The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus: And the Diagnosis and Treatment of Injuries to the Skull and Spine 5000 Years Ago.
Year: 1931
Type: article
Abstract: P to the first quarter of the nineteenth century, the belief that Egypt was one of the oldest, if not the oldest, of civilized lands was, to a considerable extent, based upon surmise.When, however, in 1822, ChampoIIion first deciphered two hieroglyphic inscriptions or "cartouches" of Ptolemy and Cleopatra on the base of an obelisk, and, a few years later translated the inscription on the famous Rosetta stone, the door was opened to the understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphic, hieratic and demotic writing.This made it possible for succeeding Egyptologists to decipher the papyri and the inscriptions found in tombs and on the walls of temples, which has given us the proof of the extreme antiquity of Egyptian civilization.Professor James H. Breasted, the Director of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago has recently completed and published a translation of a papyrus which is of great importance not only to the student of Egypt and its history, but also to the medical profession and to those who are interested in the history of medicine.*The Edwin Smith Papyrus carries back recorded surgery for almost five * The work is, however, much more than a translation and a learned discussion of the meaning of Egyptian writing.The introduction and the commentaries by Professor Breasted give a comprehensive and highly interesting view of Egyptian history and of the period in which the papyrus was written.
Source: PubMed Central
Author: Charles A Elsberg
Language: English
Topic: History of Medicine Studies
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3158701745