Lecture on Ancient Egyptian Medicine

Setting

• Location: Memphis, Egypt
• Time: Morning
• Environment: Sweltering heat, near the Nile river

Introduction to Passachette

• Role: Sunu (doctor)
• Training: Required to train as a scribe and study medical papyri at the Pur Ankh (House of Life)
• Activities: Teaches students and treats patients

Passachette's Daily Routine

1. Supplies Check:

   • Honey, garlic, cumin, acacia leaves, cedar oil
   • Essential items for treating patients

2. Patient Treatment 1:

   • Case: Temple worker with a broken arm
   • Action: Bind and immobilize fracture

3. Patient Treatment 2:

   • Case: Boy stung by a scorpion
   • Action:
     • Recite incantation invoking Serket (goddess of venomous creatures)
     • Attempt to cut the poison out

4. Pregnancy Test Inquiry:

   • Method: Plant barley and emmer seeds, urinate on them daily
   • Interpretation:
     • Growth indicates pregnancy
     • Barley signifies a boy, emmer a girl
   • Advice: Prayer to Hathor (goddess of fertility)

House of Life

• Activities: Hub for scribes, priests, doctors, and students
• Papyri: Store various records, including medical information
• Interaction: Passachette interacts with Iseci, a doctor-priest

Training and Education

• Passachette's Son: Akit Hetep, training to be a scribe
• Gender Disparities:
  • Difficult for boys without family ties to enter
  • Impossible for girls unless already part of the profession
• Overseer Roles: Separate overseers for male and female sunus

Teaching Session

• Subject: Anatomy
• Focus: Metu (body's vessels)

Final Patient Encounter

• Case: Woman with a tumor under the arm
• Observation: Cool, hard, untreatable
• Advice: Do nothing, as per ancient texts

Reflections

• Challenge: Acknowledges limits of medical knowledge and practice
• Future: Anticipates the Nile's flooding, bringing life and new challenges

Themes

• Balance of knowledge, tradition, and practical limitations in ancient medicine
• Role of women in the medical field and societal barriers
• Importance of religious and mystical practices in healing