Ancient Egypt and its sophisticated medicine. Critical review

Abstract

Introduction: Ancient Egypt is known as the scalpel of the Nile and arouses great interest not only among anthropologists but also within the medical sciences community, as they were able to understand the health-disease process in a highly sophisticated way for their time. They possessed two medical treatises in which they explored the mysteries of the human body, and this science was taught by physicians and priests. They were the first to establish organization by medical specializations, performed cataract surgeries, used prostheses, and even orthopedic screws. In the Spanish language, there are no updated critical reviews on Egyptian medicine. Additionally, the knowledge of ancient civilizations is rarely incorporated into medical training programs, depriving students of a historical and critical view of the development of medicine.

Objective: To critically analyze the existing literature on medical practices in Ancient Egypt, as well as knowledge gaps and future research lines that would allow the creation of a solid academic foundation that could be employed in History of Medicine courses or extracurricular programs.

Methods: For the development of this research, the materialist dialectical method and the historical-logical method were taken into account for an objective analysis in accordance with the standards of historical research.

Conclusions: In Ancient Egypt, advanced knowledge existed in surgery, anatomy, treatment, and disease diagnosis. Their legacy influenced Greco-Roman medicine, guiding Hippocrates and Galen, while their papyrus treatises laid the foundations of many modern techniques.