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Egyptian Medical Achievements
Many great advances were made in the world of medical science by physicians such as Hippocrates and Galen. The discussions of the medical achievements by these early physicians continues to harken back to ancient Egypt. A small portion of ancient writings (Edwin Smith Papyri) were discovered. This miniscule amount of evidence affirmed that much of the training and instruction of the ancient healers, such as the temple priests, were passed down orally.

Many of these ancient physicians were instructed in the “per ankh”, or the “house of life .” Many Greek philosophers who studied in Egypt would have spent their time in a per ankh. Subjects such as philosophy, religion, science, astronomy, mathematics, music and hieroglyphics were taught in these places of study. Many ancient Egyptian diagnostic methods read very similarly to the modern textbook of specialty medicine. There were great advances made in the fields of anatomy and surgical procedures. The ancient Egyptians would take the pulse of their patient which means that they knew of its circulatory and hemodynamic significance.

Anatomical Understanding
Many times, the case required more than one examination so the physician would partake in what modern physicians call a “therapeutic trial .” The order of this, was for the physician to ascertain the proper efficacy of treatment. The medical papyri also confirmed that the Ancient Egyptians had quite an extensive understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the human body. The knew the rudimentary structures of the cardiovascular systems, and held names for the various vessels located throughout the human body. The Egyptians were relatively sophisticated in their understanding of the brain and meninges, as well.

Along with their great advances in anatomical research, the ancient Egyptians had an extensive of understanding about the female reproductive system. They were able to induce abortions, as well as test for pregnancy. They did this by having the woman urinate onto growing cereals. If the cereal continued to grow, then the woman was considered to be pregnant. This shown to be accurate 40% of the time in today's modern world. This gives great validity to the idea that the Egyptians invented the first known pregnancy test.

Egyptian scholars also held a great understanding of the orthopedic infrastructure of the body. Many scholars specialized in setting fractured and broken bones during this time. Since they had an extensive understanding over the mummification process, they were able to devise sophisticated splinting apertures. Many human remains were found with tissue damage on the femur and tibia of the leg. There were also remains with wraps and effective traction splints. This is allowed for the rapid healing and exercise of the damaged bone.

Egyptian Surgical Practices
Perhaps, the most remarkable medical document among the medical papyri is the Edwin Smith Papyrus. This document gave remarkable descriptions of the surgical lesions and treatment that were known during this time. Many ancient physicians in Egypt were able to locate and identify various illnesses and forms of treatments, in regards to the human body. They had used various scalpels, knives and red-hot pokers in order to open and cauterize wounds. This would prevent massive blood loss during the surgical procedure. They also used various different meats and molds in order to treat wounds and prevent infection. Modern penicillin was extracted from a mold. This was discovered in ancient Egypt 5,000 years earlier. They also used a poppy extract, which contains opium, in order to help babies who have colic.

Houses of Study
During this time, the “per ankh” would house the study of mathematics, physics, and philosophy, along with the study of medicine. Often these subjects were interchangeable. The study of mathematics would help these early physicians to prescribe the correct dosage for a certain treatment. These “ancient physicians,” would dispense their prescriptions through the use of pills, enemas, infusions, and elixirs. This piqued the interest of modern physicians because it confirmed the idea that ancient Egyptian physicians had separate pharmacies and pharmacists.

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