Hunt for ancient medicine secrets
February 1, 2007
Researchers will examine plant extracts found in
ancient tombs
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British scientists are helping uncover
the secrets of medicines used by the ancient Egyptians 5,000 years ago.
A University of Manchester team is travelling to Sinai, Egypt, to shed
more light on how the Egyptians formed their ideas on medicines.
They will compare modern plant species in the region with those used
by tribes, such as the Bedouin, and plant remains found in ancient tombs.
The project is being carried out by the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology.
Researcher Dr Ryan Metcalf told BBC News: "Ancient Egyptians' medicine
was remarkably advanced for its time. A lot of things they used we still
use today.
"They certainly had some quite advanced herbal medicines and probably
knew about cannabis as well for pain relief."
Biodiversity project
Dr Metcalf said the Egyptians used natural remedies, such as chewing
willow bark - which contains properties similar to aspirin - and honey
on open wounds to kill bacteria.
The focus of the project will be trying to find out where they got their
ideas from.
"We know that the ancient Egyptians had extensive trade routes and it
is entirely possible that both medicinal plants and the knowledge to use
them effectively were traded between regions and countries," Dr Metcalf
said.
"By comparing the prescriptions in the medical papyri to the medicinal
plant use of the indigenous Bedouin people we hope to determine the origins
of Pharaonic medicine."
Papyri, the forerunner of modern paper, is sheets of laminated material
made from thin strips of the Cyprus Papyrus plant.
Researchers will work with the Egyptian Medicinal Plant Conservation
Project in St Katherine's, Sinai, which is working to preserve the biodiversity
of the region through co-operation with local Bedouin.
They
will be able to supply the Manchester team with seeds and information
that covers the Sinai peninsula.
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