Egyptians-operation of brain
Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: Ancient Mesopotamia, Near East and Greater Iran
Forum Discription: Babylon, Egypt, Persia and other civilizations of the Near East from ancient times to 600s AD
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6831
Printed Date: 23-Apr-2024 at 04:57
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Topic: Egyptians-operation of brain
Posted By: Setchi
Subject: Egyptians-operation of brain
Date Posted: 07-Nov-2005 at 12:55
| is it true that egyptians was able to perform an operation of brain??? |
Replies:
Posted By: Maju
Date Posted: 07-Nov-2005 at 13:09
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They were probably able to do trepanation: a perforation of the skull
to allow a head injury to bleed out. This operation was performed by
much less advanced cultures and though it does seem to imply risks,
some of the patients survived to it (or rather thanks to it).
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NO GOD, NO MASTER! |
Posted By: Quetzalcoatl
Date Posted: 09-Nov-2005 at 17:26
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Brain surgery (more like head) was performed even during the stone age. ------------- |
Posted By: çok geç
Date Posted: 10-Nov-2005 at 01:54
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I would imagine the brain surgery more of a head surgery as Maju explained that type of surgery. I'm almost certain that Ancient Egypt did not perform surgeries on the brain itself because they didn't believe the brain to be the center of order for the body. In fact, during the process of mummification of a body, the heart is kept in a seperate container as it was thought the heart is the thinking, feeling, and memory organ of the body. For them, the brain was a useless organ and they used to throw it out with waste! ------------- D.J. Kaufman Wisdom is the reward for a lifetime of listening ... when youd have preferred to talk. |
Posted By: Maju
Date Posted: 10-Nov-2005 at 02:29
|
I don't think that Egyptians could be unaware of the importance of
brain. I think that the conscience that we think with the head is
universal, instinctive. Yet they religiously and metaphorically gave a
lot of importance to the heart and tongue that they associated with the
Sun and Moon, with Ra and Thoth, with creative and communicative power.
Emotions have also traditionally been associated with the heart, and
not the brain, and somehow people seem to believe that emotions (heart)
are more important in making up the soul than thoughts (brain or, in
the Egyptian case, metaphorically the tongue).
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NO GOD, NO MASTER! |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 11-Nov-2005 at 00:58
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Yes, I think the Egyptians thought the brain isn't very important... During the MUMMIFICATION... "The brain was removed through the nostrils by means of various metal probes and hooks. Such a method necessarily reduced the brain to a fragmentary state, and, as no remains of it are associated with mummies, we may assume that it was discarded. An incision was then made in the left flank of the body to permit removal of the viscera, with the exception of the heart, which was left in the body. The liver, the lungs, the stomach, and the intestines were each placed in a separate jar, the Canopic Jars , and consigned to the protection of a particular divinity." read more http://http:/www.crystalinks.com/mum.html - By the way, the Egyptians even had drawings about birth-giving and circumcision... ------------- |
Posted By: Maju
Date Posted: 11-Nov-2005 at 01:39
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But that's ritual and also due to the need of the preservation of the
aspect of the deceased. The brain corrupts easily, so it must be
extracted, along with other organs in order to help with mummification.
Obviously priests didn't put emphasis in brain preservation, anyhow
futile. Yet any person when thinking is aware of his/her brain (head). It's innate and I doubt egyptians were unaware of it. Also few organs are so vital as the brain, only the heart can compare. -------------
NO GOD, NO MASTER! |
Posted By: çok geç
Date Posted: 11-Nov-2005 at 03:05
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Maju, The reason I said that Ancient Egyptions though of the brain as a useless organ is because I attended a Museum in which we had the chance to observe the writings of ancient Egyption literature. The brain was removed from the body because it was thought to be useless. The heart that was placed in a seperate container was not mummified (I don't think you can mummify the heart or any inside orgain), therefore, it didn't matter for them that the heart will decompose. They could have placed the brain instead as it will decompose too. The concept of head importance is universal, yet, priest teachings and the ancient culture in pharoanic Egypt did not place the brain in its proper status as an organ of thinking, emotions, and comprehension. That was for them the job of the heart. I took a look at 1001 night's link and It is very usefull in understanding that unusual notion of treating the brain less that what naturally someone would think it should be considered as. ------------- D.J. Kaufman Wisdom is the reward for a lifetime of listening ... when youd have preferred to talk. |