Ancient Egyptian Medicine and the Concept of Heart Failure

Abstract 

Background

The cardiac glosses of the Ebers papyrus comprise the concepts and notions of the Egyptian physicians about the heart and its diseases. We sought to analyze some of the cardiac glosses of the Ebers papyrus, focusing on those which may describe early concepts of the syndrome of heart failure.

Methods and Results

Review of Joachim's German translation and both Bryan's and Ghalioungui's English translations of the Ebers papyrus. One clinical scenario describes patients with “weakness of the heart” or “cardiac dysfunction:” “His heart is bored,” “The heart weakens,” “This means that the heart does not speak or that the vessels of the heart are dumb. Its information under your hands normally appears because of the air with which they are filled is missing….” Debility that has arisen in the heart.” The other clinical scenario supplies information about patients with heart failure and “fluid retention” or “congestion”: “His heart is flooded. This is the liquid of the mouth. His body parts are all together weak”…“His heart is over flooded….”

Conclusion

Whether or not Egyptian medicine and the contents of the papyri paved the way for future knowledge, the clinical scenarios included in the Ebers papyrus may represent one of the earliest documented observations of the syndrome of heart failure.

Key Words: Ebers papyrus, Cardiac glosses, Cardiac dysfunction, Congestion