Page:The growth of medicine from the earliest times to about 1800.djvu/39

 *des; the Papyrus Ebers; the Papyrus Brugsch; and the Papyrus Birch, in the British Museum. Then, in addition to these sources, there are the inscriptions found in recent times on the walls of the temples and the pictures painted on the wrappings of mummies, from both of which considerable information with regard to various therapeutic procedures and to the details of the process of embalming has been derived. Some of this information extends back to about 3000 B. C. The healing art was at that time entirely in the hands of the temple priests, who formed an organized body with a sort of physician-in-chief at its head. Two of these—Athotis and Tosorthos—attained such a high standing and possessed such influence that they were chosen Kings of Egypt. The practice of obstetrics was entrusted to the care of women who had been trained to this work and who acknowledged the authority of a skilled head-nurse of their own sex. The patients who had received treatment for their ailments at one or other of the temples presented to these institutions gifts in the form of sculptured or painted representations of the diseased or injured parts of the body. In these and in other ways medicine and pharmacy received contributions which were of no mean value. Botanical gardens were established at various places in Egypt and were cultivated with care. Chemistry—a name which derives its origin from a word in the Egyptian language—also made considerable progress as a science. On the other hand, the knowledge of the structure and functions of the different parts of the human body was very imperfect and remained unchanged for many centuries. This would probably not have been the case if the work of preparing the bodies for the process of embalming had not been entrusted entirely to mere menials, men who had no interest in anything but the mechanical part of their occupation.

According to the statement of Clemens of Alexandria

seen in the collection of ancient surgical instruments, votive offerings, etc., which he is making for the benefit of the University.]
 * [Footnote: as are those made of the best of steel. At least one such bronze knife may be