Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus

It was found at El Lahun (Faiyum, Egypt) by Flinders Petrie in 1889^[1] and first translated by F. Ll. Griffith in 1893 and published in The Petrie Papyri: Hieratic Papyri from Kahun and Gurob.^[2] It is kept in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology of the University College London. The later Berlin Papyrus and the Ramesseum Papyrus IV cover much of the same ground, often giving identical prescriptions.^[3]

The text is divided into thirty-four sections, each section dealing with a specific problem and containing diagnosis and treatment; no prognosis is suggested. Treatments are non-surgical, comprising applying medicines to the affected body part or swallowing them. The womb is seen as the source of complaints manifesting themselves in other body parts, for which its fumigation is recommended, either by oils and incense or whatever the woman smells roasting, should it cause her to smell roasting.^[4][5]

In Column 3, Line 6 of the Papyrus, there are details of a contraception method involving the burning or sprinkling of crocodile dung.^[6] The Column 3, Line 6 contraception method is often misconstrued as insertion of crocodile dung against the cervix. The context of Column 3, Line 7 depicts another contraception method involving sprinkling honey and natron salt over the woman's womb to prevent pregnancy.^[6]   

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kahun Papyri.

• List of ancient Egyptian papyri
• Kahun Papyri
• History of medicine

• O'Dowd, Michael J.; Philipp, Elliot E. (2000) [First published 1994]. The History of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Paperback ed.). New York: Parthenon Publishing Group. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-85070-040-1. LCCN 94019129.
• Smith, Lesley. "The Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus: Ancient Egyptian medicine." Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care (2011): 54-55^[6]