Mummy's Wrap

Leprosy in Ancient Egypt

Caused by the organism Mycobacterium leprae, leprosy is known as one of the most terrifying diseases of the ancient world. It causes tumors to grow beneath the skin, fester, and then ulcerate. It also causes neurological damage, leading to a loss of feeling in the extremities of the body. There was no way to treat leprosy in ancient times. It was very probable that those suffering from leprosy were ostracized, making it difficult for them to receive treatment to their injuries. Leprosy was not a very contagious disease, but it was still a visually terrifying one (“Leprosy”: 2008). It was acquired by close contact over a long period of time with another person suffering from leprosy, so leprosy often ran within single families (Nunn: 1996, 74).

Mummified remains showing signs of leprosy are rare. It is possible that lepers seeking mummification were turned away due to the fear of infection (Nunn: 1996, 74). Evidence of leprosy in the papyri is uncertain as well. There are areas of the papyri that mention the thickening of skin, as would be found with tumors, but there is nothing that would firmly suggest leprosy. There do exist remains from ancient Egypt that are definitely remains of lepers. The Graeco-Roman and Coptic period burials have both yielded the remains of lepers. A Coptic burial in Nubia showed suggestions of leprosy (Nunn: 1996, 75), as did four bodies from the Dakhleh Oasis (Molto: 2002, 46).

As leprosy was untreatable, as were most ancient diseases, all that could be done for the individual was to make them more comfortable and to treat whatever minor wounds they accumulated from their lack of sensation. The Ebers Papyrus does describe the tumors that are thought to be symptoms of leprosy, known in the Papyrus as Khonsu’s Tumor.

If you examine a large tumor of Khonsu in any part of a man and it is terrible and it has made many swellings. Something has appeared in it like that in which there is air. …Then you shall say concerning it: It is a swelling of Khonsu. You should not do anything against it (Nunn: 1996, 75).

It also says:

If you find them [tumors] on his two arms, his pelvis and his thighs, pus [being] in them, you should not do anything against it (Nunn: 1996, 75).

While many theories exist as to what, exactly, the tumor of Khonsu is, many people agree that, in this particular translation, it is a form of leprosy. Yet again the issue of translation comes into play and one must be cautious when reading a translation to come to a certain conclusion, as a mistake in the translation could lead to misunderstandings (Thanheiser).

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This entry was posted by Page Strong on Saturday, August 29th, 2009 at 17:58 and is filed under Ancient Egypt, Everyday Life, Herbals, medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.