| The use of plants for healing ailments depicted in | | | | during the 4th Dynasty. She even graduated |
| cave paintings suggest that herbal medicine was | | | | midwives in a medical school in Sais, ancient Egypt |
| practiced since prehistoric times. Using trail and | | | | and was titled ‘Lady Overseer of the Lady |
| error as a means of gaining experience, many | | | | Physicians’. |
| tribal cultures had developed a database of | | | | Medicine was also practiced in Babylon as seen in |
| medical knowledge that was used to cure many | | | | the oldest Babylonian texts dating back to the |
| diseases. The earliest known surgery was | | | | 2nd millennium BC. One diagnostic handbook |
| performed in Egypt as far back as 2750 BC. | | | | written during the reign of the Babylonian king |
| Christopher Freville says that the Edwin Smith | | | | Adad-apla-iddina by the physician Esagil-kin-apli of |
| Papyrus sheds a lot of light on the level of | | | | Borsippa between 1069-1046 BC serves as the |
| advancement of Egyptian medicine. Although | | | | most extensive Babylonian medical text. The |
| there was always a mix of the supernatural | | | | Babylonians also practiced diagnosis, physical |
| element with traditional Egyptian medicine, they | | | | examination and prognosis and wrote |
| were effectively used in the fields of public health, | | | | prescriptions. Christopher Freville observes that |
| anatomy and clinical diagnostics. | | | | the Babylonians even used creams, pills and |
| The Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus dating back to | | | | bandages in their medical procedures. |
| 1800 BC details the diagnosis and treatment of | | | | The physician Hippocrates of ancient Greece |
| women's complaints which include problems with | | | | compiled a collection of around 70 medical works |
| conception. By the 1st Dynasty of ancient Egypt, | | | | known as the Hippocratic Corpus. Babylon and |
| medical institutions known as ‘Houses of | | | | Egypt played a large role in influencing Greek |
| Life’ were established. Christopher Freville | | | | medicine. Hippocrates of Kos is in fact considered |
| says that at the time of the 19th Dynasty, a few | | | | the ‘father of modern medicine’. He also |
| workers even enjoyed benefits such as pension, | | | | authored the Hippocratic Oath which is still used |
| medical insurance and sick leave. Ancient Egypt is | | | | by physicians today. He is credited with the |
| also known to have had the earliest known | | | | categorization of illnesses into various categories |
| physician, Hesyre who was ‘Chief of Dentists | | | | such as chronic, acute, epidemic and endemic. |
| and Physicians’ in 10 BC during the 27th | | | | According to Christopher Freville the first |
| Dynasty ruled by King Djoser. Peseshet was the | | | | documented chest surgeries were conducted by |
| earliest known woman physician who practiced | | | | Hippocrates and his findings are still relevant today. |