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The Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus (also Petrie Medical Papyrus, Kahun Medical Papyrus, Lahun Medical Papyrus, or UC32057) is the oldest known medical text in Egyptian history, dated to 1825 BCE, during the Twelfth Dynasty. The Papyrus addresses gynecological health concerns, pregnancy, fertility, and various treatments.
"Manuscript for the health of mother and child", translated by Steven Quirke, University College London
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{{Ancient Egyptian medicine Ancient Egyptian medical works Papyri from ancient Egypt 2nd-millennium BC manuscripts Gynaecology 19th-century BC literature
The Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus (also Petrie Medical Papyrus, Kahun Medical Papyrus, Lahun Medical Papyrus, or UC32057) is the oldest known medical text in Egyptian history, dated to 1825 BCE, during the Twelfth Dynasty. The Papyrus addresses gynecological health concerns, pregnancy, fertility, and various treatments.
History
It was found at El Lahun (Faiyum
Faiyum ( ; , ) is a city in Middle Egypt. Located southwest of Cairo, in the Faiyum Oasis, it is the capital of the modern Faiyum Governorate. It is one of Egypt's oldest cities due to its strategic location.
Name and etymology
Originally f ...
, Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
) by Flinders Petrie in 1889 and first translated by F. Ll. Griffith in 1893 and published in ''The Petrie Papyri: Hieratic Papyri from Kahun and Gurob''. It is kept in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology of the University College London
University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
. The later Berlin Papyrus and the Ramesseum Papyrus IV cover much of the same ground, often giving identical prescriptions.
The text is divided into thirty-four sections, each section dealing with a specific problem and containing diagnosis and treatment; no prognosis
Prognosis ( Greek: πρόγνωσις "fore-knowing, foreseeing"; : prognoses) is a medical term for predicting the likelihood or expected development of a disease, including whether the signs and symptoms will improve or worsen (and how quickly) ...
is suggested. Treatments are non-surgical, comprising applying medicines to the affected body part or swallowing them. The womb is seen as the source of ailments manifesting themselves in other body parts, for which its fumigation is recommended, either by oils, incense or whatever the woman smells roasting – should it cause her to smell roasting./ref>
Contraception
In Column 3, Line 6 of the Papyrus, there are details of a contraception method involving the burning or sprinkling of crocodile dung. The Column 3, Line 6 contraception method is often misconstrued as insertion of crocodile dung against the cervix. The context of Column 3, Line 7 depicts another contraception method involving sprinkling honey and natron salt over the woman's womb to prevent pregnancy.See also
*List of ancient Egyptian papyri
This list of papyri from ancient Egypt includes some of the better known individual Papyrus, papyri written in Egyptian hieroglyphs, hieroglyphs, hieratic, Demotic (Egyptian), demotic or in ancient Greek. Excluded are papyri found abroad or cont ...
* Kahun Papyri
* History of medicine
The history of medicine is both a study of medicine throughout history as well as a multidisciplinary field of study that seeks to explore and understand medical practices, both past and present, throughout human societies.
The history of med ...
References
Bibliography
* *Smith, Lesley. "The Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus: Ancient Egyptian medicine." Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care (2011): 54-55.External links
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{{Ancient Egyptian medicine Ancient Egyptian medical works Papyri from ancient Egypt 2nd-millennium BC manuscripts Gynaecology 19th-century BC literature