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HISTOEY OF DENTAL SURGERY 3
seems almost impossible that the jieople of I'hoenieia, who we have evidence
were versed in dental prosthesis, should have been able to keep from imparting
this art to the P]gyptians, as tb.ey were near neighbors and related by
the bonds of trade, and also owed allegiance to the Egyptian sovereigns. It
may be that the c'ult or religion of the Egyptians did not permit them to re-
tain prosthetic pieces after death.
About 8,j0 B. C. the Pastophori of Egypt devoted themselves to the
practice of medicine under a system taught and promulgated in a portion of
their Bible, which is credited as having been inspired and written liy the
hand of Thoth or Hermes, and is supposed to have had its origin during or
about tlie eleventh dynasty. This Bible is said to have consisted of forty-two
books, which were divided into six divisions, the last of which consisted of
six books, entitled "The rASTOPiiOK," which were entirely devoted to the
liealing art. These books treated of anatomy, of diseases, of instruments,
of materia medica and pharmacy, of diseases of the eyes and of those of
women. Egypt at that time was the most cultured country of the world,
and Homer relates that every man tliere was more or less skilled in medicine,
but no one man practiced all of its branches.
Ancient Egypt understood and observed tlie division of labor. H' Herod-
otus, the great historian, who wrote 500 years l>efore the Christian era, is
v.ortjiy of credence, we are forced to believe that in those days, in that
country medical practice was as much given over to specialists as in our own
times in the great cities of our own country. He states
"The art of medicine is ko practiced in Egypt that there is found an in-
dividual liealer for each individual disorder. Hence, the whole country is
fJled with healers. Some take charge of the disorders of the eyes; others of
those of the head ; others of those of tlie teeth : others of those of the belly
and others of those of secret diseases."
^
Thus it is that Egypt iindoubtedly was tlie cradle of dentistry as' a
distinctive branch of the healing art. These "Pastophori"" heTd hereditary
office as priests, and, as their knowledge and skill in the healing art was
handed down from father to son, it seems reasonable to suppose that the
professor of each particular branch may have reached great proficiency, in so
far as dental services were then in demand, under the aesthetic and sani-
tary requirements of then existing society. "We are warranted in believing
that Egyptians skilled in this direction exceeded those of other nations
by the fact that the monarchs and grandees of other countries of the world
for many years employed Egyi^tians only as their surgeons and physicians.
HISTOEY OF DENTAL SURGERY 3
seems almost impossible that the jieople of I'hoenieia, who we have evidence
were versed in dental prosthesis, should have been able to keep from imparting
this art to the P]gyptians, as tb.ey were near neighbors and related by
the bonds of trade, and also owed allegiance to the Egyptian sovereigns. It
may be that the c'ult or religion of the Egyptians did not permit them to re-
tain prosthetic pieces after death.
About 8,j0 B. C. the Pastophori of Egypt devoted themselves to the
practice of medicine under a system taught and promulgated in a portion of
their Bible, which is credited as having been inspired and written liy the
hand of Thoth or Hermes, and is supposed to have had its origin during or
about tlie eleventh dynasty. This Bible is said to have consisted of forty-two
books, which were divided into six divisions, the last of which consisted of
six books, entitled "The rASTOPiiOK," which were entirely devoted to the
liealing art. These books treated of anatomy, of diseases, of instruments,
of materia medica and pharmacy, of diseases of the eyes and of those of
women. Egypt at that time was the most cultured country of the world,
and Homer relates that every man tliere was more or less skilled in medicine,
but no one man practiced all of its branches.
Ancient Egypt understood and observed tlie division of labor. H' Herod-
otus, the great historian, who wrote 500 years l>efore the Christian era, is
v.ortjiy of credence, we are forced to believe that in those days, in that
country medical practice was as much given over to specialists as in our own
times in the great cities of our own country. He states
"The art of medicine is ko practiced in Egypt that there is found an in-
dividual liealer for each individual disorder. Hence, the whole country is
fJled with healers. Some take charge of the disorders of the eyes; others of
those of the head ; others of those of tlie teeth : others of those of the belly
and others of those of secret diseases."
^
Thus it is that Egypt iindoubtedly was tlie cradle of dentistry as' a
distinctive branch of the healing art. These "Pastophori"" heTd hereditary
office as priests, and, as their knowledge and skill in the healing art was
handed down from father to son, it seems reasonable to suppose that the
professor of each particular branch may have reached great proficiency, in so
far as dental services were then in demand, under the aesthetic and sani-
tary requirements of then existing society. "We are warranted in believing
that Egyptians skilled in this direction exceeded those of other nations
by the fact that the monarchs and grandees of other countries of the world
for many years employed Egyi^tians only as their surgeons and physicians.
