	Both the Edwin Smith Papyrus and the Ebers Papyrus were purchased in Luxor by Edwin Smith in 1862. Smith was an American farming in Luxor at the time and has been described as an adventurer, money- lender and dealer in antiquities.
It is not certain who owned the Ebers Papyrus before Smith purchased it, but it is believed to have been found originally between the legs of a mummy in the Assassif district of the Theban necropolis. The Papyrus remained in Smith’s collection for some years until purchased in 1872 by the Egyptologist George Ebers, after whom it has been named. In 1875, Ebers published a facsimile with an English-Latin vocabulary and introduction. The Papyrus comprises 110 pages and is the longest of all medical papyri. It is dated by a passage on the verso to the 9th year of the reign of Amenhotep I (c.1534 B.C.E.), although one portion suggests a much earlier origin, possibly closer to the First Dynasty (c.3000 B.C.E.)
Unlike the Edwin Smith Papyrus, which deals mainly with wounds and how to treat them, the Ebers Papyrus consists of a haphazard collection of different medical texts. It is set out by paragraph, each of which is arranged into blocks dealing with specific medical ailments.
Paragraphs 1-3 deal with magic spells designed to protect from supernatural intervention on diagnosis and treatment. These are followed by a large section on diseases of the stomach (khet), concentrating on intestinal parasites in paragraphs 50-85. (Bryan 1930:50). Skin diseases, with the prescribed remedies placed in three categories of irritative, exfoliative and ulcerative are dealt with in paragraphs 90-95 and 204-118. Diseases of the anus are included in a section of the digestive group in paragraphs 132-134. (Ibid.50)
Up to paragraph 187, the papyrus follows a standardised format of listing prescriptions aimed at relieving medical ailments. The diseases themselves are often difficult to translate, sometimes taking the form of recognisable symptoms, but often a specific disease term is used, e.g., wekhedu or aaa, the meaning of which is not known.
Paragraphs 188-207 comprise "the book of the stomach", after which there is a short treatise on the heart (Paragraphs 208-241).
Paragraphs 242-247 contain remedies reputed to have been made and used personally by various gods. Only in paragraph 247 in this section relating to Isis’ creation of a remedy for an illness in Ra’s head is a specific diagnosis mentioned. (Bryan 1930:45)
The next section continues with diseases of the head without reference to use of remedies by the gods. Paragraph 251 contains a famous passage concerning the treatment of migraines. The sequence is interrupted in paragraph 251 with the focus placed on a drug rather than an illness.
Paragraphs 261-283 deal with the regular flow of urine and are followed by remedies "to cause the heart to receive bread." (Bryan 1930:80) Paragraphs 305-335 contain remedies for various coughs as well as the genew disease.
The remainder of the text goes on to discuss medical conditions concerning hair (paragraphs 437-476), traumatic injuries such as burns and flesh wounds (paragraphs 482-529) and extremities such as toes, fingers and legs. Paragraphs 627-696 deal with the relaxation or strengthening of the metu (translated to mean hollow vessels or muscle tissue) (Ibid:52). The papyrus continues by discussing diseases of the tongue (paragraphs 697-704), dermatological conditions (paragraphs 708-721), dental conditions (paragraphs 739-750), diseases of the ear, nose and throat (paragraphs 761-781) and gynaecological conditions (paragraphs 783-839).
Diseases of Women and Children
Fertility was diagnosed by placing garlic in the vagina for one night. If the next day the woman can taste or smell it in her mouth, she is fertile.
Diagnosis of pregnancy and sex determination of the future child was based on the fact that pregnant urine germinates cereals more rapid than non-pregnant one. If the child was a male, the urine would germinate wheat, if a female, it would germinate barley.

Delivery was performed in the squatting position, with the woman supporting her arms on knees and sitting on two bricks. Difficult labours were assisted by burning resin or massaging the abdomen using saffron powder and beer. Abortions were carried out by the insertion of crocodile oil, gum acacia or honey consperge and natron into the vagina. Gum acacia when dissolved produces lactic acid, an effective spermicidal. The Ebers papyrus states : "To cause a woman to stop being pregnant, be it one, two or three years: part of acacia, colocynth, dates, finely ground in a hin of honey, fibers are moistened therewith, introduced into her vagina."
Other recipes recommended to encourage abortion : One part fresh beans and one part honey are pressed together and drunk for one day. (An unknown plant) bsbs one part, terebinth resin one part, one part onion, 3sr.t beer, fresh beans one part, bird dung one part, made into a suppository and place in her vagina. Terebinth resin one part, oil/fat one part, made into a salve for abdomen. Fruit of juniper one part, njziz (plant unknown) one part, pine resin one part, these are made Into a suppository and placed in her genital.
Infants were breast fed for three years: "Nothing is more lawful than one’s mother milk." Milk stimulants were resorted to, as mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus: "To bring forth the milk of a nurse who feeds subj: who must feed a child: Spine of the Nile-perch, fried in oil/fat, her spine is anointed therewith." They only resorted to cow’s milk when the mother failed to feed her infant.
Surgery
At least 39 mummies have been identified with cancer. Cancer of the uterus has been described : "Another for one in whom there is eating on her uterus in whose vagina ulcers have appeared." Breast cancer was also described, but was non-curable. "If thou examinst a man having bulging tumors on his breast, and if thou puttst thy hand upon his breast upon these tumors, and thou findst them very cool, there being no fever At all when thy hand touches him, they have no granulation, they form no fluid, they do not generate secretions of fluid, and they are bulging to thy hand. Thou shouldst say concerning him: One having bulging tumor. An ailment with which I will not contend." The surgical treatment of abcesses or cysts was described: "Instructions for a swelling of pus. A disease which I treat with knife-treatment. If anything remains in pocket, it recurs." Surgeons today are aware that complete excision of a swelling capsule is mandatory to avoid its recurrence.
Piles and rectal prolapse were treated by medication, suppositories, laxatives and enema. For burns, a mixture of milk from a woman who has borne a male child, gum and ram’s hair was applied. Urethal strictures were dilated using reeds. This was the earliest non-surgical intervention ever applied in history. Mild antiseptics, such as frankincense, date-wine, turpentine and acacia gum were used. Hot fire-drill was used in cauterization. A collection of surgical instruments can be found in the Cairo Museum, including scalpels, scissors, copper needles, forceps, spoons, lancets, hooks, probes and pincers. A collection of 37 instruments is engraved on a wall in the temple of Kom-Ombo (2nd century BC), which was one of the houses of life. The Ebers Papyrus states : "Thou shalt perform an operation for it, the same being split with a knife and sized with a (? forceps)." The Edwin Smith Papyrus also contains a list of instruments as well as lint, swabs, bandages, adhesive plaster (x-formed), support, surgical stitches and cauterization. Pain alleviation to allow surgery was known to ancient Egyptian physicians. Patients were sedated by opiates. Local anesthesia was also known, where was mixed with vinegar of Memphite stone, resulting in the formation of carbon dioxide.
Fractures and Bone Disease In recent excavation, the city of the craftsmen and builders of the pyramids was discovered. The remains of the skeletons show simple and multiple fractures, mostly on the forearm bones and the legs. The majority of the fractures show signs of complete healing with good alignment of the bone, indicating that they were set correctly with a splint. It is possible that traction was applied to fracture of the arm. Two of the skeletons show amputations (a left leg and a right arm) with healed bone ends, suggesting successful surgery.
Internal Medicine The Ebers Papyrus gives a good description of angina pectoris (heart attack): "Shouldst thou examine a patient with stomach disease suffering from pain in the arms, in the breast, and on one side of the stomach, say 'Death threatens'." and "If thou examinst a man for illness in his cardia, and he has pains in his arm, in his breast, and in side of his cardia, and it is said of him: it is with illness, then thou shalt say thereof: it is due to Something entering the mouth it is death that threatens him. Thou shalt prepare for him stimulating herbal remedies..."
Cough was treated by inhalation of honey, cream, milk, carob, colocynth and date kernels. Some treatment in the Ebers Papyrus is thought to be for asthma. Also described is an apparatus for inhalation therapy: "...you should then bring 7 stones and heat them on fire. Take one of them, place parts of these drugs over it, cover with a new jar with a pierced bottom. Introduce a Tube of reed through this hole and put your mouth on this tube so that you swallow its fumes. The same with every stone."
Joint pain was treated by ointments containing fat, oil bone marrow, bum or honey as a base. To this were added flour, natron, onion, cumin, flax, frankincense or pine. Application of flax (linseed) or animal fat (snake or lizard) is still used today in the Egyptian countryside as an ointment for rheumatic pains. The Ebers Papyrus includes the diagnosis and treatment of gout: "Another to treat the toe if it is painful."
The Ebers Papyrus contains 12 prescriptions for headache, one being a prepared by Isis herself for the god Ra: "A sixth remedy that Isis made for Ra himself to eliminate the disease that is in the head: fruit of coriander...made into a mass, honey is mixed with it, the head is bandaged therewith so that it goes immediately well with him. " Migraine was considered a special ailment. It was treated with the fish Siluris (an electric cat fish) in fat and oil. Trepanning (making holes in the skull to relieve pressure) was practiced in ancient Egypt.
There were many remedies to cure constipation , including: "Berries of castor oil tree, chew and swallow down with beer in order to clear out all that is in the body." or "Leaves of castor oil plant Ľ, dates of male palm 5/6, cyperus grass 1/16, stalk of puppy plant 1/16, coriander 1/16, cold beer ˝, keep moist, strain and take for four days." Diarrhoea was treated with "Green onions 1/8, freshly cooked gruel 1/8, oil and honey Ľ, wax 1/16, water 1/3, cook and take for four days."
Doctors and other medical personnel kept detailed notes (on papyrus) describing medical conditions and the various treatments. Texts on anatomy and physiology exist showing a degree of knowledge of the workings of the human body, but despite the process of mummification, the ancients were not as familiar with the body as one might expect, and many fanciful definitions and descriptions are found in the various texts. Although many of the treatments used have no value in comparison with today’s knowledge, Egyptian medicine had a well-deserved reputation throughout the ancient world.
Acknowledgements Contraception and Abortion from the Ancient World to the Renaissance by John M Riddle. Egyptian medicine Pt. 1 Egyptian medicine Pt. 2 Egyptian medicine Pt. 3

The Ebers Papyrus