Mummy's Wrap

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis stems from bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacteria is inhaled and settles in the lungs where the infection takes hold and often morphs into pneumonia. Pneumonia causes the patient to suffer from cold symptoms, a high fever, chills and coughing. Sometimes the patient even coughs up blood. Tuberculosis can also spread to other parts of the body, key among them are the bones, the lining of the brain, the kidneys and the spinal cord (Schiffman: 2008).

Although the knowledge of bacteria was undiscovered by the ancient Egyptians, it appears that there was something that sounds, once translated from hieroglyphs, much like what we know as bacteria. These “disease demons” (Brier: 2001, 62) were untreatable by common methods and needed spells of cleaning to expel these demons. In fact, there are eight spells that are dedicated to cleaning away the “disease demons” (Brier: 2001, 62). The spells of cleaning enforce the idea that the ancient Egyptians were clean people (Brier: 2001, 62). A theory could be drawn that the ancient physicians could have known that tuberculosis stemmed from these “disease demons,” but there is no evidence to support this theory.

It is extremely difficult to track tuberculosis in ancient Egyptian bodies and mummies. The simple explanation is that usually, during the mummification process, the lungs are removed. Removing the lungs exposes the delicate tissues to decay, destroying any evidence that may have existed of tuberculosis. Despite this fact, pulmonary lesions on some lungs found in canopic jars can be seen. It is difficult to tell if these lesions are caused by tuberculosis or by some other infection of the lungs (Halioua: 2005, 144-145).

Directly related to tuberculosis is Pott’s Disease. This is a form of tuberculosis that attacks the spinal cord, causing prolonged lower back pain. This form of tuberculosis can still affect the lungs while spreading to the rest of the body, so patients with Pott’s Disease can also suffer from regular tuberculosis symptoms such as coughing and fever (Yanardag: 2008). A humped back is formed from long exposure to Pott’s Disease and is thus the most recognizable indicator of Pott’s Disease in ancient Egyptian mummies. In a cache of Amun priests, there exists the most famous example of an ancient Egyptian suffering from what is believed to be Pott’s Disease, Nesparehan. It is difficult to accurately diagnose Pott’s Disease from the humped back alone, as it could be attributed to simply bad posture or even another disease altogether. There are some cases of this humped back that are most likely Pott’s Disease due to other symptoms visible on and in the body. In addition to the humped back, there is also an abscess in the lower back, which is caused by the bacteria causing pus to collect in that area of the body. This symptom is clearly visible in the case of Nesparehan (Nunn: 1996, 73-74).

Coughing is probably the worst symptom of tuberculosis. There are a total of forty ways to treat coughing found in three separate papyri. These treatments included ingredients such as honey, cream, milk, carob, date pulp, clover, and a fleshy plant called melilot known for its properties as an antispasmodic and for the increase of urine flow (Halioua: 2005, 86-87). Colocynth was also used to expel the cough from the patient if all other remedies failed, as it was known as an expectorant (Nunn: 1996, 162). This appears to have been a last resort remedy to a particularly stubborn cough (Halioua: 2005, 87). Inhalation techniques were also used. “You shall take seven stones and place some of the medication on top of it. You shall cover it with a new pot, whose bottom as been perforated, and you shall put a reed stalk in the hole. You shall place your mouth over the opening of this stalk in order to be able to inhale the vapor coming out of it” (Halioua: 2005, 87).