Wilkinson, John Gardner; Birch, Samuel [Contr.]: The Egyptians in the time of the pharaohs: being a companion to the Crystal Palace Egyptian collections (London, 1857)

122

DOMESTIC HABITS OF THE EGYPTIANS.

sation, of assigning to a particular member of the profession his
peculiar branch—oculists being distinct from those who treated
diseases of the head and other parts of the body. Accoucheurs

were mostly, if not always,
women. But the paintings
give little, if any, indica-
tion of their duties, except
of the last mentioned; and
it is uncertain whether the
supposed doctors at Beni
Hassan may not be barbers.
Surgical instruments, how-
ever, have been found; as
well as slabs or cases, which
appear to contain models of
the most ordinary require-
ments of the doctor, whose
figure sometimes accom-
panies them; among which
are bottles, salve-pots, and
knives similar to those
they used for circumcision.
Other instruments, chiefly
bronze,have been discovered
in the tombs; and, though
it is uncertain for what
purpose most of them were
intended, or to what trade they belonged, some were in such
common use, that it may not be uninteresting to introduce
them here. Among them may be seen small bells (woodcut 91,
f>s. 6, 7): but though many of the others are known to be of
early date, it is uncertain to what time these last may be

(W. SO.)