Volume 8 (2025)

First page of the paper.

Sous le Ciel Étoilé: Proscynème Cordial au Dr Nadine GUILHOU–AMBROISE

Is there Evidence for Anaesthesia and Analgesia being practiced in Dynastic Egypt?

Forshaw, Roger

Abstract:

Initial attempts at surgical anaesthesia began many centuries ago, utilising the plants recognised in Antiquity. Many of these, from which psychotropic drugs can be derived from, were probably known by the time of the New Kingdom, with examples being opium, water lily and cannabis. Although the­se substances are listed in the medical papyri as constituents of remedies aimed at treating various condi­tions, there seems little indication of their use for anaesthesia or analgesia. The first authentic reference to the opium poppy was by Theophrastos at the beginning of the 3rd Century BC. Then later in the 1st Century AD the properties of opium were recognised by Dioskoridēs, Plinius and Celsus. Celsus recommended the use of opium before surgery while Dioskoridēs advocated mandrake before surgical procedures. Both Dioskori­dēs and Plinius described that the Egyptians practised a form of local anaesthesia utilising vinegar poured over stone, that was obtained from the vicinity of Memphis, but little is known about the procedure. There are a few references to herbal analgesics in the medical papyri, these including willow a precursor of aspi­rin, red poppy leaves, and the unknown ḥm3yt–plant; it is possible that some of these may have had some ef­ficacy. However, in general there seems little evidence of effective anaesthesia or analgesia in Dynastic Egypt being used for surgical or medical procedures.

Citation:

Forshaw, R. 2025. «Is there Evidence for Anaesthesia and Analgesia being practiced in Dynastic Egypt?», JHIE 8: 179–193

DOI:

10.5281/zenodo.19061879

Language: en

Submitted on 2023-09-06; accepted on 2025-01-23

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