Customer Reviews

The Secret Medicine of the Pharaohs: Ancient Egyptian Healing

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This is one of the worst treatments of Egyptian medicine I have EVER read, and I have read a lot. His treatment of the subject ranges from flippant to completely inaccurate. (For example, his treatment of marriage and sexual health, is laughable at best.) There is no critical analysis of the subject matter, and even when he happens to get something correct he doesn't discuss it. It leaves one wondering if the man ever read a translation of the medical texts, let alone dared to learn Egyptian.

The books on Egyptian medicine by John Nunn (OOP, but worth it to get a used copy) and Joyce Filer, while not perfect, are WAY better than this. They are both geared towards the serious student and the lay person, and are very interesting (and easy) reads.

So sad that Mr. Stetter is no longer in this world to write next edition of his great book! He beautifully illustrated it with pictures of archeological findings, wrote it in a way that both a physician and a non-professional reader enjoys going through its chapters, and clearly pointed out relations of ancient Egyptian medicine with non-Egyptian one (the first medical school in Egypt was established by order of King Darius of Persia).