Medical and surgical science, its conception and progress / by S. Hillier.

  • Hillier, S. (Sydney), 1866-
Date:
[1910?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Medical and surgical science, its conception and progress / by S. Hillier. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/156 page 4
    Ro means mouth and ab heart, so that “ ro-ab ” should signify “ mouth of the heart,” but the symptoms described above certainly suggest ab- dominal trouble of an obstructive nature. The vague and indefinite character of the symptoms described clearly demonstrate an entire lack of any definite knowledge of abdominal diseases. Appar- ently they were all classed under one head, and those which failed to respond to purgative treat- ment inevitably proved fatal. Abdominal surgery was quite an unknown quantity, and being restricted in their therapeutics to the one stock remedy, mortality in these cases must have been exceedingly high. The prescriptions are attributed to various sources, but it is interesting to observe that many of them are “ gifts from the Gods.” On pages 99 and 100 of the papyrus there is an anatomical dissertation on blood-vessels. It is stated four vessels go from the heart to the nose, of which two carry slime; four divide at the back of the neck to nourish the hair; four go to the two ears, the breath of life goes to the right ear, the breath of death to the left. Six vessels go to the two arms, six to the legs, two to both testes, four to the liver bringing moisture and vapour, four go to the intestine, and two to the bladder. As Dr. Macalister truly says:—* “ Egyptian medicine at the beginning of the * British Medical Journal—Dec. 22nd, IS94.
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