The kidney in ancient Egyptian medicine: Where does it stand?

Driven by their deep-seated desire for eternal life in a healthy body, anci ent Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to begin collecting and r ecording medical lore and medicinals that were effective for a healthy body . With its religious origins, medical care was initially provided by priest s, but evolved over time into an independent discipline practiced by the sw nw (sounou) or physician. What has been preserved of their knowledge in ext ant medical papyri reflects the great capacity of Egyptians for practical a chievement in treating symptoms, but lacks the abstract thought that was to come with the advent of the more rational Greek medicine. The number of pr escriptions and incantations for the management of urinary disorders (hemat uria, retention, frequency, infection) and dropsy that are mentioned in ext ant medical papyri likely reflect the frequency with which these problems w ere encountered. Urine was thought to be formed in the region of the bladde r, by a process considered akin to purification. Available studies on prese rved mummies indicate that kidney disease was not uncommon. Whether a funct ional role of the kidney was appreciated at all is highly doubtful. On the other hand, the available evidence suggests an awareness of the kidney (ggt ) to which was ascribed a mythological role that may well account for why t he kidneys and the heart were the only organs not removed during the proces s of mummification.