Title The quick and the dead : biomedical theory in ancient Egypt / Andrew H. Gordon and Calvin W. Schwabe

Published Leiden ; Boston : Brill : Styx, 2004

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Description 1 online resource (xxii, 236 pages) : illustrations Series Egyptological memoirs, 1387-2710 ; 4 Egyptological memoirs ; 4. 1387-2710 Contents Figures and Table -- Preface -- Transliteration and Abbreviations -- Chapter 1. Sources of Egyptian Biomedical Knowledge -- Magic and Processes of Science -- Egyptological Sources of Evidence -- Biological Sources of Evidence -- Ethnographic Sources of Evidence -- Chapter 2. Life and Death -- Egyptian Priests' Preoccupations with Problems of Death and Rebirth -- Textual Sources and Portrayals -- Rituals and Concepts -- Ka as a Concept Underlying Ritual -- Animal Associations with Life -- Animal Associations with Death -- Conclusions -- Chapter 3. Predynastic Egypt as 'Cattle Culture' Bos primigenius and Wild Bull Hunts -- Cattle Domestication and Milk Drinking -- Pharaoh as Bull, People as Cattle -- Sun and Gods as Bulls -- Bovine Gods of Fertility and Power: Living Bull Gods -- Some Comparisons -- Bovine Sacrifice -- Egyptian Temple Herds and Cattle Wealth -- Baboons as Bulls -- Conclusions -- Chapter 4. The Approach of Comparative Biomedicine -- Analogy and Biomedical Progress -- Animal Dissections in Egypt -- Continuing Importance of Comparative Biomedicine -- TheMicrobiological Revolution -- Conclusions -- Chapter 5. 'Live Flesh': Rudiments of Muscle Physiology Motion and Irritability as Evidences of Life -- Opening-of-the-Mouth Ritual -- Laboratory Reenactment -- Ka as the Animating Principle -- Comparison of Ka to Nilotic Ring -- Other Comparisons -- Conclusions -- Chapter 6. Physiology of the Spine -- Spine and Life -- Keeping the Body Intact -- BoneMarrow and Life -- Particular Importance of Thoracic Vertebrae -- Meaning of Ankh -- Theories about Ankh's Origin -- as Thoracic Vertebra -- Clinical Proof -- Spine and Death -- Mtwt and a Physiological Analogy between Opposites -- Comparative Findings -- The Principal Supporting Vertebrae for the Body Djed and Backbone -- as the Sacral and Lumbar Spine -- Other Theories of Djed's Origin Subsumed -- Comparative Observations -- Conclusions -- Chapter 7. The Male Reproductive System -- The Male's Role in Reproduction -- The Was-Scepter, Penis and Dominion -- Dominion as a Behavioral and Social Phenomenon -- Baboons and Sexual Exercise of Dominion -- Gods' Penises and Dominion -- Penis Analogs -- as Bull's Penis -- Additional Biological Evidence -- The Ancient Egyptian Mindset -- as the Male Reproductive System -- Semen Analogs -- Conclusions Chapter 8. The Egyptian Healing Establishment -- Egyptian Healers -- Some Comparisons With Greece -- Per Ankh, Hut Ankh and Their Functions -- Some Comparisons With Greece -- The Kahun Veterinary Papyrus -- Conclusions -- Chapter 9. Egyptian Biomedical Science: Theories and Implications -- Structure of the Body -- Functions of Organs -- The Egyptians' Synthesis: A First Approximation -- Pathogenesis -- Comparative Reproductive Physiology and Medicine -- A Further Word about Materials and Methods -- Boundaries to Biomedical Innovation -- A Natural Laboratory -- Episodic Biomedical Progress Summary This volume uses a cross-disciplinary approach to examine the origins of ancient Egyptian medicine in the domestication, care and sacrifice of cattle. Ritual cattle sacrifice in Egypt led to a rudimentary understanding of animal anatomy and physiology, which was then applied to humans. Two original theories developed from this comparative medicine: Life as movement, especially seen in the fasciolations of excised limbs, and the male's role in reproduction. Discussions include Egypt as a cattle culture, the "ka as an animating force, "living flesh," the possible animal origins of the "ankh, "djed and "was hieroglyphs, the bull's foreleg and the Opening-of-the-Mouth ritual, Egypt's healing establishment, and veterinary medicine as it relates to the origin of human medicine Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes English Print version record Subject Medicine, Egyptian. Veterinary medicine -- Egypt -- History Death -- Psychological aspects. Cattle. Medicine -- Religious aspects. Human beings. History, Ancient Philosophy, Medical -- history Anatomy, Comparative -- history Attitude to Death Cattle Humans Physiology, Comparative -- history Religion and Medicine Homo sapiens (species) MEDICAL -- History. Medicine -- Religious aspects Death -- Psychological aspects Cattle Medicine, Egyptian Veterinary medicine SUBJECT Egypt Subject Egypt Genre/Form History Form Electronic book Author Schwabe, Calvin W LC no. 2004058093 ISBN 9789047404163 9047404165 9789004123915 9004123911 1280859083 9781280859083 9786610859085 6610859086

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