The skills of the ancient Egyptians in preserving bodies through mummification are well known, but less recognized is their expertise in the everyday medical practices needed to treat the living. John F. Nunn draws on his own experience as a physician and Egyptologist to reassess the evidence on ancient Egyptian medical practices. Nunn has translated and reconsidered the original Egyptian medical papyri and has re-evaluated other sources of information, including skeletons, mummies, statues, tomb paintings, and sarcophagi.

Illustrations highlight similarities in the conditions of...