptology in the medical reader, and a certain degree of medical knowledge in the Egyptologist. The text is freely cross-referenced and a reader requiring special knowledge on a particular subject will find it with ease. A glance through the bibliography will indicate any further information that might be required in the unlikely event of this being necessary.

This is a work of great erudition and scholarship. One is tempted to describe it as 'this immense and glorious work of fine intelligence', and it will surely be the definitive work on the subject. In future editions, which must come, it might be helpful to have the chapter numbers at the top of the recto pages and the illustration legends in rather larger and bolder type, bearing in mind the tendency to longevity among Egyptologists. As always one would wish for illustrations in colour rather than black-and-white, but here the hard face of economic reality rejects such perfections.

This is a book which can be thoroughly recommended.

JOHN THOMPSON ROWLING