Move over Gray's Anatomy! The National Library of Medicine "Turning the pages" project brings REAL ancient documents to the tips of your fingers, including Egypt's Edwin Smith surgical papyrus. I am currently translating this text, and can tell you that it offers a fascinating insight into the mind of its scribe. The papyrus is constructed of nearly 50 medical texts, with an examination, diagnosis, and treatment when possible for each. What makes this text especially interesting is the fact that its author also includes glosses to help explain the medical terminology (clearly, doctor jargon is an ancient process). For instance, the texture of the brain is described as being like ripples of molten copper. How romantic.
So take a look below and unroll the papyrus! When you are ready, click the text button to learn about what each case says! If you can't see the papyrus below, click here: http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/ttp/v2/books/#!/edwin_smith_surgical_papyrus/
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