Medicine, Magic and the Art of Healing along the Nile, Egypt
A felucca sailing on the Nile, near Luxor
Health and Wellness in Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptians formed one of the most powerful and enduring civilizations the world has ever seen, spanning over 3000 years from 3100 BC until the year 30 BC. These ancient people created a sophisticated culture and were not only masters of building pyramids and creating mummies, but were also quite proficient in the fields of medicine, surgery, and dentistry. Deeply intertwined in their culture was the River Nile, the lifeline of ancient Egypt; every aspect of life and death revolved around its waters. The river’s yearly floods supplied the irrigation channels and the silt needed to make the land fertile, and its waters provided both a means of transportation and relief from the desert heat. The ancient Egyptians built their villages along its riverbanks and based their culture and beliefs on this mighty river.
Through their extensive experience with preserving their dead, the ancient Egyptians became quite proficient in their understanding of human anatomy, though this understanding was uniquely Egyptian. Their concepts of the human body and how it functioned, as with all things in ancient Egypt, were based on the Nile River. They were aware of the heart and circulatory systems' function of carrying blood throughout the body, as well as the body's other 'channels' for carrying air, water, and nutrients. These channels, however, were thought to act much like the Nile itself. Blockages in the Nile’s flow led to drought and poor crops, and thus blockages in the body's various ‘channels’ led to illness and death. Ancient Egyptian medical treatments, therefore, consisted of things that could ‘unblock’ the channels and restore health, and so laxatives and enemas were especially popular at the time!
Treatments of the various ailments and injuries that affected the people of ancient Egypt were carried out by physicians, a title held by both men and women who practiced the art of medicine. There were a multitude of different types of specialists, somewhat like today's medical world. They had dentists, ophthalmologists, and gastroenterologists; they even had a specialist called an Iri or ‘Shepherd of the Anus’. We can only imagine what they got up to! All of these physicians were held in high regard in Egypt, going back to the very first one named Imhotep, who, after death, went on to be worshipped as the god of medicine.
The Philae temple complex, Aswan. dedicated to Isis, the goddess of healing, birth, and magic
Ancient Egyptian Remedies
What we now know of the ancient Egyptians and their medical practices comes from the detailed texts that were written by the physicians of the time. Much like today's medical textbooks, the Egyptians recorded a multitude of ailments and injuries along with their recommended treatments. The world's first medical textbook, named The Ebers Papyrus, was found in Luxor in the 1800s and dates back to 1500 BCE. It is also over 20 meters long, move over Kumar and Clarke!
The belief that magic and medicine were intertwined is reflected in the 700-plus detailed remedies outlined in the Ebers Papyrus. Herbal treatments were used alongside spells and charms meant to invoke help from the gods to cure anything from stomach issues and eye infections to mental health concerns such as depression. Examples found in the text include a sensible treatment for asthma where a herbal mixture is heated on a brick and inhaled, and a fabulous cure for a migraine that consists of tapping a person on the head with a fish until the headache goes. Other common remedies found in the ancient texts include the use of animal feces, cooked mice, and, very 21st century, the use of medicinal cannabis! Detailed surgical procedures are also outlined, many still relevant today, and include management of nosebleeds, how to set various broken bones, and even procedures to remove tumours. The fact that these interventions were carried out is evident in the array of medical tools that have been found: flints, scalpels, dental pliers, bone saws, clamps, catheters, forceps, scissors, bandages, all giving testimony to the advanced surgical skills of the ancient Egyptian physicians.
However, despite their best efforts, all the treatments, remedies, charms, and prayers invoking the gods, most ancient Egyptians were unlikely to live beyond their 40s. Childbirth took many a young woman in their prime, and the ancient cemeteries have shown that at least a third of all burials are those of children, likely due to common childhood infections taking the young.
Abu Simbel, Depicting Rames II with with wife Nefertari and his children at his feet
Top Tips
The best way to see the Nile is by taking a trip down the Nile itself. Thus, a Nile cruise remains one of the best options to explore and experience the numerous sites along its banks.
Most of the cruises start in either Luxor in the North, or Aswan in the South, and go back and forth between these two sites over a typically three to four days. depending on the direction of travel. There are also options to cruise from Cairo all the way down to Aswan, though these cruises are not as common.
Typical stops include Kom Obo, Edfu, and Esna, lying between Luxor and Aswan. The Aswan Dam marks the end (or start) of the journey, with sites such as Abu Simbel on Lake Nasser to the south of the dam near the Sudan border, which can be reached by road from Aswan.
The Nile cruise is quite different from the typical large-scale cruises, as most are quite small, but can vary in size, with anywhere from 50-150 passengers on board. The boat's quality can also vary greatly, from basic to luxurious, as you can see when disembarking. All the boats line up lengthwise next to each other, and passengers are required to walk from one tethered boat to the next before reaching land, allowing you to have a good gawk at the other boats! Most of the boats, however, have the same basic plan: a few floors of cabins, a lower-level buffet/bar area, and a rooftop bar with or without a pool to relax and enjoy the view.
Both Luxor and Aswan have small airports with domestic flights to Cairo regularly. There is also an overnight train that runs from Cairo down to Aswan with a stop in Luxor if this is your preferred mode of travel. The pyramids, as well as the Egyptian museum and the new Grand Egyptian Museum, are all located in Cairo, so if this is in the itinerary, be sure to book a day or two in Cairo on either end of the trip.