ANCIENT EGYPT

The oldest gynaecologists

Ancient Egyptians were fascinated with the human body and one of the oldest known gynaecological texts is the Kahun Gynaecological papyrus written around 1800 BCE. The text describes in detail a variety of medical conditions and treatments for reproductive health, specifically mentioning menstrual blood throughout. 

For menstrual paints in the bottom, genitals and thighs, it advised to:

“Treat it with a measure of carob fruit, a measure of pellets, 1 hin of cow milk. Boil, cool, mix together, drink on 4 mornings.”

It was believed the ancient Egyptian word for menstruation was ‘hsmn’, which means ‘purification’. This may imply that menstrual blood was seen as dirty in Ancient Egyptian society, or it may have been seen as positive and necessary. 

Certainly they did not believe it was all bad as the cure prescribed for sagging breasts was to smear menstrual blood on your chest.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: 

Pages 1 and 2 of the Kahun Papyrus