“Summary: During several millennia, blacks in ancient Egypt made numerous contributions to medicine and were acknowledged as the inventors of the art of medicine. They produced the earliest physicians, medical knowledge, and medical literature. They contributed to the development of medicine in ancient Greece. Ancient writers, including Herodotus, Isocrates, and Diodorus, affirm this. Modern presentations of ancient medicine, however, deprive blacks of the knowledge of their early contributions to medicine by ignoring or subtly misrepresenting the black identity of the ancient Egyptians. Blacks are currently underrepresented in US medical schools. It is proposed that the recognition of the contributions of blacks to the early history of Western medicine would inspire blacks students to study medicine.” “Even if the anatomy books allegedly written by Athothis are never found, a little knowledge of hieroglyphs is convincing evidence that the Egyptians at a very early date knew considerable gross human and animal anatomy. Many of the signs which represent consonants, vowels, things, and concepts are well-reproduced animals and parts of anatomy. Graphical reproduction of anatomical parts requires knowledge of anatomy. This is also true of sculpture and embalming which, as is well known, they also practiced. Anatomical parts for which there were signs include: the pupil of the eye, the cornea, the heart, the trachea, the lungs, the vertebral column, the long bones, the brain, the meninges, the spinal cord, the ribs, the intestines, the spleen, the male and female genitals, the uterus, and, possibly, the kidney.” “It has been shown that blacks have contributed to the history of medicine by giving to the world its first physicians. Another contribution was that of producing the world’s first medical knowledge and literature. When considering the invention of medicine in his essay ‘On Ancient Medicine,’ Hippocrates, although he does not say so, is referring to Egyptian medicine. He argues that the first medical knowledge was dietetics. Dietetics was an early, major part of Egyptian medicine. The Greeks knew this also. Herodotus (450 BC) writes that ‘they (Egyptians) have a persuasion that every disease to which men are liable is occasioned by the substances whereon they feed.’ For Hippocrates, ancient medicine was Egyptian medicine. Hippocrates notes that dietetics may not qualify as distinctive medical knowledge since all people who survive must discover it if they do not already know it. However, because Hippocrates knew of the priority of Egyptian medicine and its emphasis on dietetics, it is not surprising that he called dietetics the first medical knowledge. Galen (200 AD), who devotedly continued Hippocratic teachings, is simply expressing the belief of his Master when he writes ‘the invention of medicine was the experiences of the Egyptians.’” “Ancient Egyptian medicine included more than dietetics. This we know from the surviving, translated medical papyri. These documents represent the oldest medial knowledge and literature. Two of the most important among the several medical papyri include the Ebers papyrus (1500 BC) and the Edwin Smith papyrus (original 2600 BC). The latter is kept at the New York Academy of Medicine. The medical papyri include a considerable share of magic and religion but also contain anatomy, herbal pharmacology, pathology, physical diagnosis, and what today would be called scientific medicine. The Ebers papyrus contains chapters on intestinal disease, helminthiasis, ophthalmology, dermatology, gynecology, obstetrics, pregnancy diagnosis, contraception, dentistry, and the surgical treatment of abscesses, tumors, fractures, and burns. It also contains a section on the movement of the heart, the pulse, and diagnostic percussion…” In conclusion, one may ask what is the value of demonstrating black contributions to the history of medicine? The point has to be made that over the past few centuries through today the contributions of blacks to the history of medicine and to the history of civilization in general have been denied. This denial has been both spoken and unspoken. The influential Scottish philosopher David Hume very clearly expressed it, when in 1753 he wrote: ‘I am apt to suspect the Negroes… to be naturally inferior to the white. There never was a civilized nation of any other complexion than white, nor even any individual eminent either in action or speculation. No ingenious manufactures amongst them, no arts, no sciences.’ “It is suggested that the persistence of such false beliefs through today underlies the reason many young black students ‘lack confidence in their scientific and mathematical ability and display disinterest in scientific, premedical subjects.’ Finally, knowledge of the contributions of blacks to the history of medicine may inspire young blacks to enter the profession and make further contributions.” Article by Frederick Newsome title “Black contributions to the early history of Western Medicine” Book title “Blacks in Science: ancient and modern” Edited by Ivan Van Sertima Pages 127, 128,131,132 and 137 respectively
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 01:25:36 +0000
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