1. Tuesday, December 8th Please begin to cut out your mini- me if needed.

3. Warm-Up: Ancient Egyptians did not have access to modern scientific knowledge or equipment, yet they developed advanced and complicated medical treatments. How do you think these developed with limited science?

4. Medicine and Magic Unfortunately your mini-me has fallen ill! Fortunately, as an ancient Egyptian, it had access to the most sophisticated medical practices of any ancient civilization.

5. Egyptians doctors were the best in the ancient world. Kings and emperors in Persia and other countries relied on them. Greeks even praised Egyptian doctors in their poetry. There was good reason for this fame. Egyptian knowledge of medicine really was advanced for its time.

6. One reason for this was the Egyptian belief in an afterlife beyond death. To enjoy the afterlife, the dead person’s body needed to be kept safe. To keep the body safe, the Egyptians developed the process of embalming. Through embalming, they learned a lot about the human body.

7. Egyptian doctors didn’t just learn from examining dead bodies. They also carefully observed the living. They noted the symptoms of diseases and experimented with drugs and treatments. When treatments worked- or seemed to work- they were written down on scrolls. New doctors could refer to these scrolls and learn from other doctor’s experiences. Egyptian doctors didn’t just learn from examining dead bodies. They also carefully observed the living. They noted the symptoms of diseases and experimented with drugs and treatments. When treatments worked- or seemed to work- they were written down on scrolls. New doctors could refer to these scrolls and learn from other doctor’s experiences.

8. Some of the treatments Egyptian doctors used were very successful: They treated broken bones by splinting them with long wooden sticks padded with linen. They treated broken bones by splinting them with long wooden sticks padded with linen. They knew how to stitch wounds and how to draw the edges of a cut together to prevent scarring. They knew how to stitch wounds and how to draw the edges of a cut together to prevent scarring. They used drugs like opium as sedatives and made preparations from plants like castor berries, anise, and cassia. They used drugs like opium as sedatives and made preparations from plants like castor berries, anise, and cassia. These plants are still used for medicinal purposes today! Egyptian doctors even performed surgery, including sawing through the skull to treat head wounds.

9. At the same time, there was much Egyptian doctors did not know. They apparently thought that the brain was less important than the other organs, and that the heart controlled movement. Like doctors all over the world until the nineteenth century, they knew nothing of germs and bacteria, and were helpless in the face of infectious disease.

10. Some of their approaches were less successful. One treatment for blindness called for a paste made of pig’s eyes, honey, and red lead. It was injected into the patient’s ear. Migraine headaches might be treated by rubbing the head with a fried fish head!

11. In many cases, doctors were able to recognize and describe the symptoms of a disease, but they had no idea what caused it or how it should be treated. In cases like this, the disease was often attributed to evil forces. When practical medicine failed, some practitioners turned to magic. Charms and chants formed as an attempt to fill in the gaps in their medical knowledge.

12. In fact, some physicians were also magicians. Some physicians divided diseases into treatable and untreatable ones; these doctors knew their own limits. Magician- physicians had no limits. They used magical spells and chants to cure their patients. The following spell was supposed to cure the common cold:

13. Spell for the Common Cold: “Flow out poison nose, flow out, son of poison nose! You who breaks bones, destroys the skull, digs in the bone marrow, and makes the seven holes in the head ill!”

14. Since magic was often called on to cure illness, it was natural to try to use it to prevent illness, too. People thought that certain signs and symbols were lucky, and would protect them from harm. These symbols were often worn as lucky charms, or amulets, to protect the wearer. Similar amulets were tucked into the wrappings of mummies, to keep the body safe in the afterlife.

15. Choose one or two of these amulets to help your mini-me and protect them from death!.

16. DISASTER! Despite your best efforts, your mini-me has passed away! You must now follow ancient Egyptian processes to make sure that he or she reaches the “Field of Reeds” safely! WARNING! Follow the process carefully or your poor mini-me will end up in the Underworld!

17. Next Steps:  Mini-me must complete the preparations for the next life.  This means you must complete your pyramid packing.  Next, you must design your sarcophagus and have it ready for tomorrow.  You must also prepare to be weighed against the feather of Maat… do you have any missing assignments?