DISEASES OF THE DEAD:

Transcription

1 DISEASES OF THE DEAD: ILLNESS IN ANCIENT EGYPT In Egypt, the men are more skilled in medicine than any of human kind. y Homer, The Odyssey MacKenzie Sizemore

2 DEATH IN EGYPTIAN CULTURE Culture strongly focused on the underworld and afterlife Believed souls could make it to afterlife only if body was properly preserved Mummification used to preserve bodies Great Pyramids built 2600 BC for pharaohs 2600 BC for pharaohs Egyptian mummy and sarcophagus <

3 MUMMIFICATION Canopic jars from 990 BC < s-britishmuseum-august21-08.jpg> Internal organs removed, dried, and put in canopic jars (brain discarded, heart left in body) Natron salt was used to dry out the body Body dressed in fragrant oils Body wrapped in many layers of linen, painted with resin to stay together

4 BURIAL Offerings placed with body, tombs sometimes elaborately decorated Amulets placed between linen wrappings, tokens to protect body in underworld Book of Dead placed with body, instructions for happiness in afterlife Ka statue placed in tomb, resting place for the soul Painted Egyptian Tomb <

5 Book of the Dead < Ankh Amulet < ghts/highlight_image.aspx?image=ps jimage aspx?image=ps pg&retpage=15261> Ka Statue <

6 HOW DO MUMMIES HELP US TODAY? Because such great lengths were taken to create mummies, scientists today have many well-preserved bodies to study Advances in x-ray and other scanning or imaging technologies allows us to investigate bodies on the chemical levell Mummification shows Egyptians understood human anatomy

7 MEDICAL PRACTICES Physicians usually specialized in one field Exceptional doctors were worshipped as gods Code of ethics governed practices Cures ranged from surgeries to magic spells Splint on fractured forearm of a mummy <

8 EGYPTIAN DOCTORS AND HEALERS Three main types of healers Sunu-educated physicians that used surgery and medicine to treat wounds Sau-magic healers that t treated t snake and scorpion bites Priests of Sekhmet-healers used to cure illnesses such as plague Women could also become doctors or midwives

9 MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS Per-ankh ( Houses of Life ) Taught physicians and midwives Home of medical libraries Per-ankh of Imhotep at Memphis Per-ankh at Sais <

10 MEDICAL TEXTS Seven main medical texts t (papyri) Contain descriptions of ailments and treatments Document real medical cases Show general understanding of most body systems Shows knowledge of gynecology and obstetrics

11 EBERS PAPYRUS Written 1534 BC Longest medical papyrus at 110 pages Covers descriptions and treatments of many different ailments Discovered with mummy in necropolis Page from the Ebers papyrus <

12 EDWIN SMITH PAPYRUS Part of the papyrus, close up of hieroglyphs < od /story7 htm> Written 1700 BC Focus on wounds and surgery techniques 2 nd longest medical text Purchased by American antique dealer Edwin Smith in 1862 Shows basic knowledge of the circulatory system

13 COMMON ILLNESSES Tuberculosis Schistosomiasis Gum disease Arthritis Cataracts Polio Scorpion/Snake Bites Parasitic diseases (tapeworm, roundworm) Mummy s teeth show extensive wear < False teeth False teeth <

14 FACTORS INFLUENCING HEALTH Dry, arid climate contributed to eye diseases Abundance of disease-carrying pests Sand and stone used to grind grains, entered diet and wore down teeth th Dietary deficiencies Flooding spread schistosomiasis

15 REMEDIES AND CURES Egyptian medicine bottle gyp < Plants, animals, herbs, and minerals used in medicines Had prescriptions Understood dosage depended on age and body size Spells used in conjunction with some remedies

16 SURGERY Tools such as knives, drills, saws, hooks Used stitches to sew wounds shut Bodies have been found with amputated limbs that show healing before death Egyptian surgical kit < egyptian inventions/

17 Egyptian Midwives Assisting Birth < 0A/A%20Term%202/1.%20Egypt/egyptian_medi%202/1 %20Eg g ti cine.htm> Doctor practicing reflexology <

18 Egyptian inscriptions showing medical tools < Prosthetic toe used to help amputee walk <

19 MEDICINE RECIPES For indigestion: Mix crushed hog s tooth into sugar cakes, eat for four days For burns: Mix milk of a woman who has born a son, gum, and ram s hair For skin lesions: Mix scribe s excrement and milk, apply to skin For cataracts: Mix tortoise brain and honey, apply to eye

20 WHY STUDY ANCIENT DISEASES? Understanding the implications of diseases in ancient times helps us better understand how these diseases function today, and can help scientists develop cures. Seeing how diseases have changed over time is essential in understanding di the progression of human diseases.

21 WORKS CITED Ancient Egypt < t t Diseases in Ancient Egypt < Egyptian Mummification < p// p / p / / / / Medicine < Medicine in Ancient Egypt < Mummies and Disease in Egypt < / / i/ i590/6 i i d%20di %20i %20Eg pt.htm> Schistosomiasis < Smith and Ebers Papyrus < Titles of Healers in Ancient Egypt <

22 Diseases of the Dead By: Syed Sohail 3 November 2010

23 Background Ancient mummies had hardened arteries. Heart disease-world s leading killer Contribute to urbanization, fastfood diets, and smoking. Heart disease existed 3,000 years ago. Heart disease can link to diet Methods of studying mummies- Autopsy, X-Ray, CT scanning, scanning electron microscopy. Mummies are great for studying diseases

24 Quick Facts 12 Million people alive today have history of heart attack, chest pain, or a combination of both. Estimated 1.1 million Americans will have a new or recurrent coronary attack this year. Usually prevalent in men over 65; is also leading cause of death among women in US. On average, women develop coronary artery disease fifteen years later than men and 39% of women die from the disease as compared to 31% of men.

25 Medicine in Ancient Egypt from Medicine in Ancient Egypt Diseases of the eye-night blindness, cataracts. Dental diseases-loose teeth, abscess, teeth deterioration. Prescriptions-many ate radish, garlic, and onion. Alternative medicine-used massages and heliotheraphy Had medical facilities with about 4 hour work schedules More advanced than other primitive civilizations.

26 Atherosclerosis in Ancient Mummies Pharaoh Merenptah ( BC) suffered from atherosclerosis, arthritis, i and dental decay. Team selected 22 mummies for examination Whole body scanning was done on the mummies 16 had blood vessel tissues left in their bodies In four of them, the heart could be identified. Estimate the age of the mummies. Mummies exhibited calcification. Atherosclerosis was found both in male and Atherosclerosis was found both in male and female mummies.

27 How It Was Done Examined the mummies in computed tomography (CT) scannertakes x-rays from many angles and creates a composite image. Mummification-heart was removed; researches had to observe the arteries of the mummies. Where the vessels had been damaged, the team traced the tracks along the arteries in the body

28 Operation of Computed Tomography Scanner Medical imaging technique that uses computer processing to create a three-dimensional image of inside of an object. Cancer Windowing Medicine-diagnosing diseases. Used in archeology to study biological and pathological specimens.

29 Computed Tomography Scanner

30 Class Division Lady Rai-ancient ancient Egyptian women High socioeconomic class Heart disease was found in ancient mummies. It is hard to say what exactly caused the buildup of calcium in their arteries. Poor were not mummified. Cardiovascular disease was not limited to one kingdom or dynasty.

31 Diet of Egyptians Ate salted fish, bread, & cheese. Rich foods-cow, sheep, goat meat, honey, and cakes with butter-according to Abdel Nureldin from Cairo University in Egypt. Diet may have helped accumulate fats in their arteries.

32 Assumptions Some say that t because the mummies were from a high socioeconomic class, they ate meat and may have salted it No refrigeration; salt was used to preserve meat. Heart disease is as old as the pyramids.

33 DNA of Ancient Mummies-Test for Infection & Genetic Similarity King Tut Study more about King Tut and royal mummies-zahi Hawass from Egypt s Council of Antiquities teamed with paleogeneticist Carsten Pusch They extracted ancient DNA from the mummies bones and amplified short sequences in the DNA Through DNA sequencing, the researchers were able to name the mummies that were before anonymous.

34 DNA Sequencing Mapping-Identify the region of the genome to be sequenced. Library Creation-make smaller clones from larger clones. Template Preparation-Purify the DNA Gel Electrophoresis-Determine sequences from smaller clones. Data editing & Finishing-Determine quality of sequences found

35 Mystery of Akhenaten Physical characteristics ti of Akhenaten make him stand out in Egyptian art. Shown as having a long neck with a long face, long arms, and enlarged breasts Some say he was a woman dressed up as a man while others say he suffered from a syndrome.

36 Theories behind Akhenaten-from Mystery of Akhenaten: Genetic or Aesthetics? He suffered from Froehlich s Syndrome-but he was fertile He suffered from Marfan Syndrome Some say he was depicted like that t because of religious i symbolism Some say he was completely fine. His body has not yet been found

37 Other Diseases From Ancient Arthritis-One of the oldest diseases of civilization. Tuberculosis- is one of the common diseases found in ancient mummies from both Peru and Egypt. Achondroplasia-linked with dwarfism; women were found with undeliverable fetuses of women mummies. Schistosomiasis-Parasitic disease caused dby a parasitic worm; itl leads to damage of the internal organs and is a chronic illness. Smallpox-Viral disease from domesticated cattle; it was found in Pharaoh Rameses V. Head injuries in mummies that are common Times

38 Sources Articles For Reference html Other Sources 0and%20Disease%20in%20Egypt.htm eq.process.pdf