Amulets were a magical charm that protected and showed signs of healing to many people. Dangers were permitted by magic charms. Often infants wore amulets more than adults. It was very important to keep infants/children safe because most children died very young. The amulet that children/infants would often wear was an amulet with a prayer inside (made on papyrus). Children also often wore fish amulets to prevent drowning. It was very important to AE that their children were protected, so amulets were the perfect solution.
Another type of amulet that is sacred to Ancient Egypt, a scarab. It is a beetle shaped amulet that represents sun and rebirth.
AE were very skilled in the medical department, and were even requested by foreigners for AE Doctors to treat them. Even though there is little information into what training you went through to become a doctor. We know that AE doctors studied pamphlets on papyrus, (to become a doctor), and these were first created in 3000 BC. The pamphlets/textbooks, really stressed the fact how gentle and how much you have to observe carefully to treat a patient. This made the AE very good at observation, and that helped with becoming a great doctor.
Medicine is a big part of being a doctor, and a magician.
First plants were a big part in medicine. This was the base of the remedies. Here are some examples of what they would use plants for;
-
Garlic was used to swear off snakes and tapeworms
-
To treat wounds doctors would use willow leaves which is a plant that contains aspirin ( salicylic acid.)
-
A likely treatment was taking a piece of raw meat and putting it over the wound. They would have to take it off the next day, then they would brush on honey or a greasy material.
-
Mixed cream and flour were what they used to make a cast for a broken limb
-
If you had a bad cough, they would often have you swallow a dead mouse
-
With serious illness they would just mg and md, they would mix them to make potions, and even if the potion didn't work, it usually brought hope and comfort to the patient
Here's where I got my information!
Science and Medicine in Ancient Egypt. Peterborough, NH: Cobblestone Pub., 1997. Print.
Vleet, Carmella Van. Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself. White River Junction, VT: Nomad, 2006. Print.
