Ancient Egyptian Medicine - The Mind | History Documentary

Ancient Egyptian Medicine - The Mind | History Documentary
Egyptian medicine was famous throughout the ancient world and in this history documentary I explore 4000 year old medical papyri to find out what the Egyptians themselves believed and wrote about mental illness and how to treat it.
Some modern psychiatrists have suggested there are clear descriptions of depression, schizophrenia and dementia in the Book of the Heart. I evaluate these claims by examining all of the available translations.
I also discuss The dialogue between a man and his ba or soul - a powerful story of despair in a time of change and The Kahun Papyrus which is said to include early descriptions of hysteria.
This is a companion to my other documentary - Ancient Egyptian Medicine - in which I explore the rich and complex belief system that underpin their healing practices.
Academic References:
Ali, Z., and El-Mallakh, R. S. (2021). Suicidal Depression in Ancient Egypt. Archives of Suicide Research, 1-17.
Bou Khalil, R., and Richa, S. (2014). When affective disorders were considered to emanate from the heart: the Ebers papyrus. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(3), 275-275.
Escolano-Poveda, M. (2017). New fragments of Papyrus Berlin 3024. The missing beginning of the Debate between a Man and his Ba and the continuation of the Tale of the Herdsman (P. Mallorca I and II). Zeitschrift Fur Agyptische Sprache Und Altertumskunde, 144(1), 16-54.
Ghalioungui, P. (1963) Magic and Medical Science in Ancient Egypt. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
Kamp, M. A., Tahsim-Oglou, Y., Steiger, H. J., and Hänggi, D. (2012). Traumatic brain injuries in the ancient Egypt: insights from the Edwin Smith Papyrus. Journal of Neurological Surgery Part A: Central European Neurosurgery, 73(04), 230-237.
Lopes, H. T., and Pereira, R. G. G. (2021). The Gynaecological Papyrus Kahun. In The Gynecological Papyrus Kahun. IntechOpen.
Merskey, H., and Potter, P. (1989). The womb lay still in ancient Egypt. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 154(6), 751-753.
Metwaly, A. M. et al, (2021). Traditional ancient Egyptian medicine: a review. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences.
Okasha, A. (1999). Mental health in the Middle East: an Egyptian perspective. Clinical Psychology Review, 19(8), 917-933.
Quirke S. 2002. Manuscript for Health of Mother and Child. The Kahun Medical Papyrus or Gynaecological Papyrus. University College London: Unpublished. www.ucl.ac.uk/...
Reynolds, E. H. (2018). Hysteria in ancient civilisations: A neurological review: Possible significance for the modern disorder. Journal of the neurological sciences, 388, 208-213.
Ritner, R. K. (2000). Innovations and adaptations in ancient Egyptian medicine. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 59(2), 107-117.
Stevens, J. M. (1975). Gynaecology From Ancient Egypt: The Papyrus Kahun A Translation Of The Oldest Treatise On Gynaecology That Has Survived From The Ancient World. Medical Journal of Australia, 2(25-26), 949-952.
Tasca, C., Rapetti, M., Carta, M. G., and Fadda, B. (2012). Women and hysteria in the history of mental health. Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health: CP and EMH, 8, 110.
Copyright Disclaimer
The primary purpose of this video is educational. I have tried to use material in the public domain or with Creative Commons Non-attribution licences wherever possible. Where attribution is required, I have listed this below. I believe that any copyright material used falls under the remit of Fair Use, but if any content owners would like to dispute this, I will not hesitate to immediately remove that content. It is not my intention to infringe on content ownership in any way. If you happen to find your art or images in the video, please let me know and I will be glad to credit you.
Images
Wikimedia Commons
Metropolitan Museum, New York
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
British Museum, London
Public Domain or used on Fair Use basis for education purpose
Music (via Freesound CC0 Licences)
Desert Egypt sounding fantasy music by Theo TJ
Egypt Detective Flute Orcherstra Piano Atmo Dark Thriller Strings Cinematic Music Surround by Szegvari
Dark Sahara by Szegvari
Eqypt Action by Szegvari
Oud and ney by Kafokafo
Oud lute verbscape by Bean Jamin
Video produced by Professor Graeme Yorston and Tom Yorston.

[@CSchaeken]

Once again, I learned so much, thanks for your all your work!

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Awesome, thank you!

[@indigocheetah4172]

The video , and your tireless research , is tremendous . Thank You , Professor Yorston.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

My pleasure!

[@tomtash8883]

Incredibly interesting as always, thanks for your insight Prof!

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thanks guys, my pleasure!

[@lanalou2749]

Appreciate your well put together, objective and sensible documentaries Professor..... I love the dry tid bits of humour too! 👌🏽

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thanks Lanalou, I try not to be too stuffy!

[@lanalou2749]

@@professorgraemeyorston lol, you're not stuffy at all.... I'm surprised the individual videos are not getting more views... They're quite thought provoking actually!

[@voyaristika5673]

So very interesting. This is the first I've heard anyone address the issue of mental illness in ancient Egypt. It has to be somewhere, even uf not in medicine. Maybe in priests, holy men, religious records? Fascinating. I love your videos, so concise and informative. Thanks!

[@professorgraemeyorston]

There was no clear distinction between religion and medicine - and no there are no surviving texts that convincingly portray mental illness.

[@KoBiK161]

@@professorgraemeyorston Is it because it was considered not psychological illness but a demonic/spiritual possession?

[@gooseyorston736]

Would never known this without your video, great video prof.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thanks Goose, glad you found it interesting!

[@davidgibson5756]

Very interesting, thanks for the detailed analysis

[@professorgraemeyorston]

My pleasure.

[@robinblanc8208]

I love your sense of humor

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you

[@barbaraprest783]

So interesting thank you

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thanks Barbara, glad you enjoyed it!

[@cyboman9171]

Thank you for this fascinting survey of Ancient Greek Medicine, Professor Yorston. I was reminded while listening to it that Egyptian mummies (of high-born Egyptians), upon subjected to a modern post-mortem exam, were discovered to have suffered from silicosis - not surprising, considering that Egypt has had sandy terrain for thousands of years. These mummified aristocrats were also oftern found to have suffered from a form of parasite contracted via the skin - especially the soles of the feet - possibly a parasite like trongyloides. Also, years ago, I read that the Ancient Egymptians never mummified the brains of their dead: not being able to figure out what the brain did, they simply discarded it (according to this account).

[@chelliechelle6602]

Because they focused on the heart.

[@KoBiK161]

Thank you for covering the subject, as there isn't much data online. would love to see more similarly on Native-American, or even Sumerian traditions. P.s - would you be able to recommend a good edition for a book containing the scriptures?

[@AZ-wu8cv]

Superb again. What is the cure for being bitten by a hippo?!!

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thanks AZ. Many of the prescriptions are indecipherable because we don't know what the ingredients are or the quantities are not stipulated. Probably safer to head to the local ER rather than unrolling a papyrus!

[@ΔήμοςΜετεώρων]

What are the titles of the old movies that you have shown in your video? Couldnt find them in the description.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

They are The Loves of Pharaoh (1922), The Mummy (1932), The Ten Commandments (1923), The Oracle at Delphi, George Méliès (1903) and Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)

[@michelelewis2324]

It remains silly to see alleged scholars using media footage that depicts ancient Egyptians via white actors.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

I respect your viewpoint, but I don't agree - otherwise it would mean that no black actors could play "white roles". Surely, actors should be judged for the quality of their acting, not the colour of their skin.

[@michelelewis2324]

@@professorgraemeyorston Hello there. I'm not one who argues or trolls on any social media, so I trust you will receive this in good faith. My original reply was not about the art of acting. Instead, many peoples of the world have historically denied that ancient Egyptians were deeply melanated and not white- presenting in phenotype. Thus the cinematic imagery here, reinforces historical inaccuracy and promotes falsification of consciousness. This imagery lingers in the brain. This is a different more serious matter than a Black actor portraying a fictitious mermaid, or Black actors portraying as art form, unarguably white historical figures (e.g., Hamilton the Broadway musical). I'm fine to just agree to disagree; all the best with your platform.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

It's a complex issue with no easy solutions, but I absolutely agree that the old habits of white actors blacking up should remain a thing of the past. I quite liked the anachronistic Starz series on Catherine the Great which just kinda got on with it.

[@jessee7303]

@@michelelewis2324 the ancestry of Egyptians is actually not clear cut. Just because Egypt is in the African continent has zero to do with the amount of melanin in their skin. If you are interested, I suggest you do some research yourself. There are many, many scholars who have explored this subject. The best place to start is to actually understand who ancient Egyptians actually are. It is important to not spread disinformation, especially in a topic as sensitive as racial history.

[@matthewconnor6561]

@@michelelewis2324 Can you stop bringing your emotional baggage here. No one is talking about race here. This video is about medicine. If he used a picture showing the Egyptians as Alaskan, guess what, you need to get over it and stay on topic.

[@wildfire3989]

Lutos flower is for that they said

[@professorgraemeyorston]

The blue lotus flower (Nymphea caerulea) is an Egyptian water lily containing apomorphine and nuciferine. Apomorphine is a non-selective dopamine agonist primarily used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, but it makes you sick so has to be used with an anti-emetic. Nuciferine is an interesting alkaloid that we don't fully understand yet. It has been tried as a sleep aid and anxiety reliever.

[@nazlsenay7312]

...

[@redneckshaman3099]

I'm addicted to pigger nussy 😻

[@chelliechelle6602]

This is a terrible documentary. The person who created the video pretends to understand ancient Egypt and uses current diagnostic criteria to determine what clinical depression meant to them. At best he is a poor historian and likely not a historian at all.