Category: History

Imagine suffering from a headache in 15th-century Europe. Your doctor prescribes you a remedy, not of herbs or potions, but of powdered Egyptian mummy. Yes, you read that right—consuming mummified remains was once considered a cure-all for various ailments, ranging from headaches to cancer. Welcome to the bizarre world of mummy medicine, a practice that dominated European healthcare for centuries.

The Birth of Mummia

The practice of using mummified remains in medicine started with a series of mistranslations and misunderstandings. The term "mummia" originally referred to a resinous bitumen found in Persia, known for its healing properties. However, when Western Europeans began translating Arabic medical texts, they mistakenly identified "mummia" as a substance exuded from preserved Egyptian bodies. This error led to the association of medicinal mummia with embalmed corpses.

Medieval European apothecaries, always on the lookout for the next miracle cure, quickly embraced mummia. Traders and merchants began importing mummified remains from Egypt, and when supplies ran short, they turned to local sources. Fresh corpses were embalmed, dried, and sold as "mummia falsa," a cheaper but equally gruesome substitute.

A Humorous Perspective

Picture this: medieval apothecaries raiding ancient tombs, not for treasure, but for a stash of "magical" mummy dust. It's like a macabre scavenger hunt, where the prize is a dried-up pharaoh's toe. "Excuse me, sir, but do you have any ancient toe jam? It's for my arthritis." Imagine the lengths people went to for a cure—it's almost like a medieval version of a wacky reality TV show.

The Trade and Misinterpretation

By the 12th century, the demand for mummia skyrocketed. When supplies of natural bitumen ran short, traders began substituting it with actual mummified remains. The European market became flooded with Egyptian mummies, and when those weren't available, fresh corpses were embalmed, dried, and sold as "mummia falsa." Apothecaries even started creating their own mummies using executed criminals and other unfortunate souls.

The Italian surgeon Giovanni da Vigo and the Swiss-German polymath Paracelsus added their own unique twists to the practice. Da Vigo defined mummia as "the flesh of a dead body that is embalmed," while Paracelsus insisted that true mummia came from the body of a man who died an unnatural death. The recipes for creating mummia became increasingly elaborate and gruesome, with ingredients like powdered myrrh, aloes, and wine.

The Skepticism and Decline

As skepticism grew, some scholars and physicians began to question the efficacy of mummy medicine. The French surgeon Ambroise Paré, for example, debunked the myth of mummia and revealed the fraudulent practices behind it. He pointed out that the mummies being sold were often the bodies of common criminals, not the noble pharaohs people imagined. Despite his efforts, the use of mummia persisted well into the 17th century, with notable figures like Robert Boyle praising its medicinal properties.

Paré's Discours de la Momie (1582) provided an enjoyably forthright debunking of the grisly remedy. He highlighted the confusion over what mummia actually was and exposed the fraudulent practices of apothecaries who created fake mummies. His writings encouraged other practitioners to abandon the use of mummia, contributing to its decline over the next century.

Medical Cannibalism

The belief in the healing power of human remains extended beyond mummies. Blood, bones, and fat from human corpses were also used as remedies. Thomas Willis, a pioneer in brain science, brewed a drink with powdered human skull and chocolate for bleeding disorders. King Charles II of England enjoyed "The King’s Drops," a tincture of human skull in alcohol. Blood was believed to carry the soul's vitality, and fresh blood was often consumed to gain strength and health.

In Germany, the executioner was considered a healer, providing fresh blood to those who couldn't afford processed compounds. People believed that consuming blood while it was still warm would transfer the vitality of the deceased to the living. Some recipes even included blood cooked into marmalade for easier consumption.

The Decline of Corpse Medicine

As medical science advanced, the practice of consuming human remains gradually fell out of favor. By the 18th century, the use of mummia had largely disappeared, although it persisted in some places until the early 20th century. The English medical writer John Quincy wrote in 1718 that although mumia was still listed in medicinal catalogs, "it is quite out of use in Prescription."

Both mummia and asphalt had long been used as pigments, with artists using them to create a rich brown oil paint called "mummy brown." Despite the decline of mummy medicine, the fascination with ancient Egyptian remedies remains. Modern skincare products still use Egyptian motifs to market their "magic" creams, highlighting the enduring allure of ancient Egypt.

The Lasting Legacy

Despite its gruesome history, mummy medicine reflects the lengths to which humans have gone in search of cures. It also highlights the bizarre intersections of culture, commerce, and medicine. While we may chuckle at the absurdity of eating mummy dust today, it serves as a reminder of how far medical science has come—and how much we owe to the curiosity and creativity of our ancestors.

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