Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2010 Nov;19(11):1815-23.
doi: 10.1007/s00586-010-1523-6. Epub 2010 Aug 10.

The Edwin Smith papyrus: a clinical reappraisal of the oldest known document on spinal injuries

Joost J van Middendorp  1 , Gonzalo M Sanchez, Alwyn L Burridge
Affiliations
Review

The Edwin Smith papyrus: a clinical reappraisal of the oldest known document on spinal injuries

Joost J van Middendorp et al. Eur Spine J. 2010 Nov.

Abstract

Dating from the seventeenth century B.C: . the Edwin Smith papyrus is a unique treatise containing the oldest known descriptions of signs and symptoms of injuries of the spinal column and spinal cord. Based on a recent "medically based translation" of the Smith papyrus, its enclosed treasures in diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic reasoning are revisited. Although patient demographics, diagnostic techniques and therapeutic options considerably changed over time, the documented rationale on spinal injuries can still be regarded as the state-of-the-art reasoning for modern clinical practice.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Plate X and XI of the Edwin Smith papyrus including the five cervical spinal injury cases in hieratic script [7]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Breasted JH. The Edwin Smith Surgical papyrus (facsimile and hieroglyphic transliteration with translation and commentary, in two volumes) Chicago: The University of Chicago Press; 1930.
    1. Bardinet T. Les papyrus Médicaux de l’Égypte Pharaonique. Paris: Fayard; 1995.
    1. Ebbell B (1939) Die alt-ägyptische Chirurgie: die chirurgischen Abschnitte der Papyrus E. Smith und Papyrus Ebers. Skrifter utgitt av det Norske videnskaps-akademi i Oslo. II. Hist.-filos. Klasse, vol 2. Dybwad, Oslo
    1. von Deines H, Grapow H, Westendorf W. Übersetzung der medizinischen Texte, vol IV, 1. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag; 1958.
    1. Westendorf W. Ein Medizinisches Lehrbuch aus dem alten Ägypten. Wund und Unfallchirurgie, Zaubersprüche gegen Seuchen, verschiedene Rezepte. Aus dem Altägyptischen übersetzt und herausgegeben. Bern: Hans Huber; 1966.