Hearst Papyrus - Contents

Contents

The Hearst Papyrus is one of the medical papyri of ancient Egypt, which were used to record remedial methods for problems such as headaches and digestive problems. Most papyri also included a section on incantations and magic spells that would be performed on the patient before, during, and after treatment.

The Hearst Papyrus contains 260 paragraphs on 18 columns of medical prescriptions, written in hieratic Egyptian writing. The topics range from "a tooth which falls out" to "remedy for treatment of the lung", but concentrates on treatments for problems dealing with the urinary system, blood, hair, and bites (by human beings, pigs, and hippopotamuses). One incantation deals with the 'Canaanite illness', "when the body is coal-black with charcoal spots", probably tularemia, one of the 'plagues' which helped to unseat the Hyksos.

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