The Oldest Document Describing Cancer and the Man Who Saved It: The Edwin Smith Papyrus and Luxor
In this article
Day 9 (Cancer History in 365 Days Series)
From Luxor's Shadows to Academia: The Cinematic Story of a Papyrus That Changed Medicine
In January 1862, Luxor, built over ancient Thebes, concealed one of history's greatest secrets in its dusty streets. European treasure hunters and mysterious antiquities dealers crossed paths there.
American expatriate Edwin Smith was no ordinary tourist. Able to read hieratic script, he sensed that a papyrus acquired that winter could transform medical history. The discovery involved forgery, detective work and a 70-year silence, beyond a simple purchase.
Today we follow the remarkable journey from tomb to museum of the Edwin Smith Papyrus, containing the oldest known written cancer record.
A Treasure's Journey (1862-1948)
1862
Purchase in Luxor: Smith bought the papyrus from Mustapha Aga and recognized an attempted forgery.
1906
Passing on the Legacy: After Smith died, his daughter Leonora donated it to the New-York Historical Society.
1920
Scientific Awakening: James Henry Breasted was commissioned to translate the papyrus.
1930
The Major Publication: Breasted's monumental translation revealed ancient Egypt's scientific side to the world.
1. Winter 1862: A Forged Papyrus and Smith's Insight
Smith had complex relationships with Luxor residents and consular agents. One agent, Mustapha Aga, offered a remarkably preserved papyrus containing a surgical text. But the story continued.
A Detective Story
Two months later, Aga brought another supposedly newly discovered papyrus. Smith's knowledge of hieratic revealed something odd: these were fragments shed or cut from his original scroll. Sellers had combined them with unrelated papyri to market a new work.
Smith bought the forged scroll too, intending to complete the original . At home, he assembled the fragments like a puzzle. The papyrus's integrity owes much to his careful eye.
2. Silent Years and a Treasure in a Chest (1862-1906)
Smith understood its value but could not fully decipher its technical, scientific language and previously unseen anatomical terms, including words for brain convolutions.
When he died in 1906, the papyrus remained in Leonora's chest, unknown to the world. Egyptology's focus on magical texts and royal tombs meant this rational medical work had not received its due.
3. James Henry Breasted: A 10-Year Struggle
In 1920, the New-York Historical Society entrusted the papyrus to eminent Egyptologist James Henry Breasted. Deciphering it required thinking like a surgeon as well as a linguist.
- Medical Collaboration: Breasted worked with physiologist Dr. Arno B. Luckhardt to interpret symptoms and identify modern equivalents of ancient terms, such as meninges and sutures.
- The Result (1930): After 10 years of painstaking work, the two-volume "The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus" was published. Breasted called it the oldest scientific document in human history.
Was this article helpful?
Your feedback helps us improve our content.
Reader comments
Share your comment
Your name and comment are published only after administrator approval. Your email address is never shown to visitors.
Be the first to comment.