[Removal of weremit from the abdomen. Interpretation and efficacy of an ancient Egyptian prescription by the newest scientific results].

Abstract

Significant percentage of today's knowledge of ancient Egyptian medicine has been acquired from papyri left behind from various periods of Egyptian history. The longest and the most comprehensive is the Ebers papyrus, kept at the University Museum of Leipzig, which was written more than one thousand years before Hippocrates (c. 460-377 BC). One of the riddles among the prescriptions of the Ebers papyrus Eb20 has been used in order to remove the so called "wemyt" weremit from the abdomen with the help of a drink, which consists of "jnnk", Conyza dioscoridis in milk or sweet beer. The authors assume that the disease could be an infection of Schistosoma haematobium and/or Schistosoma mansoni. Nowadays the tea of Conyza dioscoridis is widely used as an important part of traditional medicine against rheumatism, intestinal distention and cramps, as well as an antiperspirant, and with external use for wound healing. The authors' intent is to interpret the efficacy of the above-mentioned ancient prescription with the help of modern medical and pharmaceutical knowledge.

• Authors: Júlia Katona, Hedvig Győry, Anna Blázovics
• Journal: Orvosi hetilap (Orv Hetil) Vol. 156 Issue 50 Pg. 2045-51 (Dec 13 2015) ISSN: 0030-6002 [Print] Hungary
• Vernacular Title: A weremit kiűzése a hasból. Óegyiptomi recept hatásosságának értelmezése az újabb kutatási eredmények alapján.
• PMID: 26639646 (Publication Type: Historical Article, Journal Article)

Topics

• Animals
• Conyza
• Drug Prescriptions (history)
• Egypt, Ancient
• History, Ancient
• Humans
• Medicine, Traditional (history, methods)
• Schistosoma (drug effects)
• Schistosoma haematobium (drug effects)
• Schistosoma mansoni (drug effects)
• Schistosomiasis (drug therapy, history)
• Schistosomiasis haematobia (history)
• Schistosomiasis mansoni (history)